When should I stop using a next-to-me crib in the UK?

What stop rules appear on UK pages?

Parents get three different answers because they come from three kinds of document. Which? (updated 28 April 2026) writes: bedside cribs from birth until the baby reaches six months — or until they can sit up unaided, then move to a cot. Chicco’s Next2Me FAQ (27 August 2024) writes: from newborn up until 6 months (approx. 9 kg), or until the baby can sit up, kneel or pull themselves up unaided. The Lullaby Trust does not publish a brand stop-age; it names a cot or Moses basket as the separate sleep space and, since 2020, BS EN 1130:2019 for bedside cribs.

How do I apply weight, sitting and pull-up limits?

Treat the lines as whichever happens first, not as a menu. A baby who sits at five months has met a sit-up stop even if the scales still read under 9 kg. A baby who hits 9 kg at four months has met a weight stop even if they cannot sit. The printed age is an approximation, not a free extra month.

1. 1
   Find the sheet for this exact model Download the current manual from the maker’s UK site using the model name on the label, not the marketing range name. Limits differ between Next2Me Air / Dream / Magic and convert-to-cot variants.
2. 2
   Copy the three numbers Write down the stated months, the stated kilogram limit, and the movement words (sit / kneel / pull up / climb over the sides). Chicco’s FAQ groups sit, kneel and pull-up as one stop.
3. 3
   Weigh and watch the same week Use a recent weight from the red book or clinic scales. In the crib, watch whether the baby can sit without being held, kneel up, or pull to the rail.
4. 4
   Stop bedside-crib mode at the first match The first limit you hit ends next-to-me use. Move nights to a cot that still fits the six-month room-share wording from NHS and The Lullaby Trust.
5. 5
   If the chassis converts Only keep using the frame if that model’s cot-mode section still covers this baby. Conversion is not a blanket extension for every next-to-me crib.

What if the crib converts into a cot?

Which? notes that some bedside cribs transform into a standalone cot or toddler bed. That is a manufacturer configuration, not a Which? or Lullaby Trust licence to ignore the crib-mode stop. Chicco’s Next2Me Forever instructions (Artsana) describe a later cot / floor-bed life and a separate warning: if the baby can climb over the sides, the cot should no longer be used. Other brands never leave bedside-crib mode.

MayTally does not rank convert-to-cot models as a longer or shorter product. The only usable limit is the paragraph in your manual for the mode you are in tonight.

Why does Which? say six months when my box says 9 kg?

Which? is summarising the category. Brand FAQs add a kilogram figure because EN 1130 bedside cribs are built for infants who cannot sit unaided, and 9 kg is the number several UK manuals print next to 'about six months'. The two lines are meant to be read together. They are not a disagreement you settle by picking the later date.

BS EN 1130:2019 is the construction standard The Lullaby Trust names for bedside cribs from 2020. A Standard mark is not a SIDS test — The Lullaby Trust says so in the same product FAQ.

What do I move the baby into after the crib?

Which? says: from then on, transition to a cot, which has more space and height. NHS Start for Life and The Lullaby Trust already name a cot (or Moses basket) as the separate sleep space in your room for the first six months. If you are still inside that six-month window, the cot stays in your bedroom. If you have passed six months, room-share is no longer the official minimum — the cot rules on a clear, flat, firm surface still apply.

A Moses basket is usually already outgrown by the time a next-to-me hits sit-up or 9 kg. Do not treat a second small product as the step after a bedside crib. See Can a newborn sleep in a cot from birth?.

Does stopping the crib change safer-sleep rules?

No. Back, clear surface, firm flat waterproof mattress, same-room wording for six months, no sofa sleep — those lines do not depend on the brand of the first sleep space. The Lullaby Trust still tells you to keep adult bedding out of the baby’s space. A retired next-to-me crib is not a spare bed for naps on the landing.

In shortStop next-to-me use at the first of: the manual’s months, its kilogram limit, or sit / kneel / pull-up. Convert-to-cot only if that model’s cot-mode section still applies. Then use a cot. Official pages do not rank one crib brand over another.