Buying A Portable Crib For Your Baby

Portable cribs are great to have because they are easy to transport and they can be used whenever your baby needs to take a nap away from home.

A portable crib is an item that should be on the shopping list of every parent-to-be. Portable cribs are great because they allow you to easily transport a crib with you wherever you go - to the park, to your friend's house for a dinner party, on vacation, et cetera. Without a portable crib, your baby won't be assured to have a comfortable and safe place to take a nap when you are away from the home. Also, if you are looking to save some money, you can use a portable crib as a playpen. Stationary (non-portable) cribs can be much more expensive than their portable counterparts because they are often more intricately designed with heavy wood. Regular cribs often come with wheels, but moving them around is really impractical because they are just too big, heavy, and bulky. If you want to travel with a regular crib, you'd better rent a truck or moving van because there is simply no way you're going to fit it in the backseat of a sedan or in the trunk of any style of car. You'd pretty much have to completely disassemble a regular crib in order to travel with it - and that would take a long time, and then even longer when you have to put it all back together. Therefore, portable cribs are a must. Here are a couple of the top portable cribs on the market:

Cosco Funsport Travel Playard

Cosco is a trusted name in the baby business, and they are known for their safe and high-quality products. The Cosco Funsport Travel Playard is a lightweight portable crib that can accommodate babies up to thirty pounds and thirty-five inches. The dimensions are twenty-eight inches by forty inches (so it can fit through standard doorways even when it's all set up), and the sides are all mesh, so your baby has ventilation and visibility. It comes with a removable vinyl mattress that is machine washable. Best of all, it folds up to fit into a nice little vinyl carrying case with a handle. The Cosco Travel Playard retails for approximately $60 - an incredible deal.

Evenflo BabyGo Portable Playpen w/ Bassinet, Changer, and Toy Bar

Several companies make portable cribs with additional features, such as storage and diaper changing stations, and the Evenflo BabyGo Playpen is one of them. This portable crib, which retails for about $100, comes with a removable bassinet for newborns, a removable and padded vinyl changing station, and a removable toy bar which actually comes with three soft toys. This modern portable crib also features a Sweet Sounds Night Light that plays several classical songs and also has a nature sound selection to lull your baby to sleep. There is a large storage pouch on one side of the crib so that you can carry clothes, diapers, toys, or whatever else you may need. This is a very popular portable crib model that even has wheels, mesh sides and a carrying case that it all folds up into.

When choosing your portable crib, make sure to research recall notices first. There have been several models of portable cribs recalled due to safety hazards, and some stores still carry them without realizing it. Check that the portable crib is safe: the mesh should be taut and tightly-woven so that the baby's hands and fingers cannot get through the holes, the hinges should lock tightly into place, the base of the crib should be strong and secure, and the top rail should be no less than twenty-two inches from the floor.

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