Travel cot mattresses-very confused

[waskywax]

Looking for some advice here,

we are thinking its time to invest in a travel cot as we have grown out of the pram basket we have been using up to now.

What I dont understand is that pretty much every review I read says the mattresses in travel cots are too thin to really sleep on and you need to invest in a mattress to put on top. So I looked at the mattresses, and they all seem to be 4 or 5 cms thick, like a normal mattress. Doesnt this mean that you then have to cart a whole mattress round with you seperately? Is there such a thing as an additional mattress that is also compact and easy to take around with you?
I hope I have psoted this in the right place, its my first time on mumsnet.

Thanks all

Those reviews are rubbish - travel cot mattresses are fine...make sure you air it though before you use it because fresh out of the plastic the synthetic smell is awful...

I have never seen a travel cot with a 4-5 inch mattress (that's not to say they don't exist)

Ime they are only an inch or two thick. My dds have never had problems sleeping on them - possibly as they have a layer of grobag under their backs too? Some friends of ours put a folded blanket under the travel cot mattress to supposedly make it more comfy for the lo.

I've never seen an additional separate mattress, imo this would defeat the object of a "travel" cot!

I don't take a travel cot unless we are staying where there isn't a cot - like someone's house. Just buy a travel cot mattress - they are thin sheets with a bit of padding - and put that over the hotel mattress so your baby is sleeping on their own mattress. I take a fitted sheet too, so they have their own bedding. It doesn't take much room/weight.

Mothercare sell them. Look under mattresses - travel. But they are more expensive than when I bought mine - £29. But worth if it you are using a hotel cot/mattress, I think.

thanks everyone...

I need it mainly for sating at other peoples houses.

this is the sort of thing I'm finding...

www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_0_10751_-1__13322_1 0001#reviewstab

(if i did that right)

It looks quite thick. The mothercare one looks great but it doesnt seem to be the same size as the cot I was looking at. Is there a "standard" size for travel cots?

Sorry...

www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_0_10751_-1__13322_100 01#reviewstab

I may just buy the travel cot and risk the mattress (thanks giantkatestacks), i just dont want to find out that I cant get a mattress topper the right size for the cot, I guess I should just buy a cot that will fit the mothercare travel mattress just in case. Shame they are a little more expensive, eh!

Blast, I'm not good at these link things.

Thanks everyne anyway.

I got this travel cot mattress from kiddicare for soon to be born ds2

It feels much comfier than the mattresses that come with travel cots

This is the travel cot that we have. Its out of stock on the website but Asda normally have them in store when they do those baby event things

phoenix, does it fold up, or do you have to transport it flat if you want to take it anywhere?

I think the travel cot mattresses are too thin for a baby IF they are sleeping on them regularly or using them as their main cot. For occasional use, there is no problem.

the mattress from kiddicare I mean

It folds in the middle yes. It's not as thick as a regular cot mattress but is thicker than a normal travel cot one.

My ds1 slept on a travel cot mattress for a few weeks when he outgrew his moses basket and was fine but for this baby i found the thicker mattresses and think they are better for regular use but for occasional use i would just use the mattress that comes with your travel cot.

Thanks!

When manufacturers make a travel cot it has to pass a British Standard so it comes with a THIN FIRM padded base, because the travel cot has soft sides and therefore there is no trap against the soft sides of the cot and the thin base
.
The more you increase the depth of the mattress the greater the risk of your baby getting a foot stuck between the mattress and the side netting.
so no parent want to have baby sleeping on a board so 4 cm is about
a balance between comfort and safety . ie 10 cm would be quite a trap
best to have a mattress that rolls not in two bits (obviously a better sleep)
best if you get one with waterproof protector under the machine washable cover and over the foam pad so still have breathability
still transport a mattress cover in a suitcase you put your clothes in the curve , so you keep shape best not to fold flat