The best travel cot for babies and toddlers

Silver winner for Best Travel Product Over £30 in the M&B Awards 2023
Designed to provide little ones with a place to rest and play no matter where you are, the Airpod is assembled in just three easy steps with no tools required meaning it's ready to go in less than a minute. The Airpod weighs just 6kg and can be folded into a bag no larger than a big shopping bag.

One M&B awards tester said: "I really liked how small it folded and how light it was. Super portable and barely took space in the car boot. This meant we were able to pack all our other luggage without worrying about space. Also not too heavy so easy to lug around upstairs when we stayed in hotels without lifts."

Read our full review of the Venture UK Airpod Travel Cot.

Bronze winner for Best Travel Product Over £30 in the M&B Awards 2023

Suitable from birth to approximately three years old, the FoldLite was hailed by parents for its lightweight frame, but it has also won a prestigious Mother&Baby Awards 2023 Bronze award. Collapsing to only 26cm wide, the FoldLite has a mesh lining and two wheels for easy manoeuvrability, plus it comes with a mattress included. Testers loved the Home Fold feature to help fold away quickly and clear space within seconds.

M&B mum tester Sarah said: "The Foldlite travel cot has been most useful to us for quick and easy use around the house with a mobile baby. It genuinely is two clicks to put up or down and the house fold setting means I can quickly pop it out from next to the sofa if I need to iron or nip to the toilet and pop it back in a few seconds so it's not taking over the room. It would be invaluable for this in a holiday cottage which is less baby-proofed too! It seems both comfy and robust for my very mobile ten-month-old and he'll play happily in it with some toys thrown in for a while. When folded down for travel it's small and neat and doesn't take up too much valuable boot space when you're already contending with buggies and suitcases. The grandparents popped it up without instructions and my ten-month-old slept happily in it."

Read our full review of the Graco FoldLite.

If you're looking for a travel cot that's a doddle to set up and folds away in seconds, this is it – no more grappling with unwieldy parts when you arrive at your destination with a tired baby. We love the clever design, which gives a seamless experience on the go.

Convenient for carrying around your home, it comes with a zip-in carrycot insert, an all-around mesh panel for airflow and a lovely firm and comfortable mattress. The suspended base will protect your little ones from draughts. But, if this happens to be a bit pricey for you, then you can opt for the Cuggl Deluxe Superlight Travel Cot instead.

Mum Meg said: "Very sturdy, easy to pack and unpack, folds up reasonably small, carrying handle makes it easy to transport. Seems comfortable - the newborn bassinet is super convenient for little ones and my babe settled immediately in it."

Parent Matt said: "We bought this for the ease of it 'popping up and down' but also because we could raise the height of the mattress when our baby was very little. There don't seem to be many travel cots that have that design, we used it as much at home for naps as we did on the road. It's a great bit of kit."

Shortlisted for Best Travel Product Over £25 in the M&B Awards 2019

This deluxe travel cot has a bassinet attachment that clicks easily onto the top, perfect for changing nappies; it has wheels, so it's easy to move around, and setting up and folding away takes just seconds.

Tested by mum Tori: "I would definitely recommend this product to other mums. It's so easy to put up and down and transport with its handy bag. It folds up thin and small fitting in our boot along with the double pram and a few bags! My little one slept perfectly."

Tested by mum Sarah: "If you're looking for an inexpensive no-nonsense travel cot then I would recommend this. It was lightweight so I could easily carry it around. It was also compact making it small enough to pack into the car alongside everything else you need when going away with a little one! Once I'd done the initial set up of the cot, it was easy to put together and to take apart too."

Read our full review of the Cuggl Deluxe Superlight Travel Cot

Shortlisted for Best Travel Product over £25 at the M&B Awards 2015

This travel cot is a real doddle to assemble – just slip it out of its travel bag, and it practically unfolds automatically, so there's no grappling with poles or fiddling with extra accessories. It's also easy to fold away and really light and portable.

It's also easy to move around your home, making it convenient to take with you on trips or overnight visits away. We love that the fabric can be removed and popped in the washing machine – a real bonus if you have a baby with reflux. The materials of this travel cot meet the requirements of OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Class 1 for baby products, which essentially means kind to your baby's sensitive skin.

Tested by mum Nicola: "This is the easiest travel cot to carry as it's amazingly light, but it's less robust than others – Amelia can push it around by herself. It's really practical, taking seconds to pop up. It's less attractive than others in terms of design appeal, but Amelia slept well in it and seemed very comfortable. It also comes with a nice carry bag, which makes it easy to transport."

Read our full review of the BabyBjörn Light Travel Cot

This versatile travel cot comes with lots of extra accessories, so it's great value for money. There's a full-size bassinet, which snaps easily on and off as required, as well as a change unit and portable bouncing seat. It folds compactly and comes with its own travel storage bag.

There are lots of sound and light features, including a soothing sound vibration, plus five classical lullabies and nature sounds. The two integrated wheels make it easy to move from room to room, and there's also a nightlight with three brightness settings.

Tested by mum Kathryn: "This was quite difficult to assemble – I had to enlist my husband's help. It's sturdy and almost as big as a normal cot. The wheels make it easy to move. Olly is too old for the extra accessories, but they'd be fantastic for a newborn. Olly likes the sounds, and the light is great for night changes without fully waking him. A real investment that will grow with your baby.

Tested by mum Nicola: "The mesh sides enabled me to check on Amelia without getting out of bed, and she liked being able to see us when she woke up. The mattress seems very comfortable, and the colours and pattern of this travel cot are really appealing. The extra accessories aren't suitable past 12 months, and this travel cot is quite heavy – I would struggle to move it from room to room without help."

Shortlisted for Best Travel Product over £25 at the M&B Awards 2018

This stylish, contemporary travel cot takes seconds to put together and is reasonably quick and easy to fold, even with a baby in your arms. We love the bassinet accessory, which makes this brilliant for use from birth. It has a sturdy aluminium frame and a triple-layered mattress.

Doubling up as a play space, this travel cot has padded edges to prevent pinched fingers, and it also comes with an organic cotton sheet included and its own bag to store and transport it in.

Tested by mum Kirsty: "This is reasonably straightforward to set up but it doesn't fold very neatly, and packing it away is fiddly. It's sturdy but feels heavy and it takes up lots of space in our small car boot. The bassinet makes it easy to lift Rikku in and out, but I found it fiddly to detach. I like that this comes with a machine-washable sheet, which stays in place with velcro."

Tested by mum Nicola: "I really like this travel cot because it's so sturdy. It also looks very stylish. Amelia slept really well in this. It's simple to assemble and comes with a lovely, thick mattress plus a machine-washable sheet. The only disadvantage is that it's quite heavy. I think I would struggle to get this from one place to another by myself."

Read our full review of the Nuna Sena Aire

The Graco Contour is a good-value travel cot with lots of extra features. It comes with a toy bar and a handy removable changing table. It has a nightlight and musical feature, as well as the option to set the mattress to vibrate to help soothe your baby. There are four mesh sides so you can keep an eye on your little one, and also great for ventilation. It's heavy, but the wheels make it easy to manoeuvre, and it comes with its own carry bag.

Tested by mum Nicola: "This is quick and easy to assemble. It seems compact and fits really well in a smaller room without taking up lots of space. The mattress is very thin, and Amelia didn't sleep very well. The cream colour looks lovely, but I imagine it could get dirty very quickly. The changing unit is a great idea, but it's only suitable for use up to 12 months."

Tested by mum Kathryn: "One of the heaviest travel cots we tested, but it's a good size for an older baby – almost the same size as our normal cot. It's easy to assemble and put away and I like the neutral colour. The wheels make it very easy to move around, but you have to bend low to reach your baby. This would have been great for daytime naps when Olly was younger. Great value, too."

Read our full review of the Graco Contour Electra Travel Cot

We love the innovative way this travel cot converts between two different modes, with a bassinet level for younger babies to cot, and the fact that you can use it in either fixed or rocking mode. This travel cot is worth considering if you're really short on luggage space, as it's particularly compact once folded and one of the lightest travel cots we found. This is another top pick for newborns, so be aware you won't be able to use it much beyond six months old.

Mum, Eileen, reviewed: "This was the best purchase we made for our baby. We can't fit a cot in our bedroom and needed something that would last longer than the moses basket. Our little boy sleeps so well in it and it's so easy to pick it up and carry downstairs. We have travelled with it too and it folds down neatly."

This is a really clever invention; it looks like a really spacious changing bag, but then off you pop for your overnight stay, take everything out of the bag, and it changes into a travel crib. It doesn't take long to assemble and comes with a padded mattress. It isn't as long-lasting as the other travel cots on our list, as it's really only suitable until baby is four to six months old or when they start rolling; it's the smallest travel cot but the most compact and easy to carry.

Tested by mum Jennifer: "The design is stylish and the item is extremely easy to use. The travel cot section folds out in a few seconds and the rods are easily inserted to make it very sturdy. This means a new mum (who has little time on her hands) can easily erect this in minutes. It is easily transported and takes up no more than a bag's room in the car or walking, so it can be taken anywhere. I have only used this at friends/ families homes but definitely would take it on weekends away or on holiday. It means I don't have to buy a big travel cot. It is also lightweight so don't have to worry about carrying something heavy."

Tested by mum Esther: "Designed as a travel sleeping pod, for nighttime and daytime naps, and a changing bag. It's intended to be quick to assemble and easy to use. I assembled it in a couple of minutes, it weighs as much as a bag or two of sugar and the bag would easily fit in amongst other items in a packed car. When assembled, the sleeping pod is a reasonable size, probably usable up to 4-6 months (unless your baby is rolling lots). We used the pod whilst away for the weekend and found it very useful, as we already had a travel cot packed for our older child and couldn't have fitted a second in the car."

Read our full review of the Bizzi Growin POD Travel Crib

This travel cot represents good value for money, especially because it can be used from birth up to approximately three years of age. It's also very sturdy, which means it doubles up as a playpen for smaller babies. And although fairly large, it features wheels and a brake to make it easier to transport. The cot also comes with a small toy bag attached, which could be useful for storing nappies or other baby essentials when you're on the move and away from home.

Reviewer Sophie said: "This is an excellent travel cot. The cot is incredibly easy for one person to put up and can be fully set up and usable within minutes. Folding the cot away is just as simple; and it folds down into such a compact size which is then stored in a carry case that it is easy to stow away. I would recommend this cot for a number of reasons: It is lightweight, compact, it is a full size cot, can be used as a playpen, it is simple to errect and dismantle, it is very strong and sturdy, my baby loves to be in it, it has a useful storage pouch at one end.
I intially set the cot up in the sitting room as a play pen/nap time cot. It is a full size cot so does take up some room but it means that the cot will last for several years before the baby outgrows it."

Read our full review of the Baby Dan Travel Cot

The Sleeptight Travel Cot is an award-winning sleep solution from Red Kite. Stored in a carry bag, the Sleeptight Travel Cot is lightweight and compact folding. It is the perfect choice for holidays, visiting friends and family or for your own home.

Mum Kat said: "Having now used this multiple times, I'm really impressed with it - it's good quality and not too bulky when folded so fits easily into my small car boot along with all the other baby paraphernalia needed for a night away!
It's really easy to put up and take down and it's so helpful that the instructions are printed onto the underside of the mattress - what a great idea (these sleep-deprived parents are very grateful for this design feature!) You must put it up/take it down in the right order or you will struggle to get it folded correctly. My baby has always slept well in it on various nights and weeks away. We use a waterproof sheet and cot sheet on top of the mattress, job done! For the price paid, it's exceptionally good value. 10/10!"

 A practical trade cot which also doubles as a playpen, cradle and everyday cot, the SOFI is a great purchase. It is suitable for babies and toddlers from birth to 15kg and it's lightweight and wash to fold, plus it includes a storage bag which makes it easy to carry when travelling. The SOFI has mesh sides to ensure you can see your little one and for good airflow. It also comes with a mattress and cover and the frame can be used as a rocking frame too.

One reviewer said: "Slightly narrower than some travel cots, but that was what we needed as it is going to be the cot for when our new grandson stays with us and it needed to fit in the spare room.
I love that it is on 2 levels so suitable for a new born as well as a toddler, though not sure if grandson will fit past the age of 2.
It is so easy to fold and put up and comes in a cover so can be stored under another bed. Also great that while you use the top level, things can be stored underneath. It looks very stylish too.
Only slight problem is the fitting of sheets. It is fiddly and you need to lift the mattress to be able to fit the sheet and tuck it in. But it is doable, so very happy with purchase."