La Redoute Willox Adjustable Cot Bed Review

The La Redoute Willox Adjustable Cot Bed is one of the best cot beds you can buy, based on our consumer test. Read our reviewer's, including our tester's comments, to see if it's the best one for you.

The La Redoute Willox Adjustable Cot Bed is a beautiful, timeless piece of nursery furniture that grows with your child from cot to first bed. Made from solid birch oak with plywood slats, it's available in two colours – off-white or grey-green. If you're looking for a luxurious cot bed to make a style statement in your baby's bedroom, look no further. We love the grey-green option – it's really striking for an original look. The cotbed confirms to French safety standards.

Good to Know asked mum Gemma Fromage-Crawford to assemble this cot bed and then put it to the test with her baby, Boden, aged 13 months. Her verdict? It's hard to overstate what a stylish piece of nursery furniture this is. "From an aesthetic perspective, it's a truly beautiful, unique piece," says Gemma. "But also from a functional perspective, it's a strong, well made piece of furniture that will stand the test of time."

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Design

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Dimensions: Width: 75.5cm, Height: 88.5cm, Length: 149.5 cm | Mattress required: 70 x 140cm

The cot bed has an adjustable base that's easy to alter between the three different height positions. It's also simple to convert from a cot bed to a stylish bench-style bed for an older toddler. It's described on the website as a 'vintage-style wooden' cot, but don't let that put you off if you're a fan of modern design – it looks bang up-to-date and very contemporary, albeit with a whimsical, classic twist.

Our tester found this easy to assemble. It's heavy, due to the fact that it's made from solid birch oak, but that makes it sturdy and robust. Just be sure to factor in the weight if you're going to be lugging the box indoors once it's delivered! "Building the cot bed took an hour," says Gemma. "The instructions were fairly simple to follow, and assembly by one person alone was possible. Although at 44kg, the package isn't exactly light."

The grey-green colour of the cot impressed our tester. "We opted for the green colourway as it looked very unique, with natural wooden legs, so I was curious to see the colour in real-life, as colours are sometimes not how they look online," says Gemma. "But I wasn't disappointed. I have only ever considered a traditional white cot bed for the nursery before, but this has totally changed my mind. It's a beautiful shade of green that will blend so well with many colour schemes or nursery themes. And although it's described as vintage, it's a stunning, stylish piece that would fit nicely in any modern nursery."

Comfort and features

Aside from the striking design, a notable feature of this cot bed is the adjustable base. "The cot bed is adjustable and has three varying base heights, so it can be lowered as your child grows," says Gemma. "Once the cot function is no longer required, you can remove the bars to transform it into a beautiful, stylish bench for older toddlers. The cot bed is the standard 70x140cm, so finding a suitable mattress and bedding to buy is not a hassle, either."

A wonderful combination of sturdy and stylish, Gemma feels this would make a welcome addition to any nursery. She hadn't heard of the brand and so wasn't sure what to expect, but Gemma says she wasn't disappointed. "When it came to bedtime, the cot bed stood up to the ‘trampoline test’," she says. "Like many other little ones, Boden loves to hold onto the frame and bounce up and down. As he is not yet walking, the frame of a cot takes a lot of his weight. And as he sleeps in a sleeping bag, he often uses the bars to pull himself up to a standing position, so a strong frame is essential. The Willox is sturdy and seems very well made, and there were no problems when he started bouncing. I think this is a concern about any nursery furniture, particularly the cot bed, which you can’t judge from an online description or photo."

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Value for money

It's not always easy to quantify value for money when it comes to premium products. This is a fairly expensive item compared to other cot beds in this line-up, but we think you get value from money by virtue of the fact that it's designed to last well into toddlerhood. In addition, the vintage-style design isn't likely to date. This means you won't feel you need t0 update this cot with something more contemporary if your little one becomes a big brother or sister in the near future. It's a timeless design that we could imagine keeping in the family and passing down to the next generation – which definitely represents value for money.

There are cheaper options out there if you're on a budget or just hoping to avoid spending this much. However, if the La Redoute Willox Cot Bed is within your price range and you're tempted by it, you won't be disappointed with your purchase.

"Boden seemed very happy and content in his surroundings – he fell asleep well and had a good night's sleep in this cot," adds Gemma. "I would not hesitate in recommending it as it's a beautiful, unique addition to our nursery. There's just one problem – now we'd really like to get all the matching furniture to go with it!"

You might also like our Little Wren Cot Bed Review – we rated it the best cot bed on sale overall. And if you’re kitting out the nursery, don’t miss our other baby product reviews.