15 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Be Ignoring Bedside Crib

Buying a Bedside Crib For Travel

Moms love this crib's dimensions It's larger than the Moses basket but smaller than a cot bed. It can fold down to a third of its original size and fits into a convenient travel bag, making it ideal for travel.

Keep in mind that the crib is only for sleeping. Toys or blankets, pillows and pillows can make a child suffocate.

Safety

When you are looking for a crib for travel, you'll want to make sure the manufacturer meets all safety standards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) site is the best place to start. It will tell you whether a crib that is portable has ever been recall. You should also select the right size for your baby's crib, so it doesn't slip into gaps in the crib sides or cause suffocation hazards.

Find bassinets or cribs that meet the updated safety standards of 2022. You should also avoid older cribs, modified cribs or drop side cribs that are recycled for use in travel, as they aren't tested and could pose a risk to your baby's well-being.

A travel crib needs to be strong and well-constructed. Make sure you check for broken, missing or loose screws as well as other hardware. If you're using a playard, it should have sturdy walls and mesh windows to ensure proper air flow. The slats on the crib should be spaced no more than 2 and 3/8 inches apart to prevent baby's head or limbs from becoming trapped. Never put toys, blankets or toys that are stuffed with animals in the crib. These items can suffocate or strangle your baby. They should be removed from the crib as soon as your child is able to pull up on their knees and hands or before 5 months of age or when they reach 5 months of age, whichever comes first.

Examine regularly for loose or broken screws and other hardware. This is especially important when traveling with an infant. Take all plastic out of the crib as well.

If you're using a portable crib, be sure it is not located directly under a window. Windows pose an accident hazard and if your baby falls into it, they could get injured. Even if your baby is old enough to be able to roll over it is recommended to keep their sleeping area away from windows. It is important to wake your baby if they begin to roll over while sleeping.

Portability

If you're to a holiday, have relatives staying over, or just want a safe bedside crib for sleepovers or with friends, a portable crib (or playard or playard, as they're sometimes called) is an excellent option. These portable cribs come with an extremely comfortable mattress that can hold infants up to 15kg. They are easy to put together and compact when closed.

MFM home testers love the BabyBjorn travel crib because it is easy to fold and to store. Its easy one-handed drop down panels are also a breeze for parents who are bleary-eyed. It's not the lightest pack-and-play on our list, but it's a good weight, weighing just under 15 pounds, and it has regular carry handles rather than a backpack-style strap which some prefer to haul around.

The Joie Kubbie Sleep is another great alternative. It incorporates a bedside bassinet as well as a crib into one compact unit. It is ideal for long-term stays and holidays with family and friends. It's not the cheapest, but it has an abundance of features that are all-dancing and all-singing like a storage basket, soothing colour-changing night lights, lullabies and white noise to aid your baby to fall asleep and its bassinet sits up higher than most for easier access in the early hours when mum is still recovering.

It's also easy to keep clean, with machine washable and wipeable fabric. In spite of its size and weight (it's more bulky when open) it's light at just under 12kg and slots neatly into a compact, practical bag that comes with it perfect for trips away from home. It comes with six height settings, including the tilt of the tummy for reflux/colic infants, and it can be adapted to beds of all sizes. It's also easy to set up. Our MFM tester was able to do it in less than 10 minutes. It will require a separate mattress.

Feeding

If you're traveling for business or pleasure it's essential to ensure your baby is comfortable and safe while traveling. While some families may be inclined to use a bassinet or a crib that they already own, it's best to buy one specially made for travel. They are smaller, have mesh sides that permit parents to monitor their babies without disturbing them, and are lightweight enough for easy transport between destinations. They also meet the safety standards of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and have not been recalled.

If you must use a crib that is placed at your bedside it is recommended that your child be positioned on their backs and that the sleeping surface be free of blankets, pillows and stuffed animals. This type of co-sleeping increases the chance of SIDS. If you must occasionally co-sleep ensure that your baby is sleeping and that you and your partner are dressed and awake.

The kinds of cribs that are available for babies and infants include:

Some are shaped as a mini-crib or Moses basket, while others have sides that can be put into parent's beds. This allows access to the baby to feed and comfort without exposing the risk of true co-sleeping, which the AAP advises against due to dangers of suffocation.  Cots For Tots  include the Arm's Reach Clear-Vue Bassinet, which is a bedside sleeper that connects to the mattress for a parent. It is a good choice for older children, as the sides can be raised to allow you to reach the infant without having to lift them out of bed. The travel cot with built-in cribs that can be removed allows you to raise a sleeping baby to allow feeding or for care.

Sleeping

Bedside cribs are a fantastic method to sleep in a safe environment with your newborn. They sit next to your bed during the night so that you can reach out easily to feed them and check on them without disturbing their sleep. Some cribs come with a drop-side that you can lower to make it easier for you to do this, while others have a height adjustment to ensure they can be placed in your bed at home and away.

In the past, it was suggested that infants have their own bedrooms. However parents are increasingly choosing to sleep in a co-sleep. This arrangement, also known as rooming in, allows infants to stay close to their parents while being separated from their own crib or bassinet. There are a variety of co-sleepers available such as the iCrib that is designed to be an easy-to-move crib that can be placed on the top of your bed or a standard crib. It has a light frame and a mattress that can be removed and it can be folded for easy storage. It also comes with the Joie Roomie Go crib, that can be attached to the edge of a bed. It has 7 height settings that can be adjusted as well as a tummy tilt to help with reflux and colic. The crib was highly praised by our MFM home testers for its ease of use and compact folding. it is also available in a variety of colours.

You can also purchase bedside cribs that are freestanding, such as our Lilly or Alain that you can place next to a standard bed frame. These have a movable side barrier that can slide down to allow you take your baby to a night feeding, but the crib is self-contained and your baby will continue sleeping soundly during this time. These models also meet the new BS EN 1130:2019 safety requirements which stipulate that the 120mm high barrier should be installed between your mattress and your child's cot.

Travel cribs are also available. They are specifically designed for use on the road. They are usually smaller and less bulky than a standard crib, making them easier to carry in and out of hotels and cars. The Munchkin Brica travel crib, for example, can be set up and put down in under an hour and weighs only three pounds, so it is easy to lift and carry.