Why Carrycots Are One of Our Best Sellers

Carrycots – essential or nice to have?

How a carrycot can make a new parent’s life easier
 

From carrycots and capsules to bassinets and buggies, the list of big-ticket essentials for your new baby can quickly become confusing (and expensive). Carrycots often fall into a grey area, where their usefulness isn’t fully appreciated. But there’s plenty of reasons these are one of Dimples’ best sellers – read on to find out why!

The basics – what is a carrycot?

A carrycot is a light, portable cot that is easily attached to the frame of your stroller. It’s the perfect sleeping place for babies up to three to six months old (or around 10kg) when they typically outgrow it.

The benefits – why would you need one?

You’ve got a capsule for transporting your baby in the car and a bassinet for sleeping at home, so where does a carrycot fit into the new parent picture?

Carrycots over capsules for sleeping babies

Plenty of capsules now adapt to click onto wheels so you can easily move your sleeping baby from car to café, but experts warn that capsule snoozes are not safe for extended periods. Carrycots allow babies to lie completely flat and ensure their airways are open, whereas sleepy little heads can easily flop forwards in a capsule and compromise breathing. While unbuckling your peacefully snoozing babe from a capsule can be nerve-wracking, moving them to a safe sleeping spot (for anything other than a quick dash to the supermarket) is the sensible option.

Walk while they snooze

Fresh air is a sanity-saver for new parents, and a carrycot allows you to simply clip the portable snooze pod onto your pram post-feed and head on out. Even the fussiest of babies find it hard to resist the combination of a bumpy walk together with ambient traffic noise to induce slumber, so a stint of exercise and carrycot time can easily become an essential part of a new parent’s day.

Carrycots are right at home in the great outdoors, typically featuring weatherproof fabrics and accessories like rain and sun covers (in addition to the standard canopy). They’ll keep your babe comfy while you stroll whatever the weather. If your baby is still asleep when you return home, you can simply unclip her and she can continue her slumber indoors while you enjoy a well-earned cuppa.

Carrycots over portacots for little babies

For the first few months, lugging a full-sized portacot around for dinners at grandma’s or weekends at the bach isn’t necessary. If you’ve got a carrycot with a firm mattress, you’ve got the perfect sleeping spot for overnight stays without feeling like you’re packing the kitchen sink. Best of all, if your baby is familiar with sleeping in the carrycot, he’s likely to settle more easily in a new environment.

Say sayonara to the bassinet

A Moses basket or bassinet isn’t strictly necessary if you have a carrycot suitable for sleeping. You can use your carrycot for all sleeps at home and out and about for your baby’s first few months earthside. Since a carrycot is only useful for a relatively short period, you’ll get extra value out of it by making it your primary sleeping spot.

Carrycots over lie-flat strollers

Sure, many strollers are suitable for newborns but with a carrycot, you don’t need to strap him in. Strapping a wee babe into a capsule or a stroller is a precise art and one that usually means removing swaddles. Using a carrycot to stroll with your baby means no buckles and no need to un-swaddle.

The lowdown – what to look for when choosing a carrycot

From must-haves to accessories and additional features, here’s what to look for when choosing the perfect carrycot for your family.

• Certified for overnight sleep – if you’re investing in a carrycot as a primary snoozing spot day and night, choose one that is certified for overnight sleeps.
• All-weather accessories – planning on doing a lot of walking? Choose a carrycot that has a generous canopy and a compatible sun and storm cover available.
• Easy to carry – while you’ll often use it attached to wheels, you’ll also do a fair bit of carrying. Ensure the carrycot has sturdy, integrated handles and isn’t too heavy.
• Easy care – check for machine-washable components like the mattress cover and lining – babies are messy!
• Easy to connect – struggling with fiddly clips with a fussy baby can be stressful. Ensure you’re able to easily connect and disconnect the carrycot from its wheels.
• Compatibility – you’re committing to more than just a carrycot – the wheels (stroller) that accompany it are even more important. Make sure you’re happy with the combined travel system, as the stroller days are long in comparison.
   

Add a carrycot to your new baby arsenal

You know you’re going to need a capsule and a stroller, so adding a carrycot into the equation and having all three as a compatible baby travel system (provided you have the space and budget to match) will make new parent life super simple. The ease of popping your swaddled babe into a carrycot as you head out for some much-needed fresh air can make your day, and being able to leave her in there to continue her slumber safely will put your mind at ease.

Carrycots are a safe and practical portable bed for your new baby, and suitable as the primary place of sleep in the early days. Carrycots rightly claim their stake as one of Dimples’ best sellers and for good reason – anything that makes a new parent’s life that little bit easier is a win in our books!

Check out Dimples range of carrycots here.