Toddler Beds Buyer's Guide 2026: All Three Take the Same 140 x 70cm Mattress, So You're Paying for the Frame's Second Life

COMPARISON · NURSERY & SLEEP

Here is the thing nobody tells you when the cot stops working: the toddler bed you buy next is mostly a frame around a mattress you may already own. All three beds in this guide take the standard 140 x 70cm mattress, the same size that sits in most cot beds, so if yours is still firm, clean and flat it can move across with your child. That flattens a lot of the price gap before you have even started.

So what are you actually paying for at £199, £290 and £549? Not comfort, because the mattress decides that. You are paying for three things: how the frame protects the open side, what it looks like and how much looking after it needs, and what it turns into once your child moves on to a full single bed. Those three questions split this trio far more cleanly than the price tags do.

That makes this an unusual buyer's guide. The budget pick is not flimsy, the mid-range pick is not a compromise, and the premium pick is not simply nicer wood. Each tier answers a different question, and the right answer depends on your toddler as much as your budget. A calm sleeper who stays put needs very little from a frame. A child who rolls, kicks and migrates across the mattress needs a lot more.

We compared the CuddleCo Clara, the Obaby Gatsby Velvet and the Oeuf NYC Perch on frame size, height, mattress fit, side protection, materials, assembly and long-term use, and weighed the specs against what parents tell us about the first few months in a big bed. All feedback is anonymised.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Overall: Oeuf NYC Perch Toddler Bed · 8.0/10 - the only one of the three that lists a built-in side rail, and it becomes a daybed when the toddler years end
• Best Value: CuddleCo Clara Toddler Bed · 7.5/10 - low, simple and £199, leaving room in the budget for a separate bed guard if you need one
• Best for a Statement Room: Obaby Gatsby Velvet Toddler Bed · 7.5/10 - a boutique velvet headboard for under £300, as long as you are happy to keep it clean

Quick comparison

Bed	Tier	Price (approx.)	Frame (L x W x H)	Mattress	Side protection	Rating
CuddleCo Clara	Budget	£199	156 x 83 x 51cm	140 x 70cm, sold separately	Raised head and foot ends only
Obaby Gatsby Velvet	Mid-range	£290	159 x 77 x 80cm	140 x 70cm, sold separately	Velvet head and foot boards, no side rail listed
Oeuf NYC Perch	Premium	£549	144 x 74 x 53cm	140 x 70cm, sold separately	Removable front security rail

How we picked the three

We started with every standalone toddler bed in our catalogue that is in stock with a UK retailer, then split them into price thirds. From each third we chose the bed that best represents what that money buys, keeping to three different brands so you are comparing approaches rather than colourways. We left out novelty and character beds and Montessori floor beds, which we covered in our toddler beds roundup, and we left out conversion kits that only work if you already own a particular cot.

All three take the same 140 x 70cm mattress, which was deliberate. It means the price difference you see is the frame and nothing else, so you can judge each tier on what it adds.

What to look for in a toddler bed

Mattress size first. Check the mattress you already have. If it is a 140 x 70cm cot bed mattress that is still firm, flat and fits snugly with no gaps around the edges, any of these frames will take it. If it is sagging, stained or a different size, budget for a new one, because a good mattress matters far more to sleep than the frame around it.

Height and side protection. Toddler beds sit low so a fall out of bed is a short one, but the open side still matters for children who roll. Some frames have built-in guards or a rail, others rely on raised head and foot ends. If yours has no side protection, plan to push one long side against a wall and add a separate bed guard on the other for the first few months.

Footprint. Frames vary by several centimetres in length and width even with the same mattress, and headboards add bulk. Measure the gap between the door swing, the radiator and the wardrobe before you fall for a design.

Materials and cleaning. Painted wood and plywood wipe clean. Upholstered frames look softer but need hoovering and spot cleaning, which matters in the years of yoghurt, felt tips and nappy leaks.

Life after the toddler years. Most children move to a single bed somewhere between four and six. A toddler bed that becomes a daybed, a reading nook or something a younger sibling can inherit is worth more than one that goes straight to the tip.

Assembly. All three are self-assembly. Allow an evening, and build it in the room it will live in.

1. Oeuf NYC Perch Toddler Bed / 10 · Best Overall

The Perch is the premium tier, and at £549 it is nearly three times the price of the Clara for a frame around the same mattress. What sets it apart is design rather than size. It is made from Baltic birch plywood and eco-MDF with non-toxic, water-based finishes, comes in white with birch or white with walnut, and measures about 144 x 74 x 53cm, so it is actually the most compact of the three.

The detail that earns its rating is the sleek security rail along the front. It is the only bed in this guide that lists built-in side protection, which matters most in those first weeks out of the cot when a toddler is still learning where the edge is. Once your child no longer needs it, the rail comes off and the frame becomes a low daybed for reading and lounging, which gives it a second life in a bedroom or playroom long after the toddler years.

What parents love

• A rail when it matters. We hear repeatedly from parents that the first few weeks in a big bed are the worrying ones, and a built-in rail means no clip-on guard to buy or fit.
• Furniture rather than nursery kit. Clean lines and real birch or walnut tones mean it looks at home in a Scandi-style room and does not scream "baby".
• Daybed afterlife. Removing the rail turns it into a sofa-style daybed, so the money is not gone the day your child moves to a single bed.
• Low and independent. The low frame lets toddlers climb in and out on their own, which parents often say helps with early-morning wandering.

What to know before you buy

• The price. £549 before a mattress is a lot for a bed most children use for three or four years, unless you value the daybed stage.
• Rail on one side only. The rail covers the front, so for a very active sleeper the other long side still wants a wall.
• Lead times and returns. Designer furniture can take weeks to arrive and some retailers treat large items as final sale, so check delivery and returns terms before you order.

Best for

• Families who want built-in side protection without a clip-on guard
• Scandi or minimalist bedrooms
• Parents planning to reuse it as a daybed or pass it to a sibling
• Smaller rooms, thanks to the compact footprint

2. Obaby Gatsby Velvet Toddler Bed / 10 · Best for a Statement Room

The Gatsby is the mid-range tier at about £290, and it spends its money on looks. The velvet headboard and footboard, in grey or pink, give it the feel of a boutique hotel bed scaled down, and at 80cm tall the headboard is by far the highest of the three. It is the bed that photographs best, and for many parents that is the point: a first big bed that feels like a treat.

Practically, it is a straightforward low frame for a 140 x 70cm mattress, measuring about 159 x 77cm on the floor, and is suggested from around two years. It sits low to the ground to keep any tumble short, but the listings we checked do not mention built-in side guards, so treat it like the Clara and plan for a wall or a separate guard. The velvet is the trade-off to think hardest about.

What parents love

• The wow factor. Parents tell us an upholstered bed is the easiest way to make a toddler excited about leaving the cot, and the Gatsby is the most "grown-up" of the three.
• Soft head end. A padded headboard is kinder to a toddler who sits up suddenly or reads in bed than a hard wooden end.
• Two colours. Grey suits a neutral room, pink makes a statement, and both sit happily with painted furniture.
• Matching big bed. A single bed exists in the same Gatsby range, so you can carry the look on when your child moves up.

What to know before you buy

• Velvet needs looking after. Expect to hoover it and spot clean it. Felt tips, yoghurt and leaky nappies are a real test for upholstery.
• No side rail listed. Budget for a separate bed guard if your toddler rolls.
• Tall headboard. At 80cm it can clash with a low window sill or shelves above the bed, so measure first.

Best for

• Parents who want a show-piece bedroom
• Toddlers who need persuading out of the cot
• Calmer sleepers, or beds that can go against a wall
• Families planning to move up to the matching single bed

3. CuddleCo Clara Toddler Bed / 10 · Best Value

The Clara is the budget tier at £199, and it is the one we would point most families towards if they are happy to add a bed guard. Its softly curved head and foot ends in white and ash give it a gentle, classic look, and it is designed to match the rest of CuddleCo's Clara nursery range, so it slots neatly into a room that already has the matching dresser or wardrobe.

It takes a 140 x 70cm mattress, is recommended from around 18 months to four or five years, and its low-level frame lets toddlers climb in and out easily. At 156 x 83cm it is the widest of the three, and the trade-off is side protection: like the Gatsby, it relies on its raised ends rather than guards along the long sides. With the £350 you save against the Perch, a good clip-on guard and a fresh mattress are both well within reach.

What parents love

• Price without looking cheap. One parent put it best: it looks like a proper little bed rather than a cot with a side missing, at the lowest price here.
• Wipe-clean finish. Painted and wood-effect surfaces cope with sticky hands far better than upholstery.
• Pairs with the Clara range. Easy to build a coordinated room without hunting for matching pieces.
• Low, easy access. Toddlers can get in and out on their own from day one.

What to know before you buy

• No long-side guards. Plan on a wall or a separate bed guard for rollers.
• Widest footprint here. At 83cm wide it needs a few more centimetres of floor than the Perch.
• No second life. Once your child moves to a single bed, it is a hand-me-down rather than a daybed.

Best for

• Families on a budget who still want a nice-looking frame
• Rooms with other CuddleCo Clara furniture
• Parents happy to add a separate bed guard
• Households with a younger sibling to pass it on to

What about cheaper beds and floor beds?

You can find toddler beds under £150, and some come with a mattress included, which can make them the cheapest route of all if your cot mattress has had its day. We have deliberately kept this guide to three tiers of standalone frames that all take the same mattress, so the comparison stays fair. If you want a classic frame with built-in guards on both sides, or a Montessori-style floor bed, our toddler beds roundup covers both.

How to choose

Choose the CuddleCo Clara if you want the best value and do not mind adding a separate bed guard. It is low, easy to keep clean and the money you save covers a guard and a new mattress with change to spare.

Choose the Obaby Gatsby Velvet if the bedroom is part of the joy for you and your toddler needs a bit of excitement to leave the cot. Just go in knowing that velvet means regular cleaning and that you will probably want a guard for the open side.

Choose the Oeuf NYC Perch if you want side protection built in, a compact footprint and a piece of furniture that becomes a daybed rather than landfill. It costs the most up front, but it is the only one of the three with a clear second life.

Add it to your Nest

Moving out of the cot is a big step, and it often lands around the same time as a new sibling. If friends and family are asking what you need, add your favourite toddler bed, a mattress and a bed guard to your free BubsNest registry so the whole first-bed setup arrives together.