Cribs vs. Pack and Play

JenniJ20

I am pushing it a little close at almost 30 weeks, just deciding on baby equipment now, but my baby shower won't be until we move back home to Utah at the end of the summer and I'm not buying stuff out here in the South to haul it home in one car! I do have a question though...Has anyone used a Pack and Play in place of a crib? I know they can come with a bassinet attachment which I would love to use at the beginning. But I don't want to end up buying a Pack and Play and wishing I had a crib instead. I want to make the best money conscious decision but I don't want to give up the safety of baby or practicality. Pro's, Con's? Preferences? 

thenorris3

{Lurking}  DS1 slept in a pack n play until he was 6 months old.  He slept fine didn't seem uncomfortable.  I had a rock n play for DS2 which he also slept in for 6 months.  That thing was AWESOME! He slept so good and it was small and easy to move.  Yes there are some recalls on some of them but as long as you wash it often and remove the cover if it ever gets wet you wont have any problems.  With both the Pnp and Rnp baby can sleep in  your room if you have a crib it might be tight.  Plus set up and break down are so much easier than a crib.

Mom38673

I just like the idea of LO having his or her own crib.  I have both, and I used both with my first.  I use and will use the PNP for traveling and for the first month or so.  I will keep it up in our room.  I used the PNP often with my first when she had a virus etc... I could keep a close watch on her.  She loved it.  PNP are good for naps too. Really, it's whatever works for you.  

kpahl

Go for a crib and a rock n play, that's all 1 slept in for the first 4 months.

kdjudd

The most valuable baby item I had for awhile was a Rock and Play. Renee slept in that for months! She had horrible colic and reflux and the incline helped her sleep better. I'm planning on using that again with number two or co-sleeping. Then around 1 I will transition into a crib. 

A37licia

Long term, I have been much, much happier with a crib. I'm having my third and still plan to use a crib. We use the PNP when traveling or having guests, and it's fantastic for that but not ideal for every day life at home.

blondii428

AFwifelife:

If you are choosing between one or the other, pick the crib.  Your LO will be much more comfortable in a real piece of furniture with a real mattress.  A PnP is good for the beginning with the bassinet option but as your LO gets older, it really is for traveling or naps.  

 This.  We got both and are using the PNP in our room for 6 months or so until he can sleep most of the night without waking SD up since they will be sharing a room.

Arielle27

I definitely prefer a real crib. It is sturdier, more comfortable for the baby, seems safer in my opinion, and is much more comfortable for us to put the babies to sleep in!

Of course the pros of a pack n play are cost and mobility. However, you can find inexpensive options for mini cribs to begin with and make a decision later on, before the baby is 4 or 5 months old, as to what you want to buy and use permanently.

Also, if cost is your main factor in wanting a pack n play, there are a lot of really nice used options on Craigslist, eBay and tradingcradles.com.

VTFutureMrs

Neither one I my kids liked the pack n play all that much, so we definitely got tons more use out of the crib. We did use the PnP while on vacation though. I second the rock n play that the other poster mentioned. We used that a lot and loved it!

chicsahm

DS was born 3 months before our house was done being built (was supposed to finished by his due date) So we were in an extended stay hotel. We used a pack and play with the new born napper and he slept in that for the 1st 3 months.... it worked perfect and we have used the pack and play a TON for travel.... I say get the pack and play with the napper, and get a crib once in Utah.

linzeek44

The Pack and Play is great for traveling or when the baby is little, but you'd probably want a crib for long term use. 

If money is an issue, look into a cheaper crib. Ikea has ones that are rated well in Baby Bargains and aren't expensive ($99). It will convert to a toddler bed too, so you can use it for a while. 

reason00

A crib is way better if you can only have 1. The heavier they get, the more uncomfortable those poles, boards, and 1cm padding will get.

magicalbride2bee

AFwifelife:

If you are choosing between one or the other, pick the crib.  Your LO will be much more comfortable in a real piece of furniture with a real mattress.  A PnP is good for the beginning with the bassinet option but as your LO gets older, it really is for traveling or naps.  

This.  

twinkets

My cousin gave me her baby's pack n, play and she said her daughter slept happily in it until she was almost a year. My in-laws have bought us a really nice crib but I have been afraid of using it as I know someone who's son, even with bumpers on the crib, somehow managed to get his arm stuck and broken in the slats. I feel like the pack n' play is just a safer option. You can also get better mattresses for them than the ones they come with of you're worried about baby's comfort.

imakeeff0rts

DH and I got both for these reasons: 

1. We'll have to get a toddler bed eventually, so we decided on a crib for life type thing. We bought our's at WalMart for about $150. We like the way it looks, it's sturdy, and got great reviews. 

2. We live in military housing. Our room is NOT big enough to fit a pack and play along with all of the typical bedroom furniture that we already have in there (hence the crib that we've put together in the nursery). My cousin gave us the bassinet that she used for her kids, so we figured that would work while I establish BFing. Keep him in the room with me at night, and during the day put him in his crib. 

3. When we travel, we tend to be gone for longer periods of time. We're taking our first long trip back home at Christmas. It's about a 12 hour drive, and DS will be about 2.5-3 months. A pack and play would be handy for hotel stays and to use as a crib while at each of our parents' houses. So, if you're planning on traveling a lot, I would invest in the pack and play.

The Pack and Play that we got was more expensive than our crib by about $50-ish. We like the crib because we were able to get one piece of furniture that converts from crib, to toddler bed, to full size bed so it'll last DS a while. If we weren't planning on doing a lot of traveling, I'd skip out on the Pack and Play and just go with the crib for the sake of saving a few bucks (unless, that is, you get a crazy expensive crib).

Cristine

I don't see them as either/or. This is our 3rd baby and we're buying a new crib and pack n play, plus I borrowed a bassinette from my SIL. If I couldn't borrow the bassinette I'd have put him in my room in the pack n play until 4 months. As people have said the crib will be much more comfortable. I found mine on Amazon for $200 but I could've gone much cheaper. The pack n play was $150 but I saw some as cheap as $60.  Our crib is in our guest room so when we have guests the baby will be in the pack n play in our room, plus whenever we visit family. I'm also going to set it up on the main floor of my house so that I can use the changing table downstairs as well as the napper.

kje120

In my opinion a pack n play is just for short term use.  I wouldn't want to use it as the sole place for baby to sleep.  A crib will be much more comfortable with a real mattress instead of that thin one in the PnP.