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Ikea Forsiktig Children's Stool
by shopping_jem
I purchased this stool when my daughter was 2 so that she could reach the sink during potty training. It is great value at £2.50 as similar step stools elsewhere are more than double. It is the perfect height for kids to use to reach the bathroom sink (obviously depending on individual kids and sinks!), and has non-slip dots all over ... the top of it. It has holes in the side so you can carry it easily, and the bottom is ridges so it balances and doesn't slip on the floor. It is great for making kids independent and doing exactly what it says it will. Just don't ask me to call it by name!.... "Forsiktig" - less catchy than "Billy" methinks!
Now for the negatives - although it is sturdy enough to do a short-term stint as a kids step stool, our one did crack after a couple of years of use - not in a dangerous, dramatic way, but certainly in a "we need to bin it" way. This was a bit disappointing as we have younger kids we could have used it for. Also, it is a complete dust trap - every time I cleaned the bathroom, I would have to painstakingly wipe the dust off between the little raised dots, around the rim of the base, etc. Maybe this is just because my bathroom is dustier than most, but it was a slight downside for me.
Overall, I would recommend this stool as a short-term solution e.g. for toilet training age kids, but not for long-term due to the fact that mine did crack.
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Hauck Dream N Play Travel Cot in Winnie The Pooh Melon
by haybel19
We wanted to buy my daughter a travel cot for when she was to stay at her Grandparents or for if we went away. As my other half works nights I wanted a travel cot I could also use for her daytime naps so as not to wake him by keep going up and downstairs. I also wanted a travel cot that could double up as a play pen. After researching I ... decided to buy the Hauck Winne the Pooh travel cot.
This travel cot is very compact and comes supplied in a carry case folded down. It weighs around 12kg and once made up is roughly the size of a standard cot at 78 x 23.8 x 22 cm. It is very easy to make up and comes complete with full and clear instructions.
There is a toy bag on the end which I find really useful as I have this set up both for use as a travel cot and play pen so its very handy for packing toys away. It also comes with a toy bar which is very easy to fit and remove. The toy bar has Tigger, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet.
The travel cot itself is extremely well made and durable and very stylish in design. Its is teal and navy with see through net panels on the side- one side having a picture of Winnie the Pooh. I like the clear panels as I can clearly see and interact with my daughter when she is using it.
It comes supplied with a mattress which is held in place by magnetic strip. It looks to be quite comfortable and my daughter is very happy using it either as a cot or play pen. The only thing I have found is due to the way the mattress is secured it can be little tricky to secure sheets, however once you have done this a few times it gets much easier. The mattress cover is also very easy to wipe clean if my daughter sicks and it soaks through the sheet.
It can be brought for around £50 from a number of retailers including Argos and Amazon. In my opinion it is well worth the money and I would highly recommend it. It is extremely compact so easy to take with you when you are going away, it is well made and durable and will last. It works extremely well both as a cot and a play pen so you do not need separate products. Highly recommend.
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Hauck Travel Cot
by kat1234
Before my son was born we researched various baby products to determine what was essential, what would be nice and what would be a luxury. We decided that a travel cot, whilst perhaps not essential, would definitely be handy for holidays or even at grandparents' houses. We were suprised to find that there were so many on the market ... (which seems to be true for most baby products!) but opted for one by Hauck as a) it had good reviews and b) it was on offer for a good price of £24.99. Ours was slightly different to the one pictured above as it had cream netting with a winnie the pooh design on the side.
The cot came folded up in a bag with two carry handles so that, whilst heavy, it is easily transportable. There are two wheels attached to the cot that poke through the bag so the cot can be wheeled along in the same manner as a suitcase. The bad unzips and pulls off the cot. This than has an outer layer wrapped around the outside - this acts as the mattress for the cot too. It is quite thin with a plastic surround and just feels like thick cardboard - not very soft at all so i can't imagine it being too comfortable as a mattress. There are also instructions, which are largely diagrams, showing how to put the cot up and collapse it down again. These look complicated and it took me a while to figure out what to do!
Even with the diagrams, it takes a while to work out the correct way to put the cot up - which goes against all logic - as you need to pull the middle of the cot sides right up before putting the corners in place. Once the sides are up and clicked into place, it feels very sturdy and it is a pretty decent size. The mattress sheet can then be placed in the bottom and is held in place by velcro. Collapsing the cot is equally challenging but once you have the hang of it it is pretty simple. By the very nature of the product, you don't use it very often so it can be a challenge every time you use it.
In use, this is ok. My son didn't really like it and made a fuss whenever I put him in it. I'm not sure if it is because it feels more confined than his usual cot as there are no bars but he is fully enclosed by netting. I suspect it was more due to the fact that it is very uncomfortable due to the very thin mattress. I tried layering this with blankets but that didn't seem to work either. In comparison with his usual mattress on his cot, it is much harder. If this was to be used regularly I would recommend in investing in a decent mattress but this rather detracts from the 'travel' nature of the cot. I know some parents that use these travel cots as a play pen for younger babies and I would say that it is more suited for that purpose, although this is not something I have used it for.
Overall, this is a good travel solution if no cots are supplied but it is not the most comfortable nor the easiest to put up and fold down. It is good quality though and the cushioned sides are safe and supportive.
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