Deciding where your newborn will sleep is a part of preparing for the baby’s arrival, and sorting through the baby’s nursery brings its excitement. It’s very confusing with the tons of cribs as well as baby cots available in the market.
As a first-time mum, you may not know exactly what to look for in a crib, and this can be very frustrating.
First things first, you want your baby to be comfortable as well as safe, and you need a crib that will make that possible without too much hassle – very understandable.
Though comfort and safety are the first and most important things to consider when choosing a baby bed, there are other things to look at, and one of equally great importance is the cost of the crib.
Prices and Tips on Choosing Baby Cot and Bed in Nigeria
It may come as a surprise that baby cots aren’t exactly cheap. Some cost over ₦100,000 while others can be bought with as little as ₦10,000.
The price of the bed generally depends on the product design, year of production as well as the seller.
On Jumia, Konga, and other platforms retailing baby cots to Nigerians, you can find the following baby cots. Their approximate prices are below;
Universal convenient baby bed
₦10,000 to ₦20,000
Graceland baby cot
₦15,000 to ₦50,000
LMV Baby cot
₦25,000 to ₦50,000
Mama kids baby bed
₦25,000 to ₦35,000
Graco baby cot
₦35,000 to ₦100,000
When choosing a cot for your baby, temptations might set in. You may want to select the latest and most expensive product or a cot with many eye-catching designs, but this shouldn’t be the case.
Some cribs may look adorable, and some others may have many beautiful designs. There are significant questions to ask before picking a baby cot, and they include:
is it safe?
Is the expensive price tag worth it?
Will my baby be comfortable?
Which should you buy, a Cot Bed or a Baby cot?
Another tricky part of buying a cot is deciding exactly what type you should buy. Is it a standard cot or cot bed? Standard cots are usually smaller and most times cheaper than cot beds. However, the price alone shouldn’t be the deciding factor.
A cot bed is a cot that can be converted into a toddler-sized bed by removing the sides and the end panel. It’s usually broader and bigger than a regular cot. It can also continue to serve as a bed for your young child.
As your baby outgrows his cot and grows into a toddler and a young child, you’ll remove the sides of the cot bed and convert it into a toddler bed.
It can also serve as a bed for your baby until he grows to about nine years old. The significant advantage of a cot bed is that you’ll not have to bother about buying another bed for your growing baby.
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On the other hand, buying a standard cot can be a better choice if you intend to have another baby soon. Also if you don’t have enough space, you might want to go for a standard cot because they’re smaller than cot beds.
Whether you decide to buy a cot or cot bed, you still need to choose the right one. To help you make that perfect choice, we’ve laid out some tips for you.
What to Look for When Choosing a Baby Cot
Size
When choosing a cot for your baby, the size of the cot you choose will largely depend on the amount of space you have at home. If you have a cozy home, then you’re better off with a small cot.
Please don’t make the ridiculous mistake of going to the market to buy a cot that cannot fit through your front door or the door to your room.
If you have to take measurements to avoid this mistake, then do it. On the other side, if you have plenty of space, you can get a cot bed because it’s a better investment as it grows with your baby.
Safety
The safety of the cot is not something to be taken lightly because your little one needs to be safe and secure in his crib. That said before you buy a cot ensure it meets the standards below;
Make sure the sides of the cot have only vertical bars or panels and not horizontal bars; this is to avoid your baby using horizontal bars as leverage to climb out of the furniture.
The bars should be about 2 inches apart from each other to avoid trapping your baby’s arms or legs between them.
Also ensure the cot rails are high enough to prevent your baby from climbing out but not too high for you to carry out your baby, to avoid straining your back.
Mattress
The mattress is the part of the cot where your baby gets to sleep. This means you need to give it a good deal of inspection. Babies need a firm mattress as this prevents Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Aside from getting a firm mattress, make sure the cot snugly hugs the mattress, leaving no gaps by the sides.
Before you settle for any mattress, test its firmness by pressing your palm down on it, if you see a print of your palm on the mattress, then it’s not firm enough, and it’s not right for your baby.
Adjustable mattress height
Some cots and cot beds have adjustable mattress height, usually three positions. The highest level is ideal when your baby is still less than three months old. This will enable you to reach your baby with ease.
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As your baby grows and begins to move more, you lower the mattress height so your baby doesn’t fall off. This feature may come across to you as unnecessary.
However, it’s really to help you carry your baby in and out of the cot without too much stress.
Under-bed storage
This is an excellent way to put the dead space under the cot to good use. And it’s especially perfect if you have limited space. Buying a cot or cot bed with under-bed storage allows you to store baby clothes and diapers for easy access.
Drop-down sides
A cot with drop-down sides allows you to push one side of it for better access to your baby. This cot feature has both high points and low points.
On the right side, you’ll be able to carry your baby by merely pushing down one side of the cot as opposed to having to bend and strain your back.
A significant drawback is that when your baby is old enough to stand, he can stand in his cot. While leaning on the cot rail, the baby can mistakenly push it down and fall out. If you ignore this, it can be a severe accident
Casters for Movement
If you’d like to be able to maneuver your baby cot from the nursery to the sitting room. You can also move it to other parts of the house. Then you should consider getting a cot with wheels.
Teething rail
At some point in your baby’s life, the baby will start chewing pretty much everything in sight. This will happen sooner than you expect and he might chew the bed rail too.
This means a cot with a teething rail covered with non-toxic plaster is best for your little one. When choosing a cot, this is something you have to look at.
Conclusion
I don’t think you can have any issues when choosing your baby cot. With this post, you already have all you need to make the best choice on a baby cot.
So, why are you still waiting? Go ahead, buy that cot suitable for your baby, and treat him/her to a good rest.
I hope you find this post useful. Feel free to post your comments and suggestions below.
Hi there, I'm Heaven. I'm an entrepreneur, blogger, and digital marketing enthusiast. When I'm not watching anime or learning something new from TikTok, I post and vlog about my incredible life experiences as a digital entrepreneur.
