All items · Baby & children
Cots, carrycots and cot mattresses
Also covers: moses basket, crib, travel cot, cot bed
Why shops refuse it
Hygiene rules and safe-sleep guidance mean used cot mattresses in particular can't be resold.
What to do instead
Cot frames without mattresses are sometimes accepted — ask first. Mattresses go to the council recycling centre.
Charity by charity
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Can't accept
Acorns Children's Hospice
Their wording
“Children's car seats or booster seats, cot mattresses and cot bumpers”
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Can't accept
Barnardo's
Their wording
“Mattresses including cot mattresses”
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Can't accept
British Red Cross
Also excludes repainted cots (may contain lead).
Their wording
“Cot, crib or Moses basket mattresses”
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Can't accept
Cancer Research UK
New items can be sold.
Their wording
“Used cots, carrycots, cribs, cradles”
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Can't accept
Cornwall Hospice Care
Cots, carrycots, moses baskets, playpens
Their wording
“Cots, carrycots, moses baskets and playpens”
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Can't accept
Dogs Trust
Their wording
“children's car seats, prams, highchairs and cots”
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Can't accept
Dorothy House
Their wording
“Baby/toddler beds and cots”
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Can't accept
Emmaus
Their wording
“Prams, buggies, walkers, cots, baby toys and high chairs”
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Can't accept
Great Western Air Ambulance Charity
Their wording
“Children's items (car seats, pushchairs/prams, cots, mattresses, high chairs)”
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Can't accept
Marie Curie
Covers cots and Moses baskets.
Their wording
“Prams, pushchairs or cots/Moses baskets.”
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Can't accept
Overgate Hospice
General mattress rules (pristine condition, fire label) also apply.
Their wording
“used cot mattresses”
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Can't accept
Phyllis Tuckwell
Their wording
“Cots”
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Can't accept
Salvation Army (SATCoL)
Covers cot, moses basket and travel cot mattresses.
Their wording
“child mattresses (cots, moses baskets, travel cots)”
-
Can't accept
Shaw Trust
Their wording
“cots”
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Can't accept
St Christopher's Hospice
Cots
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Can't accept
St Giles Hospice
Their wording
“Cot & carry cot mattresses”
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Can't accept
St Peter's Hospice
Cots, carry cots, playpens
Their wording
“Cots, carry cots, playpens”
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Can't accept
St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP)
Their wording
“Cots, carry cots, playpens, high chairs”
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Can't accept
Sue Ryder
Also covers cribs, cradles and carrycots.
Their wording
“cot mattresses, cribs, cradles, and reclined cradles”
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Can't accept
Trinity Hospice (Blackpool)
Cot mattresses and Moses baskets
Their wording
“Moses baskets”
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Can't accept
Wales Air Ambulance
Also excludes pram mattresses
Their wording
“Cot bumpers, cot mattresses, pram mattresses”
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Can't accept
Willen Hospice
Given as an example of unaccepted baby/children's equipment
Their wording
“Baby/children's equipment e.g. cots/prams”
-
Check first
British Heart Foundation
Covers cots, carry cots and mattresses. Only accepted at a selected number of stores due to required safety checks; contact Customer Service Centre.
Their wording
“Due to the safety checks required for the resale of baby and nursery equipment, we can only accept these in a selected number of stores”
-
Check first
FARA Charity Shops
Only accepted complete and in full working order; broken cribs/cots not taken.
Their wording
“Complete - full sets, working order only.”
-
Check first
Samaritans
Unless new or sealed.
Their wording
“prams, pushchairs, buggies, cots, high chairs, cot mattresses”
Not mentioned in 19 charities' guidance
Absence from a charity's list doesn't mean they accept it — it just isn't singled out. Ask your local shop.
- Not mentioned Age UK
- Not mentioned Claire House Children's Hospice
- Not mentioned Crisis
- Not mentioned DEBRA
- Not mentioned Keech Hospice Care
- Not mentioned LOROS Hospice
- Not mentioned Octavia Foundation
- Not mentioned Oxfam
- Not mentioned PDSA
- Not mentioned Princess Alice Hospice
- Not mentioned Save the Children
- Not mentioned Scope
- Not mentioned Sense Scotland
- Not mentioned Shelter
- Not mentioned St Barnabas Hospice (Lincolnshire)
- Not mentioned The Children's Trust
- Not mentioned Traid
- Not mentioned Woodgreen Pets Charity
- Not mentioned YMCA (England & Wales)