7 Best Camping Beds for Babies UK Reviewed [2023]

Note – This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy via these, I may earn a small fee. This has absolutely no effect on the price you pay. As an eBay and Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Having covered the top camping beds for adults (including those who, like me, have a bad back), it’s now the turn of the smallest member of the family. While older kids can do fine with a regular air mattress or folding camp bed – the kind I spent one of my Brownie pack holidays on during the 80s – it’s different for infants.

Hence this article on a specific kind of outdoor gear – the best camping beds for babies. If you’re camping with a baby, then you need to find a comfortable, safe infant camping bed for your little one.

You may also want to consider camping beds for toddlers – babies soon grow, so why not invest in one that will last for longer if it will also do the job while they’re an infant?

Click here to view my top pick baby bed for camping

I’ve selected the Venture Airpod because it’s a Mother & Baby award winner that folds flat, is ultra lightweight and even looks super stylish. It’s also ideal from birth to age 3.

We’ve used a couple of these options ourselves – and not only for camping trips. Missy used a Moses basket as her nightly bed at home and away, until she grew out of it and moved into her cot.

We also had a travel cot which had a lot of use for staying overnight anywhere as well as when camping. A big bonus of those is their secondary use as a safe playpen. But really it’s down to what works best for you.

A range of products is featured here, with no two offering the same benefits. All have great ratings and reviews at the time of writing, so you can be confident of picking out a top quality, great value product.

Read on to find the best travel cot for camping – for you and your child.

Best camping cot for a baby – recommendations
Best baby camp bed – FAQs

Best baby camping bed comparison chart

Brand	Type	Age	Key features	Price
Kinder Valley	Moses basket	0 – 6 months	Great value, unisex design, water resistant mattress + washable cover	Click here
Deryan	Pop-up travel cot	0 – 4 years	Up to age 4, sleeping mat & carry case included, pop-up design	Click here
Venture Airpod	Flat-folding travel cot	0 – 3 years	Mother & Baby Award winner, folds flat into bag, stylish grey finish	Click here
Costway	Travel cot, playpen & changing table	0 – 3 years	Multi-purpose product, hanging toys & music box, 2 lockable wheels	Click here
Beberoad	Travel bassinet	0 – 5 months	Ultra lightweight & compact, supports spine, ideal for flights & travel	Click here
Babylo Natura	Folding bedside crib	0 – 6 months	Ideal bedside sleeper, rocking motion, folds flat for travel & camping	Click here
Bloomsbury Mill	Toddler sleep mat	1 – 4 years	Includes pillow, bag & handle; award-winning company, ideal for sleepovers	Click here

Best camping baby cot – Top options

Kinder Valley moses basket – Best for newborn babies

Deryan pop-up travel cot – Best for portability
Venture Airpod travel cot – Best for folding flat
Costway travel cot & pen – Best multi-purpose product

Beberoad travel bassinet – Best for air travel
Babylo bedside crib – Best bedside crib
Bloomsbury Mill sleep mat – Best for toddlers

Best infant camping bed – What to look for

Age range

The first thing to think about is how long you’d like your portable camping crib to last for. You can pick between small options that suit newborns up to around 6 months old, or larger ones that can fit a 3 year old.

Obviously the portability of a small one is better, but the bigger options have the advantage of longevity – and therefore, perhaps, value for money.

Size & portability

How portable is your chosen products? Like anything, baby camp cots vary in size plus how they can be packed down, transported and stored. Some come with carry bags, handles or even wheels for moving around.

Options range from the perfect camping cots for babies that you can take on a plane to a full-on camping travel cot complete with changing table and toys. Consider how you’ll carry it – and how much room it will take up in a tent, caravan or campervan.

Other uses

All of the products here can be used at other times. The moses basket or bedside cot can be used as a permanent bed at home in addition to during trips away, while the toddler camping mat is great for sleepovers.

Larger travel cots can also be used as a play pen, and one option even doubles up as a changing table too. The pop up product may also be useful in the garden, park or at the beach.

Best camping baby bed – Reviews & recommendations

Kinder Valley moses basket

Best for newborn babies

A classic Moses basket with a pretty, washable broderie anglaise cover. Ideal for use at home as well as while you’re away.

This was the first kind of baby camping bassinet we used, as we had one anyway and used it nightly – even at home – until our daughter outgrew it.

Moses baskets are fabulous – they’re affordable and portable. This is one of the highest rated, yet is very competively priced. It’s a classic, unisex design which could easily be used again by a sibling or cousin, with pretty white broderie anglaise.

It has a removable, washable cover and is water resistant beneath – an absolute must when you have a baby, trust me!

High points:

Great value for money
Attractive unisex design
Water resistant mattress with washable cover

Low points:

Only for babies aged up to 6 months

Click here to view this broderie anglaise Moses basket

Check eBay price

Deryan pop-up travel cot

Best for portability

A portable, lightweight pop-up travel cot for under-fives, complete with a carry bag and sleeping mat. Six colours are available.

This travel bed is good for camping with infants, toddlers and even pre-schoolers, so it’s something that will last a while. It also makes a reasonable pop-up beach tent, although it doesn’t provide as much shade as other kinds. (If you’re visiting the beach here in the UK, that may not matter so much unless there really is a heatwave…)

In fact it’s a little like a mini pop-up camping tent in itself, and apparently can be put up in seconds. You can choose between six colours, including a rather glam shade of gold.

A sleeping mat and carry bag is included, and as it weighs under 2.5kg it’s pretty easy to transport and store too.

High points:

Lasts up to age 4
Pop-up tent style design

Sleeping mat & carry bag included

Low points:

Noisy zip fastenings

Click here to view this pop-up baby travel cot

Venture Airpod travel cot

Best for folding flat

A Mother & Baby Award winner, this Venture Airpod cot is uber sleek-looking and packs down flat into the carry bag supplied.

This was a 2021 winner at the Mother & Baby Awards, so it comes highly recommended. I love the fact that the sides slope inwards a little, as I’m sure it would make a baby or toddler feel more secure.

This lightweight, portable baby camping crib is suitable up to age 3, so it will last for a few years until they can move onto the next stage. The cool grey design would look good anywhere – no spoiling the aesthetic of your stylish Airbnb with this beauty!

It packs down flat into the included carry bag and fits into even a narrow gap for storage. The weight is just 6kgs too.

High points:

Mother & Baby Award winner
Folds flat into carry bag

Cool grey design

Low points:

Up to age 3 only

Click here to view the Venture Airpod cot for travel

Check eBay price

Costway portable travel cot

Best multi-purpose product

This travel cot with lockable wheels includes a music box and a trio of hanging toys. It can also be used as a changing table.

This product provides many of those camping with a baby essentials in one package. It can be used as a cot or play pen, and also has a changing table built into the design. There are even 3 dangling toys and a music box to keep the litte one entertained.

This camping pack and play cot can be stored and transported in the included carry bag, and has breathable mesh walls so you can see your baby or toddler at all times.

It’s easy to put together and feels reassuringly sturdy once built, and even has a pair of lockable wheels to make it simpler to move around.

High points:

2 lockable wheels for moving

Hanging toys & music box included
Use as cot, playpen & changing table

Low points:

Heavier than other options

Click here to view the Costway travel cot for babies & toddlers

Check eBay price

Beberoad baby travel bassinet

Best for air travel

Ideal for newborns, this travel bassinet is ultra portable and perfect for plane trips. It has a comfy 4-layer sleeping pad.

If you want a newborn baby camping mattress and need something more compact than a moses basket, then this Beberoad travel bassinet could be ideal. It’s very lightweight, folds flat and can then be carried via the handle.

You can pick between light and darker grey, and it’s suitable for a baby weighing up to 10kg. It also has a removable mosquito net and sunshade, so it’s great for travel to warmer climes than the UK.

I love the fact that the sleeping pad has 4 layers to protect a developing spine: with my own problems in that area it’s something I’m very conscious of.

High points:

Ideal for flying
Ultra lightweight & portable
4 layer sleeping pad to protect spine

Low points:

Will soon be outgrown

Click here to view the Beberoad travel cot for babies

Babylo Natura folding crib

Best bedside crib

A foldable crib that folds up flat for portability. It has a sound mattress and a rocking motion to send the little one to sleep.

Again this is one of those products that could be used at home as much as for a camping baby crib. If you’d like your baby to sleep beside your bed, then you may prefer this to a Moses basket.

The great thing is that it folds completely flat for taking away with you, making life easy and meaning you only have to buy one product rather than separate ones.

There is also a rocking feature to help lull a small baby to sleep, which can be turned off by turning the pedals back to the locked position. it also has good ventilation and visibility and includes a comfortable, supportive mattress.

High points:

Ideal bedside crib
Folds flat for travel
Rocking option to lull baby to sleep

Low points:

Only for young babies

Click here to view the Babylo folding bedside crib

Check eBay price

Bloomsbury Mill toddler sleeping mat

Best for toddlers

This one is aimed at toddlers rather than babies. There are three colourful designs to choose from and it comes with a pillow.

Available in pink unicorn, jungle safari or a dinosaur design, this is not really a baby camp bed cot. Rather it’s made for toddlers, so it’s a good one to take a look at when you’re thinking about the next step after a small camping cot for a baby like a bassinet or moses basket.

Bloomsbury Mill is a multiple award-winning company committed to offering safe, comfortable top quality products that are genuinely useful – and this toddler bed set is ideal for sleepovers as well as camping.

Happy owners rate this very highly and it’s won or been shortlisted for numerous awards. It comes with a storage pouch, detachable pillow and carry handle.

High points:

Multiple award-winning company
Ideal for camping & sleepovers

Bag, pillow & handle included

Low points:

Not ideal for longer stays

Click here to view this Bloomsbury Mill toddler nap mat

Check eBay price

Best camping bed for a baby – FAQs

Can babies sleep in tents?

As long as the tent is comfortable, with good ventilation and your child’s body temperature is stable then of course they can sleep in a tent.

Taking a suitable, cosy bed for them is essential, and to help them drift off also take some familiar toys and try to stick the sort of routine they’re used to where possible.

At what age can you take a baby camping?

A baby can go camping whenever you like, as long as you’ll have everything they’ll need. In fact beginning at a young age is ideal, as they’ll get used to outdoor life from the start.

For their first trip, try to choose a time when the weather will be calm and warm but not hot, to see how they cope before experimenting with wilder or colder conditions.

Where do babies sleep when camping?

Planning ahead is essential when you’re taking a baby camping. There are various kinds of beds for infants, and it’s a question of storing it at home when not in use, getting it there and setting it up.

Options range from a regular bedside crib or moses basket to a travel bassinet, a pop-up cot or a bigger travel cot that will also suit a toddler.

What age can a child sleep on an air mattress?

The next step is worth thinking about when buying a portable baby sleeper. Opinions vary a little – age 2 to 3 is a good rule of thumb to go by based on my experience.

Thus the best baby bed for travel may be one that will last until they’re that age. At that point they can use an airbed like the rest of the family!

Which is the best camping bed for your baby?

I hope this guide has helped you find the right portable outdoor bassinet or travel cot for your baby or toddler. The sooner they embark on their first outdoor adventure the better, and the best portable sleeper for your baby may have numerous other uses too!

Polly x

Why not check out some of my other guides to camping gear:

Camping cool boxes & fridges

Note – This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy via these, I may earn a small fee. This has absolutely no effect on the price you pay. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Filed Under: Gear