Tried & Tested: Nuna PAAL travel cot

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Introducing the dynamic PAAL - a versatile travel cot with a compact fold and minimised footprint, transforming any space into a cosy environment at home or on the go.

At the touch of a button, PAAL's innovative fold and unfold is designed to maximise portability and convenience and add a touch of magic to parenting adventures, making setup and storage a breeze.

The PAAL is designed with a minimised footprint, making it easy to transport and store. It comes with a durable travel bag for convenient portability and an insect net. This makes it the perfect choice for family trips and getaways. Always by your side.

Read on to find out what our parent testers thought...

Key features of the PAAL travel cot:

Product Requirements:

Birth to 15kg
Birth to approximately 3 years old

What did you like most about the PAAL and why?

Harriet Angus: "Visually, the PAAL looks very sleek and modern. I love the bassinet option: it makes transferring a sleeping or sleepy baby much easier than a traditional travel cot. The modern and minimalistic design stays away from the garish, bright colours of many baby items, which is an added bonus.

"The mattress feels soft and comfortable, while also being firm enough for safe sleep. The addition of a sheet that is specific to the PAAL is a real bonus.

"The PAAL is very sturdy, withstanding my excitable four-month old’s enthusiastic kicking! I was worried he might be able to rock the cot with his kicking, particularly when using it in the bassinet mode, but the PAAL held strong."

Kellie Niescior-Mockford: "The aspect of the PAAL that we liked the most was the zip-open side panel. This is something that we have not seen or experienced before with the travel cots we have owned or used. With our little one just turned two he could take himself for naps when he was tired, and if he wanted a cuddle or a feed to sleep I could easily lie next to him as long as I needed with easy access in and out."

Flera Varallo: "I love the design, it's such good quality and looks so good. It's the little details as well that are so handy, such as the click lock on the zips so my three-year-old can't undo them. The padding around the top is nice and thick so baby won't harm herself if she falls or hits herself on there."

Chloe Lipinski: "How compact it is upon arrival which means it's easy to manoeuvre when needed when packed away whether for travelling or if you live in a small house."

How does this product compare to others you have used and why?

Harriet Angus: "Other travel cots we have used have very hard mattresses: the PAAL’s mattress feels more comfortable without compromising on safety.

"The PAAL provides a full-sized portable sleep space, even in bassinet mode, which is great for younger babies and saves a lot of back ache.

"The PAAL still looks stylish, unlike many other travel cots which are brightly coloured and feel very plasticky.

"The PAAL does feel heavier than our existing, very basic and traditional design, travel cot.

"While overall more compact, the PAAL is larger than our existing travel cot when packed up - this is something to consider when packing the car to go away. It also feels quite heavy.

"I am able to put our existing travel cot up myself. Unfortunately I wasn’t strong enough to operate the PAAL’s one click mechanism and had to enlist the help of my husband, who agreed that it took some considerable strength to get the ‘click’."

Kellie Niescior-Mockford: "This product is definitely the most luxurious travel cot that we have used. Its design is sleek and easy on the eye.

"Other travel cots we have used in the past have been very difficult to put up and down but the PAAL was so easy to set up. Although it’s the same size as previous travel cots it looks more spacious due to the floor level base. It’s colour makes it much easier to keep clean and I haven’t experienced extras such as the mosquito nets with other products.

"Once in its storage bag the collapsed travel cot is quite large, it’s not the most compact design I have seen which might make it more difficult to transport if space is a factor."

Flera Varallo: "This one is so simple to open and close, and is compact so it's easy to store. The quality is second to none. The details like the clip locks you don't find on others."

Chloe Lipinski: "Its compact and takes minimal room up when folded and up! It's also neat/modern looking and I like the zip aspect."

What was your first impression of the PAAL and why?

Harriet Angus: "Sleek design and simple - fits my general impression of Nuna products (we have a Nuna pram system and carrier)."

Kellie Niescior-Mockford: "My first impression was very positive. It was well packaged and when we took it out of the box it looked extremely well made with quality material and mesh. The dark colour made it look very classy and it is far by the most luxurious travel cot we have used. After a quick look at the handbook we put to the test if it would be easy to put up and down."

Flera Varallo: "Wow this looks nice! It's sleek and stylish and just looks modern and not an eyesore like some others."

Chloe Lipinski: "Loved the travel bag! Thought it looked expensive. The mattress felt nice and soft."

How easy was the product to use and why?

Harriet Angus: "I found putting the cot up actually quite challenging - I understood what was required but simply didn’t have the strength to operate the ‘one click’ mechanism.

"The instructions were very brief and basic - some pictures would have been beneficial.

"The instructions suggest putting the sheet on after fitting the mattress. In order to ensure safe sleep the mattress is a tight fit so I would next time fit the sheet prior to fitting the mattress.

"The raised bassinet made transferring a sleepy baby much more simple than lowering them into a traditional travel cot."

Kellie Niescior-Mockford: "We found the PAAL very simple to put up and down. It only took reading the instructions once to understand how to do this. The one click for the put down is very convenient and easy, but I did find when putting the travel cot up I had to use two hands with force to pull it up enough so it would click into place.

"It was very easy to pop the bassinet insert in and out if this needed to be used; we didn't use this aspect as our son wasn't in the right age bracket, but this would have been very useful when he was a baby rather than having to bend right into a travel cot to pick him out.

"All of the extras such as the cot mattress sheet and mosquito net were easy to put on, and the storage bag was extremely durable plenty big enough to easily put the collapsed travel cot into it."

Flera Varallo: "I literally opened the box and didn't even need to read the instructions. It's so easy to set up and put down. The sticker on the leg really helped and any issues and you have the QR code attached which was a fab idea."

Chloe Lipinski: "It was hard to put up the first corner to open it. I tried my hardest but in the end I had to wait till my partner came home to help pull it up until it clicked in place so we could put it up. Once it was up I was great."

Would you use this product again and why?

Harriet Angus: "Yes - I loved the bassinet feature. This would make travelling with a younger baby much easier. I love the look of the PAAL - it’s very stylish.

"However, I'm not sure I could justify the price of the PAAL for something that would be used only occasionally for travel or as a more portable nap space."

Kellie Niescior-Mockford: "Yes! It now puts our old travel cot to shame. The sleek design and the single-button fold along with the floor-level base and the zip-open side panel really gave us an insight into products that make parenting that little more easier and stress free. Along with the ample additional features makes it a fantastic product."

Flera Varallo: "This is now going to be a permanent fixture in my house. My daughter is so comfy in it, I can actually sit her in there and get household chores done as she's happy and comfy whether playing or sleeping in it. This is going to last a few years, and I have no worries that it won't as the quality is simply the best."

Chloe Lipinski: "Yes I would. It's been really helpful to have as my first daughter is still in her cot and my baby has outgrown the ordinary next-to-me type bed and can't use the cot that my daughter is currently in. So it's a great in-between. It means it's an easier transition for us from the NUNA to a cot bed when the time comes.
"We travel a lot and don't like to use holiday cots usually because they are big bulky with hard mattresses and not portable in the slightest. I have moved the PAAL between two rooms upstairs with ease as it's so light to manoeuvre. The highest setting on it is the perfect height as well for a not-yet-climbing baby."

Would you recommend the PAAL to other parents and why/ why not?

Harriet Angus: "Yes, in regards to the bassinet feature, aesthetically pleasing, sturdy, safe sleep space; but no, in regards to it being difficult to put up solo due to the strength required, and the price."

Kellie Niescior-Mockford: "Yes. Although it is at the higher end of the price bracket for this type of product, the features that it includes and the luxurious design definitely makes it a worthwhile purchase. You can get a lot of use out of this and it’s a product I think would successfully stand the test of time."

Flera Varallo: "I would definitely recommend the PAAL as it has features like the click locks which are great for safety. It's also compact so can be taken anywhere conveniently and easy to fold down/put up with one button, which is also a bonus for busy parents."

Chloe Lipinski: "Yes I would. Due to how compact it is, and how nice and sturdy it is. The panels mean I can see baby easily. The mattress I felt was great and soft for baby to sleep on. Some other travel cribs mattresses can be so hard."

How do you think the PAAL could benefit parents and why?

Harriet Angus: "A great portable sleep option for stays away from home that is nice to look at and comfortable for baby without compromising on safety."

Kellie Niescior-Mockford: "Having a travel cot that grows and changes with your baby is a huge benefit and that is exactly what the PAAL travel cot does. Offering a comfortable sleeping environment on the go while also offering the highest safety standards is essential. The many extra features such as the zip-open side panel, the bassinet option, and the one-click put up and down certainly will benefit parents."

Flera Varallo: "It's a godsend for me as it helps me keep my baby in a safe environment where she is comfy and happy. I think this will benefit so many parents especially with it going up and down so easily and being lightweight. It can be used for the first few years as it's adaptable from bassinet to full use. It comes with everything you need also, mosquito net and travel bag and is washable with the sheet included. What more can any parent need?"

Chloe Lipinski: "I think it offers confidence to parents that their child is beyond safe left in here for sleep. I certainly felt my daughter was safe and couldn't come to any harm due to soft mattress (if she sat up and fell back) or if she fell into the mesh areas it wouldn't hurt."