What we love
This cot is a really decent looking traditional pine cot for a great price. I love the fact that it has 3 mattress base heights. When we first put our baby Isla in the ‘big cot’, we had the base on the top level and as she’s grown, we’ve lowered the base accordingly. I always feel confident that she’s safe and secure, and any attempts to escape, have clearly been thwarted.
In principle, the teething rail is a great idea too but Isla’s never been particularly interested in it herself. The Takeley is sufficiently robust to contain a bouncing toddler, but it isn’t really bulky, unlike some other cots on the market. The great thing is that it’s easy to move around the flat and doesn’t completely take over Isla’s room.
Most of all, I love the fact that she seems so happy in it as she has never once cried in the morning for us to come and get her!
What to watch out for
As with most cots, you do need to buy the mattress separately. This cot takes the continental size mattress (60cm x 120cm), and prices vary depending on the design of the mattress that you choose.
The cot is a bit fiddly to put together; being a confirmed flatpack-phobe, I left it to my husband to build the cot. It took about half an hour to get the main frame assembled and then approximately the same again to work out how to fit the drop-side element.
Also, the single-handed drop-side mechanism doesn’t seem to be as simple as it ought to be. Perhaps I just haven’t been doing it right for the past year, but I find I need one hand AND a knee or foot to get the side to drop when holding my daughter.
The drop-side is also quite noisy if your child’s asleep. Quite a few mums online have also commented on this, and I only ever drop or raise the side when Isla is already/still awake otherwise the clanking and rattling tends to wake her
Who is the Mothercare Takeley cot best for?
A family on a budget, who want a traditional wooden cot, which will be used for several children.
A great value cot, which looks like it will last for a long time. The 3 mattress heights are a great feature to prevent back strain, and help you feel confident that your child can’t get out of the cot as she grows bigger. However, the noise of the drop-side mechanism may put people off actually using it, which negates it being there in the first place!
