Camp cot or traditional cot – which should you choose?

If you are pregnant and setting up your nursery, there are many decisions you need to make. Which items do you really need? Which brand is the better one? What if you buy this but then also receive it as a gift? Shopping for your baby is a way to ready your life for the massive change on the horizon. One definite item on all parents’ lists is a bed of sorts for baby to sleep in. Camp cot or traditional cot – which should you choose?

I want to offer my personal opinion as a dad, based on my experience with my own children. This experience led to us developing the BabyWombWorld Camp Cot, which gives away my answer, I suppose. I truly believe that a camp-cot can fulfil in all your babies needs until they move to a single bed.

Camp cot or traditional cot – the decor element

Let us start at the beginning. No matter your budget, all new mothers would love a beautiful nursery for their new babies. And let’s be honest – most camp cots are not that pretty. There is something about a beautifully carved wooden cot in a baby’s room, and I can understand why couples want that look. Sadly that is pretty much where the advantage of a wooden cot ends.

Accessibility

Wooden cots are typically heavy and big, and once they are assembled you can’t really move them around the house. Few people will have space for a wooden cot in their own rooms, which will restrain baby’s sleep area to the nursery. While it would certainly be convenient if babies would sleep in their rooms from the start, we know that this is usually not the case. Many parents will want their little ones closer in the early months.

This is not only true for night-times. If you are busy in the house during the day, or having a barbecue outside you may well want to move baby closer to where you are. Without a camp cot you are going to be running to and fro to check on baby, or alternatively may put baby on surfaces like a couch or another bed which may not be safe for baby to sleep on for various reasons.

Safety first

Camp cots also have a lower risk of injury for baby. When a baby starts sitting and standing they can easily fall over and bump their head against the wooden side bars. To prevent this parents stack pillows and bumper pillows around the sides of the cot. But this can increase the risk of cot death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Camp cots are made of mesh material and a are lot softer. This reduces this risk.

Once they start climbing, many little ones have also fallen from their cots. This happens more easily with a wooden cot as the sidebars are easier to hold on to. They also fall a lot higher from a wooden cot than from a camp cot.

Cost considerations

Wooden cots are far more expensive than camp cots. Many parents start off buying a wooden cot in the pregnancy and then return for a camp cot once baby has arrived because it’s just more practical. I feel this is a waste of money in a time where there are many costs to cover. And in the end, it’s an item that you’re only going to use for a few years.

A familiar sleep environment

Another big advantage of a camp cot is that it becomes baby’s sleep environment. They get used to the smell, and touch of their own bed. Much like you and your bed, in which one just sleeps so much better than in a strange bed! If baby is used to sleeping in a wooden cot he may really struggle when you travel and he suddenly needs to sleep in other cots/beds. If you have a camp cot you can take it along, and baby’s sleep will be far less disturbed.

Longer-term considerations

Lastly, what are you going to do with the cot once you no longer need it? A camp cot is easy to fold and store till your next baby comes along, while a wooden cot will take a lot more space. Many parents end up selling it almost as new as on the day they it was bought.

Meet our camp cot

We took all of this into account when we developed the BabyWombWorld Camp Cot. Our first mission was to address parents’ main concern, which was the look of the camp cot. Why should parents ruin the whole look of their nursery with a camp-cot in tacky colours? We wanted a premium-looking, stylish camp cot. With its light grey/blue colour and luxurious-looking mélange fabric, I think we have achieved this goal.

Secondly, we wanted to have a camp cot that can be used as a bed for co-sleeping as well. There are many moms who want to practice co-sleeping, especially during the newborn phase. Co-sleeping also supports breastfeeding, which we passionately believe in. Our camp cot’s one side can drop, meaning that you can have baby right there next to you, but safely in their own bed (leaving you with a bit more space in yours!). And once you are done with co-sleeping or if you want to use the cot somewhere else, simply convert back into a normal camping cot with an upper and lower level.

ALSO READ: Tips to survive the first 6 weeks of motherhood

Let me ask again: camp cot or traditional cot – which should you choose? When considering all the facts the decision becomes a lot easier. Buy a product that is going to make your life easier without costing you an arm and a leg. You won’t regret it!