REVIEW – Gro to Bed Toddler Bedding

AD – Items gifted for review

Update 2022 – Since Tommee Tippee took over The Gro Company, it appears that the Gro to Bed toddler bedding range has since been disconinued, although you can still buy some select designs on Amazon (if you’re prepared to wait for them.)

Have you heard of Gro to Bed yet? My daughter recently transitioned from her cot into a “big girl bed”. Then came the challenge of toddler bedding – I didn’t have a clue where to start, until my sister recommended Gro to Bed!

If I’m honest, having just turned 3, I’d been putting it off for as long as possible, dreading the impact it may have on her sleep. With baby no. 2 due in September however, I wanted to ensure she was settled in her new bed before all our lives were turned upside down by a new arrival! 🙂

I had lots of anxieties about the transition. I was worried about her being able to get out on her own, moving away from the beloved Gro Bag, and her falling out or getting cold in her sleep. My sister had used the Gro Company’s Gro to Bed stay on bedding, so when we were given the opportunity to road test the Gro bedding, we jumped at the chance. We are massive fans of the Gro Company, and have used pretty much all of their product range now, so I was hopeful that this would be a hit with both Mum and Erin – it hasn’t disappointed! 🙂

About the Gro to Bed Duvet

The Gro toddler bedding range is an all–in–one duvet cover, bottom sheet and pillow case set, cleverly designed with zips to keep the duvet in place and help to prevent little children from rolling out of bed.

Available as both a Gro to bed cot bed and single bed sizes, the Gro-to-bed toddler bedding comes in a range of different designs to suit both boys and girls.

Key Features:

• A unique zip-in system on the pro to bed duvet helps keep it secure on the bed with the toddler safe underneath it. It makes it impossible to kick the duvet off and makes it almost as hard to fall out. The pillow is fixed in place and the whole thing secured to the bed with a clever elastic holder.
• A warm and secure toddler is much more likely to sleep right through.
• Recommended from 2yrs +
• Machine washable
• Has poppers which work with Gro to Bed Duvet popper system to prevent the duvet from slipping down the duvet cover.
• Complies with all British and European fabric and durability standards
• 100% woven cotton
• Includes secure bottom fitted sheet with integral pillow case, and attachable duvet cover

Our Experience of Gro to Bed Cot Bed Set 

We  were sent the Jolly Jungle Gro to Bed set for a cot bed , having recently converted my daughter’s cot to a “big girl bed”. The design is gender neutral, with a largely lime green colour scheme, and is covered in jungle animals including Elephants, Giraffes and Hippos nestling among the trees. My daughter enjoyed pointing out all the different characters.

She was very excited when I told her that we had a new bed set, and watched me closely as I was setting it up. The set comes with everything you need minus the duvet and pillow. We had a cot bed duvet that came with our cot, but you can also buy these separately. The set works with standard cot duvets, or there is a Gro Company version that features poppers to help secure the duvet in place so it doesn’t slip down in the cover. For now, we are using the standard duvet we already have. It fits perfectly.

The bedding was easy to get on the bed and took less than five minutes to set up. The bottom sheet of the Pro toddler bedding is fitted so has elasticated corners, and has a large elastic strap which hooks over the mattress to keep it in place. The pillow case featuring the matching design is fitted to this bottom sheet, meaning the pillow stays securely in place. The sheet has a zip incorporated on either side, to which the duvet then attaches, meaning the duvet then also stays put!

My main concern when moving Erin to a big bed was that a) she would be getting out every 5 minutes and that b) she would accidentally fall out in the middle of the night. I didn’t particularly like the idea of a bed guard as they are so unsightly! We bought one around 8 months ago when we went on holiday in the hope that Erin would sleep in a single  bed there. The darn thing took ages to put together, it was massive, and she didn’t want to sleep in the bed anyway! (RAH!).  The zip is therefore provides massive peace of mind, as if she does roll over close to the side of the bed, the zipped on duvet keeps her securely in the bed!. So far, she has not fell out of the bed at all, and still calls out for me if she wants to get out! We still tend to cuddle to sleep (rod for our own back I know!) so I simply plonk her in when she’s drifting off and zip her up securely on the side. She then rolls over, goes to sleep and generally stays alseep all night (unless a monster comes to visit!).

Erin has slept  in a gro bag pretty much since newborn age, and therefore the zip on the Gro to Bed set also prevents her from getting cold, as she can move around as she normally would have without the covers coming off. There is no risk of her getting stuck under her pillow as this is securely placed in the sheet.

Overall, I am chuffed to bits with the Gro to Bed cot bed set and have since purchased a spare in case of toilet training accidents / sickness bugs etc! The bottom sheet (with a plain white pillow cover) can also be purchased separately should you wish to have another one whilst the other is in the wash.

Pros:

• No losing the duvet during the night!
• More difficult for child to continually get out of bed or accidently fall out in their sleep.
• A great transition from a gro bag, as the child still feels contained and secure.
• Fun and vibrant designs.
• Makes the transition an exciting experience for toddler! 🙂

Cons:

• Not a con as such, but something to be aware of. In summer they are less able to kick off the duvet if they get too hot, so as such, as parents we need to be conscious of this and dress them accordingly. As its been very warm recently I have just had Erin in a vest top and pull ups.
• Cost – they will initially appear quite expensive, however I would say they are worth every penny, and reduce the need to purchase additional bed guards or bumpers. For the peace of mind and ease of bedtime routine I would be more than happy to pay that price.
• It may be useful to buy a 2nd set as a spare, in which case the cost can increase. That said, Gro Company do sell a plain white bottom sheet separately which is reassuring and useful in case of any bedtime accidents!

You can see the full range of Gro bedding that’s available for older children in the Gro Store here.

Alternatives to Gro to Bed

Since this post was written, Tommee Tippee have discountinued the Gro to Bed toddler bedding range (which is a real shame!)

*We were sent a Gro to Bed Toddler Bedding set in return for our honest review. All opinions and images are my own. A further set was purchased directly as we were so pleased with the product.*