Thread: heights for a cot

First of all congratulations. As regards the height of the cot, the only reasonable criterion is to suit the height of the primary carer, at the risk of appearing sexist let's assume the mother. Therefore:

Total height = floor to elbow of the mother minus 50 mm

Heigth from the floor to the base of the mattress = total height minus safety recommended height of the sides, say 300 mm.

I am no expert (childless) but my hard hearted mind thinks that the base height needs to dictated by the comfort of parents or whoever would be placing the baby into the cot or removing it most often, and the wall height by the safety of the child when in the cot.

From that perspective, I would be aiming for the top of the mattress to be about hip height of the shorter carer, and the top rail to be maybe 100mm below their armpit height. With these types of figures, they should be able stand at the side of the cot and reach in to deposit, pick up, or check the baby with minimal back bending ( maybe 10 degrees max), and both feet firmly on the floor. This will become more importand as the child becomes heavier and harder to lift.

There are obvious problems with my notion if one parent is quite tall and the other quite short (my wife is .5m shorter than me), and I'm sure that there will be standards for the minimum wall height to cope with the abilities of mobile youngsters that may not be in accord with comfortable handling and reach for the parent. In that case I would go by the standards.

there are height specifications set out in the standards, sorry but I don't remember them.

Originally Posted by echnidna

there are height specifications set out in the standards, sorry but I don't remember them.

It would be worth Googling for the Australian Standards for cots - there are standards for the height of the sides from the top of mattress, min and max widths between the vertical slates and a few other things that all make a safer cot for a baby.

the vertical slats must be less than 10cm. I was told when buying for my babes. I was also told to look for something open and airy to help prevent sids

you'll be unlikey to see the standards online though you can buy them online
(not cheap)

I always add a light pine mattress riser (another base in effect) to my cots so that the critter is raised up about half way and take it out once they are able to move about. Much easier on the back , at least for a short while.

WOW - Congratulations on being grandparents at 42. I wish I started having kids earlier. Unfortunately I didn't have a female willing to help out with the other side of having kids till my late twenties.

I am in the middle of building my cot for my third child. I took the vital measurements from the local Toys 'r' Us and built my cot around those measurements.

Congratulations again.

Go down to shop with a tape measure and check out one that meets standards
(all new ones in shops should meet the standards)

The best cot I have ever seen was height adjustable so, when the child was placed in the cot and too young to climb out, the base was placed at whatever height was most comfortable for the person who placed the child in the cot.
In order to have the bed at a size suitable for the size and age of the child, a bed board/frame was placed appropriate to the size of the baby along the length of the mattress. Actually, the unused part of the bed was used as a change table. Mine had drawers for baby articles in that part, then it could later be placed on the floor for toys etc.
As the child grew and started to explore the surroundings, the cot base would be lowered so the child would not be harmed if climbing over the cot sides but could still be confined when sleeping.
The last stage (at walking age) would be at a height where the sides could be lowered and the child get in and out of bed unaided.
All my children loved that bed.
Wolffie

6 foot high, electrified with security cameras and guard dogs.

Rod

When I built my first two grandchildren cots , and change tables I built them to suit the daughters heights and so that the front could be removed to make a double seat for their room whan they progressed onto beds and went with a tape and measured the distance between slats on the shop floor ones, which is pretty much what everyone eles has said.
With the change tables I made a small 3 drawer cabinet with a removable skid on the top, once again so that it would be of some use as they grew up.
The biggest shock was the amount of timber it took and cost, I am sure to this day the daughters have no idea that there was well over $700 in material costs for each change table and cot.

Originally Posted by Wolffie

The best cot I have ever seen was height adjustable so, when the child was placed in the cot and too young to climb out, the base was placed at whatever height was most comfortable for the person who placed the child in the cot.
In order to have the bed at a size suitable for the size and age of the child, a bed board/frame was placed appropriate to the size of the baby along the length of the mattress. Actually, the unused part of the bed was used as a change table. Mine had drawers for baby articles in that part, then it could later be placed on the floor for toys etc.
As the child grew and started to explore the surroundings, the cot base would be lowered so the child would not be harmed if climbing over the cot sides but could still be confined when sleeping.
The last stage (at walking age) would be at a height where the sides could be lowered and the child get in and out of bed unaided.
All my children loved that bed.
Wolffie

I seriously looked at designing a cot like that back in the early 90's for commercial production in my factory, but it was impossible to get that style of cot to comply with the standards that existed then. The standards have likely changed since then and it may now be possible. These days all cots sold, even secondhand ones, must comply with the standards.

I have to admit, that cot would now be 50 years old. It was bought in Sweden and is still being used by my sister's grand children in Denmark.
Wolffie