Until what age can a toddler sleep in a travel cot?

[wishIwasonholiday10]

Does anyone know what age is considered safe for a toddler to sleep in a travel cot as long as they still fit? We are looking to go away with a 2.5 year old who still sleeps in a cot at home and was wondering if she will be OK in a standard travel cot in a hotel? Are they sturdy enough if they decide to stand up? I would be worried about having her on a matress on the floor in a non child proofed environment.

Depends on their weight and ability, they shouldn't be in any cot if they are able to climb out and at 2.5 years most children can. It will also depends on the type of travel cot at the hotel.

We had this problem. Mine was too big at that age (and she's small compared to her peers). As we were due to travel we switched her to a bed at home so she was used to it before going away.

Thanks! I guess I can ask what type of cot they have before booking. The trip is still 2 months away but at the moment she is not close to being able to climb out of her cot as she has an as yet unexplained gross motor delay. Of course we will move her into a bed if she does start climbing but at the moment I don't think she is ready.

She is less than 50 percentile for weight so should be well under 15 kg which seems to be the weight limit for a few travel cots I checked. She is quite tall but she still fits easily in her cot at home which is the smaller of the two common sizes.

Mine was in a cot at home until after 3, she never once tried to climb out. We used a travel cot whenever we went away (and she was fine in it) except for one time when we stayed in a cottage with a TINY bedroom for her and the cot didn’t fit. We took a bed guard, removed everything removable from the bedroom (ornaments, lamps etc) and barricaded the door from outside so she couldn’t get to the stairs. However she was also the most compliant toddler ever, so if told to stay in bed, she would!! Now at age 5, she definitely wouldn’t 😂😂

surely if you’re in a hotel and she got up it would disturb you? Can you ask if they have bed guards instead? Or take your own if not flying?

I think it depends on the child. My youngest is 4.5 years and I'd put him in a travel cot! He'd think it was great fun!

If the travel cot was in my room, I think I'd wake up if my child woke up enough to stand up and try and climb out. They're very unlikely to wake silently and try to ninja out - more likely will stand up, jump about a bit, holler for you etc before it occurs to them to climb out.

When my DC3 was 3.5 years old we went abroad and he slept in a travel cot. The cot had a zipped door in the end mesh panel, which was perfect as he had a cosy bed he couldn't roll out of but could also get in/out himself. I've never seen a cot like it since, but thought it was a great idea!

DD tipped a travel cot in an escape attempt when she was younger than that, despite showing no signs whatsoever of climbing at home. They’re a lot flimsier than a regular wooden cot and an unfamiliar place can cause them to wake and want to come find you even if they always sleep through at home. Some hotels seem to have wooden cots, you could ask, but sometimes these are crib size not cot bed size so might be a squeeze for a 2.5YO. We transitioned to a bed well in advance of our next trip as it makes things so much easier!

My kids could sleep in the LittleLife travel cot up to age 4. It had a zip at the side and is much better and lighter than most travel cots.

It really depends on the child. Mine is 3 and will still sleep in a travel cot. For some reason he quite likes a contained sleeping space, always has 🤣 and loves his cot. He can climb out, but doesn’t. We do need to transition him to a toddler bed at home but it’s fine for now.

Depends if she's likely to try and climb out and tip it over really.
My eldest slept in a normal cot on holiday at age 3 because she thought it was fun!

Like PP have said, it depends on the child. Last time we tried DD with a travel cot was a few months ago, at 2. She's in between the 9th and 15th centile for height and weight, so definitely slight. She conquered it in seconds, tipped the thing right over. It was quite alarming! We were lucky we had a junior bed in the hotel room that we could drag the mattress off. If you've got a climber and/or your child is already used to a bed they can exit of their own free will like ours was, don't bother. A mattress on the floor will be far safer.

If she's less lighter than the weight limit and unlikely to climb or tip it over then it'll probably be fine, but I would have a back up bed for her just in case.