Mamas & Papas Classic Travel Cot review

The weight of a travel cot can be an issue, especially if, for example, you plan to carry it on public transport. At 9.9kg the Classic isn't an ultra-light option (lightweight cots are 7kg or less), but, for a modest weight, it certainly doesn't feel in danger of toppling over. Size-wise it's big enough to use as a playpen (though again, at 106cm long, not quite the largest option around, with some going up to around 120cm). No baby likes being in a confined space for hours on end anyway, but as a short-term play area while mum makes a well-earned cup of tea or sorts out the laundry, it's absolutely fine.

What we loved

The trick with travel cots is reading the instructions properly – get the order of snapping the folding rails into place and lowering the base, and you are away. Get it wrong and you'll waste an age trying to work out where you have gone wrong, while baby bawls in the background – not what you need after a hellishly long car journey to a cottage in the country. Fortunately in an ingenious twist, large step-by-step instructions – including both words and pictures – are printed on the mattress base, explaining exactly how to erect your cot. For anyone who has ever dropped an instruction manual into the murky gap between cooker and fridge, this is a design feature more products would benefit from. Once instructions were followed and the multi-locking mechanism on the four sides had activated, I was impressed by how solid and sturdy the cot felt.

Collapsing the frame again was simple – just twist and pull up the handle in the centre of the base, then locate the release buttons on the rails. The mattress wrapped around the folded frame, held in place with Velcro tabs, then slipped into its rectangular carry bag very nicely, making it easy to transport, or fling in car boots for stopovers at the in-laws.

My baby son Elliot was happy playing inside, especially because the four nylon mesh sides meant he could still see mummy across the room. I also felt reassured that the padded frame would eliminate any possible bumps and lumps. After he'd tired himself out, he was soon snoozing away contentedly, muslin in hand. The separate mattress, which is secured in place with Velcro tabs so it doesn't slip around, is not luxuriously thick, but comfy enough for what, after all, is designed to be a temporary sleep solution.

What to watch out for

Castors on the legs would make the cot easier to move around, a possible issue if you plan to move it as a playpen around the house, or are figuring out the best place for baby to sleep in an unfamiliar house.

The frame cover can only be sponge-washed, not put in the machine.

There were a frustrating initial few minutes while the rails refused to go rigid, but a proper read through the instructions soon put us right (our fault; as with many travel cots, you have to perform an exact sequence of events, and we hadn't put the centre of the base in the right position).

Who is the Mamas & Papas Classic Travel Cot best for?

Families on the move, who want a budget option that doesn't compromise on quality.

MadeForMums verdict

The Mamas & Papas Classic Travel Cot is a brilliant basic for the money. It may not have tons of funky design details, but it's sturdy, reasonably comfortable and made from durable fabric. Once you've got the knack of folding and unfolding it, you'll be away; it would also make a good spare cot to leave at a friend or relative's house.