travel cot---use it or lose it?

[maomao]

Hi everyone,

I'm sure you experienced Mumsnetters can help me. I'm debating about purchasing a travel cot for my almost 5 month old DD. Pros: it would give me a place to stash her, on occasion, away from dog and cats if I need. Cons: cost and space---our flat is quite small. Therefore, I'm really only trying to acquire the "must haves".

Do you have a travel cot? Do you use it? What, in your mind, are the pros and cons? Does yours double as a playpen?

Thanks in advance for your help. Your advice is greatly appreciated, as I am of limited budget and limited space!

Thanks, everyone. Your comments have been really helpful for me. You make a wonderful sounding board!

We've used ours quite a lot, but as a cot for overnight stays and for napping while at other people's houses for the day, not as a playpen (tried once but ds went berserk!).

Message withdrawn

Hmmmm..... a "baby entertainer" you say? I thought that was me! I shall have to look into one of those, as I'm not familiar with it. Thanks!

Baby entertainers look like the baby equivalent of the bridge on the Starship Enterprise. The baby sits in a little seat with its legs hanging down, feet just touching the floor and can swivel round to play with all the goodies around it. We had one lent to us but I found it much too space-consuming for everyday use. If you had a huge kitchen or lounge (or no other furniture) it'd be great but I found it a bit of a one-hit-wonder. They're expensive too, so I'm glad we only borrowed ours.

Have to say that we have only used ours two or three times. We got it before DD was born and she is now 17mo. We took it on holiday in the UK when she was 3 months and used it then, but rarely sonce. She usually justs beds in with us if we go away for a weekend to friends or family - find it easier. We never use it as a playpen either - don't have enough time to leave it up so never even think of getting it out in the house. As we haven't used it for a year now I think it may have to go. Trying to sell DD's cot so maybe the travel cot could go in the same ad.

Luckily we didn't have an expensive one (Mothercare Basic range), and it was a pressie too. Otherwise it would have been one of our bad buys.

we used ours to death, but we travel a lot and go and stay with people quite a bit. I've never used it as a playpen, mine wouldn't have taken kindly to being in one once they could walk, and before they could walk there's no point in a playpen IMO! Only time I've used it at home is to put other people's babies in them to sleep when they come to stay (like a spare cot if you like). So if you don't travel much and don't have people to stay much, then I'd save your budget.

But I do think they regularly turn up in Children's second hand shops, NCT sales etc. And they are the sort of bulky thing people love to give away when their children have grown out of them, so ask around/have a look in Loot perhaps?

baby entertainers are great - look on the "How to entertain a 7 month old" thread on Behaviour

Thanks everyone for your tips and suggestions. They're really very helpful!

Hi there. This was one of the many things that was a waste of money but I didn't know any better...
Depends entirely on whether you will be travelling, we used ours on one holiday, so one week out of 3.5 yrs.
Nearly new travel cot for sale in Surrey...
got a little playpen too, used a lot but for a very very short time.

Our travel cot has been invaluable - fantastic for going out for evenings at friends - just stick the baby in the travel cot! Also for holidays it's been good, and we have used it as a playpen, particularly when ds was about 1, in the garden. Definite good buy!

Hi, tried to use travel cot but lasted 30 seconds before ds went barmy, baby entertainer on the other hand he would have happily stayed in for hours. He still uses it now (at 13 mths)as it converts to toddler mode.

Oh yes - another vote here for the Rocking Entertainer. WE borrowed one for DS1 and he loved it so much that when DS2 came along we went in search of one..... and to cut a long story short... that's how SB34 & I met!
I'll be selling it on again in a couple of months - anyone in Surrey want one??

We have a mothercare one, it was only £50, is easy to put up and down and came in a handy storage bag. We have had lots of use out of ours, not just for our own DD.

Most of our close friends also have babies and so we tend to have a quite a few get-togethers at each others houses rather than going out IYSWIM. Having the travel cot makes life so much easier as it means that we can put DD down to sleep at 7ish and she is cosy and happy until we are ready to take her home at 11pm+. We also take it to my Mums in Wales approx 1 weekend a month so for us it has been a really good buy.

I have never used it as a playpen though, I've never really had the need.

I've had 2 kids and no travel cot. Never needed one. If you don't travel much & only have one child, then I'd say it def. isn't an essential. But if you intend to have more than 1 child, then you could think about it. i'm borrowing one for my 3rd, as a 'safe haven' in the front room from my 2 boys.

For travel, we've always managed without one, and you need to take so much stuff travelling with a baby, that a cot on top of everything would have been just much too much.

Great, thanks everyone! I'm gathering that there are rocking and nonrocking entertainers. I shall certainly have to follow up on codswallop's how-to thread.

Looks like there's both a travel cot and an entertainer for sale in Surrey --- I'm living in the wrong area!

I do realize that the travel cot isn't a must-have with only one child---it's just that we also have a large dog, some cats.....so I thought it might make it more useful. However, as I've posted before, my DD is quite impatient and wants very much to be on the move (though she's only 5 months, so she can't get around so much!).

I know that travel cots are in the £50 range, but frankly, for us that's really a LOT of money if it's not going to be put to good use. I don't have any extra to throw about.

I will try and find an NCT sale in or around London....and if any of you have suggestions on a good NCT sale in that vicinity, I'd be most interested!

Thanks again for all your tips and insights!

You could try www.ebay.co.uk for a new or a used bargain or kiddicare sell a brand new one for £35.99. I'd also keep my eyes peeled for one in the classifieds in your local paper, there are always lots in ours (Worcestershire).

Thanks WSM!

We have one instead of a cot - Both DS and DD alway wriggled round so their heads were pushed against the bars and woke up crying. The travel cot has soft sides plus they can't get their arms stuk. Mattress is thinner though so once they get bigger they start waking. At this point we switched to a bed with a bedguard. Its handy in this respect as you take the normal bed with you when you go away so they are used to it.

Never found it any good as a playpen though - but perhaps because they associated it with bed

Why not look at a boot fair. I've seen some lovely ones for virtually no money at all in excellent nick. Because most people only use them when they visit relatives etc they often get very little use.

where do you live maomao? My friend was only offering me one today but I dont need it as I already have one. Will be very very cheap I should think.

I have one virtually brand new new if you are anywhere near Sheffield - can go pretty cheap.

Thanks everyone, you're wonderfully helpful. CnR and mckenzie, I'm in NW London and, sadly (but probably great for other motorists) I don't have a car. (Otherwise, I'd be at Costco in a flash!)

Katherine, a boot sale is a great idea---I've never been to one, and have heard so much about them!

Details below from nct website. Can thoroughly recommend nct nearly new sales, my house is overflowing with toys/equipment that would have cost a fortune new. Hope this helps.

Ealing NCT Nearly New Sale. Date: Saturday 4th October 2003. Time: 10am-12pm. Venue: St Stephen's Church Centre, St Stephen's Road, Ealing, W13. Quality secondhand baby clothes, children's clothes, Nursery Equipment and Toys for sale. £1 entrance. Non-members welcome Contact: Kerry 020 8574 4507.

Enfield NCT Nearly New Sale. Date: Saturday 4th October 2003. Time: 11am-1pm. Venue: St. Stephens Church Hall, Park Avenue, Bush Hill Park, Enfield. NCT Members can enter from 10:45.

What a shame!

Thanks jamoon! I shall endeavor to figure out how to get there via public transport using the Transport for London site.

CnR, perhaps you'd like to adopt me? (I've already been to university, eat a whole lot, and make a ton of noise....)