Portable Baby Crib
A portable crib is essential for every parent as well as for grandparents and babysitters who have children over a lot but not necessarily often enough to invest in a full sized crib. The more compact size of these beds make them suitable as sleeping surfaces when away from home or possibly in certain rooms of the home, but they are also great as play areas when you need the child to be confined for safety purposes.
There are a variety of types of portable cribs on the market, each offering a wide variety of features for convenience. The trick for parents is to see what is being offered on the market and decide what will best meet their needs. This will ultimately depend on the age and size of the children and where the portable baby crib will be used most often.
Portable cribs often do not really resemble a crib. They are more play areas that are suitable for sleeping. Some may have an attached bassinet that can be removed when the baby outgrows it and needs more space. Take the Graco 9C01BET Travel Lite portable crib for example. It has mesh on all sides to allow better vision and air circulation inside, but resembles a play pen more than it does an actual crib.
This Graco portable crib also has a bassinet built into the very top along with a semi-shade cover with dangling toys to amuse a young baby. All of this can be removed when not needed and underneath is a deeper crib area suitable for both sleeping and playing.
This is one of the most popular portable baby cribs because it folds up very compact and weighs less than 20 pounds. Most parents will be able to haul it in one hand if necessary, which makes it great for taking out to the beach or other vacation areas.
Another similar model is the Foundations Ultra portable crib, which can be purchased with or without an attached bassinet. It is compact and made in neutral colors.
If you want something that actually resembles a crib, the Delta Enterprise portable crib is a great option. It is not as portable as the others but is designed higher up off the ground just like a real crib. This is the best portable crib for grandparents or babysitters who have smaller children over often enough but may want to take it down between visits.
The best portable crib for an active family who spends a lot of time outdoors will be different from a grandparent who wants something to tuck in a corner of their own bedroom for when the little ones come to visit. There are options out there for everyone.