Playpen Vs Cot

I'm still thinking which one to get for Jkt house! Both have their own pros and cons. And the cot in jkt is selling very expensive. So far mostly are around $1k. If in the end we really decide to get cot, i will get 1 here and bring it over. keekee

What is the difference between a cot and a playpen?

A cot is essentially a bed for your baby. It usually is made of wood, with one or two side drops, and the mattress is roughly at your hip/waist level. Most cot allows you to lower the mattress level for older babies. ( 1. When baby start to learn to stand, they will fall and hit the wood. 2. Small spaces for baby to roll around when they get longer)
A playpen, on the other hand, is usually not made of wood but nylon/plastic, with netting kind of fabric all round. The purpose of using these material is precisely for the baby to play in it and knock around without injuring himself. The base of the playpen is always at floor level.

Nowadays, a lot of playpens can be double up as a cot. The base can be elevated to close to the edge of the playpen. I guess this appeals to parents who wants to save the money by buying a two-in-one.

However, there are several disadvantages of buying a two-in-one playpen and use it as a cot:

1. The base is too low

Just imagine picking up an infant from floor level, over the high edge of the playpen. Enough said. You will be complaining about backaches in no time. Even those with elevated base is lower than the mattress level of a baby cot. Incidentally, if the maximum height of the mattress level of the baby cot is not at your hip/waist level, don't buy it! You will get the same problem as using a playpen. (A shortie all my life, now I'm worried I cant reach the baby!)

2. The maximum height of the base too close to edge

When elevated, the bases of most 2-in-1 playpens are too close to the edge of the playpen, making it dangerous for older babies (who can pull themselves up) to sleep in them. This means that you will have to lower the base very soon and then you will have that back breaking problem.

3. Too many functions serve no function?

Imagine a playpen full of toys. It's also where your baby sleeps, which means you have to remove all the unnecessary things first. Personally, I prefer to keep the boundaries clear - play area is not sleep area.

Or last choice, should we just let the baby to sleep on the mattress on the floor?

Headache!!