travelling with infant - portable cribs? UPDATE post #27

[♥ms.pacman♥]

any recommendations for good portable cribs for traveling with an infant (3-4 month old)? is the Graco PnP the "gold standard"...anything better?

this weekend will be our son's first road trip (typically 5 hr drive). and then in 2 weeks will be his first plane trip. my main concern here is the sleeping arrangement away from home...thing is, DS *loves* his crib as he likes to move & kick around a lot in his sleep and the crib mattress is very firm so it doesn't wake him up when he moves around. he loves to stretch out (no swaddling for him). now here's the thing, we have a PnP, but not sure if that will be the best thing here. We almost never use it at home. We had to lower the "mattress" on it since by 3mo DS had already exceeded the 15lb weight limit of the bassinet feature. And it seems like the bottom of the PnP is designed mainly for "playing" not for sleeping (seems a bit uncomfortable, as it doesn't feel like a smooth surface etc).

Anyway, we will have a Nap Nanny while traveling but i'm not sure if i want to let DS use it for 10+hrs at night (we only use it for naps). it seems like it can get really hot after a few hours use.

so, if there anyone has any rec's for portable cribs (or other suggestions), i'm all ears! i'm willing to spend some $ on something good since we plan to travel pretty frequently...already we have 3 plane trips planned by August!

[HIU8]

We always used our PNP for trips until MIL got a full size crib for us to use. At my mothers we have used the PNP exclusively. We never had any issues with DC sleeping all night long in it from the time they were newborn until well over a year old.

[Piglet]

Are you visiting someone when you travel? It seems everyone knows someone with a PnP. It is such a beast to travel with, IMO. I have one that I lend out to anyone and everyone that visits our friends and family here. Mine is a Graco and is 8.5 years old and still solid. As for whether baby will like it, I can't say. DS1 loved it and slept in in for years (at the dayhome he went to). DS2 and DD were not fans but they were also lousy sleepers no matter. They do seem uncomfortably hard (and maybe they are) but crib mattresses are supposed to be firm too, so maybe that is just how they are supposed to be.

The only other thing you can look into is the Peapod:

http://www.kidco.com/main.taf?p=4,5

I have no experience but they seem so cool!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thx for the replies. and about half the time we travel we will be visiting family, the other half in hotels. my mom & MIL both have PnPs at their house so we will not have to bring ours, so that's good.

i guess i should test out DS sleeping in our PnP for one night at home and see how he likes it, or at least get him used to it

[elektra]

We have always brought our Graco PNP. But now that they are charging for luggage, I am just going to use the portable crib they can provide at the place we stay in Kauai, when we go in a few months.
I really wanted the Bjorn travel crib though. It seems so much lighter weight but it was $$$. If I traveled more I might have gotten it.
http://www.amazon.com/BABYBJ%C3%96RN-Travel-Crib-Light-Blue/dp/B000XDYLEK

[wellyes]

I've been eyeing this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002M77N22/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Cheap, comfortable and good to 25 lbs.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

OMG ok now i want that BabyBjorn travel crib!! :D yeah it may be $$ but considering the amount we travel, it may be worth it. i like how it's so small & light to carry, unlike the PnP. and the video ..wow, it takes like 2 seconds to sit up and like 10 seconds to dissasemble, unlike the PnP. hmm, will go ask DH about this..

and about the FisherPrice newborn rocker, it looks cool except i fear DS would be too big for it already (or if not, would outgrow it no time!).

[PearlsMom]

OMG ok now i want that BabyBjorn travel crib!! :D yeah it may be $$ but considering the amount we travel, it may be worth it. i like how it's so small & light to carry, unlike the PnP. and the video ..wow, it takes like 2 seconds to sit up and like 10 seconds to dissasemble, unlike the PnP.

Do it! My boss turned me on to the Bjorn crib, and now I have one instead of a PnP. At first I was hesistant because, well, it's not as cute as a PnP, and doesn't have much in the ways of bells and whistles (no newborn napper or change table or lights or vibrations). But when I saw it in action, being set up and taken down and carried...by a real parent dealing with a real baby, not just actors in a video...I was sold. It's so light and the setup is so easy. I haven't used it yet (baby not here yet) but living on an island, most of our travel is by air, so it seemed like the right call for us.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

hmm ok so now i think i'm totally sold on the BabyBjorn travel crib! :) talked to DH and he gave the green light. i think he was convinced after seeing that it got 5/5 stars on amazon (with over 100 reviews!) also the demo video looked pretty cool.

and yeah, i think the speed in setting up/taking down and it being very lightweight/portable are the biggest selling factors. i think the ease in transporting will also be helpful once i get preggers with baby #2 and won't be able to carry a lot especially with a toddler to mind as well.

anyway, thx everyone for the responses. i love the BBB!! :love-retry:

[elektra]

hmm ok so now i'm totally sold on the BabyBjorn travel crib! :)

Nice! I always wanted one! It seems SO nice. Now I can live vicariously through you. ;)

[WatchingThemGrow]

I would compare the sleeping surface dimensions to PnP dimensions. Many parents fear their DC outgrowing the PnP b/c length/height b/c it means there will be a toddler too big for a containment device in a (likely) unbabyproofed environment. Not a good combination. We're at that point right now - where DS1 is too long to sleep in a PnP stretched out, but is nowhere near ready to sleep on an aerobed. Our trip next week will be interesting..

[mousemom]

We have a Phil & Ted's Traveller portable crib, which we got recently when Costco had them for $80. DS would not sleep in it, but I would still recommend it, if you can get a decent price on it. (He also would not sleep in a regular pack'n'play, so I don't think the crib was the problem.) The mattress seemed fairly comfortable (we used a 21" wide king size pillowcase as a sheet). The crib is very lightweight and easy to put together/take apart. It was also very sturdy - despite leaning against the sides, our toddler didn't tip it over. When we packed it, it took up about half of a larger rolling suitcase.

http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Teds-Traveller-Full-Size-Travel/dp/B0011Z13DG/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1271959058&sr=1-16

[mom2binsd]

One thing I did, wash the portable crib sheets with your babies/families regular laundry so it smells like the crib sheets he's used to.

[peanut520]

We have a Phil & Ted's Traveller portable crib, which we got recently when Costco had them for $80. DS would not sleep in it, but I would still recommend it, if you can get a decent price on it. (He also would not sleep in a regular pack'n'play, so I don't think the crib was the problem.) The mattress seemed fairly comfortable (we used a 21" wide king size pillow as a sheet). The crib is very lightweight and easy to put together/take apart. It was also very sturdy - despite leaning against the sides, our toddler didn't tip it over. When we packed it, it took up about half of a larger rolling suitcase.

http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Teds-Traveller-Full-Size-Travel/dp/B0011Z13DG/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1271959058&sr=1-16

We love ours. i compared it to the bjorn and couldnt see spending the extra money. we got our at costco too but before it was on sale. we planned to use it around the pool on our first family trip with my 10mo dd last year. so glad we brought it since dd refused to sleep in the crib the ritz carlton provided. we would make it up every night for her to sleep and it was portable and light enough that my husband carried to the pool every day so she had a place to safely sit and play and nap without us worrying.

[Snow mom]

Sounds like the Bjorn crib has won, but I still thought I'd put in my vote for the Kidco Peapod. It's super easy to setup, easy to take down (once you figure out which way to twist), and very small/lightweight. We got the plus model off Craigslist for a good price and I think it will last DD well into her toddler years.

[peanut520]

sorry i forgot to say that it will be going with us to FL, LV, and Jamaica again this year. i also find it that is about the size of a long skinny duffle bag. we must have a larger suit case because it only take up about 1/4-1/3 of our larger suitcase.

[twowhat?]

Just wanted to add - what we do with our P&P is to put a large towel, folded in half, on top of the pad and then put a P&P sheet over it. It adds just enough "softness" to make me feel better about putting a sleeping baby there. And we've never had a problem with it. If you will be traveling to the same family's house often, it is worth investing in a full-size crib (if they have the space), esp since your DS is big. It will last the longest and definitely provide a comfy sleeping space whenever you visit. And I'd vote for the IKEA Gulliver crib with an IKEA foam mattress:) Totally budget friendly AND comfy!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thanks for the replies everyone. i just went to my local baby store to check a few of these out. they did have the BabyBjorn travel crib in stock, but not on display :( so i couldn't check it out unfortunately. they did have the Phil & Ted's travel crib on display, which seemed pretty nice (the "mattress" seemed more stable & comfortable than PnP, was lower to the ground) but it's $199 there so i figured might as well shell out $35 more for the BabyBjorn.

and as for Ikea cribs, i thought of that, however the family we travel to the most (my ILs) have a pretty small house and there would be no space for a crib there . actually the only reason they have a PnP at their house is not for DS, but for another grandbaby who my MIL babysits (it's a pink PnP :)). also, we travel often to other places as well, so we'd still need a solution for when we stay in hotels etc. tho it is good idea to maybe have one ikea crib at my mom's house since when we do travel there, we tend to stay for a while (a week or so).

i guess the other issue with a Graco PnP is the size/bulkiness of it (we just have a sedan, so not a lot of space)...ideally we'd like something that fits inside a suitcase. plus the PnP mattress just doesn't seem stable (stable's not the right word..it just seems like you press down on it and the whole thing moves, KWIM? that seems to bother my DS because he moves & kicks a lot in his sleep and when he does that the whole thing kinda moves and i think it tends to wake him up). when he was small, my DS never liked the PnP but he liked the bassinet (which had wooden slab underneath so the mattrress thingy never sagged or moved).

[creativelightbulb]

what about the graco travel lite crib? I noticed no one mentioned that it is basically a mini PNP

we plan to use this as our travel crib until Peanut outgrows it...

http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Travel-Playard-Barcelona-Bluegrass/dp/B002TUTP0A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1271966546&sr=8-1

[baileygirl]

Looks like you already decided! Just to add for anyone else looking. We bought the Phil and Ted Travel Crib almost 3 years ago when we were traveling to Europe and wanted something that packs compactly. It was great for us, because it takes doesn't take up that much space in a suitcase. DS1 had no problems sleeping in it, and we are now using it with DS2. I don't think the BabyBjorn one was out at the time, so we didn't look at it.

[BarbieSmith]

We loved the Phil & Ted's one until the girls were about 2.5 years old!

[DietCokeLover]

I love our Pea Pod Plus (we have two). I wish I had gotten them earlier instead of pnp. They are so lightweight and compact. I think you can usually find them for $89 but often you can find a deal. My DC are 2 and 3 and they still fit very comfortably in them.

[tmrbwilson1998]

Sorry to threadjack, but in my quest for a sleeping space for #3 (due in Sept.), this thread has me rethinking the P&P. For those of you with the Bjorn Travel Crib Light or the Phil & Ted's Traveller, is the mattress better/more comfy for baby than a P&P? We have amilitary move coming up, but most likely not until baby is a good 7-8 months old. DH would really love to get a crib when we move (due to current space issues). Would these 2 options be better than a P&P do you think?

Thanks!

[czekit7]

We use a Travel Lite PNP...uses a bassinet sheet. Has a bassinet level, and then lower level for later on when the baby is over 15#. I use it at my MIL when I have to stay in town for my on-call-nights (I'm a nurse). He's now in the lower level (17#), but still works great. Got it on clearance for $50 at Baby Depot.

[Luckymommy657]

My son sleeps in the Nap Nanny all night every night! I wouldn't worry about it! That's the only place where he sleeps soundly and so I let him sleep there. I think that's what it's meant for! If your child sleeps well there I would just let him sleep there! It's so easy to travel with too! I bring it everywhere. And so easy to just take the cover right off when I get home to clean it! LOVE the Nap Nanny!

[PearlsMom]

A drawback to the Bjorn crib is that it doesn't have that raised bassinet level, so you'd be putting baby alllll the way down in the bottom of the crib every time. If I was looking for a smaller/portable crib to use as a primary bed for a few months, I think I'd go with an Arm's Reach co-sleeper (or mini)...they have higher weight limits on the bassinet.

BTW, I got my Bjorn crib yesterday and it is awesome and ridiculously light. And it really is *that* easy to set up/take down.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thx again everyone for all the helpful comments!! :)

i went to order the Bjorn travel crib on amazon but then realized that with the regular shipping i would not get it in time for our trip this weekend. so i took twowhat?'s advice and when we got to my in-laws' i just put a folded up towel underneath the "mattress" of their PnP, so at least the bar in the center wasn't in his back or anything. anyway, that worked beautifully..DS slept thru both nights without making a peep! yay. :)

though when we got back we both realized that we still would like a lightweight travel crib for when we travel by air or when we have to stay at a hotel, like we will next weekend when we go out of town. we went to BuyBuyBaby yesterday and checked out the Bjorn travel crib and we both liked it. the mattress did seem more comfy. So, i just went to amazon today to order it and noticed that the Bjorn crib had just dropped in price..from $235 to $219!! yay!! so i guess it's great that i waited until now to order the crib. anyway, i signed up for a free trial membership of amazon prime and got 2day shipping so i can get it before we leave for out trip in a week.

anyways, thanks again everyone for all the helpful advice! :thumbsup: :bighand:

[SnuggleBuggles]

I hope it works out great!

Where'd you get the prime trial?

Beth

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I hope it works out great!

Where'd you get the prime trial?

Beth

thanks..i just got it when i went to order from amazon and it was showing me the shipping options, and it said i could get free 2 day shipping if i signed up for a trial of amazon prime. i was surprised it was letting me get another trial since i had gotten one (and canceled it) before (but this was *years* ago). i think it even said something like "we're giving you another chance to try prime" or something or other..

[BabyH]

late to the thread BUT you must check out the Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper - it's incredible...... my newborn wasn't loving sleeping flat on his back in the PnP, so we got this - and he hasn't grunted once! lol It folds very easily and is fairly inexpensive.

[peanut520]

thanks for the replies everyone. i just went to my local baby store to check a few of these out. they did have the BabyBjorn travel crib in stock, but not on display :( so i couldn't check it out unfortunately. they did have the Phil & Ted's travel crib on display, which seemed pretty nice (the "mattress" seemed more stable & comfortable than PnP, was lower to the ground) but it's $199 there so i figured might as well shell out $35 more for the BabyBjorn.

the phil and ted's is only 80.00 at costco.com and if you not a member i think you pay a 5 or 10% surcharge. i believe s&h is also included.