Model assessment · Cots and cribs

Babyhood Lulu Cot and Bamboo mattress review

The $629 Lulu package combines a New Zealand timber drop-side cot and Bamboo Breathe Eze innerspring mattress. Value leads; refinement does not.

The trade-off

The frame is long

The Babyhood Lulu package is a full-size New Zealand timber cot and 1295 × 690 mm Bamboo Breathe Eze innerspring mattress for $629 on the current official listing. It provides a one-hand internal drop side, two mattress heights and toddler-bed conversion. That is a strong equipment list for less than many premium brands charge for an empty cot frame.

The package is a value buy, not a category leader. Its frame is 140 cm long, castors cost extra, and the canonical score reflects thinner published build and conversion detail than the best cots in the field.

Bench Score: 7.0 out of 10. Build and materials 6.5, conversion and longevity 6.0, ease of assembly 6.5, Australian parts and service 9.0 and value 7.8. The score was set on the $649 captured package and remains unchanged at the current lower price. No physical testing is claimed.

Disclosure: Babyhood is an agency client of Xpand Digital. The Lulu sits mid-field despite that relationship. The review uses the same scoring file as the rest of the category.

Natural timber Babyhood Lulu Cot in a nursery
The Lulu is a conventional full-size timber cot with a single-hand lowering front rail. Official photography: Babyhood.

The short answer

Buy the Lulu package if you want the cot and a credible innerspring mattress in one order, need lower rail access and care more about value than designer joinery. The current $629 price is the argument.

Skip it if the nursery is narrow, you want castors included or you expect a highly documented multi-stage conversion system. The Riya makes the stronger long-term furniture case; the Mali fits a smaller room.

Bench Score

CriterionScore
Build and materials6.5
Conversion and longevity6.0
Ease of assembly6.5
Australian parts and service9.0
Value7.8
Overall Bench Score7.0

Key specifications

SpecificationLulu package
Current official price$629; score set at $649
Cot size76 × 140 × 84 cm
Mattress1295 × 690 × 100 mm Bamboo Breathe Eze innerspring, included
TimberClear grade-A New Zealand plantation timber
BaseTwo levels
AccessSingle-hand internal drop side
Later modeToddler bed stated
CastorsSold separately
Cot use limitNewborn bassinet level; cot/toddler level to 24 kg under stated testing
Current compliance claimed2024 Australian infant-sleep safety and information standards

The case for it

The package removes the expensive follow-up

A cot without a mattress is an unfinished purchase. The Lulu includes Babyhood’s $279 Bamboo Breathe Eze model, which publishes a Bonnell spring unit, tempered perimeter frame, corner supports and zip-off washable cover. Subtract that retail price from the package and the implied cot cost is about $350 at the current offer.

That arithmetic explains the 7.8 value score. You can buy a cheaper cot or mattress separately, but matching the exact size and comparable feature set for less requires work.

The daily features are practical

Two base heights allow a higher newborn stage and a lower stage once the baby can sit. The front rail lowers internally with one hand. Parents with short reach or back discomfort may value that access, while the rail remains part of a cot tested to the cited standards.

The clear grade-A New Zealand plantation timber is a stronger material disclosure than generic “wood”. Natural finishes will vary in grain and tone, which Babyhood explicitly excludes from defect claims.

Local support remains a differentiator

Babyhood’s Australian parts and service path earns 9.0 across this group. Cots are long-lived assemblies with fasteners, rail hardware and conversion pieces. Being able to identify the model from the base markings and request the correct part is more important than another styling adjective.

The case against it

The frame is long

At 140 cm, the Lulu occupies more floor length than the 132 cm Aliya Rattan or 130 cm Mali Compact. Add clearance for the moving rail and walking space. The low price does not make the object smaller.

Conversion detail is modest

Babyhood says the base moves through bassinet, cot and toddler-bed use, but the product page is less explicit about included toddler components than listings such as the Riya and Milano. Confirm the exact box contents and later configuration before buying. That evidence gap is why conversion scores 6.0 rather than eight or nine.

Castors are visible but separate

Some official imagery shows wheels. Babyhood says they are sold separately. Treat illustrations as styling, not a box inventory. The package contains the cot and named mattress unless the checkout says otherwise.

How it compares

The Classic Curve package costs more and includes four lockable castors, BPA-free teething rails and a more traditional 107 cm-high frame. The Milano package adds an included toddler rail and wheels. The Mali package is narrower and cheaper but uses a smaller mattress. The Riya is the cleaner choice when conversion detail matters more than bundled value.

Verdict

The Lulu is not the cot to buy for an elaborate furniture story. It is the cot to buy when $629 needs to cover the timber frame, a good mattress, a lowering side and local support. The package achieves that without obvious gimmicks.

Its 7.0 score is honest mid-field territory. The footprint is large, castors are extra and the later-stage specification could be clearer. If price is the binding constraint and the 140 cm frame fits, those compromises are proportionate.

Bench Score: 7.0. Assessed on published specification, 13 August 2026. Sources: Lulu cot and Bamboo mattress package and Babyhood Lulu Cot.

Disclosure: Babyhood is an agency client of The Baby Bench’s publisher, Xpand Digital. Client status does not buy a score or recommendation.

Evidence record

Sources checked

Product specifications, claims and Australian pricing were checked against the following sources for this assessment. Prices and availability can change after publication.