BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light review: a lightweight travel cot that's quick to set up

Written by: Laura Westerman

Full review available here

Lightweight, easy to carry, and a breeze to set up, the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light ticks a lot of boxes. But is it worth the price? Parent tester Laura reveals her verdict.

What we like

• Really easy to set up and take down

• Lightweight at just 6kg

• Mesh sides make the cot extra airy and breathable

• Sturdy and safe

• Mattress is a good thickness

• Mattress and fitted sheet included as part of the bundle

• Easy to carry in carry bag

What we don't like

• Mattress sits at ground-level

• No newborn bassinet

• Hard to get cot into carry bag by yourself

Key specs

Folded dimensions: 49 x 60 x 14cm | Dimensions when assembled: 82 x 112 x 64cm | Colours available: Black and Silver | Weight of cot: 6kg, including carry bag | Age range: 0 months to 3 years (or until your child can climb out) | Weight limit: Not specified

Our verdict

As travel cots go, the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light is one of the best I’ve tested. My two-year-old often struggles with new sleep environments, but she slept soundly and comfortably with every use. The BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light takes less than a minute to set up, making it one of the quickest travel cots to assemble, and it’s also simple to take down. 

It comes with its own carry bag, which you carry like a briefcase, and it’s lightweight enough at only 6kg to transport easily, whether you’re staying overnight at the grandparents’ or going on a long haul family holiday. While I wouldn’t call it compact width-wise, the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light is shallow depth when folded means you can easily fit it into a small car boot and stack other travel items on top.

I like that the travel cot comes as part of a bundle, with a mattress and fitted sheet included, however there is still the option to buy the Travel Cot Light without a fitted sheet should you prefer.

The travel cot mattress is one of the thickest and comfiest my toddler has slept on, despite sitting at ground level, and the cot has mesh sides that make it airy and breathable. 

Safety

Portability

Aesthetic

Comfort

Longevity

Sturdiness

Ease of cleaning

Value for money

Read next: Best bedside cribs and cosleepers

How we tested the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light

I tested the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light for three months with my two-year-old toddler. It was used for naps and overnight stays with the grandparents, taken on a weekend break to Cornwall and on a week-long family holiday to the Netherlands. 

How easy is the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light to assemble and fold? 

The BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light is one of (if not the) easiest travel cot I’ve ever assembled. All in all, it took me less than a minute to set up when following the instructions, and is so intuitive that I didn’t have to look at the instructions again after that.

The cot folds in half to be transported in its carry bag, so you simply need to unfold it, pull each of the four legs out so they click into place, insert the mattress and clip the red mattress connectors to each of the legs to keep it securely in place.

Taking the Travel Cot Light down requires a bit more effort, but again takes only a couple of minutes. You take the mattress out, unclip the red connectors, pull each leg up to fold them into the middle of the cot, fold the cot in half, place the mattress around the frame, and put everything into the carry bag. 

I found the main fold to be a little stiff and needed help placing the travel cot with the mattress wrapped around it into the carry bag. It’s a tight fit so can be a little unwieldy to do by yourself.

How big is the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light?

When folded, the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light measures 49 x 60 x 14cm, which makes it fairly compact. 

When unfolded the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light measures 82 x 112 x 64cm, which is similar to other travel cots I’ve tried, such as the Red Kite Sleeptight. My two-year-old toddler is tall for her age but fit the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light well, with extra room that will allow her to reach the cot's maximum age limit.

How heavy is the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light?

The BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light is the lightest travel cot I’ve used. Weighing just 6kg (with the carry bag), it’s lighter than other top travel cots including the Bugaboo Stardust, Silver Cross Slumber, Joie kubbie™ Sleep and Graco FoldLite LX.

How easy is the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light to transport?

In the carry bag, the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light looks like an extra-large rectangular briefcase so is very easy to carry with the two carry straps. 

It’s shallow enough in depth to fit neatly into the boot of my Volvo V40, with enough room to stack other travel items, such as a cabin bag or even a small lightweight buggy like the Babyzen Yoyo, on top. 

How comfortable is the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light?

My two-year-old sometimes struggles to sleep in new environments, but she had no trouble with the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light. 

The mattress and base is around 3cm in thickness and is one of the more padded yet firm travel cot mattresses I have used. I tested out the bundle, which came with a fitted cotton sheet, which was both soft and ideal for my daughter’s eczema-prone skin. 

All the materials used for the travel cot meet the requirements of OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Class 1, which means that they are kind to the skin and safe to taste. The cot fabric and mattress cover are both made of 100% polyester, the cot frame is painted steel and the mattress is 100% polyether foam.

The mesh sides allow for optimum airflow and increased comfort, as well as enabling you to see your baby or toddler easily while they sleep and for them to see you when they are awake.

Unfortunately the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light doesn’t have a newborn bassinet like you see on other travel cots like the Silver Cross Slumber. This means that your newborn will be sleeping closer to the ground and you’ll need to bend more to put them in and take them out.

How sturdy is the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light?

Very. The four legs angle outwards so that the travel cot stays firmly in place, even if bumped into, and the mattress (once inserted) successfully keeps all four mesh sides taut. 

In terms of safety, BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light complies with the EN 716 safety standard for folding cots as well as national fire safety requirements.

Does the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light work as a playpen?

While not strictly advertised as a playpen, the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light is a safe place for your child to play for short periods of time.

How easy is the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light to clean?

While I haven’t yet needed to clean the mattress cover or cot fabric (just the fitted cotton sheets), both can be machine-washed with a mild laundry detergent at 40°C. The mattress cover can also be tumble dried (the cot fabric can’t).

The travel cot fabric is attached to the steel frame with zips, so is simple to remove and put back on after washing. 

About the author

Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head of Editorial Content at Mumsnet, and mum to a two-year-old.

With over eight years' experience as a full-time editor, six of which have been spent writing, commissioning and editing product reviews and round-ups, Laura has a keen eye for what parents love and likes nothing more than putting together honest reviews to make parents' lives that little bit easier. 

In addition to her work as a writer and editor, she has also appeared in a number of baby product review videos for Mumsnet's YouTube channel.