"Kinderkot" vs Phil and Teds portacot?

Hi all,

We are needing a much lighter-weight portacot for frequent traveling and have heard of two styles, one flip-out tent-style with self-inflating mattress by Kinderkot, apparently good for up to 4yrs old, and the Phil and Teds which has an aluminium frame you set up around a tent-like exterior.

Just curious what people's experiences have been for these types of cots (and what age baby you're using it for) - we have a 14 month old who is very active moving about his cot when getting to sleep, and usually sits or stands up in his cot when he's awake, which makes me wonder if the kindercot might not be any good - BUT the kinderkot looks a lot lighter and smaller-folding than the phil and teds.

Another thing I was wondering about the kindercot is, would it be hot as the mattress is on the floor rather than raised; and also could it tip over if the toddler were to roll around inside or push against the side?

Thanks for any advice you may have!

Deni

Hi Deni,

I don't have experiences with both cots but I do have the Phil & Teds one. I do know the other one you are talking about though as I looked at both at the time of buying. From what I could see there are pros and cons to both so I can only give you the reasons we went with the one we did.

We wanted a portacot for camping - for inside the tent and also under a shade for outside during the day. We bought it when DS was 5-6 months old. The P&T one can be a little fiddly to set up, but a couple of runs at home first and we've had no issues. It is a little harder to pack up and fit in the little bag, but I haven't failed yet!! It is sturdy so it can withstand a toddler or baby standing up inside. The self-inflating mattress slots inside a sleeve in the bottom keeping it secure and reducing the suffocation risk. One of the reasons I liked it was the opening at both the top and the side. The top is good for when they do want to stand up, and also when we had it outside we could put the sun mesh on it. The side opening we use in the tent because he is on the same level as us when we are in bed so it is easier access, especially as I was BF at the time. We thought that trying to get down so low for the kinderkot would just be a little too much all the time, especially outside.

But really that is about all I have to offer - it is light, packs down small, has both the top and side access. Cons are it can be a little fiddly putting up and packing down, but it is really a minor issue.

Hope some others come to let you know their experiences too!

Thanks mummytummy, I remembered I have a friend who has a Phil and Teds so I might go and have a closer look at hers - and there's a baby hire place that has the Kinderkot in stock so I could always give both a try... the Kinderkot looks good in theory but then I remembered that Perth is very hot some nights and being so close to the ground and enclosed - even with the fly screen - might get quite hot in there for bubs.

I think you will find they are both close to the ground!! But yeah if you can give both a try and see how DS likes each, make your decision from there!

Hi Deni

I actually have the Kinderkot, which I loved when my DD couldn't stand up and walk However, the last time we took it to a friends house and I put her in it to go to sleep she was walking around and turning it over and upside down like she was stuck in a big beach ball and was rolling around in it, so if you little one is standing up and walking and doesn't quite get the concept of lying down and going to sleep, I would go with the Phil and Teds. I wished I had purchased one of those instead now, as we can't use the Kinderkot at the moment.
Hope this helps.

Nik

we have a kinderkot. it has served us well over the last two years.\

the PROS: simple to pack/unpack.
fits in a suitcase so good for air travel
fit easily into tight spaces (ie ship cabins/motels etc)
light
similar to the P&Ts it is enclosed and this makes it awesome for sleep as bubba knows that is their bed and arent too freaked out by being somewhere new.

the CONS: can get stuffy inside if hot weather (just like a tent ITMS)...so we had a fan on low if that was the case.
the material can be noisy if they are wriggling, which can be annoying for those in the same room lol!

this was our experience and we have definitely gotten our moneys worth. the P&T is very similar and in the end the only reason we bought the kinderkot was simply because it was a one-step system, no assembly required and i am lazy LOL!

Hello, my seven month old loves to stand in his cot, and your post has put me off the Kinderkot. What makes the Phil and Teds different, that they wouldn't be able to walk around inside the way your child did with the Kinderkot? Is it set up very differently?

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Hi Deni

I actually have the Kinderkot, which I loved when my DD couldn't stand up and walk However, the last time we took it to a friends house and I put her in it to go to sleep she was walking around and turning it over and upside down like she was stuck in a big beach ball and was rolling around in it, so if you little one is standing up and walking and doesn't quite get the concept of lying down and going to sleep, I would go with the Phil and Teds. I wished I had purchased one of those instead now, as we can't use the Kinderkot at the moment.
Hope this helps.

Nik

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Hello, my seven month old loves to stand in his cot, and your post has put me off the Kinderkot. What makes the Phil and Teds different, that they wouldn't be able to walk around inside the way your child did with the Kinderkot? Is it set up very differently?

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My friend had the Phil and teds and it has legs and feet that point out so am assuming it won't just fall over when the wall is pushed on, however, the kinderkot has nothing to stabilise it so very easy to push over.