Are all Pack N' Plays created equal?

MrsRahl

Hi ladies, I'm looking to purchase a pack n' play and they all seem the same to me from what I can tell. The only difference I've found was going with a portable model like Phil and Ted's "Traveller." We camp a lot and visit family, so this seems it would be a good idea, however wouldn't you want a very sturdy pack n' play for when the child is just playing inside while you're say doing the dishes etc.?  Any moms out there have any advice/experience?

jshrop

Good question. I'll be following this

abastian00

This is another good one for the fan favorite, "Baby Bargains." They have great recommendations based off of safety, weight, traveling, price, etc. If no one else chimes in with what the specific recs are before I get home, I'll update later!

But, seriously, for $8.50 on Amazon, it's totally worth buying yourself a copy!

RedMar

I'll be following this as well. I've been looking at reviews and one of the biggest complaints is the changing table does not stay even and the baby rolls to the edge/corner. Please post the ones you recommend thanks

snowpants

No, they're not all created equal.  Some have all the bells and whistles (and the cost reflects it) and some are pretty basic.  You have specific needs in mind and getting some opinions/doing more research is a good idea.

For me, we registered for and received a pretty basic PnP from Target.  It's This One.  No extra bassinet, no place to store diapers/wipes/etc, no musical components but we didn't need all that.  It's got the higher level for infants, the lower setting for when baby starts to roll/sit, it was a little smaller than many others and thus easier to travel with, and not having all that extra stuff means it was lighter too.  Plus it wasn't $150+.  These are the things that were important to us.  It's been wonderful for us and we still use it when we travel (it's still big enough for my 2.5 year old DD who is in the 97% for height).  It's held up great, still looks brand new.

That being said, I didn't research a ton ahead of time so there's probably lighter PnPs out there or specific camping options that you might find.  GL!

snowpants

@RedMar, my friends who have PnPs with changing tables complain about that as well.  Most of them ended up using the changing tables very little if at all.  I'm sure some people found it very useful, so I'm not saying you wouldn't like it, but from the people I know it was pretty much just a waste.  For me, if we were home we had our regular changing table to use.  If we were at a family's house, a hotel, or camping, etc, we simply used a bed or the floor as needed. 

Mommy2Elijah

We have the Chicco that we bought with DS.  I used it as the bassinet in our room for the first 3 months and then used it to travel when we visited family.  I really like it and have gotten a lot of use out of it.  We didn't use the changing table that often but it was sturdy and never felt like it would fall off when we used it.  If you;re going to use it as a bassinet option I would recommend spending the extra money and getting one that is a better quality so it will last.  

ashquack

I am a baby bargains groupie and they recommended graco above all other brands and also were against the newborn sleeper option that some come with. I registered for the graco pack n play on the go travel play yard (79.99). It got their highest ratings.

chickpea912

In addition to baby bargains, I'm a big fan of consumer reports.  I'm almost a blind follower.  But I always check what they say and what they have found through their testing.

I know four years ago, they gave the Chicco playyard a MUCH higher rating than the Graco one, but I haven't looked since then.  I'd suggest checking out their website - I think the year membership is well worth the information you receive.

ElTrain5

Just a heads up for those posters who were complaining about the "tilt" that the changing tables sometimes come with... you can actually just bend the supports for it slightly so that it sits flat..no more rolling

flerlgirl

Like PP said, it just depends on what you want to use it for. We used the changing table on ours all the time but it had a pretty low weight limit. Now we just use it to keep toys in and DS sometimes plays in it, so we didn't really need any extra stuff. 

momof5sept18

Graco has always been my go-to choice. It was great while camping, easy to pack up, light, and was cheap compared to most. I didn't need want all the bells and whistles therefore I never spent more than $80 and it had the bassinet and the pack n play lasted FOREVER. (Seriously, I had it for 4yrs of rough and tough labor and NEVER had a problem.)

obscurereference

We have a Chicco and really like it. We bought it for a new baby but have been using it for DD when we travel and it's so easy to set up. We read about the changing table issues and specifically picked the Chicco because it is supported on 4 corners rather than being suspended over the bassinet. It seems really sturdy but we have not used it for its intended purpose yet. We also skipped the ones with nappers because they have the same weight limit as the bassinet so I didn't see a point. Might as well get a swing/bouncer/Mamaroo instead.

temursgirl

I second checking out Baby Bargains and Consumer Reports.  According to Baby Bargains, it does depend what your planned use is which one they recommend.

I just got the Graco one (which they recommend for at home use) with the newborn sleeper and changing table.  I am planning to use it at home, as the bassinet when LO is brand new, and then maybe during the day when needed.  I got a barely used one cheap from craigslist.

I also bought a Baby Bjorn travel crib, which is lighter weight and has fewer parts.  We plan to use that one for travel.  I also got it used.  As a FTM, I don't really know which will be more useful, or whether I need both or either, which is one reason I bought them used.

ElTrain5

We are using it as a bassinette/upstairs changing station (nursery is downstairs)/rock-n-play, so we are getting one with a vibrating bassinette, changing table, and shelving on the side for storage.  It's where baby will sleep for the first few weeks, plus it will keep a lot of the baby items contained while we are using it in our  bedroom upstairs, so it made sense to go for the more expensive one. 

abastian00

Update - here is what Baby Bargains recommends:

"Good" - Joovy's Room2 Portable Play Yard

"Better" - Chicco's Lullaby LX Play Yard

"Best" - Graco Pack 'n Play on the Go

"Best" for travel - Baby Bjorn's Travel Crib Light 2

They don't recommend anything with a baby napper, as they consider "the plush fabrics and head pillow" an unsafe sleep environment. They do recommend models with a bassinet feature.

That all said, I got this one, and probably will not use the newborn napper. I pretty much only bought it because I thought it had the best color palate, but probably not a good enough reason to spend the extra money!

tbmadeamistake

We got the same one that @snowpants linked, and we love it.  It was wonderful with the higher section when she was tiny and would nap in it, and then for a little while I tried to use it as a play pen and it ended up being a toy dumping ground.  It made an excellent toy dumping ground!  Can't say enough good about that.  Now we use it for traveling.  Charlie will probably spend less time in it, as with C around we don't have as much room with her big girl toys floating around.  I also feel like if he's napping, I'll want him in his room and out of C's way.  We take it on road trips because it folds up nicely and has a carrying strap on it.  I didn't really look at many others, I liked the price and functionality of this one. 

chloephoebecali

I have a Graco with the bells and whistles, but it wasn't obscenely expensive. I think you need to pick one based on how you plan to use it. I used mine on my main floor mostly as a changer and occasionally for naps. She seemed to nap better during the day in the swing or bouncer (probably the reflux). The changer is typically only good for up to a certain weight (not much). I still liked having it. Aside from that use, I never used it as a play yard and only a crib went we went away on vacation. They nap so often, I never really need to put them in a play yard to get stuff done, plus at that age I would use a jumperoo/exersaucer/swing if I needed to step away for a second/bathroom/grab something. Most of the play yards seem small compared to the ones we had when we were little so I usually would let the kiddos just play on a blanket on the floor. Plus it was nice to pack up the pnp after a while. It does take up space when you also have jumperoos, exersaucer, etc. We have one of those real play yards (the gating that goes in a circle). We didn't use it all that much, either.

fsumom

I have the Nuna Sena mini.  It's extremely small and portable but doesn't have bells and whistles which we didn't care for anyways.  We wanted something that had less chemicals and a bassinet so DS could be next to our bed.  Plus, once he outgrows the bassinet, he can still use it until approximately 18 months.

MrsRahl

Thanks everyone for the great responses!  To clarify, I'm really just looking for something simple, easy to pack up, and eventually sit baby in to play in under the awning of a camper if we are all sitting outside playing family games.  Having something I can use bedside while baby is young to sleep in is an added bonus. I personally hate all changing tables/stations (from working in a daycare), so a changing pad on the floor is A-Ok with me. Music on those things annoy me so no music is definitely preferred! lol