Cot / changing station shopping later on - best high street?

[1mum1]

We'll probably look in M&P and Mothercare - any other good high street shops for cot/changing stations - just want to see them in person?

Also - is it necessary to have a cot where the side lowers? I'm not too fussed about this but my husband thinks it may be useful?

Thanks for any tips!

Hi,
I wouldn't bother with a changing station personally, we used a malm chest of drawers from ikea and stuck a cot top changer to the top.

I really wanted this chest of drawers - it's the right height and pretty long, but we just didn't have the room.

We've just stopped using our change table at 18mo, and now just change on the floor - no point spending a fortune on something that you might not be able to use for very ling.

Oh - drop side cots - depends I think, we have one and I'm actually regretting not getting a cot bed. We've never really used it and the only time I drop the side is when I'm changing the cot. I think it's better to just get a cot that has a high ish base, then you don't have to bend down too far.

can you tell I don't have much to do today

sorry, just to confuse the issue - we DID have a change table in DS's room, but a chest of drawers in ours, and found them about the same. Change table has gone to freecycle, chest of drawers is still being used

Thanks so much Sheeta - I'm glad you had the time to detail it all!

I don't think we'll need the drop side cot then - will check on the base height options - good point. People keep saying you probably won't need a changing station but think we'll get one with the chest of drawers underneath as we need some drawers for her anyway.

Thanks again!

What I found most useful in a cot, was a very high top level because until the can roll/crawl you can use that - saves all the bending over.

I did you the drop side but I am short, had huge heavy babies who were late sitting up and it killed by back trying to pick them up from the bottom of the cot! I also found the one handed drop sides the best, they were a less flimsy construction.

Cot beds can be an issue if you plan to have another child because the cot bed will still be in use? Also I just took one side of my drop side cot of and used it like a bed that way, much cheaper and took up less room.

I also absolutely loved my cot top changer partly because I found it difficult to change them sideways on so preferred them straight out in front of me on the cot top changer. I just used a regular chest of drawers next to the cot to store all the bits and I used washables so needed plenty of storage.

I've had 4 dc and 4 different cots/cot beds over the years - I had 2 in cots for about 3 years in total (3 children in quick succession!) The best one I had was an older version of the Takeley I think or possibly the east coast Anna.

It had done 2 children before I had it, 3 of mine used it as a cot and as a bed with one side off and it was still structurally sound so I was able to sell it on when it was 11 years old! I know people whose M&P cots were fit for the bin after 1 child, SIL had to bin hers and it cost about £300! Avoid drop side with those plastic swingy bits at the top they break easily, although you can buy replacements quite cheaply.

Car Girl - that's a good idea, maybe we'll try that with DS in a little while

Yes to the different mattress heights as well - ours had three, so really close to the top for pre-sitting, mid level for sitting but can't pull themselves up and then very low for when they can stand.

Our stupid cot doesn't even have room under it for a small plastic blanket box, which is very annoying..

1mum1 - check the price of 'baby change chests of drawers' with an equivalent on the high street - for the sake of havning that little barrier around the top, they can be double the price..

We had drop-side cots (Anna from John Lewis) and I can't remember a single occasion when we actually dropped the side!!

We have the chest of drawers Sheeta linked to...Ikea also do a cupboard in the same range with a changer which can be fitted to the top, which we had for our twins. But for DD1 we just had a cot-top changer which was perfect - her bedroom at this point was tiny, so no room for a changing station of any sort.

Thanks so much for brilliant tips.

We are going to get all white so these have been great links. Love the Anna cot from JL tkband3, thanks - even like yourselves if we never use the drop-side option! Wonder if the option to drop the side makes the cot slightly less sturdy? Will also watch out for those plastic swingy things on the side!
Great point cargirl on the cotbed decision - we would like another one so could be an issue!

Right so Ikea and John Lewis are also definitely worth a trip for a nosey. Thanks so much all! x

drop side makes them more sturdy because they have to be structurally sound with the 4th side up or down so not fixed in place IYSWIM