I'll cry and i'll cry till you put it away! (Graco Travel Cot)

Member Name: EmJane

Product:	Graco Travel Cot
Date:	10/05/04 (2723 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to clean, Easy to carry, Can be used as both a travel cot and play pen

Disadvantages: Can be hard to fold back down, Not all children like it as a play pen

I purchased my Graco Travel cot for £55 from a local independent nursery store. I was looking for a travel cot that would be suitable for use as a play pen too. I bought it about a year ago when my daughter was 6 months. I had just moved into a new flat and was trying to make it into a home for me and my daughter. She was just beginning to shuffle on her bottom and I needed somewhere to keep her safe and let her play while I got up with other jobs. My daughter had a indoor swing and whilst this kept her entertained I wanted her to be able to play with her toys safely while I got up with other jobs.

I chose the Graco travel cot as I wanted something light weight that I would be able to move around easily and I also needed one that I would be able to open and close with little trouble. The man in the shop demonstrated how to put the cot up and down a couple of times for me to show me how easy it was. I was very impressed so I handed over my £55 and took it home.

As I have no car the cot had to fold up small as I had to stick half of it under the buggy and balance my way home. The size of the cot folded is (L)26, (W)26, (H)67cm. It is light weight too coming in at 8.1Kg. The cot is stored in a thin, royal blue fabric bag, with the brand name Graco on it in bold white letter.

So I managed to survive my 30 minute trip home and decided to have a go at opening it myself. The fabric bag luckily has a zip that goes from one end to the other so you don?t need to struggle to get it out. The mattress for the cot is wrapped around the metal structure when you fold it into the bag. So you put the mattress to one side, make a large clutter free space and open the sides of the cot. Each sides clicks into position. You then need to flatten the bottom of the cot by pushing the middle leg down, then just put the mattress down on the Velcro and all done. It was fairly simple to do myself.

The cot looks quite impressive and inviting when opened. It ha

s brightly coloured sides, red, yellow, green and blue and a checked mattresses of these colours. Not only did it look fun but I liked the idea that it was suitable for both sexes.

When opened up the cot is a decent size at (L)102, (W)73, (H)75cm, the same size as her bedtime cot. I eagerly put lots of my daughter?s toys in it and placed my daughter inside. I could see her through the mess sides which were as good as see through. My daughter didn?t like it though so I had to take her out after a few minutes. I left the cot out to try again the next day but she still wasn?t happy.

I decided to put the cot away and try it again a few weeks later. To fold down the cot was not quite as easy as opening it. You need to take out the mattress out which just takes a tug to pull it from the Velcro. You then need to pull up the middle cord, using the loop which is fairly easy to do. Then in the middle of each of the top sides of the cot there are little clips under the fabric which you press in to collapse each side. It took me a while to get the hang of this as it can be stiff and awkward at first.. You then wrap the mattress back around and put in the bag.

I tried the travel cot as a play pen again a few weeks later and many times since. My daughter could not stand the thought of being caged up in the lounge like this and it did not work for us. I was better of putting her in her own room in her cot then putting her in this. She just screamed and screamed and screamed.

Luckily I have found this great as a cot when we went on holiday and when we have stayed at other places. It is easy to carry and take around with you and went on holiday with us last year. It now stays at my mums, who has started having my daughter to stay once a month and will have her for my honeymoon.

I have found the cot very hard wearing and strong. The mattress, though thin, was soft and you could not feel any of the mechanics of the cot through it. It i
s pol
yester so very easy to wipe clean and keep nice. The mesh sides, are strong and hard wearing.

I have been very happy with it as a travel cot but not as a play pen as my daughter does not like being closed in. Unlike with many wooden cots though you can not adjust the height of the cot or lower one side to help you get your child out.

I have found it a great temporary bed and shall use it for a few months more until my daughter sleeps in a ?big? bed. Although I do not recommend that you try this out, I have had an older child sleep in it and climb in and out of it without the cot toppling, it is very tough and due to its support in the middle base it does not topple over easily.

It is suitable from birth until about 2 years.

I am going to give it 3/5. I think it is great as a bed but I found it did not work well as a playpen for us and I found it a little difficult to fold down. So basically it is great as a temporary cot for bedtime, fairly light weight (considering what it is) and easy to store but does not suit all babies as a play pen. If you wanted to buy it for use as both a cot and a play pen I suggest you try and borrow one from another family for a few days to see if it suits both you and your child.

At £39.99 from Argos, it is one of the cheapest travel cots on the market and offers great value for money. Just make sure it is exactly what you are looking for before you make your purchase. It is only a bargain if you need it!

AKA Emilyo on ciao XX

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