The prices vary, but Chicco’s Next 2 Me is a little higher than the average price.
As a London mum to a 3-week-old, Theo, like a lot of people who live in a city, I have limited living space. I like to buy baby products that adjust as my child grows, or that don’t take up a lot of space, or have a good resale value.
Buy The Chicco Next2me Bedside Crib: Uber Kids, Amazon, Very and Argos
What’s in the box
The crib comes flat-packed ready for assembly. It consists of an upper body with mesh walls, a mattress, separate legs and feet with wheels, and a carry-bag so the cot can be easily moved from room-to-room or used as a travel cot.
How do you assemble the Chicco Next2Me crib?
My husband assembled the Next 2 Me in about 10 minutes in a sleep-deprived and distracted state (my waters had just broken!), but even so he says it was more complicated than he would have liked.
It took him about 8 of those 10 minutes to figure out how to start because the instructions were badly written.
Moving parts were stiff, and where certain struts had to be passed through canvas holes rather than over them, it wasn’t obvious from the instructions. But, once assembled, the cot felt sturdy and well made.
How does the Chicco Next2Me fit to the bed?
We have an iron-framed bed, which made installation easy, but even if you have a divan bed with a drawer, the ends of the legs fold back and the strap is long enough to go all the way around, so you shouldn’t have any trouble.
The crib also has 6 different height positions, so whatever the height of your bed, you can adjust it to match.
Is the Next2Me crib comfortable for babies?
Yes, it seems to be so, my son liked to sleep in it. Overall, the Next 2 Me crib comes with an acceptable mattress, but it’s nothing special. You could buy a separate mattress if you were unhappy with the one it comes with.
How was using it at night?
Using the Next 2 Me is easy. Picking up my baby for a feed in the middle of the night is no problem and it’s just as easy to slide him back in again afterwards – important for when you don’t want to wake him any more than necessary! I can imagine how useful this ease of access would be for mums who have had a C-section and want to avoid lifting and getting in and out of bed.
I keep the mesh wall permanently zipped down so that the Next 2 Me is like an extension of my mattress – with the mesh wall zipped up, it’s much like any other crib, so this side-access is what makes all the difference.
Who is the Chicco Next 2 Me best for?
The Next 2 Me is bigger than most of its competitors so if you’re short of space, this might be an issue for you. Even though I live in London, I like its size as I can see myself using it until my baby is 6 months old. I’m sceptical about whether most other bedside cribs can last that long.
However, in order for it to comfortably be a co-sleeper, the side wall has to stay unzipped and tucked in between the Next 2 Me and my mattress. At first, this didn't bother me. But now I realise that as Theo gets older and, when he can roll, it won't be ideal as I won't be able to leave him in unzipped it without me in the room.
Can you travel with it?
It comes with a carry bag, which means you can use it as a travel cot. Disassembled, the cot weights 9kg, which is fairly light, especially considering how solid it feels.
Where can I buy the Chicco Next2Me Bedside crib?
You can buy the crib from, Uber Kids, Amazon, Very and Argos.
Co-sleeping is great for keeping baby close while following the NICE guidelines of being in a separate bed. Next 2 Me is sturdy and spacious, but the tricky assembly and larger size may be an issue for some.
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