Baby Play-yard Advice/suggestion

I have never had one of the big enclosures/gate type things (my thought is, unless your house is HUGE, you probably don't need one of those), but I'm guessing what you're asking about is more of a Pack-n-Play type thing. I used the heck out of our Graco Pack n Play with both kids, but more as a portable crib than for playing.

I think if you can get no other feature, you need a bassinet attachment. If you can get a changing table attachment, that's nice too (although we lost that part with our second child and didn't miss it). I have seen some of the newer ones that have a night-light attachment. That would be nice, especially when you're traveling, not to have to turn on the room light in order to change a diaper in the middle of the night. My cousin got a smaller (narrower) version of the Pack n Play that will fit through the doorways in her house, which is a wonderful feature (except the trade-off is that you may not be able to use it as as long if your child is tall).

I think you don't need to go whole hog and spend a crazy amount of money on a playard. For the most part you will just be using it for night time or naptime so my advice would be to skip the ones that come with toys attached. (Save your money and buy a better stroller!)

Congrats on your baby-to-be!

Hi C.,

I have a daughter that works for Babies R Us in Folsom...when her daughter turned five months, and was strong enough to hold her self erect...she took her to the store and tried her in several pack and plays...and let the daughter choose...it was good...she loves all the things hers has on it and the sounds it makes, now at almost seven months she loves her time in it...Best wishes...T.

Look for one that is easy to break down and pack up first and foremost. Actually try to do it at the store when you are looking for them. For us, we used ours downstairs as a changing table , nap area, and wait right here for a second area for about the first 7 months, so if you are considering doing the same get one with those features (changing table, mobile, and second level for when they are babies). We always travel with ours even now, our daughter is 22 months and I just bring the pack-n-play itself and leave the extras behind. It actually fits in the storage bag with all her bedding.

Congrats on the first time mom ness. You wont need a play yard for quite some time and when you do you will have seen and played with too many to count and know what you want. For the first 9 months you'll want something he/she can lie on his/her back and play with.

C.,

Sorry, seems like all of this advice will confuse you even more. I can say I was also torn about what to buy or whether or not to buy one. I was glad that I got the fancy - 3 in 1 Graco Play yard. My daughter slept in the bassinet in our room for the first 2 months of her life. It was wonderful. Also, you'll appreciate the ability to use it as a changing table - we used it downstairs for 6 months. She loved the music during diaper changes.

Best of luck.
Jen

Hi C.-
I currently have 3 pack-n-play or portable cribs! I used to use them ALL THE TIME. all three were by Graco. But the factors you need to consider depend on your use,I never used them for playtime...but as for nap times or sleeping over at grandparents they came in handy! please make sure the top portion which will be used for the first 3 months is firm to touch. Some mattresses may need extra padding to be more comfortable, Graco has this - i think its called- quilted sheet whihc works great. The 'travle lite' is a smaller type of play yard which i used for the first 6 months...it felt cozier than the original one and it fit perefectly in my bedroom. I hope this helps!

Do you want suggestions on a pack n' play, or something like an expanded gate your kids literally play inside?

I have heard good things about the Superyard XT. Kidco is one of the best brands for safety gates. You can check out their gates.

For pack n' plays (portable cribs), I think you need to decide how you'll use it first. Is it a full blown extra crib and bassinet in another room? Will you use it for diaper changes, naps, etc? Or will it only be for travel, a place for put baby down for naps while at a friend's or relative's place? Basic pack n' plays are MUCH cheaper than the super-sized/gadget galore versions. I've used Evenflo and Graco, and the main difference is in the feel of the mattress and folding mechanism. I would just go to a store, haul them from the display, and check them out. How you feel about those features is very much personal preference. If you cannot figure out the fold in a minute, then try a different brand, etc.

My main thing was weight. Some are ridiculously heavy! I chose a Cosco one that is lighter weight and came with a carry bag because I use it to take everywhere (people's homes, travel, etc). I hope this helps. Good luck.

My play yard is the Zanzibar style one. I used it as a bassinet in my room. What I didn't like is that the bassinet part that sits in the top is made of lots of individual slats and it does not lie flat. Once my daughter started to be able to move at all she would end up sliding into weird positions and getting stuck in the dips of the bassinet. Maybe that meant it was time to take the bassinet part out and put her in the bottom, but she was only 2 months old!

Graco has the best mattress. I think Evenflo has the worst.

The Arms-Reach Co-sleeper was my choice because it grows with your baby. You secure it next to your bed when they are born, and use it as a bassinet. Then, when your child grows out of the bassinet, or you move them to their crib, you can use it as a playpen. Best of all, it is large enough to continue using it as a place for your child to sleep, when traveling. My 2.5 yr old son still sleeps in it when we go on family trips. This is a versitale product. Not as pretty as the Graco ones, but very useful.

I have a Graco Pack-n-play which has served us well (through three kids). It's easy to fold/unfold and is pretty sturdy and easy to wash. Mine has the bassinet, changing table, and mobile but I have never used any of those features. Make sure to purchase a sheet to protect the pad. I also would consider cutting a waterproof mattress pad to size, too, if it's something the baby will be sleeping in. Finally, this is a fabulous item to get from craigslist. I got mine in mint condition for $35!

I also agree that Baby Bargains is a great resource. We used our pack n play as a bassinette for both kids up until about 3 months, as a changing table until both kids were too long for it, and as a storage for baby clothes while the pack n play was in our room. We used it only a little in the living room after our first was 3 months (I don't think we used it all in the living room for the 2nd - there wasn't room after the 1st had all his toys there!), mostly for a place to put the baby when I needed to go to the bathroom, etc. Frankly it was easier to put the baby on a playmat (the kind with arches that has toys dangling) and just babyproof the living room as they became mobile.

I had a Graco with bassinette, changing table, nightlight and music/sounds (didn't use that much). Hope that helps. Congratulations and good luck!

Hi,

There's a book called "Baby Bargains" that is really helpful. It rates every product and brand from layette to carseats, bedding etc. They have a section on Playards. You should check it out.

Hi C.,

Don't waste any more time researching products! Just go to the book store and buy "Baby Bargains" by Denise and Allen Fields. You can also check out their web site for great advice on products.

This book is increadible! It will help you save money while finding the best, safest product for the price. I first learned about these authors while planning my wedding (They saved me thousands!) And their Baby book was even better. I think I read it cover to cover and when I bought baby products and registered for my baby shower I really felt confident and knowledgable about the products I was looking at.

I just can't tell you how valuable these books have been to me. You have to try it for yourself. And the really cool thing is when you have a problem or question that the book doesn't answer you can actually call the authors and talk to them about it. They are really helpful and friendly!

Good luck with everything!

D. and Layla (age 2)

You'll be able to gauge your baby's needs as you get to know her better. Only get the stuff you need for the first month or so, then buy the rest.
For instance I was nesting and got the swing before our baby was born. It was super expensive and she hated it. I got her a jumper after I noticed her trying to jump on peoples laps.
It was the best $ I ever spent. She loves it and spends hours in it :)

I am a person who likes things that convert. This way you pay one time for something that can be used for other things later. So what I have is the Graco Pack 'n Play Playard (mine is pink and black but there are many colors). It has a hood with hanging toys to play with, a changing table built right on top (with cubbies for powder, diapers, etc.) and you can use it as a bassinet when the baby is born (it comes with a control pad with sounds and vibrate!). After they learn to sit up on their own, the bassinet pad can be lowered into the unit, turning it into a play yard. All of this fits nicely into a bag you can travel with and even check into baggage when flying. I love mine. She is 6 months old now and it's downstairs, we use it for her naps. She's not pulling herself up yet so I haven't converted it but am considering taking it with us on a trip we're going on next month... Hope this helps and Congratulations!!

I have the Graco one with teddy bears that hang down and the colors are creme/green and brown. It is the easiest thing to set up and travel with. We also used it for a bassinet in our room. It has a changing table also. At night, we didn't have to leave our bedroom, because everything was all set up. We also got the matching swing and it worked great also. They were both inexpensive when you compare with other brands, but I love them. My daughter is one years old.

Good Luck

We have the "Graco Pack 'n Play Playard in Bugs Quilt". It's really great because it's a little bigger than others but still packable. Also, my son loves it because it is so colorful and has some built-in toys. I think it is very safe. My son is 21 months old.

I would say skip it for now. I found that I never used my playpen until my baby was starting to crawl and then she didn't like staying in there for long. The less unnecessary clutter the better!

Our family loves our huge and roomy 10 year old Regalo play yard. It is easy to set up and take down, travel with, clean and our 37 lb, 2 year old grandson demands to sleep in the play yard instead of a bed when he comes to visit! Whatever you choose, check out Consumer Reports for the latest safety ratings of all baby gear. Good luck!!

Hi C.,
I think the Graco Pack n Play's are awesome. Very popular. The other ones are similar, but it's not that big a difference to stress over. They have the ones with the changing table attachment, but I found that to be unnecessary. It was just another big piece of plastic to have to store in the closet after too long. I think I only used that piece once when on a trip and changing the baby on the bed would have been just as easy, and it would have eliminated another piece to haul around. Also, that part makes packing the thing up a big pain. The only feature I think is essential is the bassinet feature, which allows you to place a tiny infant in there easier and at more of an arms' reach. The vibrators and music player pieces were also unnecessary, in my opinion. The light was pretty cool, though I only found it useful a couple times when I wanted to peek in at my baby in a dark room. I'd say, just go for a middle of the road, gender-neutral-colored pack n play with the bassinet feature, and you should be set.