Cot Safety Standards

There is no single answer for every baby and home. Start with a cot or bassinet suitable for your baby, meeting the applicable requirements where it will be used, with a sound structure and a firm, flat, correctly fitting mattress. Check recalls and follow its instructions and current safer-sleep guidance. Price and appearance alone do not establish safety.

What makes a crib safe

• The current standard of the market where your baby will sleep, as set out in the answer to ‘What crib should I buy?’. Drop-side cribs are banned in the United States and Canada.
• A sound structure: sides, base and fittings intact, with no missing, loose, broken or incorrectly installed hardware; in the United States, CPSC guidance specifies no more than 2⅜ inches, about 6 cm, between slats.
• A mattress that fits: firm, flat and tight-fitting, so that a baby cannot become trapped between mattress and crib.
• Safe use: on their back for every sleep, feet at the foot of the crib, in the same room as you for at least the first six months; keep pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, loose bedding and soft toys out of the sleep space.

Check for recalls

Before buying, and from time to time afterwards, check the official recall databases: the CPSC in the United States, OPSS in the United Kingdom, Safety Gate in the European Union, the Government of Canada's recalls and safety alerts, and Product Safety Australia. In the United States, cribs are among the durable infant products that must carry a registration form, introduced to improve the response to recalls; filling it in makes it easier for the manufacturer to contact you.

Second-hand and heirloom cribs

An older crib may have been made before today's rules. Drop-side cribs, banned in the United States since 2011 and in Canada since 2016, should not be used, and in Canada the regulation also covers second-hand cribs. Before using any crib that has been kept or passed on, check its intended use, that the instructions are complete, that it has not been recalled and that every part is present and sound. Check the mattress too: one that still fits but has deteriorated is not suitable because of the fit alone.

At SUOMMO

A creation's history continues after the artisan's work is complete. Its identity is preserved in the records of the house, so that the care devoted to making it can accompany its life within the family.

Each SUOMMO creation is recorded upon completion, with identifying details and a warranty record linked to the client. This enables our Concierge to check those records when assistance is requested.

La Perla Crib White Edition, Dodo Bassinet White Edition, Moveo Mini Crib and BELA Crib Gold combine noble woods with Kevlar and carbon fibre, as described in their product information. Our nursery furniture is delivered fully assembled. The ten-year international warranty covers structural integrity and essential functionality, subject to the terms for each model.

Prepare the sleep space according to the product instructions and current safer-sleep guidance. For any question about a creation and its use in your country, our Concierge is there before and long after delivery.

The safety standards nursery furniture should meet depend on the item and the market where it will be used. Cots and cribs have their own safety standards in most markets, and some are mandatory; other nursery furniture is covered by separate standards for changing units, storage, Moses baskets and bedside cribs. Start with the product category and destination. European EN standards have national adoptions, such as BS EN in the UK. Check the applicable legal requirements as well as the relevant standard and edition.

Examples by product

• Cots and cribs: EN 716 in Europe, adopted as BS EN 716 in the UK; in the United States, 16 CFR 1219 for full-size cribs and 16 CFR 1220 for non-full-size cribs; in Australia, mandatory safety and information standards for infant sleep products. More markets are covered in the answer on choosing a crib.
• Moses baskets and carry cots: BS EN 1466; bedside cribs: BS EN 1130:2019, as listed by The Lullaby Trust.
• Changing units: EN 12221:2026 in Europe (BS EN 12221:2026 in the UK); a federal standard for baby changing products in the United States.
• Chests of drawers: EN 14749 for domestic storage in Europe; ASTM F2057-23 for clothing storage units within scope in the United States.
• Cot mattresses: BS EN 16890:2017+A1:2021, as listed by The Lullaby Trust.

Ask the seller which standards apply to the model in your market and what documentation is available, and check recalls.

At SUOMMO

The care behind a SUOMMO creation belongs both to the visible work and to the attention that accompanies it into a family's home.

Our Concierge can explain the documentation available for each SUOMMO model and delivery to your market.

A cot should meet the safety standard that applies where it will be used: EN 716, adopted as BS EN 716 in the UK; in the United States, 16 CFR 1219 and 1220, a federal framework that began in 2011 and has been updated since; and mandatory infant sleep product standards in Australia, among others. The answer on choosing a crib lists the requirements by market, and the answer on nursery furniture standards covers related products.

Check it against the safety requirements for your market and look for recalls. US guidance gives a practical checklist: no more than 2 3/8 inches (about 6 cm) between slats, no corner posts over 1/16 inch high, no cut-outs in the headboard or footboard, a firm, tight-fitting mattress and no missing, loose or broken hardware. In the US, traditional drop-side cribs are prohibited; do not use one. Keep the sleep space clear. The checklist is a practical starting point, not a substitute for the applicable requirements, model information and recall checks. More in the answer on what a good crib should have and the answer on safety.

At SUOMMO

Every SUOMMO creation begins with a form imagined around the arrival of a child. La Perla, Dodo, BELA and Moveo each give that welcome a different expression, shaped through the judgement and patience of the hands that make them.

La Perla Crib White Edition, BELA Crib Gold, Dodo Bassinet White Edition and Moveo Mini Crib combine selected woods with Kevlar and carbon fibre, as described in their product information, shaped and refined by hand, with a mattress developed around the form of each creation. Our Concierge can explain each model's intended use and limits before you choose.

Every crib is delivered fully assembled, dressed in textiles from the SUOMMO Atelier, with instructions for use, and carries a ten-year international warranty covering structural integrity and essential functionality, subject to the terms for each model.

A safe cot meets the standard for your market, is stable and in good repair, holds a firm, flat mattress that fits with no gaps, and is kept clear of pillows, quilts, bumpers and soft toys. Where it stands matters too: in your room for at least the first six months, away from radiators, windows and blind cords. See the answer on checking a crib, what a good crib should have and choosing a mattress.

Solid sides alone do not establish whether a crib meets the applicable requirements. Ask for the product category, destination market and documentation for that model; its appearance, or a rule about gaps between slats, cannot settle the question by itself. Ask too how airflow and visibility of the baby are considered in the design. More in the answer on cot standards.

In the United States, cribs must meet mandatory federal standards: 16 CFR 1219 for full-size cribs, which now incorporates ASTM F1169-25 (an update effective from 1 August 2026), and 16 CFR 1220 for non-full-size cribs, which incorporates ASTM F406-24 with specific exclusions. The federal framework began in 2011, when traditional drop-side cribs were banned, and has been updated since; check the current rule for the product category and the version applicable to its manufacturing date. Ask the manufacturer or importer for the children's product certificate, register the crib and check recalls. Bumpers are covered in the answer on cot bumpers; see also the answer on cot standards and the answer on checking a crib.

Yes. The US federal crib standards took effect in 2011, ending the sale of traditional drop-side cribs, and the full-size crib rule was updated in 2026 to incorporate ASTM F1169-25; the sale of padded crib bumpers was banned from 2022. In the UK, BSI's catalogue records successive editions of BS EN 716-1. A revision does not by itself recall every earlier product: check which requirements apply to the particular product, its manufacturing date and your market, together with recall notices. See the answer on US crib standards, the answer on cot bumpers and the answer on cot standards.

In the United States, pacifiers must meet 16 CFR 1511: a guard or shield so the pacifier cannot be swallowed and allows breathing, limits on protrusions, use-and-abuse tests so it does not break into small parts, no ribbons, cords or chains attached, and a warning not to tie it around a child's neck. These are requirements and tests, not a guarantee that a dummy can never break. In the UK, dummies are assessed against BS EN 1400:2013+A2:2018 and dummy clips against BS EN 12586:2025, the British adoptions of the European standards. Never tie a dummy around a baby's neck. Check the dummy before use and follow its manufacturer's replacement and use instructions.

In the UK, the safety standards for children's furniture depend on the item. Cots are assessed against BS EN 716, changing units against BS EN 12221 and storage furniture such as chests of drawers against BS EN 14749, among others. Since 30 October 2025, baby and child mattresses under a set size are outside the scope of the UK furniture fire safety regulations, though not every infant mattress is exempt and general safety duties still apply (see the answer on flame retardants). Ask which standard each item meets, keep the instructions and check product recalls. See the answer on nursery furniture standards.

A recent second-hand cot may be an option if its identity, history, condition and applicable requirements can be checked: it should be complete and stable, with no loose, missing or broken parts, cracked wood or peeling paint, with the maker's instructions, and not recalled. An antique is a different question: Health Canada advises against using cots more than ten years old, and in the United States traditional drop-side cribs are prohibited. Do not assume that refinishing or visual checks make an old cot suitable for a baby to sleep in; an heirloom can be kept without being used for sleep. Old paint may contain lead (see the answer on repainting an heirloom crib). Use a mattress that fits exactly; a new one is recommended where possible.

At SUOMMO

When a SUOMMO creation passes within a family, its story acquires another beginning. Our Concierge can consider its condition and the care or restoration it may need before any return to use, preserving the attention through which the work first took form; see our FAQs.

A metal crib can be safe if it meets the requirements for its category in your market; the material alone does not decide it. Check the stability, the spacing and finish of the bars, smooth edges and welds with no sharp points, hardware that stays tight, and a coating that meets the limits for children's products, such as lead limits in the United States. Use a mattress that fits exactly. See the answer on checking a crib.

At SUOMMO

In SUOMMO's Gold Edition, the silhouette is shaped by the artisan and brought into light through a finish incorporating eighteen-carat gold, applied by hand. La Perla Crib Gold, Dodo Bassinet Gold and BELA Crib Gold each give that radiance their own form. Beneath that finish, BELA Crib Gold combines noble woods with Kevlar and carbon fibre. Our Concierge can explain the materials of each creation.

Cot bars should be close enough that a baby's body cannot pass through and become trapped by the head. In the United States, CPSC advises that crib slats should be no more than 2⅜ inches apart, approximately 6 cm. For another market, check the applicable cot standard and the manufacturer's information rather than applying that figure universally. Missing, loose or cracked bars need attention before use, and other openings should be checked against the instructions. See the answer on choosing a cot.

At SUOMMO

In La Perla and BELA, wood is entrusted to the hands that give the silhouette its presence. The curve is considered, refined and returned to until it belongs to the work as a whole.

La Perla Crib and BELA Crib Gold combine selected noble woods with advanced structural materials such as Kevlar and carbon fibre, shaped and refined by hand and finished with SUOMMO's AQUALOGY water-based process. Our Concierge can tell you more about the woods used in each creation.

EN 71-3 is part of the European toy safety standard and sets limits on the migration of certain elements, such as lead, from toy materials, including paints and coatings. A cot is not a toy, but because babies mouth and chew the rails, a finish may be assessed using this method where relevant; that does not replace the requirements for the cot as a whole. It concerns migration of certain elements only; it does not establish that a coating is safe to swallow or durable. See the answer on chewed lacquer.

At SUOMMO

A surface carries the work of the hands that prepare it. In AQUALOGY, the selected water, the application of each layer and the time allowed between stages become part of the clarity and depth through which the creation meets the light.

SUOMMO's AQUALOGY finishes are tested to the requirements of the applicable European and British standards, including those for finishes that children may put in their mouths, and beyond. These tests concern the finish. Each creation is prepared following the hygiene standards of an operating theatre: tools and surfaces are cleaned before every coat so that no trace of a previous finish remains, and each finish, white, gold or a limited-edition colour, has its own dedicated tools, kept apart and never mixed. Our Concierge can tell you more about the process.

Many antique cribs do not meet today's requirements for gaps, height, stability or paint, so they need careful checking before any use for sleep. See the answer on second-hand and antique cots and how old a crib can be.

A higher price does not by itself make a crib safer. Shared minimum requirements do not prove that every crib performs identically either; any claimed improvement needs evidence for that feature. What price can buy is materials, craftsmanship, finish, design and service. Check the documentation of any crib, whatever it costs. See the answer on what luxury cribs have and whether expensive cribs are worth it.

Cribs do not usually carry an expiry date, but they can become unsuitable: requirements change over time, and wear, damage, missing parts or recalls can make an older crib unsafe. In the United States, cribs made before the federal standards of 2011 may not meet current requirements, and those standards have been updated since, so a later date is not an automatic guarantee. Follow any service life or limit the maker states. Check any older crib carefully. See the answer on how old a crib can be.

Age alone does not decide whether a crib is still safe; what matters is whether the crib meets the requirements in force where it will be used, and its condition. Check that no parts are missing, loose or broken, that gaps are within current limits, that the mattress is firm and fits correctly, and that there is no old paint that could contain lead. Some cribs are kept as heirlooms or works of craftsmanship without being used for sleep. See the answer on antique cots and what happens to a crib later.

A handmade crib can be safe if it meets the requirements for its category like any other crib. Handmade work can achieve fine precision, but the result must still be checked against the standard for gaps, strength, stability and finish. Ask the maker for documentation. See the answer on handmade and factory-made.

At SUOMMO

At SUOMMO, design begins with the form and continues with the choice of hands. Each crib is conceived by our founder and designer, and part of that work has been finding the artisan workshops in Spain, Italy and Switzerland whose craft could bring it to life, and building with them, over the years, a team that shares the same way of working.

That team is something we take care to preserve, passing the craft on to those with the skill and the patience to learn it, so that it continues from one generation to the next. In La Perla Crib, Dodo Bassinet, BELA Crib Gold and Moveo Mini Crib, selected woods are combined with Kevlar and carbon fibre, and the finishes follow our AQUALOGY approach. Ask our Concierge about the story of each creation.

BS EN 716 is the British adoption of the European standard for children's cots and folding cots for domestic use. Part 1 sets safety requirements and Part 2 describes test methods, covering points such as openings, depth, and the strength and stability of the structure. The appropriate standard depends on the product's category; smaller cribs, carrycots and bedside sleepers may fall under different standards. See the answer on cot bar spacing and choosing a cot.

An ordinary non-electrical cot does not generally require CE marking simply because it is a cot. CE marking applies where specific EU product legislation requires it; additional electrical or toy functions may need separate assessment. Ask which safety requirements apply to the actual product and what documentation supports compliance. For domestic cots, EN 716 is an important reference. See the answer on BS EN 716.

A cot intended for use from birth can provide a suitable sleeping space when it meets the applicable requirements and is used according to its instructions. Use the specified firm, flat mattress and a correctly fitting sheet, and follow safer-sleep guidance, including placing your baby on their back in your room for the first six months. See the answer on what a newborn needs for sleep.

At SUOMMO

Within each SUOMMO crib, the attention given to its outward form continues in the mattress developed by our Research & Development team and in the natural silk and selected cotton textiles worked by the SUOMMO Atelier. Conceived around the form of the crib, the whole belongs to one creation. Our Concierge can explain the mattress supplied with each model, its care and replacement.

Wood can be suitable for a newborn's cot. What matters is the complete cot: its intended use, construction, surface condition, any applied finish, the specified mattress and the applicable safety requirements. See the answer on why cribs are made of wood and the safest finish.

At SUOMMO

At SUOMMO, noble woods are shaped and joined by hand with specialised structural materials, including Kevlar and carbon fibre, and each surface is given its proper time. Our AQUALOGY finishing philosophy combines specialised application techniques, extended curing periods and carefully selected mineral water.

Explore the White Edition, Gold Edition and Limited Edition with our Concierge to see which creations and finishes can be brought together for your room. Every creation carries a ten-year international warranty covering structural integrity and essential functionality, subject to the terms for each model.

In the United States, traditional drop-side cribs were linked to deaths and injuries when a side detached or failed and created a gap in which a baby could be trapped; the federal crib standards that took effect in 2011 effectively prohibited them. Older drop-side cribs should not be used. See the answer on repainting an heirloom crib and whether cribs expire.

Cribs are recalled because a defect or failure to meet requirements is found that could harm a baby: for example, parts that loosen or break, gaps that could trap a baby, unstable structures, or paint with excess lead. If your model is affected, follow the specific recall instructions, including stopping use where instructed. Register your product so the maker can contact you, and check recall databases such as those of the CPSC, the EU's Safety Gate or the UK's OPSS. See the answer on traceability.

At SUOMMO

A creation's history continues after the artisan's work is complete. Its identity is preserved in the records of the house, so that the care devoted to making it can accompany its life within the family.

Every SUOMMO creation is individually recorded upon completion and carries a ten-year international warranty covering structural integrity and essential functionality, subject to the terms for each model. Our Concierge remains the point of contact for care and assistance after delivery.

Keep the cot away from windows, blind and curtain cords, heaters and direct sunlight. Whether it can stand beside a wall depends on the cot's instructions and the surrounding space: avoid entrapment hazards and keep wall decorations, sockets and cables out of reach. See the answer on where the cot should go.