Great Little Trading Company Little Wren Cot Bed Review

Donna Findlay, mum to seven-month-old Daisy put the Little Wren Cot Bed from The Great Little Trading Company to the test. Read our review, including her feedback, to see if it's the best cot bed for your little one.

The Little Wren Cot Bed is elegantly designed and built to last. It's suitable for use from birth up to four years, so you'll get value from it despite it being one of the more expensive options. It's our pick for the best cot bed for several reasons.

• VIEW AT GREAT LITTLE TRADING COMPANY, £450

Donna Findlay, mum to seven-month-old Daisy, found it easy to assemble.

'I hadn't heard of Great Little Trading Company before but I thought this cot bed looked stylish on the website and I hoped it was sturdy,' she says. 'When it arrived, it was even more beautiful and robust than it looked on screen.'

As well as being sturdy and stylish, the Little Wren has been designed with practicality in mind. Made from solid pine with a white painted finish, it has an adjustable base and three height options. It also has fixed side panels (safer than a drop-sided cot) and converts to a toddler bed.

Great Little Trading Company recommends using the cotbed with their Nutkin Toddler and Cot Bed Mattress (£125), which has a micro pocket spring unit and anti-allergy finish.

Design

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Dimensions: 93H x 145W x74.5D (cm) | Mattress required: 140L x 70W x 10H (cm)

If you're a fan of contemporary design and Scandi-chic, you'll love The Great Little Trading Company Cot Bed.

As you'd expect, it meets both the cot bed safety standard (BS EN 716) and the single bed safety standard (BS 8509). Additionally, the paint has been tested to EN71-3 safety standards, so you can be sure it's safe for your little one.

At a glance, our favourite feature about this cot is the adjustable base. Three different height settings give you safe and easy access to your baby as they grow. The highest setting is best for newborns, making it easier on your back to lift your baby in and out of the cot. Then, when your little one gets more mobile, you can lower the cot base to the middle setting. And when your baby has mastered standing, you can prevent them from climbing out of the cot by using the lowest setting.

And when the time comes, it's easy to convert this from a cot to a toddler bed. You simply remove the side panel, transforming the cot into a bed with side rails to help prevent your child from falling out of bed.

When it comes to cot assembly, you'll need to locate an Allen key. 'I hate using Allen keys and usually get frustrated assembling furniture like this – but it's surprisingly easy to build,' says Donna. 'The instructions are easy to follow, and the bolts and screws are clearly labelled and easy to find. Everything is explained clearly – you can have this cot assembled in under an hour.'

Comfort and features

It's easy to keep the cot bed looking good, thanks to the durable, wipe-clean paint finish. It's also covered by a one-year warranty, so if anything isn't up to scratch with it, you can address it easily.

You can also buy under-bed storage drawers which slot neatly underneath the base, creating the perfect place for keeping a spare set of bedding or a stash of nappies.

The Great Little Trading Company Little Wren Cot Bed has 'a real sense of class' about it, according to our tester. 'It's timeless, stylish, and robust, and will look beautiful in any nursery,' she says. 'It oozes quality and will last many years if required.'

After initially setting the base too low, our tester had practice changing the height and found it very straightforward to do. 'Daisy is at the sitting stage at the moment, so the middle setting is perfect as I don’t have to strain to get her in and out,' she says. 'It won’t be long before I put it on the lowest setting, though. So I'm glad to know it won’t take long to adjust when the time comes.'

• VIEW AT GREAT LITTLE TRADING COMPANY, £450

Value for money

At £450, the Great Little Trading Company Little Wren Cot Bed may seem expensive compared to other cot beds. However, our tester feels it's worthy of the price tag due to its durability and excellent build quality.

'It's a beautifully crafted cot that would compliment any nursery. There is a crispness to the colour and paint finish, so it'll stay white and clean-looking for your child’s time in that bed – and any future siblings who inherit it, too. There's no cheap smell, wobbly legs, or shoddy quality paint, which you may find with slightly cheaper cots. It's a brilliant investment which will last for years, thanks to the fact you can transform it into a toddler bed.'

If you're buying the Great Little Trading Company Little Wren Cot Bed, our tester also recommends investing in the recommended mattress. 'I had previously looked at mattresses costing around £50 and the difference in quality is vast, showing it is well worth spending more money for better quality,' says Donna. 'The mattress seems to be the perfect balance of firm and responsive for Daisy. She can move around easily on it to find her perfect sleeping position. I am not promising it's a miracle sleep-inducing mattress. But Daisy – a notoriously light sleeper – has been sleeping for her longest ever stretches since she started using the Little Wren.'

You might also like our La Redoute Willox Adjustable Cot Bed Review - we rated it the best premium cot bed on sale. And if you're kitting out the nursery, don't miss our other baby product reviews.