Travel Crib

Hi A.,
I think the Pack n' Play is just fine with a mattress, but if you are really unsure, what I have done in the past is rented from a company called Baby's Away. (www.babysaway.com) They deliver cribs (and anything else that you might need right to your door step). Their stuff was clean, and most importantly, safe. Depending on where your parent's house is, you might want to call them, so you don't have to "lug" everything with you. Just a thought...good luck.

When I have traveled to beach areas like Martha's Vineyard there was a shop that would rent baby items needed- cribs, pack and plays etc...see if your Mom can find one of these places to rent one from for now. When you are there you can go an shop for the right one. If you are able to get a thicker mattress to put in the pack in play your child will be comfortable. I had my son in one up until he was 2 1/2 when we traveled. The extra mattress made it comfortable.
Have fun.

A.,

Please enjoy your trip!!! :-) As far as an inexpesnive crib, you can go online at Walmart and they have several cribs that are either collapsible or "mini" that you can use as a portable one....I did just see a white one on sale for approx. $99 by Delta I believe. The other good thing is Walmart is everywhere and you can have it shipped to the store nearest your Parent's vacation home and not even pay for shipping... Again enjoy your vacation and hope I helped.

O.

Just got back from 8 days away with my 2 year old. He slept in the pack and play the whole time (night and naps) and was totally happy every night--and this was in a house he had never been to before. So it wasn't familiar place like grandma's house.

Hey Mom,

Why not just buy a mattress for the pack n play

it makes them just like a crib.

And it would cost you far less.

M

Chances are there's a place where you can rent baby gear (also a high chair, etc.), especially if it's an area where a lot of people vacation. Do some searching online or have your mom ask around where the beach house is. If you want a regular crib that's cheap but decent quality, craigslist might be the way to go. We were away for a few days last week and my 1 yo wasn't crazy about the pack-n-play either. Good luck!

(FYI - I see you're in Pleasantville... I have a crib mattress that I'm looking to get rid of, so if you go the route of getting a full-size crib and need a mattress (and don't mind a used one), I'd be happy to sell you mine for cheap. I'm actually going to be in Pleasantville on Monday (haircuts!), so message me if you're interested).

A.

get the pack and play, and get a mattress for it. they cost $20 at babiesrus. we live in a small apt, with no room for a crib, so my daughter has slept in a pack-n-play her entire (17 month long) life. And she sleeps just fine, through the night and all.
the mattress makes a big difference to soften the hard floor of the pack-n-play. and you still have the option to fold the bed away or use it on other travels if you need to.

My parents invested in a really nice Chicco pack-and-play for our visits. The travel cribs seemed wobbly to them, so they purchased the Chicco and a padded sheet for the mattress. We were just in FL for 10 days and my son slept beautifully! He has slept in that particular crib numerous times and really likes it-

I have the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib. My daughter is 14 months old. Its worth it. Baby sleeps comfortably.

So far the pack-n-play has been a better solution for us that the travel crib we got - we got the Phil and Ted's and now my son is too big for it, he outgrew it by 1!

IKEA makes cute cribs that are very affordable, so if you wanted to buy a real crib that might be a way to go.

I agree with the previous post and not only are the travel cribs uncomfortable, They seem VERY flimsy. I was looking into one for my daughter and ended up not buying one because they seemed cheaply made and not too sturdy.

I wouldn't stress about it. My children slept in Pak N Plays all the time with no problems. My 2nd son actually preferred it to the crib until he was 2.

A.,
I have always used the Pack N Play for trips, no matter how long. The matt on the bottom is not very thick, and I was concerned about comfort, too. When we got to our destination, I would fold up blankets or towels and arrange them underneath the matt. My son never had an issue with it when he was one. Later, when he was two, he fussed a little just because he was used to it being his play area and didn't want to sleep -- only play. LOL I would recommend a Pack N Play before spending money on an inexpensive crib which will be bigger, not softer.

I have one of those little pop up tents that is a travel bed. There is even a blow up mattress for it. Last month we went down the shore and my baby slept in it. It zips up and has netting so you can even use it on the beach. It worked great and he slept great in it both in the house and the beach. And he was only 5 months at the time. I got it at Buy Buy Baby.

Hi A.,

We always used the pack and play for our little ones on vacation, and it was never a problem--so you might want to think a little bit more about just going that route. If you want to do the crib route, have you considered renting one for the time you're there? Most areas, especially beach areas, have rental companies that do this type of thing (cribs, high chairs, etc. etc.). Might be easier than trying to buy a crib and assemble and disassemble it every time you go--and saves on the storage space for your parents.

Enjoy your vacation!
J.

Travel cribs are pretty much the same as pack and plays. Thy're not very comfortable. If you don't mind buying something second hand, try craigslist. I see them all the time on there for about $100. Which if it's something your going to hang on to for a while isn't much. Then you can just get a regular crib.

I think the Pack and Play will be fine. We were just away for two weeks also and I was worried about the same thing. However, our son did great in the pack and play for the whole two weeks. Never seemed uncomfortable. We bought an Eddie Bauer quilted mattress pad that is made for Pack and Plays which adds some cushion. Also, my mom had laid down a comforter that add a little cushion too and he laid on that. He slept great!

I needed another crib (and didn't want to spend alot) b/c my older son was not ready to move out and our baby out grew his cradle... I searched on www.craigslist.org and found a perfect barely used crib for $25 (then I had to spend the money for a mattress) I would suggest checking that out- some babystuff hardly gets used and you can find it pretty cheap when people want to get rid of things! good luck!

There are travel cribs that you can buy online. I don't know how good they are though. You can also put thick blankets in a pack in play or buy a crib mattress (that would fit) and put it in the pack and play also and just keep the mattress at your parents house or donate it to charity after you leave a place. My son sleeps very well in a pack in play with no blankets.. You can try it out for a night or two at your home and see how she does first. Enjoy your visit!

Buy the book "Baby Bargains" 8th ed. It rates & prices everything you will ever need for a baby's 1st year of life including cribs.

I have the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib - it is extremely light, but is smaller than a standard crib. Fold up into a suitcase. My son, almost 1 yo has used it numerous times since he was born (trips to parents, Aruba, Boston). He never has a problem with it. It is very easy to set up & break down. Much easier & faster then a Pack and Play, but more expensive.

Hi A.,

Pack 'n Plays are the way to go. When we moved from New Mexico to New Jersey eighteen months ago, my son slept in a Pack 'n Play until we could buy a house and retrieve our furniture. It was nearly ten months, and he did just fine. In fact, we are heading to the beach on Saturday and he's going to sleep in his Pack 'n Play at our rental house! I'm not at all concerned he won't be able to fall asleep because I know he's going to be worn out from playing on the beach and in the surf with his cousins all day long.

If you are thinking about going to crib route, I would suggest perhaps renting one instead of buying. I'm not sure where you are going, but there's a company called Baby's Away that rents out all things needed for babies. Cribs, high chairs, toys, strollers... you name it. I used them when I went to a family wedding in Las Vegas and stayed at a family member's house. I didn't want to lug our Pack 'n Play (I was traveling by myself with my son) so I called Baby's Away. They delivered and set up the crib, as well as picked it up when we left. The crib was immaculate and clean, and they were super easy to work with. Plus it was cheaper to rent than to buy, and then my older relative wasn't stuck with a crib she wasn't going to use.

Have fun at the beach visiting your parents!

I just did this two weeks ago with my son who is 13 months and is 31 inches long! The place we stayed offered a pack and play for him to sleep in and I was worried too, but I got one of those really think quilted pack and play sheets (Graco and Eddie Bauer make them) and he was fine. I felt bad too b/c it seemed like cramped quaters, but he was so exhausted by the end of the day he didn't care and he slept through the night. I brought his blanket he always sleeps with and a toy he sleeps with also. I did a tril run at home in his own room so to give him the sense that it was okay to sleep in so I think that helped if you can do that. Good Luck!