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How Do I Choose the Best Travel Cribs?
If you are trying to find the best travel cribs, there are a number of factors to include in your decision-making process. One thing to think about is how small you want the item to be when collapsed, because travel cribs typically fold to a smaller size to increase their portability. Another area of consideration is how simple you want the set-up process to be because some travel cribs can be set up in as little as a single motion, whereas others may take several steps to prepare them for use. The cost of a portable crib also could play a large role in your decision, as the items are sold for a wide range of prices.
The weight of a travel crib may be important to some people, but for people who will not carry the crib for extended periods of time, weight may not be a big issue. You may find it necessary to have a lightweight travel crib if you plan on traveling a great deal because dragging it around at airports or to and from hotels may be tiring. If you are traveling on an airplane, a light weight may be advantageous for another reason. Many airlines weigh the items you want to bring aboard, charging you more money for heavier items or not allowing you to bring certain heavy items on board. Having a light travel crib can reduce the overall weight of your luggage, potentially saving you money and hassles.
Think about how much time you generally have while traveling. Some people may not want to spend a great deal of time installing a child crib when traveling and may prefer to purchase travel cribs that are easy to set up. Other people may feel that certain travel cribs that take more time to set up are more comfortable or more secure for their child.
How much travel cribs cost can be a key concern for some people. When shopping for a travel crib, think about how much money you want to spend so you can avoid looking at items you cannot afford. If you want to spend the least amount of money, you can look into purchasing a pre-owned travel crib. Babies and small children tend to outgrow cribs quickly, and many parents sell their travel cribs after their children have no further use for them. If you search carefully, it probably will not be difficult to find a used travel crib that is in good condition and safe for your child.
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![Babies may outgrow travel cribs quickly.]()
By: hartphotographyBabies may outgrow travel cribs quickly.
Discussion Comments
@Mae82 - Our son has a phil&teds Traveller Crib which is great for going camping with. It is surrounded with a black mesh which is meant to keep out UV light but actually does wonders for keeping insects at bay. It is just like mosquito netting!
We usually take our traveller crib to the beach and to a campsite near our home, and our son has no trouble with getting bitten. Plus, it is nice to know he isn't going to get a sunburn either.
The crib can be a bit hard to put together at first, but if you practice at home you'll get used to it fast.
I will be going camping with my husband and daughter, and she is still quite small. We are wondering if there is a kind of travel crib that is best suited for use on a campsite?
We will be going for a week, so we need something really sturdy that can hold up to the elements. So far we have just seen travel cribs made for the indoors and we don't think that will do a lot of good, especially if there are bugs everywhere. While nature doesn't bother my husband or I, we really want to make sure our daughter is sheltered enough so she isn't uncomfortable in the woods.
When my family and I decided we wanted to do a cross-country drive to visit relatives purchasing a travel crib was one of our top priorities. We ended up buying a BABYBJÖRN Travel Crib Light, which was quite expensive at the time, but we felt it was perfect for setting up in hotels and at our cousin's home. We loved that it was so easy to assemble, as all you have to do is just unfold it and you are ready to put your baby down for a rest.
We were really surprised at how many kinds of travel cribs were available, so if you go shopping make sure you know what environment you are going to be staying in.
@dfoster85 - That sounds like what I need for in my kitchen. I want something to keep the little one (well, I'm between babies right now, but I think there will be another in a year or two) out from underfoot and entertained while I'm cooking, but my Pack n Play would just about eat up the entire room.
Something to think about with travel cribs is what you might do with it when you are *not* traveling! You might consider whether it will make a good play yard, where you might keep it in your house, etc. A lot of them have bassinet or changing table attachments for when baby is very small.
I actually got my Pack n Play from Freecycle! That's something else to check - many people are too generous (or too lazy) to sell their used baby equipment and will give it away!
Most get get a standard Pack n Play-size travel crib, but there are other options for smaller babies. Graco makes a Travel Lite crib that is about twenty percent smaller than the regular size. Other brands might also make something about that size, but I haven't seen any others.
The disadvantage is that your baby will be too big to sleep in it by about twelve months, but the advantage is that it's noticeably smaller and lighter. It also fits through a standard doorway without being folded, which is not true of the larger size play yards. If you plan to travel often during baby's first year, especially if quarters will be cramped, it might be a worthwhile investment.
They sell a special sheet for it, but I just used a pillow case! You can also use it as a play yard, though of course it's not as big.
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