When you are traveling around the world—or even just a few towns over or to a friend’s house, you never know exactly what the accommodations will be like where you are staying. Some hotels may have nice portable cribs, while others leave you wondering if your child would be better off sleeping on the floor. And even if you bring your own, we’ve found that some travel cribs are a nightmare to set up; there are so many pieces that must be put together in just the right way. Safety, ease of use, and portability are key.
We have tried a few different travel cribs, but the one that we liked the most was the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib and Portable Baby Playard. Here are just a few of the reasons that this crib really hit the mark for us and was a go-to choice when traveling.
A Practical Choice
Coming off of a long or late-night flight, the last thing we wanted to do was spend 30 minutes trying to figure out how to set up a crib for our son. Setting up the Lotus Travel Crib was a snap and something that could be done in less than 30 seconds. It is all one piece, so there are no extra parts to connect except putting in the mattress. The legs fold down, the crib pops open, and you’re ready to go.
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Plus, the sides are full-coverage mesh, meaning it is breathable and safer for young children, and parents can easily see through the sides to check on their child without having to look down from above. There is a convenient zipper side door as well, so if using the crib as a playard, your little one can easily get in and out on their own. However, when it comes time for bed or napping, you can secure the zipper door closed, and the sides of the crib are high enough that even our tall toddler couldn’t climb out.
Speaking of having a tall toddler, another challenge is often that travel cribs are small and cramped. This one gave our son plenty of room to move around while he slept or played, and he still has room to grow so we can get more use out of it.
With so much room and comfort, you may be wondering if it is cumbersome to carry around. Not at all! It folds up in about 15 seconds and fits into a rectangular backpack that only weighs about 13 pounds. Altogether, it is about 2 feet long and foot wide when folded up. This means you can easily wear it as a backpack or toss it in the trunk and be on your way. Plus, it is incredibly durable and held up well during the 60+ flights we checked it on.
Overall, this travel crib is a little more expensive than other options, but certainly worth the cost with how easily it sets up and breaks down as well as lightweight it is. The one drawback we would note is that at night it is hard to see through the mesh on a baby monitor. It just looks all white. This means you can’t see your child’s face while they sleep, but you can still see them moving about and hear them. Plus, our child would stand up once he was awake, so it wasn’t too much of an issue.
You could go with a cheaper option, but as parents, we put a high value on a good night’s sleep and knowing our child is safe. This travel crib was the perfect choice for us.
Useful resources/links
- Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib and Portable Baby Playard
- Parent Approved: The 6 Best Travel Cribs for Toddlers
