Blackout nursery blinds Snoozeshade for Cots
With all the panels closed the Snoozeshade for Cots claims to block out 94% of light
The Snoozeshade for Cots is a breathable blackout cover for travel cots, designed to make sharing a room with your baby easier. We asked two sets of parent volunteers to try it out on holiday and give us their first impressions.
We’ve already looked at the Snoozeshade Original, Snoozeshade Plus and Snoozeshade for Infant Car Seats, and we were interested to see whether the Snoozeshade for Cots would prove successful in providing a peaceful night’s sleep for the family.
Easy to fit cot cover
The Snoozeshade for Cots is packaged in a see-through bag, and it packs down very compactly. It’s also nice and lightweight, making it easy to pack in a suitcase.
The design consists of a double layer of breathable blackout material with elasticated straps in each corner. These fit over the travel cot’s feet or round the base of a standard cot. Our volunteers found it very easy to put on and the result was a tight, neat and secure fit.
The cover fits standard size travel cots and continental cots (120cm x 60cm) - which could be useful if your hotel abroad supplies a cot - but not cot beds.
Cot beds are bigger than standard cots and have removable sides so that they can be turned into junior beds - read what we thought of some of the most popular models in our cot bed reviews.
The Snoozeshade's elasticated straps fit around the base or feet of the cot
Adjustable blackout levels
You can change the level of light that you let in by unzipping various panels at the sides and the top of the Snoozeshade and rolling up the fabric. With all the panels zipped up, the cover should block out 94% of light, according to the manufacturer.
It definitely creates a very dark environment, but whether this will be soothing for your child depends on the baby.
Will this Snoozeshade suit your child?
Both sets of volunteers (parents of a seven-month-old and parents of a two-and-a-half-year-old) found that they weren’t able to use the Snoozeshade completely zipped up when their children were still awake, as both children found it distressing to be completely enclosed. However, this may be something that some babies, especially younger ones, don’t mind.
The two-and-a-half-year-old’s parents found that even without it fully enclosed, it still provided a darker environment than their child was used to. And it prevented her seeing them in the room when she woke up in the night (unless she stood up). So they still considered it a useful, if not perfect, solution.
You can open various panels to adjust the light levels and view your child
The mother of the seven-month-old found that the zips made too much noise and disturbed her child when she unzipped them to check on him. She thought that a small coverable window or access panel that didn't need unzipping would be a good product improvement.
Which? first look verdict
Overall, our parent testers thought that they probably wouldn’t buy the Snoozeshade for Cots, but they thought it could suit other babies better. If your child accepts being fully covered, it could be a useful item to pack for a family holiday, especially if you are going to be sharing a room.
The Snoozeshade for Cots costs £69.99 and is available from online and independent retailers, Ocado and Jo Jo Maman Bebe.
Pros: Lightweight and compact, easy to transport when packaged in carry case, easy to fit, elasticated straps mean it can be stretched or tightened as necessary to fit securely, effective at blocking light
Cons: Needs to be unzipped to check baby when in full darkness mode, expensive, may not suit your child
- Thinking of going abroad? Read our guide to travelling with children
- Want a baby carrier or sling? See our baby carrier reviews
- Choose the best buggy for you with our pushchair choosing tool
