Consumer safety watchdog CHOICE has announced some very concerning news this week, revealing that the majority of portable cots available to parents have failed key safety standards which could put the lives of infants at risk.
These portable cots include ones sold at Kmart, Phil&Teds, Target, and 4Baby (from Baby Bunting).
CHOICE has urged parents to stop using these products immediately.
Out of 26 portable cots currently available, 18 have failed
CHOICE testing expert Kim Gilmour spoke about the safety standard process and these ‘disappointing’ results.
In our expert labs, we regularly test a selection of portable cots currently available on the Australian market.
Our latest batch of reviews shows that almost 70% of these products fail key safety requirements, which is a really disappointing result. Unfortunately, this is something we are used to seeing with this particular baby product.
The most common safety issue we saw in our testing was a mattress that isn’t firm enough, which is a factor linked to sudden unexpected death in infancy.”
The portable cots that failed CHOICE safety tests are listed below
Note: These cots received less than 70% on the CHOICE testing, so, technically not a ‘fail”( less than 50%), but still a fail to CHOICE.
- Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot ($399)
- Baby Bunting 4Baby Liteway Travel Cot EA11816 ($149)
- Baby Bunting 4Baby Clouds 2 in 1 Portacot EA12117 ($99)
- Baby Bunting 4Baby Vacation Portacot EA12116 ($49)
- Babyhood Uno 2 in 1 Portacot ($449)
- Chicco Lullaby Easy Portacot ($500)
- Childcare Matisse 4 in 1 Travel Cot ($180)
- Joie Excursion Change & Rock Travel Cot ($329)
- Kmart Anko Travel Portacot 42-001-409 ($49)
- Kmart Anko 3 in 1 Portacot 42723370 ($95)
- Love N Care Playland Travel Cot ($150)
- Phil & Teds Traveller 2021 TR-V5-5/100 ($450)
- Star Kidz Amico Super Light Travel Cot ($249)
- Star Kidz Vivo Super Light Travel Cot ($399)
- Target Adventure V2 3 in 1 Portacot BRT022A1 ($99)
- Target Holiday Portacot BRT023A ($55)
- Vee Bee Amado Travel & Play Cot N9560 ($199)
- Vee Bee The Sierra N9338 ($239).
The portable cots that passed CHOICE safety standards are below:
They include cots from Bugaboo, Bebe Care and Joie which received a rating of 70% or higher.
- Bebe Care Zuri Timber Travel Cot 079130-018
- Bugaboo Stardust 954001
- Joie Commuter Change V2 Travel Cot P1028JALGR600
- Jengo Travellite Wooden 2 in 1 Cot EA11591
- Babyhood Bambino Dormire 2 in 1 Portacot
- Roger Armstrong 3 in 1 Portacot RA2228
- Nuna Cove Aire TC13800FRTAU
- Baby Björn Travel Cot Easy Go
How testing works
CHOICE labs are accredited to test portable cots to Australian Standards. When they test portable costs, they give each product an overall score out of 100, called a CHOICE Expert Rating, which takes into account how easy it is to use and its performance.
The performance score rates safety factors such as:
- whether it has breathable zones on all four sides
- that it’s sturdy and stable
- that there are no other factors that could cause a child injury, such as sharp protruding objects, or entrapment or strangulation hazards.
We recommend only those models that have a CHOICE Expert Rating of 70% or more. This means they’ve passed all our key safety tests, but may have some very minor failings, such as substandard information labels or possible pinch points for the person folding or unfolding the cot.” – CHOICE explains.
How are these portable cots allowed to be sold?
Isn’t there a safety standard set on all baby products? Yes, there is. However, as CHOICE explains,
Current mandatory standards for strollers and portable cots are based on documents written almost two decades ago, but since then we’ve learned a lot about what makes a product safe.
Although newer standards were written for portable cots in 2010, they haven’t become law. Instead, they’re used as voluntary standards that manufacturers are encouraged to adhere to – but they’re not obliged to.”
This is also the case with bassinets – check out the 29 bassinets that have failed CHOICE safety standards.
CHOICE is calling for firmer mandatory safety standards to be put into place.
These safety failures are part of a broader problem around product safety protections. Governments often wait until tragedy strikes before they make safety standards mandatory. This reactive approach puts consumers at risk and is deeply inappropriate for products like portable cots.”
They also suggest that, if you do have one of the cots listed above, return it. However, the manufacturer may not adhere to a refund unless the travel cot has been officially recalled.
Safety standards in baby items
Safety is probably the most important feature when it comes to purchasing baby equipment.
Unfortunately, there have been plenty of recalls on baby items that have been deemed unsafe including prams, car seats, bouncers, and co-sleepers. We have a list of these on our product recall page:
- RECALL: Kmart Recalls Anko Gravity Bouncer Amid Safety Fears
- RECALL: Popular Highchairs Recalled Due to Toppling Fears
- PRODUCT RECALL: Childcare Snuggle Time Bedside Sleeper
- URGENT: 7 Bunk Beds Recalled Amid Fears They Could Collapse on Kids
- 29 Popular Baby Bassinets Fail CHOICE Safety Tests
CHOICE is a great resource if you are looking for safety standards on baby products. They also suggest doing your research before buying.
Price or brand is not an indicator of how safe these products are,” says Gilmour. “We find that even some of the leading brands of portacots have issues that pose safety risks for babies. Our advice is to always check our reviews and do some research before you settle on which one to purchase.”
Another good tip is to check the government’s product safety website to see if there have been any product recalls or safety issues with particular brands or models.
