Joie Kubbie Sleep Travel Cot Review

The Joie Kubbie Sleep Travel Cot gets our vote as the best travel cot of all those we tested.

Charlotte Clarke and her 20-month-old daughter Adelaide tested out the Joie Kubbie Sleep Travel Cot to see if it deserves its place in our buying guide.

Read on for our Joie Kubbie Sleep Travel Cot review to see if this is the best travel cot for you and your baby.

The Joie Kubbie Sleep Travel Cot has been cleverly designed so that it’s also a playpen and co-sleeper with a newborn insert. It weighs just under 9kg so it's not the lightest cot to carry, although it does fit in the boot of a modest-sized car. ‘It wouldn’t be my first choice for a long-haul trip abroad but for an excursion to Grandma’s, this is the perfect travel cot,' said our tester Charlotte.

It’s sturdy and stylish, coming in a light grey colour, and, most importantly, it’s easy to assemble. ‘Anyone familiar with a classic travel cot will easily be able to put this up in 20 seconds flat,’ adds Charlotte. It offers a comfortable night’s sleep with a surprisingly soft and squashy mattress. ‘My daughter settled down and slept with no interruptions.’

• VIEW NOW AT VERY | £99.99

Weight: 8.79kg | Age range: From birth until your child weighs 15kg

Design

The Joie Kubbie Sleep is a standard travel cot when it comes to assembly, with a central foot that pushes the corners of the cot out. ‘Putting this up was super easy with buttons telling you where to press,’ says our tester Charlotte. ‘The only bit I was initially confused about was the poles that sit underneath the mattress.’ These need to be slipped into the pouches and then locked together. ‘It’s not the lightest cot I’ve seen but it is very sturdy and you’d feel confident putting your baby in there, whatever their age,’ said Charlotte.

The mattress can be used at two heights - lower down, which is suitable for older babies (to prevent them from climbing out) or when you are using it as a playpen, and with the newborn insert attached, which sits higher up on the frame. ‘The insert would have been brilliant for my daughter (and my back!) when she was younger, as it’s really simple to attach with a zip and saves you from bending to the floor to reach your child.’

Comfort and features

The Joie Kubbie Travel Cot has all manner of clever innovations built-in. ‘My current travel cot is eight years old and testing out the Kubbie Sleep made me realise that technology has really moved on in that time,’ says Charlotte. 

As well as a newborn insert, it has a clever co-sleeping mode, whereby one side of the cot drops down a few centimetres and the cot can be attached to a bed with straps that are included. ‘We didn't test the co-sleeping element as I have a toddler but she slept well in this cot on a weekend away,’ adds Charlotte. ‘The mattress felt really spongy and soft – much more comfortable than the hard mattresses I’m used to with travel cots.’

Adelaide also made use of the playpen which has a zipped opening. ‘I liked that it doubles up as a playpen too, as it saves on space and means you can make use of it at home as well as when you are away. My only little criticism is that I think the zip should go right down to the base – there’s a panel of fabric that doesn’t zip down and I was worried she might trip or fall over this,’ said Charlotte.

Value for money

The Joie Kubbie Sleep comes with a price tag of just under £100, making it an affordable, mid-range travel cot. ‘I think this offers amazing value for money,’ says Charlotte. ‘Not only are you getting three products for the price of one, but the Kubbie Sleep feels really well made and has clearly been carefully thought out in terms of design and functionality.

It's ideal for parents who co-sleep with their babies at home and who want to continue doing so on holiday or away from home overnight.

Our Consumer Editor, Heidi Scrimgeour, says: 'Based on our parent reviews of all the travel cots on our shortlist, we named the Joie Kubbie Sleep our best travel cot overall because it's so affordable yet the multifunctional design means you get lots of extra value from it. We also rate the quality of the fabric and materials used. And the overall design and multi-functionality as a co-sleeper and playpen mean this bit of kit gives more expensive premium travel cots a serious run for their money.'

If you're preparing for a new arrival or shopping for baby essentials for a family holiday, you might also like to read the rest of our baby product reviews.