How to make your Cot/Bassinet so it is safe and practical

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Start with a cot that meets the standard

From 19 January 2026, household cots and portable folding cots sold in Australia must meet the Consumer Goods (Infant Sleep Products) Safety Standard 2024, along with an information standard covering labelling and instructions. A cot can meet the safety requirements through AS/NZS 2172:2013 or an accepted overseas equivalent.

Cots and portable cots are the products designed and regulated for a baby to sleep in. That is worth knowing when you are weighing up alternatives, because most other things a baby can lie in are not made for sleep and are not assessed for it.

Get the mattress fit right

Use the mattress specified for that cot, at the size and depth stated in the manual. Red Nose Australia advises no more than a 20mm gap between the mattress and the cot sides, and the practical check is that no more than two adult finger widths should fit down the edge.

A mattress slightly too small leaves a gap a baby can roll into. One slightly too large will bow in the middle. Both are problems. The mattress should be firm and flat with all packaging removed, and any waterproof protector needs a snug fit so it cannot bunch or work loose.

What to keep out of the cot

This is the shortest list to remember and the easiest to get wrong, because most of the items are sold for nurseries and look appealing.

Keep out pillows, doonas and quilts, cot bumpers, soft toys, loose blankets, positional products and anything padded or propped. Red Nose does not recommend products that restrict a baby’s movement or head position. A safe sleeping bag of the right size, or lightweight bedding tucked in firmly to chest level, does the job instead.

Drop the base as your baby grows

Most cots have two or more base heights, and the timing of the change matters more than the setting itself. Lower the base as soon as your baby can sit unaided, and to the lowest position as soon as they can pull themselves up to standing. Babies reach both milestones sooner than parents expect.

Once your child can climb out, the cot stage is finished regardless of their age, and it is time to convert to a toddler bed or move them.

Where you put the cot

Placement causes as many problems as the cot itself. Keep it clear of curtains, blind cords, cables and lamp leads, none of which should be within reach as your baby starts to stand. Keep it away from heaters and out of direct sun. Check nothing on a nearby shelf or wall could be pulled down into the cot.

Red Nose recommends that your baby sleeps in their own safe sleep space in the same room as a parent or caregiver for at least the first six months, so plan for the cot or a co sleeper bassinet to be in your room to begin with.

Check the assembly, then check it again

Follow the manual rather than working from memory, keep the instructions after assembly, and go back around every fixing once the cot is built. Check them again after a week, and any time the cot is moved or converted. Timber settles and fixings loosen.

If a part is missing or damaged, contact the manufacturer for the correct replacement rather than substituting something from a hardware store.

Where to read more

For the main recommendations in one place, our safe sleep for babies guide runs through ten expert tips. If you are still choosing a first sleep space, our guide covers whether you need one and how a round bassinet compares with other shapes, and you can browse the bassinets and cradles range.

The same firm and flat principle applies out of the house. Our guide to choosing a single pram covers which configurations lie flat from birth, and the full prams and strollers range is here.

Portable cots and staying away from home

A portable folding cot is covered by the same mandatory standard as a household cot, so it is a legitimate sleep space rather than a compromise. The things that change are the mattress and the setup.

Use the mattress that came with the portable cot rather than adding a thicker one for comfort. Stacking an extra mattress or a folded blanket underneath your baby raises the surface, softens it, and creates gaps at the edges, which undoes the safety of the product. If the supplied mattress is lost, buy the replacement made for that model.

Check the frame is fully locked before every use. Portable cots rely on the rails clicking into place, and a rail that looks locked but is not will collapse under load. Give each side a firm push down once it is up.

When you are staying somewhere unfamiliar, take a moment on the room as well as the cot. Move it away from curtains and blind cords, check what is on the wall above it, and make sure you are not putting it next to a heater or a window that gets morning sun.