Travelling with a baby or toddler can be a major undertaking. The amount of equipment they seem to need can be overwhelming, and often, the biggest and heaviest item is a travel cot. If you're travelling in the car they take up a huge amount of room, if you're flying or travelling on the train, you're faced with lugging a heavy weight with you.
BabyBjörn are hoping to put an end to this problem with the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light. According to the press release, the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light "is a compact, portable baby bed that weighs only 5kgs and folds out instantly in just a single movement. Its compact and sturdy construction offers space for a baby to move around safely while sleeping. Angled sides make the Travel Cot a perfect fit for small spaces in hotel rooms while see-through mesh panels on its sides enable mum and dad to keep an eye on their sleeping tot. A practical carrying case with easy-to-grip handles makes it easy to carry and check-in at airports."
Intrigued by these claims, I decided to give it a try...
The first thing that struck me when it arrived, before I'd even unwrapped it, was how light and compact it was, much lighter than any travel cot I'd used in the past. The travel case is sturdy and looks like it will do a good job of protecting the cot. It also has enough room to fit the sheet and bedding in, so everything is all handily in one place. I felt that carrying of the cot could have been made even easier if the case had longer straps, enabling them to be placed over the shoulder. The current length of the straps only allows the cot to be carried by hand.
Assembly of the cot really couldn't be easier. The corner bars are attached to the cot, you just slot them into the corner holes, insert the mattress and you're done. It took me approximately 20 seconds to assemble - I barely even needed the instructions! Disassembly is equally simple, just pull the corner bars out of the holes and fold it up, BabyBjörn really have done an excellent job of making the job of assembling and disassembling as simple as possible.
The built in mattress is firm and has a washable cover. Apart from the smaller size, it was hard to discern any difference between this mattress and the one in my baby’s cot.
The cot is roomy enough for the baby to have plenty of space to sleep in but is indeed nice and compact, handy for when travelling. I was concerned that the sloping sides would make it seem claustrophobic but their open semi-transparent material prevent this. I'm not sure whether they make the cot fit in a small space any better or whether they just give the illusion of making the cot seem compact. Either way, the cot is a good, neat size.
Definitely an improvement in terms of size and portability on other travel cots I've used. It’s definitely not the cheapest model on the market, but if you want a travel cot that is portable, easy to set up and well made, it certainly can’t be beaten.
R.R.P of the cot is £199.99 and £19.99 for the fitted sheet.
