Kidsaw
Racing Car Toddler Bed
7.7/10 overallAround £90 (mattress sold separately)
A novelty racing-car-shaped wooden toddler bed frame, sized for a standard cot bed mattress.
The Racing Car bed is a themed, low-to-the-ground wooden frame shaped like a racing car, designed specifically to make the transition out of a cot feel exciting rather than like a loss for a toddler used to their cot. It takes a standard cot bed mattress (140x70cm), so there's no need to buy a new mattress alongside the frame.
Against the plainer IKEA KRITTER or SNIGLAR frames in this category, the trade-off is purely about character versus flexibility: the Racing Car is a bolder, more exciting design that a lot of toddlers respond well to, but it's also a design your child will likely outgrow in personality terms well before they physically outgrow the mattress size, where a plain frame like the KRITTER or SNIGLAR stays visually appropriate for longer.
If your toddler is a reluctant mover from the cot and needs an emotional hook to make the switch feel like an upgrade rather than a downgrade, a novelty bed like this is a genuinely effective, low-cost way to do that — just be realistic that the theme has a shelf life of a year or two before a plainer bed becomes more appropriate.
What we liked
- Exciting, novelty design helps reluctant toddlers embrace the switch
- Uses a standard cot bed mattress, no extra mattress cost
- Low-to-the-ground design reduces fall height
Where it falls short
- Toddlers may outgrow the theme in personality before the bed size
- Less versatile resale value than a plain frame
- Flat-pack assembly required
Specs
- Height
- Low to the ground
- Assembly
- Flat-packed, self-assembly required
- Material
- Solid pine wood
- Guard rail
- Built into the car body sides
- Mattress size
- Standard cot bed, 140x70cm
How we scored it
Guard Rail Safety
How well the rail prevents night-time falls without making the bed hard to get in and out of.
Built-in side rails from the car body, though not as tall as a dedicated guard rail.
Cot Transition Ease
How smoothly toddlers adjust from a cot to this bed, including familiarity of size and height.
The novelty design genuinely helps motivate reluctant toddlers to make the switch.
Build Durability
Sturdiness of the frame and how well the finish holds up to daily knocks.
Solid pine construction, holds up well to normal toddler use.
Weighted by importance for this category — see our editorial policy for how we test.
The alternative
IKEA
KRITTER Toddler Bed Frame with Guard Rail
A sturdy first bed with a built-in guard rail that eases the move from cot to bed at 70x160cm.