Travel cot for 20-month-old

[Majpurple]

My great-niece is visiting at the weekend and we have nowhere for her to sleep - I am researching pop-up travel cots as they seem very light weight but would appreciate any advice! Also cannot afford much as I am on a pension now. Can you help please?

For just a weekend I would just put on floor/ normal bed. Can push bed against wall and pillows other side, or adult sleep one side to stop any falling out.

Or just folded duvet on floor with blanket and pillow is fine at that age

Thanks - the family are staying the weekend in London and then the next week with my 90-year-old mum and I would like to reassure her that the baby will be safe. Do you think a pop-up travel cot would be suitable if I can get one?

A single mattress on the floor would be perfect if you already have one

My ds has slept (ha ha) for a week in a bog standard cheapy travel cot and he's 20 months. I did pad the bottom out and have a pillow for him.

He was fine!

Thanks all. What is the opinion on a pop-up one, though, if I can find? I would like to give it to them as a gift and the traditional ones are very heavy. Also I think they need to be sure she is safe and cannot run around the house! Staying with my mum she will be worried if the baby can get out and wander where she chooses (doors don't shut well)

what about something like this ready bed

I dont know how stable the pop up ones are and they are much more expensive than the normal ones. What is your budget?

I had thought the pop up ones were only really good for before the child can crawl/stand up.

We had a samsonite pop up one and it was lightweight but not v big and a child could have stood up inside and unzipped it to get out or made it tip over. If you really want something that will contain them then a traditional travel cot would be better, but bear in mind at 20 months they're likely to be going into a toddler bed/big bed fairly soon so it may not get much use on subsequent visits.

www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplay0_10751_-1_294815_10001 - this says birth-age 3 but is pricey. Others say birth -15kgs so it depends on the childs weight too

Also, just thought if your visitors are driving to you, they are likely to have friends with kids similar ages so couldn't they borrow a travel cot from someone?

Well I've just googled them....and there is no way my ds would sleep in that I'm afraid. But my ds is a strong, big, toddler who would just roll the whole thing around the floor.

Maybe your great niece would get on with it better? Can you ask the parents? Show them a link?

We've got a pop up one (the koodi one) and dd2 was fine in it last summer when she turned one but we used it in April, when she was 20mo and she hated it, I'm assuming because she couldn't stand up and she felt enclosed. She could also undo the zip and escape, and tip it so there's no way I'd use it again. A traditional travel cot or Readybed would be much better, or even a bed with guards.

Oh that baby bjorn one would be fine......but £200??? Wow!

Go for a hauck travel cot they come in all different colours but are about £40/50 when on offer in Asda/Argos etc. Or else look on eBay / gumtree for a clean secondhand one for about £20. My nearly 3 old will just about fit on one when we go away.

Thank you all so much for your help! I am overwhelmed! I was certainly going to get a second hand one if I could, but they cannot borrow as they are flying over from France. I think perhaps the Argos 'ready bed' might be a good choice - thanks Ilovepowerhoop. Thanks to all for your help and swift responses

Just to warn you you that even the normal style travel cot may not contain an adventurous 20 month old. At that age we had to stop using ours as our daughter could make the whole thing rock (it was a bog standard morhercare one- quite heavy) and we worried she would tip it over. She is tall for her age but not particularly heavy or strong.
Instead, I would try and baby proof a room (nothing major, just put anything breakable/harmful out of reach) and put a mattress on the floor- she's getting a bit big for a cot anyway.
You could always buy them one of those single futon matresses you can store in a bag- they look great for visiting kids.

Ooh , Readybed looks brilliant, not seen those before!

Thank you Bolshy - I am now thinking about the ready bed, but the Tesco one as although it is a bit more expensive it is much less gender-specific - nice and calm owl design.

Many thanks once again, all.

All travel cots are light. They are fine and my dd sleeps in one every night, with an extra mattress because she's only 6mo. Trsvel cot is better than a mattress on the floor as the child may get up in the night if used to being in a cot.

Pop up cost only ok until child can stand by themselves.
At 20 months, definitely a Readybed.

Although at 21 months lady summer,dd just slept in an ordinary bed with a bed guard.

Not a good idea. Not going to contain her and could be slightly hazardous. If it's very light weight then she probably won't hurt herself on it as she tips it over but she might bash herself and get a shock. I know ds did when he tipped one on holiday once, that was slightly heavier than a pop up but lighter than a standard travel cot.

Suggest you ask them to bring a stair gate. If they don't have one or can't fit it in the car then buy a lindam one (I like my mothercare wooden ones but lindam are a name you can trust and not pricey).

The babybjorn ones are great and we used lots for ours but by 2 years they could just climb in and out etc so £200 is expensive to buy now but great from newborn.

Def a ready bed then to transport, plus will last if she visits again for the next years ahead

Agree with the pp about ready bed. I got a brand new one of eBay cheap for when visiting my parents when he was about 15months as he wouldn't sleep in the travel cot, its small enough for them to store and my DS now 3.5yrs still able to sleep in it.