Peapod/Travel Bed Questions

[gracenote30]

Our daughter is 18 months old, and has a really difficult time sleeping away from her crib. She stopped sleeping in her Pack n Play months ago, and we hardly ever go anywhere overnight because it is so difficult to get her to sleep. We would love to travel a bit this summer, even just to visit family, so I'd love some input on travel beds. I've been looking at the PeaPod Plus and wonder if it is comfy and good for toddlers - even those who have a difficult time sleeping away from their cribs/beds. Also, is there a more comfortable mattress available for the Pack N Play? Are there any alternatives I'm not considering? Thanks so much!:)

[neeleymartin]

i bought a mattress on ebay for my pnp. the ones they sell at bbrus claim to fit but leave a huge gap on either side, at least 2 inches. the one on ebay leaves about a 1 inch gap the long way and the sides are super snug.

i wouldn't use my pnp without it. the guy was the "padman" or something. i will see if i can find it. it ran about $30 or so. worth every penny if you ask me.

[emily]

We took a peapod for our 5 month old to a beach vacation last year. It worked well for short naps and sun protection. It didnt work for overnight. Our DD is 14 mos now, and I cant imagine her sleeping in a peapod plus. She moves around a lot while she sleeps. Plus if she wakes up in the middle of the night, it may be scary for her to be all zipped in a tent like that.

That said, we really love ours. It's compact, mattress is pretty comfy, easy to assemble and pack up. We took it to the park last weekend.