12 of the Best Travel Pack 'n Play for You

Jess-Miller-Sunglasses
Published by 
Jess Miller
Last updated: 
April 1, 2023
baby sleeping in crib

Traveling has always been high on your priority list. That doesn't need to change because you have decided to expand your family. Whether it's to spend time with grandma or traveling the world, taking your baby on your adventures is going to show you the world with a whole new perspective. Having the best travel pack 'n play is essential in making sure that your sweet little one has a comfortable place to not only sleep but play.

But how do you know which system to buy? Your baby deserves to sleep like a king or queen in the best travel pack 'n play on the market.

What Is a Travel Pack 'n Play?

A travel pack 'n play is an easily portable place for your sweet little angel to lay their head at night while you are traveling. If you are staying in a space where you are concerned about sharp corners on furniture or any exposed outlet covers, a travel pack 'n play can also provide a safe space for playtime as well as bedtime.

Most travel pack 'n plays are smaller and more lightweight than a standard pack 'n play. This makes carrying them through an airport or fitting them into your vehicle much easier.

Can my baby sleep in a travel pack 'n play long term?

crib with toys
Image Source: Pixabay

While a travel pack 'n play is excellent for traveling, napping at home, and during those first few months of your baby's life when they need to sleep in the same room as you, a crib is the best place for your baby to sleep long term.

Most travel pack 'n plays have weight or height limitations, meaning your baby may grow out of it pretty quickly. Many cribs today can grow with your child making them last many years into the future.

The Importance of Proper Set Up

When it comes to using a pack 'n play, safety is of utmost importance.

There have been numerous studies indicating that the improper assembly of a pack 'n play can lead to collapse resulting in infant deaths.  Because these systems are so easy to fold up, it is imperative that they are set up correctly following the manufacturer's instructions.

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Throughout the last few years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has improved the safety standards for these types of baby products. Included in these new standards is a stability test to ensure that the pack 'n play remains stable while your child is in it.

Manufacturers must also test to ensure that a baby's head cannot get trapped by a bassinet or other accessories and floor strength tests to make sure that no child can get caught by the floor of the playpen.

This also rings true for the pack 'n play mattress that comes with your system. These are made to fit snuggly into your pack 'n play and have straps that are made to snap them into the correct position.

Therefore, it is not a good idea to insert mix and match mattresses with a different pack 'n play.

What Were We Looking For?

On the road to find the best travel pack 'n play systems for you and your family, there were a few things that were high on our priority list.

First, we wanted a lightweight system. Who wants to lug a heavy pack 'n play around while traveling?

The second thing we were looking for was easy setup and teardown. Traveling is already exhausting. Setting up a place for your little one to sleep doesn't need to be complicated.

We also wanted to check out options that could function in a few different ways. For example, we felt the best travel pack 'n play system for you and your family might include a bassinet, soft toys for your baby to play with, or even a canopy attachment.

The 12 Best Travel Pack 'N Play Systems For You

When it comes to travel pack 'n plays, you and your baby deserve the best of the best. But, searching for the best of the best can be almost as exhausting as it is overwhelming. That is why we did all of the work for you.

Our list of the best travel pack 'n play systems is in no particular order. Each of these products is sure to be a cozy place for your baby to sleep and play, whether you are visiting Grandma or traveling the world.

1. Lotus Travel Crib

When it comes to ease of use, it doesn't get much easier than the Lotus Travel Crib. Not only is it lightweight, weighing in at 13 pounds, it only takes 15 seconds to set up. Only 15 seconds! Talk about a quick way to set your baby up for a nap.

This system quickly made our list of best travel pack 'n play systems because it earned the GreenGuard Gold Certification. This means that you can rest assured knowing your baby is in a non-toxic sleeping environment.

Not only is the mattress breathable, helping protect your baby against SIDS, the sides of this pack 'n play are also made of mesh.

PROS

  • Breathable
  • Easy to set up
  • Lightweight
  • Zipper openings on sides

CONS

  • Standard pack 'n play sheets will not work with this mattress

2. Graco Travel Lite Crib

When it comes to all things baby, Graco is a trusted name. Weighing in at about 19 pounds, the Graco Travel Lite Crib comes with an adjustable height bassinet. This provides a great sleeping environment for your baby from newborn through their early toddler years.

While they were designing this travel pack 'n play, the designers thought of everything. A canopy provides a shield from any light but includes soft toys to keep your baby occupied.

PROS

  • Lightweight
  • Easily grows with your child

CONS

  • Sheets may be challenging to find
  • No zipper openings on the side

3. BABYBJORN Travel Crib Light

The BABYBJORN Travel Crib Light may be one of the lightest travel systems we found. In total, the system weighs only 11 pounds, 13 pounds if you include the carrying case. To us, that sounds like a manageable amount of weight to carry around if you have to.

The airy mesh design allows you to see what your baby is doing from all sides of the crib. Aside from locking the legs, their user manual indicates this travel crib sets up in one easy set. Sounds great, doesn't it?

PROS

  • Oeko-Tex Certified
  • Easy to set up
  • Lightweight

CONS

  • No zipper openings on sides

4. 4moms Breeze Plus Portable

We couldn't make a list of the best travel pack 'n play systems without including this great product from 4moms. The Breeze Plus Portable is another one-step set up making your life, well, a breeze.

Included with the purchase of this pack 'n play is a removable bassinet and changer. That makes it in an all-in-one when it comes to your baby's care while you are traveling.

The 4moms does come in a little heavier than some of the other pack 'n plays on our list. Weighing about 23 pounds, we still think this system will be secure for you to carry using their convenient travel bag.

PROS

  • One step set up
  • Removable changer and bassinet

CONS

  • Not as lightweight
  • Must use 4moms pack 'n play sheets
  • No zipper openings on sides

5. BABY JOY Baby Playpen

Breathable mesh is a must at providing peace of mind while you are traveling. Being able to see your baby sleeping or playing is sure to make traveling that much easier.

The BABY JOY Baby Playpen is a pro when it comes to that. All sides of the playpen are made so that you can see what your little one is doing inside.

Weighing in at 10 pounds, I think we can say this would be a comfortable pack 'n play to travel with. This system also sets up in one easy step. Does it get much better than that?

PROS

  • Lightweight
  • Easy to set up
  • Made of breathable mesh

CONS

  • Mattress may not be easily washed
  • Does not come with a mattress cover

6. JOOVY New Room2 Portable Playard

The Joovy New Room2 Portable Playard is one of the heaviest pack 'n plays to make our list. Weighing in at almost 30 pounds, it is a lot to carry around. But, we included it on our list for a good reason.

With the addition of the Twin Nursery Center, this playard is perfect if you have twins or babies that are close in age. With the Twin Nursery Center's divided bassinet, you can have your two babies sleeping at the same time. No need to carry around two pack 'n plays when you can use this one!

The Joovy does come with a convenient travel case and does come with a fitted sheet!

PROS

  • Can hold two babies with the addition of Twin Nursery Center
  • Comes with a fitted sheet
  • Sides made of breathable mesh

CONS

  • Heavy

7. Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go Playard

Next on our mission to find the best travel pack 'n play for your family is the Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go playard. Weighing in at approximately 17 pounds, this is another lightweight option.

Included with your purchase of this pack 'n play is a removable bassinet. This makes it not only great for travel but even great for just hanging out at home.

While coming up with the design for this pack 'n play, Graco made sure to include a bar of soft toys to help keep your little one occupied. They were even sure to include automatic folding feet to help ensure the most compact fold.

PROS

  • Lightweight
  • Comes with a toy bar

CONS

  • Not as easy to set up

8. born free NISA Playard

If you love to camp, this may be the best travel pack 'n play for you. The born free NISA playard weighs in at a slim 11 pounds making it incredibly lightweight. The best part? The canopy attachment that comes with it.

Made out of breathable mesh, you won't have to worry about bugs getting to your little one with this pack 'n play canopy combination. The canopy even stays attached to the pack 'n play when you are packing it up. Talk about easy teardown!

When it comes to setting this up for your baby, it doesn't get much more manageable. With its pop up design, setting up is a breeze!

Even if you don't love spending time in the great outdoors, this is a great travel system altogether. With a padded floor, your baby is sure to be comfortable no matter where you are.

PROS

  • Lightweight
  • Pop up design makes easy setup
  • Mesh canopy keeps the bugs out

CONS

  • Does not have bassinet attachment

9. Babyseater Portable Playard

Another popup style playard to add to our list of the best travel pack 'n play. This style of pack 'n plays is gaining popularity because of how easy they are to set up and tear down.

Made with busy parents in mind, the Babyseater Portable was made to make your life easier. Each part of this pack 'n play is designed to be easily cleaned.

With two safety latches, you can also be assured that your baby is safe inside, no matter if you are indoors or outside.

PROS

  • Large space for your baby
  • Easy to set up and teardown
  • Only weighs 15 pounds

CONS

  • Mattress may not be as soft as others

10. Flisko 2 in 1 Travel Crib & Bassinet

The Flisko 2 in 1 Travel Crib & Bassinet is another great two for one option. With an easy to snap on bassinet, you can rest assured knowing that your baby is sleeping peacefully.

With it's easy to use carrying case, this travel system weighs in at about 14 pounds.

The zipper sides allow for your baby to crawl in and out of the travel crib by themselves, creating endless amounts of playtime. When it is time for bed, just go ahead and zip the sides back up

PROS

  • Lightweight
  • Easy to zip sides
  • Bassinet included
  • Mattress sheet included

CONS

  • Mattress may be thinner than others

11. Delta Children LX Deluxe

Next on our list of the best travel pack 'n play is the Delta Children LX Deluxe. We love this one because of its multiuse abilities even though it weighs in at 30 pounds.

Not only can this system double as a bassinet, but it also includes a changing table station. It also has hanging storage. A place for baby to play, sleep, get changed, and store some of their most loved items? That sounds like a great idea to us too!

Delta even included an adorable soft toy mobile for your baby to look at and play with. They did think of everything when they designed this pack 'n play.

PROS

  • Multiuse
  • Extra storage

CONS

  • Heavy

12. Skip Hop Portable Playard

Rounding out our list of the best travel pack 'n play for you and your family is the Skip Hop Portable Playard.

With a few zips, this pack 'n play goes from playard to travel crib just like that. Don't worry, both the travel crib mattress and an easy to wipe play mat are both included. Talk about a two for one deal!

While this pack 'n play is not as lightweight as some of the others we have mentioned, it does only weigh in at about 20 pounds. The included travel bag will help make transporting this a breeze.

PROS

  • Easy to convert between playard and travel crib
  • Sheets included

CONS

  • May be difficult to tear down

Off to Dreamland

We hope that we were able to help you find the best travel pack 'n play for you and your family. Traveling is going to be much more special now that you can show your little one all of your favorite places. Even better, find new places as a family to experience for the first time.

While all of these travel pack 'n plays are great options, please be sure to follow all of the manufacturer's instructions for proper setup.  Making sure to follow these step-by-step instructions will help ensure that your baby is playing and sleeping in a safe space.

Whether you plan to travel the world or just spend time at Grandma's, you can rest assured knowing that your baby is in one of the best travel pack 'n plays on the market.

Now that you have found the best travel pack 'n play, what is your dream vacation destination to take your baby on!  Let us know what you love in the comments below!

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