Can you add a mattress to a travel cot?
Travel cots already come with a mattress but they can be quite thin and flimsy. While some children can sleep fine on them, a mattress can help make it more cosy. Mattresses come in different sizes to fit travel cots so make sure it fits yours correctly so it’s safe and comfortable for your baby to rest in.
Do bear in mind that by adding a new mattress to the travel cot, you could reduce the height between the top of the mattress and the edge of the cot, making it easier for toddlers to escape. The distance should be at least 50cm.
What size mattress fits a travel cot?
Travel cots come in a range of sizes. Most are 95 x 65cm, but you can get bigger designs which are around 120 x 60cm. It’s important to check the size of your travel cot before purchasing a mattress.
What to look for in a travel cot mattress?
Size
While most mattresses come in standard sizes, there are many options available, so before buying a mattress for your travel cot, measure the inside length and width of your travel cot. The mattress should be a snug fit and leave no gaps around the sides to keep it safe for your child to sleep in.
Material
You tend to choose from mattresses made from foam or spring, but there are other options available including organic materials like lambswool. Look out for waterproof, wipe-clean or machine washable covers to help keep the mattress clean and hygienic for your baby or toddler.
Portability
As you will be packing the mattress to go away, you’ll want one that is lightweight and portable. Check the weight as you’ll be carrying it around a lot when travelling. Mattresses that can be folded will help make it even easier to transport, but make sure the material is durable as it may develop weak areas from the constant folding.
Safety
While most parents will use the mattress for short times when away from home, it is still essential that it provides a safe sleeping space for your baby. Choose a mattress that is firm, flat, breathable and has a waterproof cover, especially important for young babies to prevent suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Check that the mattress complies with British Safety Standards BS 1877-10:2011+A1:2012.
What is the best travel cot mattress?
The Hauck Travel Cot mattress is a soft, quilted sheet that can fit over the cot mattress to make it more comfortable for your baby or toddler. Soft, lightweight and foldable, it’s easily portable when travelling away from home, as well as safe and easy to clean for young babies to get a restful night's sleep. It comes in smaller sizes too.
How we chose our recommendations
Recommendations from real parents
Whenever we start our research we head straight to our forums first. With more than 8 million Mumsnet users each month, we know that we’re going to get a host of honest, impartial advice from parents to help us find the best products on the market.
Expert guidance
Then, to help us whittle down our list of recommendations, we research each product thoroughly to ensure it follows the latest expert advice and stands up to scrutiny. To find the best bed travel cot mattress we consulted the likes of the Lullaby Trust and Which for advice.
Consumer feedback
Then we want to know what users of the product think, so we check websites like Amazon and John Lewis to read consumer reviews, both positive and negative, to help us find out if the products are up to scratch.
Celebrated best products
Finally, we check to see which products have won industry awards and received recognition from trusted sources. This helps us come up with a final list of the best products to recommend to you.
Why you can trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.
About the author
Gemma Wilcock is a freelance writer and copywriter. At Mumsnet, she creates content providing useful parenting advice, information and top products to make life easier – as a mother of two children herself, Gemma knows how important it is to get the right advice. Gemma loves writing about subjects that will be helpful to the reader – and herself! - including recommending top products on Mumsnet that help parents in their day-to-day life, such as writing reviews for strollers, double buggies and cots. She knows how important online reviews are when it comes to making a purchase so she always makes sure to thoroughly research every product so we are recommending the best ones on the market.