Choosing the best travel cribs for babies or best portable cribs for travel, 2020 guide
Looking for the best porta cribs or portable traveller cribs? Good news: we’ve found some really good ones!
The difference between portable baby cribs and travel cribs
Although these terms are being used interchangeably there is a slight difference. Travel cots are made to make baby travel and toddler travel EASY. Yes, it can be easy 😉 They are lightweight and made to take along with you throughout airports, destinations far far away and as hand luggage in an airplane. They are very small and made for -yeah- letting your baby sleep in it. Travel beds often come with a mattress. Portable baby cribs on the other hand are bigger most of the time. They do fold very easily but are slighty heavier to bring with you. The upside is that they can function as a portable play yard (and -if you’re (not so) lucky- as a night play yard) ) for your little one. They won’t always come with a mattress.
That being said, the line is thin and a good portable crib can easily be a good travel cot and vice versa.
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What are the best travel baby beds?
Best portable travel crib (backpack)
Guava Family Lotus travel crib
for travelers when you want to be sure your crib can be carried with you as a carry on
for light sleeping babies your baby is less likely to wake up when you lay him down due to the zipper opening which makes you able to lay your baby down gently. This is also perfect if your baby nurses to sleep.
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- has a zipper opening which is perfect for babies who easily wake up when you want to lay them in bed or for baby who nurse to sleep/
- folds up into a backpack
- crib mattress is not very thick and it’s a bit firm. Depending on what you are looking for in a crib this can be a pro as well as a con
- is great for use as a play space because there is enough space for your child
This awesome portable travel crib is a one of a kind. It folds up really small so it’s perfect to carry with you while traveling. Also it is great as a pack ‘n play. The zipper completes it all and makes is easy to lay your baby in the bassinet without waking it up.
Click here for specifications and Guava family Lotus parents reviews.
Also looking for a co sleeper to keep your baby close during the night at home too? Check out this post I wrote.
Best non toxic crib
Baby Bjorn travel crib
best for sleeping thickest travel cot mattress
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- This one has the thickest mattress that’s super comfy and sufficient
- it’s very easy to set up and take down
- footprint is smaller than the Guava, the legs don’t stick out as far
- mattress is slightly wider than the Guava
- folds up compactly into a suitcase
- if looking for a crib which you can also use as a play space then Baby Bjorn crib might not be the right choice for you as the mesh sides get a bit more narrow at the top which feels a little bit closed in.
The Babybjorn travel crib is a very popular crib. This high quality crib offers you a lot of convenience and is very easy to bring with you. With the thickest mattress of all travel cribs your baby will for sure sleep well!
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Best portable crib to carry with you at all times
Sunshine kids Pogy portable bassinet – Pogy travel crib
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- it fits into a really small carrying bag which makes is super easy to bring it with you everywhere
- perfect size for newborns and kids up to 6 months
- very easy to use, to set up and fold
This is one of the best portable baby cribs and it is very popular. No wonder why!
Click here for Pogy crib product details.
Lightest travel crib
Phil and Teds travel crib
lightest of all with only 6lbs it weights less than your baby
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- Phil and Teds travel cot is the lightest travel crib out there
- also very small package so easy to bring with you in small cars or an airplane
- the mattress is self inflating and it comes with a super soft sheet
- you can buy an optional shade mesh for use outdoors
- due to its light material the phil & teds travel crib can turn over when your kid starts to be a little heavier and tries to pull himself up against the crib. So this crib would be useful for small babies untill about 7 months who don’t pull up themselves jet
- the mattress is thin so this crib is good on carpet but otherwise you might need a blanket to put under it
- it takes a few minutes to assemble and to disassemble but after some practise it is easy to do
Phil & Teds portable traveller is loved by many but some others don’t like it because of the light material which is not so sturdy and because it is not the easiest travel crib to set up. It depends on what you are looking for: if you want to have a very lightweights travel crib that can also be used as a play space then this one will be great. Are you looking for a sturdy crib with a soft mattress then you might want to look further 🙂
Click here for Phil&Teds portable travel crib product details.
You find other great bassinets for small spaces that can also be used as a portable crib in this post.
Best travel cribs for toddlers:
Best portable toddler bed
Kidco Peapod travel cot
from baby up to 5 years suitable for babies as well for toddler and kids up to 5 year old
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- contains UV protection
- the Kidco Peapod plus has anchor loops on the bottom so it can be anchored to the ground
- it folds up really small and is super compact
- super easy to set up and collaps
- mattress is not that thick
- toddlers may like this ‘tent’ too much just to play in it instead of sleeping in it
The Peapod plus infant travel bed is really a good purchase if you would like to have a tent like bed for your little baby that still can be used up to the age of 5. Because it’s easy to set up and to fold and because of the great use outdoors it is a perfect travel bed if you love to camp.
Click here for Kidco Peapod plus travel cot product reviews.
Which ones do you think are the best portable baby beds out there?
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