FURNITURE - The Eco Cradle

Anyone tuning into BBC1’s The Apprentice earlier this month might have spotted the appearance of the Eco Cradle being pitched to the teams by Paul Tuite, founder of online eco store, ECOutlet.

The Eco Cradle was originally picked up by the production team back in 2008 and following a successful pitch to the producers, it then went on to become one of the final products up for consideration by the two teams Ignite and Empire aired in recent episode ‘The Baby Show’.

Paul Tuite of ECOutlet commenting on pitching to the contestants said “The Eco Cradle may not have made it to the final stages of the baby fair it truly is an innovative and intelligent piece of design and if given support by the public could become a staple and sustainable piece of furniture design suitable for newborns and environmentally conscious families across the UK"


The Eco Cradle is a cardboard cot which is perfect for purpose in that it is designed to cater for a baby’s first few months in the home. It does the job of an ordinary baby cradle but it does it better.

Aside from the environmental credentials, it is the design of the Eco Cradle which makes it stand out from the crowd. The Eco Cradle arrives flat packed and the unit consists of three tough and durable yet surprisingly light cardboard sections which slot together providing an assembled structure which is extremely sturdy and safe, having successfully passed a weight load test of 40kg.

The beauty is in the assembly which takes a matter of seconds and results in a truly portable piece of furniture. The Eco Cradle will flat pack in the boot of the car making it perfect for travelling and for grandparents or babysitters. Unlike a conventional carrycot there are none of the dangers or hassles involved in transporting large pieces of furniture up and down stairs, simply disassemble and reassemble elsewhere – the whole process takes seconds with no requirements for tools.

The environmental credentials of the Eco Cradle are also without question, admirable and unique in its field. It’s made from over 60% recycled material and is completely recyclable. The structure is protected by an environmentally friendly non-toxic, non-hazardous fire retardant and all adhesives, print colours and additives are water based and non-toxic.

Would you use one for your baby?