How to Choose a Safe Cot for Your Baby

There are several points to look at when choosing a safe cot. First and foremost, choose a cot that meets the AS/NZS 2172 Standard for Household Cots. This covers the safety of the cot itself.

All cots sold in New Zealand are required by law to meet this safety standard. However you should be very wary of any second hand cots that are older and may not meet this version of the safety standard. Also be aware that there are businesses importing directly from overseas suppliers or Chinese factories that wll not have tested the cot to the NZ safety standard.

Here's what AS/NZS 2172 ensures your cot has:

• The cot must be more than 600mm deep. Measure from the top of the mattress base to the lowest point on any end or side.  The mattress must fit the cot firmly. Any gaps at the ends and sides should be less than 20mm with the mattress centred in the cot
• Spaces between the bars of the cot must be between 50mm and 95mm.
• The 4 corner posts must not stick up more than 5mm.
• The dropside catches must lock securely. We also recommend checking how easy these are to use and how heavy it is. We also advise choosing a fixed side cot as children have become injured overseas when the mechanism has failed.
• Screws and nails must not stick out. Look for any other protruding parts which could be dangerous.
• Cot ends must not have fancy cut-outs
• There must not be any bars, ledges or other footholds that an infant can use to climb out of the cot
• The base of the cot must be firm, with no parts to collapse or bend when pushed down

Trading Standard, Product Safety: Cots, Available at: https://productsafety.tradingstandards.govt.nz/for-consumers/keeping-kids-safe/cots/  (Accessed 23 September 2021)

There are no mandatory standards for cot mattress firmness in New Zealand, only a voluntary standard (AS/NZS 8811.1:2013 Method 1: Sleep Surfaces – Test for firmness), so it pays to know what to look for when choosing a safe cot mattress.

Here’s what you need to know about choosing a safe cot mattress:

• The mattresses should be between 100 and 150mm thick. The cot you choose will have the depth of mattress that can be used safely permanently specified on the cot base.
• Choose a mattress that fits the cot frame tightly, with no more than a 2cm / approx 2 fingers gap between the mattress and the cot frame.
• Choose a firm mattress which will properly support your baby during their sleep. A firm mattress means that if they roll over during their sleep, their nose won’t become cushioned in the mattress, potentially obstructing their breathing. Read more about how you can test the firmness of a cot mattress.

Even when you buy a cot that meets the safety standard, there are other things you need to think about to ensure it is a safe sleeping space. In addition to mattress firmness, here are some other points to ensure you keep your baby safe while sleeping.

• We recommend using a baby sleeping bag or swaddle instead of blankets as your baby can’t kick these off or get trapped or suffocated underneath.
• Never use any padded bumpers, pillows or duvets in the cot as these are a suffocation hazard
• Don’t use a wool underlay in the cot until baby is older, we only recommend a wool underlay for babies over the age of 6 months.
• Ensure the cot is placed away from any loose cords such as blind cords which could entangle the baby. Look for any other hazards in easy reach of the cot and ensure these are removed.
• Never have toys in the cot. A breathable comforter, such as a Cuski is ok however we recommend introducing a comforter for babies once they are out of the age risk for SIDS/SUDI.
• Place your baby to sleep on their back in the cot. Once they can roll over, it’s fine to leave them in this position as they generally have good head control when they can rollover unaided, but always place them to sleep on their back.
• Make sure you keep an eye on bolts, ensuring these remain secure.
• Regularly check the condition of dummies left in the cot to ensure no loose parts.

No, drop side cots are not yet banned in New Zealand, however cots with drop down sides have been illegal to manufacture, sell or distribute in America since 2013.

The most common fault with cots, especially over time, is the failure of the drop-side mechanism. Children can suffer entrapment injuries or fall from the cot when the drop-side fails, so by eliminating this unnecessary feature it means parents can rest easy knowing their cot will be safer and last longer.

This is particularly important if you’re choosing to buy a second hand cot as these mechanisms tend to fail over time, the longer they are used.  

Setting up for a baby can be expensive, so buying a 2nd hand cot can be a good way to save some money. It’s ok to buy a second hand cot, just look for the same things as if you were buying a new cot (such as the gap between the bars, how deep the cot is etc).

Ensure the cot meets the current version of the cot safety standard.

If buying a second hand cot, we would only recommend a fixed side cot to ensure there is no mechanism to fail.

Always buy a new mattress if you’re purchasing a second hand cot.

Over time, your first baby’s cot mattress will likely have lost some of its firmness and it’s important to have a firm mattress to reduce the risk of SUDI. If your cot mattress was new for your first baby and you’re confident about how you’ve stored the mattress (i.e. it’s free of mould and mildew etc), then you can perform a mattress firmness test to check if it’s still safe to use. If the mattress passes the test, you can use it again. If not, we highly recommend purchasing a new mattress to reduce the risk of SUDI.

If you’re buying a second hand cot we always recommend buying a new mattress regardless as you can never be 100% sure how the mattress has been stored and cared for. It’s also likely to have lost it’s original firmness which is a SUDI risk when your baby starts to roll over.

Most babies will start to use a cot at around 3-4 month of age, however a cot can be used for newborn baby. Many parents choose to use a bassinet for the first few months, moving bubs’ to a cot once they outgrow it.

Children often stay in a cot until they are 2-3 years old, depending on a range of factors, including whether the child can climb out the cot on their own, has other siblings arriving or whether the cot converts to a toddler bed.

It’s an individual choice as to how long your child stays in their cot and if your toddler is happy in their cot, we highly recommend leaving them here - moving to a big bed can cause other issues!

A baby’s cot is intended for safe sleep only and for that reason should be kept ‘boring’. This means all you need in the cot is:

• A firm, well fitting mattress
• A waterproof mattress protector
• Fitted cot sheet - we recommend natural fibres like 100% cotton or muslin

For young babies, all you need is a waterproof mattress protector and fitted cot sheet which should fit the cot mattress securely. We highly recommend sleeping your baby in a swaddle or sleeping bag. These options mean baby can’t get blankets over their face and is less likely to wake up cold after kicking blankets off.

When your baby is older (over 6 months) you can introduce a wool underlay.

From a safety perspective, items such as a pillow and a duvet can be introduced from 1 year though we would generally advise to wait until at least 18 months for the pillow and duvets once your toddler stops using a sleeping bag as they near moving into a bed.

This is really personal preference and depends on family circumstances. A toddler conversion bed can be handy for longevity and value for money long term as by removing the side, you can make the cot last much longer. Big beds can be ‘scary’ for little ones (or an adventure depending on the nature of your child), so a conversion cot can be a good in between stage.

However the reality is that most cots don't end up being converted to a toddler bed, as the cot ends up being used for the next sibling and the toddler goes straight into a single or king single bed!