That said its cot beds aren’t budget buys. The Bailey Sleigh cot bed retails from £299, slightly cheaper than its main competitors, the Boori Urbane Sleigh cot bed (£369), the Mamas and Papas Mia cot/toddler bed (£359) and the Silver Cross Nostalgia Sleigh cot bed (£500).
Design is key, as is the safety of all Izziwotnot’s products, with the aim of giving parents peace of mind. Any adhesives, paints or varnishes used are non-toxic and safe for babies and the environment.
And to make life even easier for time-strapped mums and dads, all of their cot beds are intended to be as easy as possible to put together, with the essential parts already assembled.
It’s amazing how fast your tiny, newborn baby grows. And at nearly four months, my little boy Theo was well and truly ready to make the move out of his Moses basket and into a bigger bed.
Theo’s older brother, Ellis, is 19 months and we opted for a Cosatto Story Owlet cot bed for him that both of us love, setting the bar pretty high for any cot bed we chose for Theo.
Fortunately the Izziwotnot Bailey Sleigh cot bed was stylish, substantial and didn’t disappoint.
It does come in more traditional colours – white, oak or mahogany. But I was very excited to discover they also currently sell a limited edition soft grey, which is the one we went for.
Suitable from birth to 4 years, this is both a cot and a junior bed, and can then be transformed into a sofa.
This cot bed would be a welcome addition to any nursery. I loved the design — it felt grand and more like an adult bed than a baby’s — with its old fashioned, and at the same time modern, look.
Theo was clearly a huge fan of it too. On the first night in his new cot bed he slept through for the first time ever and has slept soundly in it ever since. Hopefully this will last!
Buy the Izziwotnot Bailey Sleigh Cot Bed direct from Izziwotnot, or from Tesco, or Precious Little One.
What’s in the box?
- Cot bed flat packed with some parts assembled
- Screws
- 2 allen keys
How quick is it to assemble?
I’m hopeless when it comes to any form of DIY. I graciously handed over the task of putting up the cot bed to my other half, who’s a whizz at these things. The cot bed took him about an hour to put up.
It would have been quicker but he had trouble getting some of the screws in which he said slowed him right down. A couple of the holes weren’t quite big enough for the screws as there were still bits of wood in them. This meant he had to push a screwdriver into them and twist it round to break off the excess wood so they would fit.
Do you have to assemble it in the room it will be used in or can it move around the house and through doorways when assembled?
We put the cot bed up in our bedroom, as that’s where Theo’s going to be sleeping in it at first. When we eventually move him into another room we’ll need to take it apart and reassemble it again as it’s too big to take it down the stairs once it’s up. Obviously if you live in a big house with wide doorways and stairways then you could probably get away with two people moving it around when it’s already assembled.
Does it have a drop-down side?
No, the Izziwotnot Bailey Sleigh cot bed doesn’t have a drop-down side.
How portable is it?
I managed to shift the cot bed across the room a few inches but you really need two people to be able to move it as it’s quite robust. It takes up a fair bit of space so if you don’t have much room this probably isn’t ideal for you.
Want the best products for a night with your baby away from home?
How comfortable is it?
I thought it probably wasn’t the best idea if I tried to climb into the cot bed myself to test out its comfort factor. Theo loved it though. He stretched out, fell flat out and slept right through the night, which was amazing. So clearly he found it extremely comfortable. We also used the Izziwotnot cot bed luxury sprung mattress (£75), which fits a 70cm x 140cm cot or cot bed.
What is it like on space?
The cot bed is 100cm high by 158cm long by 77cm wide and fits a 140cm x 70cm mattress. This gives Theo plenty of room to sprawl out and he loves having all the extra space after being in a Moses basket.
Can you use it as a co-sleeper?
Izziwotnot don’t advocate that you use it as a co-sleeper as they don’t recommend removing the sides. They do say that they can be used for two little ones in there together, if you have small siblings or twins though.
How does it compare to a co-sleeper?
I’ve never used a co-sleeper but the advantage of having one means that your baby is right next to you. The down side to that is that if your baby is anything like mine there’s no way I’d ever be able to get any sleep as they’re so noisy. We also don’t have the space next to our bed to fit one, which is why a cot bed made more sense for us. And I like the idea that Theo already feels comfortable in it, hopefully making the transition to a bed once it’s converted that much easier.
What are the safety features like?
The Izziwotnot Bailey Sleigh cot bed complies with the British safety standard BS EN-716 so it’s deep enough to stop your baby climbing out and the distance between the slats is no more than 65mm so their head can’t get stuck.
It also complies to BS 8509 which specifies the safety requirements for fully assembled children’s beds with a maximum internal width of 1000mm and a maximum height of a bed base of 400mm.
One of the features I really like is that the cot has three adjustable base heights. It’s a lifesaver if, like me, you’ve got a dodgy back as I don’t have to bend down as far to place Theo in the cot while he’s small.
You can put your little one on the highest setting until they can roll over (Izziwotnot recommends until they are three months old) and the second setting until they can pull themselves up (Izziwotnot recommends until they are six months old).
The cot bed also has safety teething rails to protect Theo’s teeth once they start coming through.
How does it compare to other cot beds you have used? Do you think price makes a difference to the quality?
We absolutely love Ellis’s funky Cosatto Story Owlet cot bed, and so does he. It was a tough act to follow but we were just as pleased with this one.
Theo has never slept so well, which clearly is very important. And equally the limited edition grey colour is more unusual than that of most cot beds. It might not be the cheapest cot bed on the market but in this case you get what you pay for.
You can tell just by looking at it that the Izziwotnot Bailey Sleigh cot bed is of a high quality and built to last.
Is it easy to change from cot to bed?
My other half said it was a doddle to convert the cot into a bed. It took him less than five minutes.
Would you recommend other parents to use a Moses basket and then separate bed, or is this the only cot/bed you’ll need to buy for your little one?
We happened to already have a Moses basket from Ellis but there’s no reason why you couldn’t put your little one in this cot bed from birth. If you’re worried about them not being able to sleep because of being in such a big space you could always put a portable baby pod into the cot for the first couple of months so they feel more cocooned.
Confused about when to move from crib to cot, to bed?
What do you think of the design?
Did I mention how much I love the grown-up design of this cot bed? It manages to pull off classic and contemporary rolled into one. And its neutral shades mean it fits in nicely anywhere and is suitable for both boys and girls.
Is it easy to clean?
I haven’t cleaned the cot bed yet but it should be very easy to clean. The instructions recommend cleaning it by wiping it with a damp cloth and drying it with a soft, dry cloth. We did also buy a waterproof mattress cover that should hopefully prevent the mattress and cot bed base getting stained.
Is it easy/hard to assemble the cot bed?
The step-by-step instructions were simple to follow and it comes with the base, ends and side rails pre-assembled. With the essential parts, fixed slats and spindles, already put together it’s reassuring to know they’re safe. And, each of the nuts is already attached to the correct screw that you need to use to avoid any confusion.
It took roughly an hour to assemble the cot and five minutes to transform it from a cot into a bed. Changing the height of the cot bed took a bit longer, around 20 minutes.
Who would the cot bed be most useful for?
Parents who after a classic design that don’t want the hassle of having to buy a cot and then trade it in for a toddler bed.
Is it value for money?
While it’s not the cheapest cot bed on the market, John Lewis sell cot beds starting from £99, there are plenty of cot beds that are pricier too such as the Boori Sleigh Royale cot bed which retails at around £899. The Izziwotnot Bailey Sleigh cot bed sits somewhere in the middle. Initially it might seem expensive but a good quality cot bed like this one is more of a long-term investment. You won’t need to buy a separate Moses basket, cot and toddler bed as you can use it from birth up to four years old.
The £299 price tag doesn’t include a mattress, but you can buy one separately for £75, or buy the cot bed and mattress package for £345.
If you’re after under cot drawers you’ll need to buy these separately too at £89. And likewise with the cot-top changer, priced at £79.
It is also possible to buy it as a three piece set including the cot bed, drawer and changer for £435.
Alternatively you can bag yourself a handy discount. If you enter your details on the Izziwotnot website and sign up for their VIP Club you can get yourself a minimum of 15% off all orders.
Made For Mums verdict:
The Izziwotnot Bailey Sleigh cot bed is a great value choice for style conscious parents who want nursery furniture that makes a statement and is built to last.
We've got more on having a comfy night's sleep here:
