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A portable crib is enormously useful - and not just for going on holidays.

When setting up your nursery, you might not think that a portable cot is particularly essential. No doubt, travel is the last thing on your mind with a newborn under your wing, and fair enough. However, a portable cot or bassinet can be extremely useful in many different ways and not just for going on holidays.

A portable crib can give your everyday life a little flexibility. You might like to spend the afternoon in the garden or put your baby down for a day sleep in another room  or level in the house. If you're invited to friends or family for dinner or lunch, you can take the portable cot and put your baby to sleep - or take it to the grandparents's place when they're up for a spot of babysitting. You can even put some toys in it and use it as a safe play pen for those moments when you have to cook dinner, put on a load of washing or heaven forbid, run to the toilet!

We definitely had a portable cot and did all of the above. Plus, when we had our first baby, we were living in a one-bedroom flat in the city. We were planning to move but in the meantime, we put our daughter to sleep in her cot in our (only) bedroom and then transferred her to the travel cot in the lounge room when we went to bed, so we could at least turn on the light. Not ideal, however our daughter was happy and it helped us through that time before we bought our house.

Whatever your situation, a portable crib is definitely worth thinking about. And to give you a hand, we've rounded up the best portable cots and bassinets available this year, so that wherever you go, no matter how near or far, your baby will always sleep well.

The 4baby Liteway Travel Cot is a lightweight and compact option, suitable for newborns up to 13kg. It has mesh sides for good airflow and folds easily. It comes with a fairly thick mattress and a fitted sheet, which is a bonus. A good reliable travel cot at a reasonable price. 

This travel cot offers the option of having a cot, bassinet and change table all in one, so everything you need when you're out and about - or even in the downstairs part of your house. It's suitable for newborns up to 14kg and includes a handy storage basket. More importantly, it is easy to assemble and fold away and all the accessories are removable, if you don't wish to use them.

This is a good basic travel cot at a budget friendly price, suitable for newborns up to 15kg. It's very simple but will get the job done and is ideal for taking with you on the road. It offers good ventilation and is easy to put up and put down.

One reviewer commented, "Decently priced and super easy set up and pack up, with cute little storage pocket on the outside, also the case has handle straps that can be used to carry it like a back pack, if your hands are full (I was carrying suitcases up stairs and didn’t want to make multiple trips)"

This travel cot from Bugaboo is light, compact and easy to function, taking one second to unfold and three to fold back up. It's suitable from birth to two years of age and comes with a thick comfy mattress that folds up inside. 

One customer left the following review: "I started using this when my daughter was 4 months old with the infant insert and it was such a lifesaver for me. We take it with us when we visit the grandparents and the easy and quick open/close feature makes it so easy to use that it never feels like a hassle and grandparents have even been able to do it. It is also lightweight so not only is that great for transporting, but we could easily move it from room to room when we needed a place to put our daughter down as she got older and used it for play also. I love that it is not bulky looking so often times we leave it open in the living room and forget it is there."

This travel cot from Bebecare has a sleek and stylish look with it's natural timber frame and breathable mesh sides. It's easy to set up and fold away, it's light and convenient to carry, and it comes with a bassinet attachment inside.

The BabyBjorn travel cot is a popular choice and suitable from birth to three years of age. It's light, weighing only 6kg, and easy to use, assembling in one swift movement. It comes with a soft snug mattress that is machine washable and fitted sheets can be bought separately.

This is lightweight travel bassinet has an easy quick fold system with snap-on legs. It has breathable mesh sides and removable mesh canopy to allow air ventilation while protecting against mosquitoes and other bugs.

One happy customer commented, "We are very on the go people and needed something universal for traveling. This works perfect. The cover was super easy to install. It came with a travel bag which will be convenient for on the road... will be using this all the time!"

You don’t have to have a portable cot or bassinet for your baby but it's definitely worth considering as it comes in handy for all sorts of situations:

As long as you buy a portable cot that meets industry standard, with a well fitting mattress, then it's safe for your little one. Just make sure that you keep the sleeping space clear of any loose bedding or toys, and put your baby down with their feet at the end so there’s not chance of them slipping under the cover. Also ensure that the cot is intact with no torn mesh or broken parts.

Travel cots, however, are not designed for constant use. The mattress provided is often thinner and harder than a regular cot mattress, so not comfy enough for more than a few nights here and there or the length of a holiday. When we used the travel cot on a nightly basis for that short time, we purchased a better quality mattress that was a more supportive and comfortable. If you do this, just make sure it fits well  with absolutely no gaps around the edges where bub could get caught in between.

Want to read more? Have a look at our list of best bassinets in Australia  and the cuddliest bassinet sheets to put on them.