The black fabric looks smart and unisex, while the smiling Winnie the Pooh on one of the mesh sides will either make you coo with delight or cringe, depending on how you feel about cartoon characters on your nursery equipment. The Disney theme is continued in the mobile that clips onto one corner – it also plays a tune to soothe your little one to sleep.
What we love
This may be a weighty number, but this is overcome by the fact that the wheels can protrude from the carry bag allowing it to be pulled along, suitcase-style using the handle at the other end. The main central handle has padding to make it more comfortable to carry.
Some of the weight is down to the extras: there’s a changing table that clips on top, plus an accessory unit with sections for nappies, wipes and other sundries.
There’s also a bassinette that clips onto the frame, raising the height of the mattress to make a perfect newborn bed at a height that means you won’t break your back to pick up your little one. The mattress is secured in the bassinette by Velcro pads and feels sturdy when in place.
Wheels at one end make manoeuvring it around the room a breeze.
A small point, but the lullaby unit on the mobile can be switched off, so you don’t have to keep listening after your baby has dropped off.
What to watch out for
This is a well-equipped travel cot, but do you really need all those extras? If you’re likely to travel a lot, the answer is probably yes, but if you’re just going to use it occasionally, a more basic model may be better.
If you’re using it with all the extras in place, taking it all apart to dismantle can take a while – and you need to be careful how you pack it all back in, otherwise the wheels won’t be exposed in the bag and you won’t be able to pull it along.
Clicking most things in place is relatively easy, though the changing table was rather stiff, and the accessory unit feels less sturdy than you’d like.
Opening the cot, it was hard to get the sides to click open. What this really lacks is pockets – there’s one tiny one at one end, that’s it. The fabric is a little on the harsh side, but at least will wipe clean easily. The sheer size of this cot means it will take up a fair proportion of your boot.
Who is the Hauck Disney Baby Starlight travel cot best for?
Regular travellers with room to spare in the boot.
This is a well equipped, some might say over-elaborated, travel cot, which is sturdy and will do its job well, either as a cot or a playpen. The bassinette makes it good for newborns and Pooh lovers will adore it. However, it is quite weighty.
