When is it the 'right' time to take the side off the cot bed?

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My DD is about to turn 2 yrs old. She is very tall for her age and is always mistaken for a 3 or 4 yrs old. She is getting quite big for her cot and I just feel it's perhaps time to take the side off or change her in to a single bed.
Some friends have moved their child up a bed because they have tried to climb out or they need the cot for a new baby.
Neither of these reasons apply to us. I just feel she's reached that stage.

A few things stopping me are: my selfishness about the fact that I love the current arrangement I.e I know that when she goes to bed at 7pm that I am FREE to do as I please without a little person getting out of bed every 2 minutes.And her waking me up in the middle of the night. (god I am so selfish!)
Last but not least, I do not want to rush her.

How do you know it's the right time?

Any advice would be welcome!

DD was in her cot till 2.9 (we were waiting for DS's SEN bed to arrive so she could inherit his).

She only tried to climb out once or twice towards the end of this. She then went straight into a highish single bed with no safety rail and has only fallen out once (touch wood). It didn't bother her being in a cot and the transfer to a bed was really easy because she was older.

If it's not broke.... don't fix it. I'd say if she's happy with her sides on, leave them on.

for me it was DS screaming at 1am that he didn't want to go back in his cot, he was about 2 in fact, I got the bar thingy & made a big fuss over his 'big boy bed'

how does DD feel about her cot? is she happy enough as it is?

ps' a baby gate on the bedroom door is good for keeping little people contained still.

DD is 2.5 and still in her cot bed. She likes it. She has never climbed out though she still could, and she likes to rest her legs up the bars sometimes or bounce in it.

I'll take the sides off when she vaults over, otherwise she seems cosy- and more easily contained!

DS is 10 months and already looking into escaping ... standing up now and bouncing a little, he'll be out before DD is at this rate

The right time is when she overgrows the cot, then move her to a bed.

My Ds's were all in their cots until they were 4yrs. They were quite happy and so was I. Once ds1 could climb out we left the side down. The other two didn't even try. Ds2 and ds3 both had safety sides on their big boy beds once they moved over.

When they're ready. DS was 14 months when he discovered how to escape. Went into single bed with no bed side (cot mattress on the floor) and a mid-sleeper at 3yo.

He had a gate at his bedroom door but at 2.5yo learnt how to build stairs from toy boxes (biggest at bottom) and climb over. He's an ingenius little bugger. Luckily for me he's well behaved when all obstacles challenges were removed and he was told to stay put he did.

He's 6yo now and has asked for a high sleeper - I have said when he's 7.

We took the sides off DD's cotbed when she was around 2 y 8 m I guess. She had been able to climb out for ages but was still trapped when wearing her sleeping bag... but then she started unzipping her sleeping bag & climbing out of her cot, so we figured there wasn't much point having it there! She hasn't been difficult getting out at bedtimes/naptimes etc, but she does fall out occasionally.

Thank you so much for all your hints & tips. It never surprises me how clever our little darlings can be?!
I guess she's quite happy as she is.
Like KtheK says if it's not broke....

Thanks everyone.

DS was 3 when we took the sides off the cotbed. We fitted a bed guard to stop him falling out, and he's been fine.