Nomad Travel Cot

After a little bit of search around and reading reviews we got our Nomad Travel Cot from Tots Travel Shop, who at the time seemed to have a good range.

Having had it now for a year, I can confirm that it has been brilliant. I work in London and travel up on the train most months, and this cot sits in underneath the pushchair (along with toys and other gumph!) perfectly.

I find it easy to put up and our daughter loves it.. probably more then she does her actual bed!

Not the cheapest, but we're about to start using it for no.2 so in the end it's worked out as very good value.

I was a little worried about the assembling after some reading online but decided to go for it anyways.

It took me 2 minutes to put it up and without having to look at any instructions. So easy I wonder whoever had problems had ever been outdoors at all.

It's very roomy (I can crawl in comfortably and my husband can squeeze himself in), as light as it is it's very sturdy - 2 friend's kids (age 3 and 5) visited and they both played in it, pulling on the frame and flaps as kids do, didn't seem to have a problem.

The Nomad Travel Cot is made by a professional outdoor company and is definitely the best product on the market. I can see our baby enjoying it for a long long time, probably until he can't fit in it anymore, and then may still use it to hide his "treasures".

Another small note: we ordered it directly from their website and actually had some problem with the delivery, but their staff was very friendly and helpful which more than made up for the problem, and the final delivery was surprisingly quick.

The nomad travel cot is just that - a truly portable cot ! More like a tent than a cot, it weighs about 4.5kg, is easy to put up and take down, and, as judged by how well my 7 month old slept in it, very comfortable. My daughter loved it - she actually smiled as I put her down - which almost never happens. She slept so well in it that I was tempted to put her in it when we got home as she stopped sleeping as well. I found it extremely easy to put together although it does take a little strength to fit the poles. We purchased the self inflating mattress - which slots in the bottom underside of the cot. This does take a little bit of encouragement to self inflate, but once inflated we didn't need to top it up for the whole 2 weeks my daughter slept in it. The only minor negative I found was that the feet stick out a little and I was a little worried about tripping over them in the middle of the night - however, I never actually did. I would also suggest getting the sleep sheet because if you are used to tucking baby in to her bed this isn't possible as the mattress slots under the cot. Overall, the nomad travel cot is one of the best purchases we have made. Admittedly not cheap - but far better value for money than any of the other "travel" cots on the market.

Loads of pros with the Nomad Travel Cot...

- Small pack size so ideal for taking camping etc and light too.

- Mattress comes in a separate bag so easy to just take this with you if you don't need the whole cot.

- Quick to put up and take down (although a little fiddly the first few times)

- Side panel zips can be secured on the outside to stop child getting out if they try moving the zip from the inside.

- Is likely to last for ages as will easily fit a toddler, plus as it doesn't look like a (babyish) cot I hope our daughter will continue to love using it for years to come.

- Can be secured with (included) tent pegs for use in the garden. I don't think it has UV protection but I'm wondering if the mesh is mosquito/insect proof.

- We love the fact it is fully enclosed so we can use it without needing a cat net. Also great at the inlaws as we can zip it up and leave the bedroom door open knowing that our daughter can't get out.

A few little things to mention though...

- I find I need someone to help me put this up and take down as it can be tricky to slot the feet in with the poles under tension. Husband can put it up on his own though, I think it's just practice.

- Although the cot isn't any larger than others, the feet stick out a bit so gives the impression of being bigger than it is.

- Self-inflating mattress isn't very thick and I don't think it's suitable for use on hard floors (or straight on the ground!). We've bought a Wee Airic self-inflating mattress to use in combination to give a more comfy base. However our daughter has slept fine with the included mattress on carpeted/rugged floors.

- The mattress goes in a slot on the underside of the cot so we needed to use a grobag for our daughter to sleep in as there's nowhere to securely tuck a blanket.

Overall we love this travel cot and definitely feel it was money well spent. It also gets loads of comments when we put it up!