SAFETY ALERT: Two-Thirds of Portacots Tested by CHOICE Failed Safety Standards

We all want nothign but the best for safety and security for our kids. Well hold onto your hats parents, because the experts at CHOICE recently undertook safety reviews of 24 portacots and quite horribly 16 of the 24 portacots failed to meet key safety standards.

Yep, 16. Some of the portacots that pose safety risks for babies come from big baby brands too, such as Joie, Phil&Teds, BabyCo, even Kmart and Target! Eeek!

If you have a portacot or are in the market for one, have a look over the list to see which ones did and which ones didn’t pass safety standards, and why.

Portacot safety standard shock

CHOICE is the expert in product safety and reviews all sorts of products, including car seats and bassinets. It’s always a good idea to have a quick look to see a product rating before buying as you may be surprised how many products are actually not up to standards.

In terms of portacot safety, most of the safety failures relate to soft or poorly fitting mattresses, which can increase the risk of sudden unexpected infant death.

In our expert labs, we regularly test a selection of portable cots currently available on the Australian market,” says CHOICE testing expert Kim Gilmour.

“Our latest batch of reviews shows that more than 65% of these products fail key safety requirements, which is a really disappointing result. We assess all models in our labs against the most current Australian safety standard for portable cots, but there are still many models failing to meet the mandatory requirements.”

How testing works

When CHOICE test products, each product gets an overall score of 100, called a CHOICE Expert Rating, which takes into account how easy it is to use and its performance.

For portacots, the performance score rates safety factors such as:

• whether it has breathable zones on all four sides
• if it’s sturdy and stable
• that there are no other factors that could cause a child injury. This includes sharp protruding objects or entrapment or strangulation hazards

So which portable cots failed safety tests?

There were 16 portacots that scored less than 50% by CHOICE ranging from Kmart’s $49 Travel Portacot all the way up to Chicco’s $500 Lullaby Portacot.

Most notably, the portable cot with the lowest score was Mamakiddies Baby Playard Happy Dino with just 14%. This is the lowest score CHOICE has ever given. EVER!

How did all the costs fare? Here’s the full list below: 

1. Childcare Matisse 4 in 1 Travel Cot ($180) – 49%
2. Kmart Anko Travel Portacot 42-001-409 ($49) – 48%
3. Childcare Ison 3 in 1 Travel Cot ($129) – 48%
4. Mocka Porta Cot A02458  ($100) – 48%
5. Target  Holiday Portacot BRT023A ($49) – 48%
6. Vee Bee Amado Travel & Play Cot N9560 ($170) – 48%
7. Babyhood Uno 2 in 1 Portacot ($449) – 47%
8. 4Baby Liteway Travel Cot EA11816 ($169) – 46%
9. Star Kidz Amico Super Light Travel Cot ($159) – 46%
10. Phil & Teds Traveller 4 ($199) – 40%
11. Joie Excursion Change & Rock Travel Cot ($399) – 34%
12. Love N Care Playland Travel Cot ($150) – 34%
13. Chicco Lullaby Easy Portacot  ($500) – 33%
14. Babyco Edinburgh Statesman 4006375-377 ($80) – 32%
15. Vee Bee The Sierra N9338 ($209) – 28%
16. Mamakiddies Baby Playard Happy Dino ($119) – 14% (yikes!)

So which portacots passed?

If you are in the market for a new portacot, these are the 8 that received a safety score of over 50%. Keep in mind that CHOICE only recommends products with a score of 70% or over (so only the top four portable cots).

1. Childcare Outta Travel cot ($120) – This was the top rated portacot with a safety score of 87%
2. Bebe Care In + Out Travel Cot ($250) – 84%
3. Roger Armstrong 3-in-1 Portacot ($199) – 75%
4. Target Adventure 3-in-1 Portacot ($99) – 74%
5. Steelcraft 4-in-1 Portable Cot ($199) – 64%
6. Baby Björn Travel Cot Easy Go ($500) – 63%
7. Micralite Sleep & Go Travel Cot ($499) – 63%
8. Babyhood Bambino Dormire 2 in 1 Portacot ($249) – 62%

HELP! My portable cot isn’t up to safety standards. 

What can you do? CHOICE suggests:

If you’ve already purchased one of these unsafe cots, CHOICE recommends you return it to the retailer or manufacturer for a full refund.” 

What to read next

Check out our product safety recalls for more information on keeping your little ones safe:

• RECALL: Plum Silicone Soother Dummies Recalled Amid Choking Fears
• RECALL: Kmart Recalls Anko Gravity Bouncer Amid Safety Fears
• Product Recall: Big W Dymples Portacot
• RECALL: Childcare Baby Strollers Sold at Target and Kmart Recalled Due to Axle Fault