Top 5 compared
The best travel cribs
A bed that packs into a bag, for vacations, weekends away and nights at the grandparents’.
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The top 5 at a glance
Most travel cribs are playards: folding cribs with mesh sides, a padded floor and a carry bag, the idea Graco launched with its first Pack ’n Play in 1987. Some add a bassinet that sits up high for the first months, or a changer for diapers. Backpack travel cribs like the Guava are lighter still: the mattress rests on the floor, and the whole thing carries through an airport.
Every maker here limits use to children under 35 in tall, and most set a weight limit too, with lower ones for bassinets and changers. Stop using any of them once a child can climb out, and don’t add a second mattress or padding to the one supplied.
What matters
- Its weight with the bag, and its folded size, for trunks and flights.
- Legs and wheels that fold away when it’s packed.
- A zip side door, for getting a child in and out.
#1Graco Pack ’n Play On the Go Playard with Bassinet (Kaden)
$75–$100
At 21.2 lb, it’s the lightest of Graco’s three here, and its feet and wheels fold away with the full-size bassinet folded up in it, so there are fewer parts to carry. It’s their plain travel one, with a push-button fold, a toy bar and a carry bag, and nothing extra to buy.
What owners say: Up in a minute and down again as fast, parents say, and handy for trips and stays with grandparents. They like that it’s roomy enough for a toddler yet packs small, with the bassinet folding up inside.
A closer look: Before each use, check that all four top rails have clicked into place and the center of the floor is pushed down flat. Take the bassinet out once the baby reaches 15 lb, and the playard serves until 35 in tall or 30 lb; it folds into a 10 in square column 26 in tall for the trunk.
- Bassinet folds with the playard
- Feet and wheels fold away
- Push-button fold
- Toy bar with soft toys
- Carry bag included
Best for: Trips and visits, from birth
- Suitable for (maker’s)
- Under 35 in and 30 lb; bassinet 15 lb
- Bassinet
- To 15 lb
- Zip side door
- No
- Open size (L × W × H)
- 39.5 × 28.25 × 29 in
- Folded size
- 10 × 10 × 26 in
- Weight
- 21.2 lb
#2Graco Pack ’n Play Travel Dome Lux Playard (Linden)
$200–$300
The fullest of Graco’s three here, made for the newborn months: a raised Travel Dome bassinet that brings a newborn up to eye level and lifts off for use around the house or outdoors under its UV 50 canopy, a full-size zip-in bassinet, a wipe-clean changer and, later, a toddler playard. Four setups in one, with two carry bags.
What owners say: New parents call it a big help in the newborn months, with the changer making night-time changes quick, and find it sturdy and easy to move. Some found the changing table tipped down a little in use.
Heads up: At about 33 lb it’s the heaviest here by some way, so it’s better for road trips than flights.
A closer look: Move the baby from the bassinets to the playard floor at 15 lb, or as soon as they can push up on hands and knees, and stop using the changer at 25 lb. Packed, it makes a 10 in square column about 26 in tall, plus a second bag for the dome.
- Dome bassinet lifts off
- UV 50 sun canopy
- Wipe-clean diaper changer
- Raises newborn to eye level
- Two carry bags
Best for: Newborns, at home and away
- Suitable for (maker’s)
- Under 35 in and 30 lb; bassinets 15 lb
- Bassinet
- 2 bassinets, to 15 lb
- Zip side door
- No
- Open size (L × W × H)
- 42 × 28 × 36 in
- Folded size
- 10 × 10 × 26 in
- Weight
- 32.7 lb
#3Guava Lotus Travel Crib
$200–$300
A true travel crib rather than a playard: 13 lb with its backpack, it folds small enough to carry through an airport hands-free and sets up in about 15 seconds. A side door unzips for cuddles or climbing in, and it’s GreenGuard Gold certified for low chemical emissions.
What owners say: Frequent fliers love that it goes on domestic flights as a carry-on and pops up in well under a minute. The side door, which locks from the outside, gets a lot of praise.
A closer look: Sheets aren’t included, so order a fitted one with it; Guava sells quilted and cotton ones. The mattress rests on the floor, which is why Guava sets no weight limit, only a height of 35 in, and Guava rates it for overnight sleep from newborn to age 3.
- Carries as a backpack
- About 15-second setup
- Certified low chemical emissions
- Removable washable cover
- Sheets sold separately
Best for: Flights and light packing
- Suitable for (maker’s)
- Under 35 in (no weight limit)
- Bassinet
- No
- Zip side door
- Lockable
- Open size (L × W × H)
- 45 × 32 × 25 in
- Folded size
- 24 × 7 × 11 in
- Weight
- 13 lb
#4Graco Pack ’n Play Simple Solutions Playard (Cam)
$100–$150
The middle Graco, between the two others here: the On the Go’s full-size bassinet plus a built-in diaper changer with a mesh pouch for wipes and diapers, without the Dome’s second bassinet or its price, then a roomy toddler playard once the baby outgrows them. The feet and wheels fold in, and it packs into its carry bag with a push-button fold.
What owners say: Well built and simple to set up, parents say; the bassinet and changing area make the early months easier at home and away. Some think it’s pricey, and a few saw the changer tilt toward the bassinet.
A closer look: Graco sets the changer at 25 lb and the bassinet at 15 lb; after that the toddler playard takes a child up to 35 in tall or 30 lb. At about 23.5 lb it’s one for car trips, and it folds into a 10 in square column 26 in tall.
- Mesh pouch for wipes, diapers
- Feet and wheels fold in
- Push-button fold
- Carry bag included
Best for: Changes and naps in one spot
- Suitable for (maker’s)
- Under 35 in and 30 lb; bassinet 15 lb
- Bassinet
- To 15 lb
- Zip side door
- No
- Open size (L × W × H)
- 39.5 × 28.25 × 29 in
- Folded size
- 10 × 10 × 26 in
- Weight
- 23.5 lb
#5Pamo Babe Portable Playard (P901, black)
$50–$75
A light, no-frills playard for trips and visits: 17.6 lb, tool-free to set up, with breathable mesh sides and a sturdy frame. It folds into a long, low bundle that lies across a car trunk.
What owners say: ‘A great little crib’ is the phrase that comes up: quick to set up and take down, sturdy and sized well for babies under about 18 months. Some had sides that didn’t lock as they should, and a few say it broke quickly.
Heads up: Lock all four side rails before pushing the floor down: Pamo Babe says lowering the base first can keep the rails from locking. Lift each rail until it clicks, and tug it to check.
A closer look: Between trips it slides under a bed or stands in a closet corner, and the mesh on every side lets you check on a sleeping baby from across the room. Pamo Babe says to stop using it once a child can climb out, reaches 35 in or passes 33 lb, whichever comes first.
- Tool-free setup
- Mesh on every side
- Slides under a bed
Best for: Road trips, folded across the trunk
- Suitable for (maker’s)
- Under 35 in and 33 lb
- Bassinet
- No
- Zip side door
- No
- Open size (L × W × H)
- 39.4 × 27.6 × 25.6 in
- Folded size
- 27 × 8 × 7.75 in
- Weight
- 17.6 lb
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Graco On the Go | #2Graco Travel Dome Lux | #3Guava Lotus | #4Graco Simple Solutions | #5Pamo Babe P901 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for newborns | Lightest | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 9.0 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $200–$300 | $200–$300 | $100–$150 | $50–$75 |
| Suitable for (maker’s) | Under 35 in and 30 lb; bassinet 15 lb | Under 35 in and 30 lb; bassinets 15 lb | Under 35 in (no weight limit) | Under 35 in and 30 lb; bassinet 15 lb | Under 35 in and 33 lb |
| Bassinet | To 15 lb | 2 bassinets, to 15 lb | No | To 15 lb | No |
| Zip side door | No | No | Lockable | No | No |
| Open size (L × W × H) | 39.5 × 28.25 × 29 in | 42 × 28 × 36 in | 45 × 32 × 25 in | 39.5 × 28.25 × 29 in | 39.4 × 27.6 × 25.6 in |
| Folded size | 10 × 10 × 26 in | 10 × 10 × 26 in | 24 × 7 × 11 in | 10 × 10 × 26 in | 27 × 8 × 7.75 in |
| Weight | 21.2 lb | 32.7 lb | 13 lb | 23.5 lb | 17.6 lb |
| Best for | Trips and visits, from birth | Newborns, at home and away | Flights and light packing | Changes and naps in one spot | Road trips, folded across the trunk |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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