How do I read a BS EN 716 label on a second-hand cot?

Where is the BS EN 716 stamp on a used cot?

Recall notices and standards are written against a number on the product, not a Facebook title such as "white wooden cot". The Lullaby Trust tells you to check that a second-hand sleep product meets the relevant British Standard, and that this is usually stated on the product, the packaging, or the maker's website. NHS pages on what a newborn needs say the BS number should be in the instructions or marked on the cot itself.

If the seller has painted the frame and the stamp is gone, treat that as no standard on file for this unit, not as a puzzle to decode from the colour.

How do I read the year, the +A, and a cot-bed extra mark?

Copy the line exactly. The current Lullaby Trust list is BS EN 716-1:2017 for cots and travel cots. Which? still tells shoppers to look for a BS EN 716 family mark, and in one features box it shows an older printed example, BS EN 716-1:2008+A1:2013. Those are different published editions. This page does not collapse them into one "pass".

1. 1
   Photograph the full string You want "BS EN 716" plus the part number (often -1) plus the year, plus any +A amendment. A cropped photo that only shows "716" is not enough to compare with the Lullaby Trust list.
2. 2
   Decide whether the listing is a cot or a cot bed Which? says a cot should conform to BS EN 716, and a piece sold as a bed should also show BS 8509. If the seller calls it a cot bed, look for both. One mark does not stand in for the other.
3. 3
   Download the instructions The Lullaby Trust checklist starts with instructions — usually a PDF on the maker's site if the booklet is missing. The standard line in the PDF should match the stamp on the wood.
4. 4
   Search the model on GOV.UK A British Standard on the frame is not a recall search. Put the brand and model into the GOV.UK Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls list. No listing means no recall on file, not an all-clear.

The Lullaby Trust's wording is that a British Standard "tells us that the product has passed certain safety tests, such as making sure it will not fall apart or easily catch fire". The same paragraph says there is no safety standard related to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

What does BS EN 716 actually tell you — and what does it not?

Read the mark as a published test claim, not as a bedroom inspection. The Lullaby Trust is explicit: even if a product meets the relevant British Standards, "it won't necessarily be safe when it comes to reducing the risk of SIDS". That sentence is theirs. MayTally does not add a house SIDS conclusion on top.

• It can tell you that a manufacturer claimed the design against the cot standard named on the label — Lullaby Trust currently publishes BS EN 716-1:2017 for cots and travel cots.
• It cannot tell you whether this second-hand frame still matches the unit that left the factory: missing bolts, a replaced drop side, or a cut-down rail will not rewrite the stamp.
• It cannot tell you mattress fit. Which? says there should not be a gap of more than 3cm between mattress and cot; NHS and Lullaby Trust wording is no gaps. Measure the mattress separately.
• It cannot tell you paint history. A 2017 stamp on a frame that has been sanded and recoated is still only a stamp.

What if the cot has a drop side, or the bars look wide?

The Lullaby Trust's bedside-crib note says that since 2020, bedside cribs should meet BS EN 1130:2019, "meaning cots should no longer have a side that fully drops down". Which? still describes drop-sided cots on the UK market and says the British and European cot standard was revised so drop sides need a lock in the lowered position. Those are two institutional lines, not one MayTally rule.

If there is no BS EN 716 mark, can I still use the cot?

This page does not invent a workaround. The Lullaby Trust asks you to make sure the product meets the relevant British Standard especially if you are buying online. Which? tells second-hand buyers to make sure the product conforms to BS EN 716 as a cot. Norfolk NHS says an old or family-heirloom cot should still meet today's standards. None of those pages offer a "looks sturdy enough" substitute for a missing stamp.

A vintage painted frame without a mark is a different job — Which? flags pre-1973 paint on a separate used-kit page. That is not something a BS EN 716 decoder can fix.

What should I do after I have read the label?

1. Keep the photos of the stamp, the model, and the seller's listing.
2. Search that model on the GOV.UK recall list. Listed: stop and follow the notice. Not listed: no recall on file.
3. Fit is a mattress question. Lullaby Trust prefers a new mattress for each baby and publishes a six-point fallback if that is not possible.
4. Assemble with the official instructions. The Lullaby Trust warns against upcycled or adapted sleep products — for example attaching a cot to an adult bed in a way the maker did not design.

In shortIn short: read the full BS EN 716 string, note whether Which? also expects BS 8509 on a cot bed, and take the Lullaby Trust line at face value — a British Standard is a test record, and there is no SIDS standard on the label. Then check condition, recalls and the mattress as separate jobs.