Cot vs. Bed — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 4, 2023
A cot is a portable, collapsible bed often used temporarily, while a bed is a stationary piece of furniture designed for regular sleep with a mattress and often a frame.
Difference Between Cot and Bed
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Cots and beds serve the primary function of providing a place to rest or sleep. However, a cot is typically a lightweight, portable bed that can be folded up for easy storage or transport. Cots are often used in situations where temporary bedding is needed, such as camping, military barracks, or emergency shelters. They are usually smaller and not meant for permanent or long-term use. On the other hand, a bed is a piece of furniture that is not designed to be moved frequently. It usually consists of a sturdy frame, a mattress, and often includes a headboard and footboard. Beds are meant for regular use in homes and come in various sizes and styles to suit permanent sleeping arrangements.
In terms of comfort, cots are generally less comfortable than beds due to their thin mattresses or canvas surfaces. Beds are designed with comfort in mind and are often paired with a box spring or foundation to support the mattress, making them more comfortable for daily use. Cots are more about functionality and convenience, providing a quick setup for sleep without the long-term comfort beds offer.
Cots and beds also differ in their cultural significance and usage. A cot may symbolize temporary conditions, such as those experienced while traveling or in a temporary living situation. A bed, however, is often a central piece of furniture in a household, signifying stability and rest. It is commonly found in bedrooms and is associated with relaxation and privacy.
Lastly, when it comes to design and aesthetics, cots are simplistic and utilitarian, with little emphasis on appearance. They are built for practicality and are often made of metal or plastic frames with fabric stretched over them. Beds, in contrast, can be elaborate and decorative, reflecting personal style and design preferences. They can be made from a variety of materials including wood, metal, and upholstered fabric, contributing to the overall decor of a bedroom.
Comparison Chart
Portability
Portable and foldable for easy transport.
Stationary, not meant to be moved often.
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Usage
Temporary sleeping arrangements.
Permanent, everyday sleeping solution.
Construction
Simple frame, often with a fabric or thin mattress.
Sturdy frame with a thick mattress.
Comfort
Generally less comfortable.
Designed for more comfort.
Size Variations
Usually one size, smaller than a typical bed.
Comes in multiple sizes (twin, queen, etc.).
Compare with Definitions
Cot
A term used in British English for a crib.
She gently placed the infant in the cot before turning on the mobile.
Bed
A piece of furniture for sleep or rest, typically with a mattress and frame.
She bought a new bed with a memory foam mattress for her apartment.
Cot
A foldable bed used in the military or camping.
At the army base, each soldier had a cot next to their locker.
Bed
A bed is a piece of furniture which is used as a place to sleep and relax.Most modern beds consist of a soft, cushioned mattress on a bed frame, the mattress resting either on a solid base, often wood slats, or a sprung base. Many beds include a box spring inner-sprung base, which is a large mattress-sized box containing wood and springs that provide additional support and suspension for the mattress.
Cot
A small bed for a baby or toddler, often with high sides.
The baby slept peacefully in her cot, surrounded by stuffed animals.
Bed
A piece of furniture for reclining and sleeping, typically consisting of a flat, rectangular frame and a mattress resting on springs.
Cot
A lightweight, portable bed usually with a canvas or nylon surface.
The camper set up a cot inside his tent for the night.
Bed
A bedstead.
Cot
A narrow bed, especially one made of canvas on a collapsible frame.
Bed
A mattress.
Cot
Chiefly British A crib.
Bed
A place where one may sleep; lodging
Found bed and board at an inn.
Cot
A small house.
Bed
Accommodations for a single person at a hospital or institution
A maternity ward with 30 beds.
Cot
A protective covering or sheath.
Bed
A time at which one goes to sleep
Drank milk before bed.
Cot
A simple bed, especially one for portable or temporary purposes.
Bed
A place for lovemaking.
Cot
A bed for infants or small children, with high, often slatted, often moveable sides.
Bed
A marital relationship with its rights and intimacies.
Cot
A wooden bed frame, slung by its corners from a beam, in which officers slept before the introduction of bunks.
Bed
A small plot of cultivated or planted land
A flower bed.
Cot
(archaic) A cottage or small homestead.
Bed
An underwater or intertidal area in which a particular organism is established in large numbers
A clam bed.
An oyster bed.
Cot
A pen, coop, or similar shelter for small domestic animals, such as sheep or pigeons.
Bed
The ground surface below a body of water such as a sea, lake, or stream.
Cot
A small, crudely-formed boat.
Bed
A layer of food surmounted by another kind of food
Tomatoes on a bed of lettuce.
Cot
A cover or sheath; a fingerstall.
A roller cot (the clothing of a drawing roller in a spinning frame)
A cot for a sore finger
Bed
A foundation of crushed rock or a similar substance for a road or railroad; a roadbed.
Cot
(obsolete) A man who does household work normally associated with women.
Bed
A layer of mortar upon which stones or bricks are laid.
Cot
A small house; a cottage or hut.
The sheltered cot, the cultivated farm.
Bed
(Printing) The heavy table of a printing press in which the type form is placed.
Cot
A pen, coop, or like shelter for small domestic animals, as for sheep or pigeons; a cote.
Bed
The part of a truck, trailer, or freight car designed to carry loads.
Cot
A cover or sheath; as, a roller cot (the clothing of a drawing roller in a spinning frame); a cot for a sore finger. See also finger cot.
Bed
A broad mass of rock or sediment bounded by different material.
Cot
A small, rudely-formed boat.
Bed
A deposit, as of ore, parallel to local stratification.
Cot
A sleeping place of limited size; a little bed; a cradle; a piece of canvas extended by a frame, used as a bed.
Bed
A heap of material
A bed of wood chips.
Cot
A sheath worn to protect a finger
Bed
To furnish with a bed or sleeping quarters
We bedded our guests down in the study.
Cot
Baby bed with high sides
Bed
To put or send to bed.
Cot
A small bed that folds up for storage or transport
Bed
To have sexual relations with.
Cot
A temporary bed used in emergency situations or institutions.
The shelter provided cots for all the flood victims.
Bed
To plant in a prepared plot of soil.
Bed
To lay flat or arrange in layers.
Bed
To embed.
Bed
To establish; base.
Bed
To go to bed.
Bed
(Geology) To form layers or strata.
Bed
A piece of furniture, usually flat and soft, on which to rest or sleep.
My cat often sleeps on my bed.
I keep a glass of water next to my bed when I sleep.
Bed
A prepared spot in which to spend the night.
When camping, he usually makes a bed for the night from hay and a blanket.
Bed
(usually after a preposition) One's place of sleep or rest.
Go to bed!
I had breakfast in bed this morning.
Bed
Sleep; rest; getting to sleep.
He's been afraid of bed since he saw the scary film.
Bed
The time for going to sleep or resting in bed; bedtime.
I read until bed.
Bed
(uncountable) Time spent in a bed.
Bed
(figurative) Marriage.
Bed
Sexual activity.
Too much bed, not enough rest.
Bed
Abbreviation of bedroom
2 beds, 1 bath
Bed
A place, or flat surface or layer, on which something else rests or is laid.
The meats and cheeses lay on a bed of lettuce.
Bed
The bottom of a body of water, such as an ocean, sea, lake, or river.
Sea bed
River bed
There's a lot of trash on the bed of the river.
Bed
An area where a large number of oysters, mussels, other sessile shellfish, or a large amount of seaweed is found.
Oysters are farmed from their beds.
Bed
A garden plot.
We added a new bush to our rose bed.
Bed
A foundation or supporting surface formed of a fluid.
A bed of concrete makes a strong subsurface for an asphalt parking lot.
Bed
The superficial earthwork, or ballast, of a railroad.
Bed
The platform of a truck, trailer, railcar, or other vehicle that supports the load to be hauled.
The parcels were loaded onto the truck bed before transportation.
Bed
A shaped piece of timber to hold a cask clear of a ship’s floor; a pallet.
Bed
The flat part of the press, on which the form is laid.
Bed
(computing) The flat surface of a scanner on which a document is placed to be scanned.
Bed
A piece of music, normally instrumental, over which a radio DJ talks.
Bed
(darts) Any of the sections of a dartboard with a point value, delimited by a wire.
Bed
(trampoline) The taut surface of a trampoline.
Bed
(heading) A layer or surface.
Bed
A deposit of ore, coal, etc.
Bed
(geology) The smallest division of a geologic formation or stratigraphic rock series marked by well-defined divisional planes (bedding planes) separating it from layers above and below.
Bed
(masonry) The horizontal surface of a building stone.
The upper and lower beds
Bed
(masonry) The lower surface of a brick, slate, or tile.
Bed
(masonry) A course of stone or brick in a wall.
Bed
Senses relating to a bed as a place for resting or sleeping.
Bed
(intransitive) To go to bed. I usually listen to music before I bed.
Bed
(transitive) To place in a bed.
Bed
To put oneself to sleep. en
Bed
(transitive) To furnish with a bed or bedding.
Bed
(ambitransitive) To have sexual intercourse with.
Bed
Senses relating to a bed as a place or layer on which something else rests or is laid.
Bed
(transitive) To lay or put in any hollow place, or place of rest and security, surrounded or enclosed; to embed.
Bed
(transitive) To set in a soft matrix, as paving stones in sand, or tiles in cement.
Bed
(transitive) To set out (plants) in a garden bed.
Bed
(transitive) To dress or prepare the surface of (stone) so it can serve as a bed.
Bed
(transitive) To lay flat; to lay in order; to place in a horizontal or recumbent position.
Bed
To settle, as machinery.
Bed
An article of furniture to sleep or take rest in or on; a couch. Specifically: A sack or mattress, filled with some soft material, in distinction from the bedstead on which it is placed (as, a feather bed), or this with the bedclothes added. In a general sense, any thing or place used for sleeping or reclining on or in, as a quantity of hay, straw, leaves, or twigs.
And made for him [a horse] a leafy bed.
I wash, wring, brew, bake, . . . make the beds.
In bed he slept not for my urging it.
Bed
Used as the symbol of matrimony) Marriage.
George, the eldest son of his second bed.
Bed
A plat or level piece of ground in a garden, usually a little raised above the adjoining ground.
Bed
A mass or heap of anything arranged like a bed; as, a bed of ashes or coals.
Bed
The bottom of a watercourse, or of any body of water; as, the bed of a river.
So sinks the daystar in the ocean bed.
Bed
A layer or seam, or a horizontal stratum between layers; as, a bed of coal, iron, etc.
Bed
See Gun carriage, and Mortar bed.
Bed
The horizontal surface of a building stone; as, the upper and lower beds.
Bed
The foundation or the more solid and fixed part or framing of a machine; or a part on which something is laid or supported; as, the bed of an engine.
Bed
The superficial earthwork, or ballast, of a railroad.
Bed
The flat part of the press, on which the form is laid.
Bed
To place in a bed.
Bed
To make partaker of one's bed; to cohabit with.
I'll to the Tuscan wars, and never bed her.
Bed
To furnish with a bed or bedding.
Bed
To plant or arrange in beds; to set, or cover, as in a bed of soft earth; as, to bed the roots of a plant in mold.
Bed
To lay or put in any hollow place, or place of rest and security, surrounded or inclosed; to embed; to furnish with or place upon a bed or foundation; as, to bed a stone; it was bedded on a rock.
Among all chains or clusters of mountains where large bodies of still water are bedded.
Bed
To dress or prepare the surface of stone) so as to serve as a bed.
Bed
To lay flat; to lay in order; to place in a horizontal or recumbent position.
Bed
To go to bed; to cohabit.
If he be married, and bed with his wife.
Bed
A piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep;
He sat on the edge of the bed
The room had only a bed and chair
Bed
A plot of ground in which plants are growing;
The gardener planted a bed of roses
Bed
A depression forming the ground under a body of water;
He searched for treasure on the ocean bed
Bed
(geology) a stratum of rock (especially sedimentary rock);
They found a bed of standstone
Bed
A stratum of ore or coal thick enough to be mined with profit;
He worked in the coal beds
Bed
Single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance;
Slices of hard-boiled egg on a bed of spinach
Bed
The flat surface of a printing press on which the type form is laid in the last stage of producing a newspaper or magazine or book etc.
Bed
A foundation of earth or rock supporting a road or railroad track;
The track bed had washed away
Bed
Furnish with a bed;
The inn keeper could bed all the new arrivals
Bed
Place (plants) in a prepared bed of soil
Bed
Put to bed;
The children were bedded at ten o'clock
Bed
Have sexual intercourse with;
This student sleeps with everyone in her dorm
Adam knew Eve
Were you ever intimate with this man?
Bed
Go to bed in order to sleep;
I usually turn in at midnight
He turns out at the crack of dawn
Bed
The area or surface on which a person sleeps.
He made his bed every morning to start the day off right.
Bed
A place where a person can relax or engage in intimate activities.
The couple had breakfast in bed to celebrate their anniversary.
Bed
A plot of soil in which plants are grown, also known as a flowerbed.
She planted tulips and daffodils in the garden bed.
Bed
A flat surface or layer on which something else rests or is laid.
The mason started laying bricks on the freshly made cement bed.
Common Curiosities
What is a bed?
A bed is a piece of furniture that includes a mattress on a frame for regular sleeping.
What is a cot?
A cot is a portable, foldable bed often used in temporary sleeping situations.
What types of mattresses are used with beds?
Beds can use various types of mattresses, such as innerspring, foam, or hybrid.
Can cots be used for permanent sleeping arrangements?
While possible, cots are generally not designed for permanent sleep due to comfort.
Are cots comfortable for long-term use?
Cots are less comfortable for long-term use compared to beds with full mattresses.
Are bed frames necessary?
While not essential, bed frames provide support and elevate the mattress off the floor.
What materials are beds made of?
Beds can be made from wood, metal, upholstery, and other decorative materials.
Can beds be customized?
Yes, beds can be customized in size, style, and design.
When is a cot typically used?
A cot is used for camping, emergency shelters, or as a temporary bed in homes.
What are the standard sizes of beds?
Beds come in various standard sizes, including twin, full, queen, and king.
Can the term "cot" refer to a baby's bed?
Yes, in British English, "cot" is commonly used to mean a baby's crib.
How do you set up a cot?
Cots are usually unfolded and locked into place, ready for use with minimal assembly.
Are cots easy to store?
Yes, most cots can be folded up and stored in compact spaces.
What materials are cots made of?
Cots are often made of lightweight metals, plastics, and durable fabrics.
Do all beds come with a headboard and footboard?
Not all beds come with headboards and footboards; these are optional features.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
