Kinderkraft NESTE Up bedside crib review

While the styling may not as sleek as some of its rivals, it’s hard to fault the build quality; the steel frame feels reassuringly solid, while the generous dimensions mean it can comfortably accommodate bigger babies. There may be nothing hugely revolutionary about the design, however it does have some thoughtful extras, including an adjustable mattress incline and mesh sides to view your baby easily. Winning Joint Bronze for Best Bedside/Co-sleeper in the MadeForMums Awards 2021, it offers plenty of great features at an incredible price.

Crucially the NESTE Up adheres to the recently revised safety regulations (BS EN 1130:2019), where a 120mm high barrier between the sleeping baby and the parents’ beds is required for safety reasons, to ensure your baby doesn’t accidentally roll out of their cot onto your mattress.

Tested by

Lizzy Winding is a freelance journalist and editor, living in South London. She tested the NESTE Up with her 5-month-old daughter, Kitty, at night and for daytime naps, as a co-sleeper crib and as a standalone cot.

What were your first impressions?

The cover and flat-pack frame arrived in a neat, reasonably compact grey travel bag. There are picture-led instructions, but putting it together was pretty intuitive even for a DIY dunce and took less than quarter of an hour. No tools were required – just some tough scissors for hacking through the cable ties it was packaged with. Once assembled, the model we tested looked pleasingly smart, with a grey, denim-effect finish and star-print interior.

How does the Kinderkraft NESTE Up compare to other co-sleeper cots?

We were already using a bedside cot for Kitty – the spacious Jané Babyside, which retails at £199. The NESTE Up looked pretty similar, and more than matched it size-wise, with an 89cm x 52cm mattress, compared to the Jané’s 82.5cm x 29.5cm mattress. For parents with bigger babies (and enough bedroom space) that’s a real advantage; by contrast, the SnüzPod4, which is one of the sleekest designs on the market, has a 75cm x 40cm mattress.

This is also one of the most affordable co-sleeper options we’ve seen – at the lowest available price it retails at £84.95, compared to just under £200 for many of its rivals. Note that unlike some co-sleeper cots, it doesn’t rock, and the storage is minimal, with just a small pocket at each end.

What age is the NESTE Up suitable for?

Like all bedside cribs, this isn’t a long-term substitute for a full-sized, standalone cot; once your baby can sit, kneel or pull themself up, it’s game over ­– which means a lifespan of around 6 months.

How big is the Kinderkraft NESTE Up?

Fully assembled as a standalone cot (with legs) the Kinderkraft NESTE Up measures L102cmxW68cmxH80cm. It’s not far off the SnüzPod4 at L100cmxW49cmxH95cm, although the Kinderkraft’s dimensions do reduce once attached in bedside mode.

How firm is the mattress?

The foam mattress feels very firm, as it should for a baby, but also slightly thin and flimsy. Some parent reviews on Amazon also mentioned how thin the mattress felt, although they didn’t feel this affected their babies’ sleep.

How easy is the NESTE Up to assemble?

The NESTE Up wasn’t compatible with our bed, which meant we had to decamp to the spare room to try it out (although to be fair, it’s easy to check this pre-purchase, which you should definitely do!). With most beds, though, its set-up is simple: the frame adjusts to 5 different heights, clicking into place, then straps firmly to the bed. The width of the stand can also be adjusted, so it can sit snugly against divan-style beds too.

Is the Kinderkraft NESTE Up bedside cot easy to use?

As with most co-sleeper cots, the mesh side clicks out of the upper frame (there’s a safety catch on each side, to thwart inquisitive older siblings), and is then unzipped and rolled out of the way. While the side’s easy to unzip, it doesn’t go all the way down to the level of the crib’s mattress – this is to follow the latest co-sleeper safety regulations.

When it’s used in standalone mode, with the side zipped up, the mesh side panel means you can still see your baby, which is a useful and reassuring feature.

Does the Kinderkraft NESTE Up have any special features?

Yes. Although it doesn’t rock, the mattress can be gently tilted for babies with colic or stuffy colds. It’s easy to adjust, inclining at the click of a button.

The small exterior pockets at each end are another thoughtful feature, for stashing muslins and night-time essentials. I also appreciated the mesh window to keep an eye on my baby and the wheels at one end of the frame, making it easier to move the cot around.

How portable is it?

The two wheels on the frame mean the NESTE Up is pretty easy to move, though unlike a Moses basket or more compact crib, it’s a little bulky for regular manoeuvres. While not a travel cot by design, it’s certainly intended to be able to be used that way, and even comes with its own carry bag.

Despite being easy enough to assemble and disassemble, we would probably only use the Kinderkraft NESTE Up for longer trips. Weighing in at 9.9kg – similar to the Jané Babyside at 10kg, yet lightweight compared to the Chicco Next2Me Magic at 13.2kg – it’s not the lightest to carry, thanks to the sturdy frame, and has be fully dismantled rather than folded.

The NESTE Up’s folded dimensions are D93.5cmxW60cmxH15cm, so similar to the baby Elegance BeByMe at D95cmxW60cmxH12cm. If you’re looking for a dedicated travel cot for regular trips, you may be better off with something like the Micralite Sleep & Go, which measures a more compact D88cmxW34cmxH67cm, and weighs 7kg.

How comfortable did the NESTE Up seem for your baby?

Kitty seemed comfortable enough, with room to stretch out, and was spellbound by the black-and-white star print on the crib’s interior. This patterned design was also a hit with our MadeForMums 2021 Awards Home Tester Holly, who felt her son enjoyed gazing at the star print while in the cot.

The large, sewn-on safety labels inside the cot weren’t so conducive to sleep; she tended to scratch at them as she was dropping off, waking herself up. These large labels (featuring safety advice in numerous languages) were also flagged up in a number of Amazon parent reviews. Although we appreciate the need for clear safety advice, many parents felt the size of the labels did interfere with the overall look of the cot interior, though they didn’t point out any comfort issues in regard to having the labels there.

Does the crib feel robust?

Absolutely. The steel frame felt reassuringly solid, with a 10-year warranty to back it up (you need to sign up on the website within 30 days of purchase).

Is the Kinderkraft NESTE Up easy to clean?

Yes. The removable cover is made of durable polyester, and is fully machine washable, while the frame can be wiped down.

What would you have wanted to know before buying the NESTE Up?

The obvious – that it was compatible with our bed! It couldn’t be attached to our usual bed, as our mattress sits unusually low on the frame. Dimensions are easily checked on the Kinderkraft website if in doubt.

We’d also like to have known the dimensions of the cot mattress. While for us the large mattress was a selling point, it does make it trickier to get hold of compatible sheets.

Who would the Kinderkraft NESTE Up bedside crib be most useful for?

It’s a good buy for parents on a budget, looking for a straightforward co-sleeper cot with plenty of space, as well as a cot that can also be used for travelling (if you can face dismantling and reassembling it each time).

Is the NESTE Up good value for money?

Yes. Other cribs may feel more modern and streamlined, but this is a decent, no-nonsense option, at an impressive price. After all, bedside cots can generally only be used for the first 6 months, which might make you reluctant to spend too much. If you plan to use it for several children, the 10-year warranty is reassuring too. It’s clocked up an impressive number of 4 and 5-star Amazon reviews, too. Not bad for less than £85!

How does the NESTE Up compare to other similar bedside cribs?

Where can I buy the Kinderkraft NESTE Up?

It's available at Amazon, Winstanley’s Pramworld and Online4Baby.

MadeForMums verdict:

This is a dependable, budget-friendly option, with a built-to-last frame and plenty of room for taller babies, who might outgrow smaller cribs before they are 6-months-old. The sewn-on safety labels were a bit of a distraction for our fidgety baby, though more placid sleepers might not notice them. Finally, as with every bedside co-sleeper cot, it’s worth double-checking that it’s compatible with your bed.