Drop sided cot?

[Sparrowlegs248]

A friend of a friend has given me a cot for imminent Dc2. Looking at it, I think.its a drop sided cot. It also appears to be old but in vgc.

I have heard/read that they are not safe? Plan is to take a side off and butt it up to the bed so could take the drop side off.
Anyone know the risks? Also would you still use it? It was made by Tomy, who don't appear to make cots any more so think it must be ancient though looks fine.

Check the measurements between the bars, There's a minimum safe gap, can't remember what it is. Also check the mechanism and stability. And get a new mattress. Drop side cots are illegal in America but legal here. If you plan to make it into a sidecar cot against the side of your bed, ensure the mattresses are level, no gap, and that it can't separate and make a gap.

We had a drop sided cot and then I read they were unsafe in case the side drops with a limb through it or something.

So we screwed it closed and carried on using it without the drop side. All good.

They were considered unsafe in the USA, but no similar judgement has been made in the UK. Therefore they are considered safe here. Many manufacturers don't make them anymore though, because of the judgment in the US.

The reason for the judgement was the risk of the clasp failing, so that the side unexpectedly drops, trapping limbs.

I actually massively value a dropside cot as a bedside cot, so searched high and low to find one 2 and a bit years ago.

The risk of the dropside is not a risk when the side is removed. It's also not a risk if of the drop side is left dropped. The reason I wanted a drop side was so that when I put the side back in, I could leave it dropped for several months, making big easier to reach over.

Thanks Fate. That's reassuring. I did think I would remove the drop side for when it's be the bed, which removes the risk I guess.

I suppose you put the side in when they start rolling out so should see me through a few (5/6?) months without the side.

Gosh, I never knew they were considered unsafe. Ours was given to us by a friend and ds is the 5th child to sleep in it without incident.

I put the side back on when rolling, but left it dropped down perminantly for another 4 months or so.

What fate said^^

In Europe if there was a failing in the manufacturing of something it's likely that an 'EU standard' would be created making sure the product is safe. This is expensive. It's far cheaper to ban the selling of the product when they are mostly made overseas. The USA favours cheapness.
I love my dropsided cot, it's very practical, and back saving.

Thanks all. I think.ill be happy with it. God knows how old it is but looks fine.mill keep the side off for the first few months, then do as suggested and have it dropped
That should see us through for long enough. If the mechanism isn't working correctly then I will either get it fixed in place, or it may be time for ds to move out of his cotbed so nee baby could move into that.

I will be getting a new mattress, and the bars look closer together than ds cotbed so think it's fine.