Kiddicare.com Traveller Travel Cot Spectrum

When you're planning everything you need for a new baby, you may not necessarily put a travel cot on your list but it's actually a really useful thing to have, even if you don't do any travelling. Not only does it come in handy either overnight or even just at naptime if you're visiting the grandparents (who may well have several young grandchildren at the same time and not enough child-safe beds), if you have friends with babies or young children visiting you, it makes it much less stressful (for you and them !) too. A travel cot can obviously be used as a baby's bed but also as a playpen, with the added advantage that it is quick and easy to fold up and put away so it won't clutter up your house when it's not needed. That's an added bonus for childminders or babysitters who may not have a huge amount of space or a specific room set aside as a nursery.

We were recently sent the Traveller Travel Cot Spectrum from Kiddicare to roadtest. My first impressions were that it was light (it weighs 7kg according to the box, or closer to 9kg with the base) and it's easy to transport because it comes in a handy carry travel bag. Next came the bit that I wasn't looking forward to - setting it up. Having battled many a time with the travel cot at my in laws' house which never wants to click into place, I was expecting the worse but it's actually really easy to assemble.

I was surprised to see that all four sides of the cot are made of mesh - all the other models I've ever used have had at least two sides enclosed. The one at my in laws' actually has all four sides closed off with the possibility of rolling up the two side blinds. That's always the first thing I do because Pierre is always unsettled by being in an unfamiliar environment and he's calmer when he can see out and make sure we're in the vicinty. Having four mesh sides could therefore be a good thing as it allows baby to see out and you to see in easily, as well as allowing the air to circulate freely, but it does mean that it might be harder to get your little one to wind down and fall asleep as he'll be too busy watching everything that's going on outside of his bed !

The travel cot has a padded foam base which baby sleeps on. An extra mattress can be purchased separately but doesn't come with the cot. This has its advantages and disdvantages. The good thing is that there is no way baby can slip down the side and get wedged between the mattress and the side of the cot (as happens nine times out of ten at the in laws'). The bad thing is, it's not as soft as a real mattress and it's harder to keep clean as you can't use a waterproof mattress protector on it.

The travel cot is designed for children up to 15kg or until they can stand up. The brown colour scheme is perfectly unisex and fits in well with most decors. It's a sturdy cot and, despite being compact when folded, it's quite roomy once it's set up so it's big enough for baby to sit in and play with a few toys around him. For the price (RRP of £59.99 but £37.99 at kiddicare.com) it's a really good buy and good value, even if you decide to factor in the extra cost of a mattress to go with it. 

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £59.99 (but £37.99 at kiddicare.com)

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