Your baby’s cot or cot bed will be one of the most important purchases on your shopping list. Knowing what to look for in your first cot can seem a little daunting at first so we’ve put together a helpful guide to get you well on your way to choosing this important part of your new arrival’s nursery.
How to Tell if Your Cot is Safe
When it comes to your child’s sleeping space, safety should always be the first consideration. Though cots sold in Britain should comply with EN 716-1-2:2017 & BS 8509:2008+A1: 2011 safety standards, you should always check that the cot has this standard displayed on a label before use. This can usually be found on the base of your cot and certifies that it has been tested to ensure any gaps are the required distance apart, it’s deep enough to keep baby safe when standing and the design doesn’t feature any catch points that could snag baby’s clothing or bedding. Boori cots and cot beds exceed all relevant standards and have been tested with specialist machines designed to ensure they’re fit to withstand the wobbles, jumps, knocks and bumps of family life.
Should I Buy a Secondhand Cot?
With trusted brands it’s common to assume buying secondhand is just as safe as buying a brand-new cot bed but there are some key points to bear in mind. If you’re considering using a secondhand cot, please take a moment to read our helpful tips here. For peace of mind we’d always suggest purchasing a new cot as it will be free from any previous user damage, some of which may not be immediately obvious and will ensure you have all relevant paperwork including warranty and assembly guides.
Choosing a Cot to Suit Your Style
These days, styling a nursery couldn’t be easier with plenty of decorating tips and ideas available across interior blogs, magazines, Pinterest and Instagram. We regularly feature nurseries from real Boori parents over on our Instagram to give our customers inspiration for creative designs they can achieve at home.
When it comes to kids’ interiors, Minty are our go-to gurus for all things unique and modern. They launched in June with the simple objective to create a beautifully designed source of inspiration for children’s interiors and lifestyles. They feature a carefully curated selection of children’s bedrooms and playrooms designed by Australia’s top interior designers. We were extremely pleased to see we were featured in one of their real room tours, here you can see our Sleigh Royale Cot Bedin Aoife’s pretty pastel pink bedroom.
With colour, the most popular choice is always white as it serves as a blank canvas for any nursery design. A white cot can be dressed in anything from subtle pastel hues to bold patterned designs and don’t be afraid to pair your cot with alternative coloured furniture such as a pale grey dresser or two-toned chest. Darker wood stains such as Coffee or Mocha really highlight the beauty of solid wood grains and are perfect for creating a cosy interior design whereas light woods are ideal for creating a natural, outdoorsy look.
Choosing a cot by its design is of course down to personal preference but generally more intricate and romantic designs like the Sleigh Royale with its flowing curves or the Grace with its beautiful hand-carved details are best suited to classical and elegant themes. A two-toned cot with quirky angles like the Perla lends itself perfectly to a Scandinavian or Nordic interior design. Dress with equally bold colours like rusty orange or mustard and opt for accessories with repeating patterns to add interest and texture. If it’s versatility you’re after then something with clean lines and a minimal design like the Alice will mean you can keep changing up your nursery look to suit your style!
Check the Size of Your Cot
You don’t want to get your heart set on the cot of your dreams to then discover that it doesn’t fit your space! If you have the space then a cot bed with a toddler mode is a great choice as this will last you from birth to around five years of age. However, with the rise of apartment living, sometimes a full-sized cot bed is simply not practical. Our collection of more 'compact' cots offer the perfect solution for smaller homes or families with multiple siblings; they fit comfortably in snug spaces and are even narrow enough to easily move through a standard door frame! Although slightly smaller than Boori cot beds, they don’t compromise on our signature quality and are still crafted from premium Australian Araucaria wood.
Cots that Convert into Beds
Certain cots have the ability to convert into toddler beds, sofas and full-size single and double beds, supporting your family from birth and beyond. All our cot beds can be converted into toddler beds simply by removing one side rail & attaching a Toddler Guard Panel to ensure your little one’s safety.
Our new generation of Expandable™ cot beds have been created with innovative technology so there’s no need to keep buying additional furniture at each stage of your child’s development. When the time is right, each cot bed can easily transform into a full‑sized single bed using the easy-store conversion kit included.
Our Convertible Plus™ cot beds are able to convert into both a double bed and cosy sofa with the addition of our Convertible Plus™ Conversion Kit. As with all our cot beds, our transforming cot beds are crafted from sustainable solid wood which has been hand-selected to ensure only the most stunning grains are used.
We hope our guide helps you create your dream nursery. If you have any questions regarding our cots and cot beds please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team.
