1Hello and welcome to today's 'Buyer Beware' programme,
2where we give you some tips on how to spend your money wisely.
3Now, in today's show we're looking at beds for children and babies.
4Let's start by looking at baby cots,
5that's for children of up to three years old.
6We tested three different cots all in the budget price range and, as usual,
7we will feature the good points, the problems and our verdict.
8The first cot we looked at was by Baby Safe
9and it had several good points to recommend it.
10Our testers liked the fact that it had four wheels,
11so it was easy to move around.
12The only slight problems with this cot were that it had no brakes,
13but they didn't think that mattered too much.
14At first they were a bit concerned about the side bar,
15because they felt babies could trap their fingers in it,
16but our testers felt that this was unlikely to happen,
17so they have given this one a verdict of 'satisfactory'.
18The next cot was by Choice Cots
19and this time our testers were pleased to find a cot which is simple to put together -
20unlike others we looked at.
21On the minus side, our testers did not like the fact that the side of the cot did not drop down,
22making it difficult to pick up newborn babies.
23However, the real problem with this cot was the space between the bars;
24our testers found they were too wide
25and a baby could easily trap his head.
26We felt this was a real safety hazard
27and so we have labelled this one dangerous, I'm afraid.
28And finally better news for the Mother's Choice cot.
29This cot was slightly different in that, although the side bar did not drop down,
30the base could be raised or lowered into two different positions
31making it safe as well as convenient.
32The negatives for this one were quite minor;
33the only niggle everyone had was the fact that it has no wheels
34and the only other problem anyone could find was that there were pictures
35which were simply stuck on and so could easily become detached.
36The makers have now promised to discontinue this practice.
37As this cot will then be safe in every way,
38we have made the Mother's Choice cot our best buy,
39Congratulations Mother's Choice!
40So, what features should you look for in a baby's cot?
41Well obviously safety is a very important factor as well as comfort and convenience.
42We recommend that, if you are buying a cot,
43do make sure that any metal present is not rusted or bent in any way.
44You should ensure your cot has only rounded or smooth edging without any sharp edges,
45this is especially important for wooden cots.
46And now on to beds...