Baby Bjorn Travel Crib

Thread: "What is the difference between a “portable crib” and a “pack and play” BESIDES comfort and price?"

My kids never minded the hard pack and play bottoms, honestly. It always seemed like it would be uncomfortable but they slept just fine. Later on though we got a baby Bjorn travel crib where the mattress rests on the floor so it can be used at older ages (no weight limit). So maybe that’s a difference? The mattress is a little cushier, too, but still not what I would consider comfortable.

Thread: "Most comfortable toddler travel crib recommendations? Comfort>portability"

It’s never considered safe to add a different mattress to a pack n play, this is because of their flexible walls, more plush mattresses can cause suffocation/allow for wedging. The baby bjorn travel crib has a slightly comfier mattress than your standard pack n play but still meets all the safety standards. My son sleeps great in his and actually the first time he slept 8 hours in a row was on a trip sleeping in his baby bjorn in a hotel room. We were just on vacation recently and he was sleeping 12 hours in it most nights.

Thread: "Travel bed/crib for baby that can be packed for plane travel?"

Our baby bjorn travel crib packs up pretty compact in a little suitcase carrier thing and is nice and lightweight compared to others. It might be too big for a carry on but would fit in a standard suitcase.

Thread: "How do you fly and pack with a baby?"

Just came back from a 5 day trip with our two month old. We had a 4 hour flight. While there, we did a 1.5 hour drive… it took us three hours because we had to stop to feed and calm her cos she hates her car seat. Couldn’t do a road trip yet, can’t contemplate that. For gear : I bought a Baby Bjorn travel crib on FB marketplace for half price. It was really easy to set up, light, and will last us years. We bought a cheap car seat bag off Amazon and checked it at the gate. Our stroller is a travel stroller so it fit in the overhead, but if you need to check yours I’d buy a bag. If you want to rent any gear, check out the site Baby Quip. My girl was amazing on the flight, basically nursed and bottle fed the entire time lol. Try to get a bulkhead seat! It took a lot of coordination, and was definitely a different kind of trip. Everything took twice as long, but getting out of the house and out of our routine was great, and showing my daughter new places was amazing. She went on a hike! She saw a waterfall! She looked at lots of pretty lights in restaurants! The life of a two month old lol.

Thread: "Lightweight Portable Crib Suggestions?"

We bought a Lotus Guava and are currently using it as our daughter's primary crib while we are away for the summer, we love it! We also have a 4Moms play yard at home, but it's HUGE and honestly doesn't seem that comfortable. The Guava is SO easy to put together and take apart, super tiny (it folds up into a little backpack) and lightweight, and the mattress actually seems pretty comfy. We got ours with some package they were advertising on their website so it came with a sheet and a "FunShade" (big cover for the top) so I guess you could take it out to the beach and use it there? Our baby is 7 months and can sit unassisted and pulls up all the time, but she hasn't managed it in here (I think she's too short, and the mesh sides are not supportive enough for her to try). Because it sits on the ground I think it would be really hard to push over. We chose the Guava over the comparable Baby Bjorn travel crib because of the size and shape when it's folded up... a chunky rectangular backpack seemed more reasonable than a big flat square. The only real drawback is that the sheet is kind of difficult to put on, you have to thread some little buckles through the bottom of it that then connect to snaps outside the crib. It's hard to do, but results in a nice, flat surface with a sheet that doesn't come off like in a regular pack n play, so I just tough it out!

Thread: "Travel crib recommendations?"

We have the Guava family Lotus travel crib. I like that it’s super easy to set up and fold down. Easy to get into the travel bag. It’s super light weight and compact for travelling. It’s basically identical to the baby bjorn except it has a zipper on one side so you can open it up to play in. It goes right to the floor so there is no weight limit if you need to get in it as well. The side zipper and no weight limit is also a bonus if you need to lay next to your babe to help them fall asleep or for breast feeding. The one issue a lot of people have with it, is that because it’s right on the floor instead of being up on legs, the mattress is very low so it could be hard for shorter people to put baby down if they’re sleeping and your trying to lay them down in the crib. I’m 5’7 and it’s fine for me. The mattress is nice and firm and has safety straps to prevent it from moving as well as special sheets that are secured by the same straps so I felt very comfortable having our baby sleep in it. The sides are completely mesh down to the bottom so no risk of smothering even if baby ends up pressed against the side if they roll.

Thread: "What travel crib do you use?"

Just some solidarity here because we’re in the same boat and the Baby Bjorn is the only option I have on my radar. Someone else recommended the lotus as well. I posted I think in NewParents a week or so ago and that was the response. Depending on where you’re going we have rented an actual crib once and that worked amazingly well. A lot of places have rental services.

Thread: "Guava Lotus - worth it? Other travel cribs?"

Baby Bjorn travel crib is also great but probably slightly too long for a carryon. I bought one used on Facebook and it’s been great!

Thread: "[BC] Pack and Play Recommendations? "

I wouldn’t worry, any pack and play should do! Just don’t add additional mattresses/cushions etc. we have a random one from Walmart it’s been good! My friend has the baby bjorn travel crib though and I’ve been scouring marketplace for one second hand it’s much comfier!

Thread: "Is the baby bjorn travel crib worth it? Going on a 8 week trip with 2 under 2, (23 months and 7 months) and want sleep to be as good as it can while also not lugging something huge [mb]"

The bugaboo was excellent for the very large bassinet level and totally good for the lower level but my LO is 99%+ for weight and had officially maxed out the weight so we were looking at ones that sat on the ground with no weight limit and got the baby bjorn. The baby bjorn was a dream to deal with compared and the stardust was not that difficult and the mattress is so much better. It doesn't have a bassinet level though. We didn't sell the stardust because if we have a second they will just use the bassinet level as their bassinet in our room instead of a separate one but if you're past the bassinet stage I would say the baby bjorn.

Thread: "Lightweight Portable Crib Suggestions?"

I preferred the guava lotus over the baby bjorn because of the zip open side on the lotus. I’m pretty short and found it hard to lean over to put baby down

Thread: "Favourite travel cot [bc]"

The baby bjorn is amazing. We still use it at almost 2. It's so quick to set up, and also I am so bad at this kind of stuff but the zippers to take all the material off to throw in the wash is so intuitive and easy and goes back on in a breeze. I can't imagine my kid sleeping well on a regular pack and play mattress at all, this one is nice because it's way thicker and also is directly on the floor.

Thread: "Is the baby bjorn travel crib worth it? Going on a 8 week trip with 2 under 2, (23 months and 7 months) and want sleep to be as good as it can while also not lugging something huge [mb]"

My son always slept in it better than he did in his own crib and we only just stopped using it recently at almost 3 years old (it was getting too small for him and he’s out of a crib now at home). It wouldn’t fit in a suitcase but it comes with a cover which has a handle and the way it folds down it’s very square and sturdy. When travelling by air we checked it as a baby item so it was free and we would stuff it with diapers and anything else we could get in there so that freed up space in our other bags!

Thread: "Is the baby bjorn travel crib worth it? Going on a 8 week trip with 2 under 2, (23 months and 7 months) and want sleep to be as good as it can while also not lugging something huge [mb]"

So you like baby bjorn better than the bugaboo stardust? I'm deciding right now too.

Thread: "List of Travel Cribs approved for sleep in Canada? [on]"

How old is your baby? I’ve had the Baby Bjorn Travel crib and have been using it since mine was 6 months old. The pad (if you are worried you could remove the fitted sheet) literally rests on the floor (a much harder surface than a crib imho). To be honest when she was younger it’s kinda a pain to reach over and grab her bc it’s very deep. All my family in Europe which arguably has higher safety standards imho use that. It’s very odd from the Canadian gov. But I can see why with some pack n plays that stand on feet (like graco) have the issue that they start to “sink” with use. I’ve seen a lot more sketch hotel cribs/pack n plays and always felt most comfortable using my own. We actually just stopped using the baby bjorn at 3.5 it travelled everywhere with us for in many cases months at a time. Even at 3.5 if she attempted to climb out of it, never tipped over. It’s a fantastic design overall.

Thread: "Pack n play vs travel crib for big baby?"

We did the baby bjorn travel crib. Much lighter than the pack and play, and the mattress at the bottom was so much more comfortable. We bought ours on eBay, and I would also suggest Marketplace if you're looking to save some money.

Thread: "Travel crib no pack n play"

We have the Baby Bjorn travel crib and I really like it. It’s super light, easy to set up and baby seems to like it. The mattress also isn’t rock hard like a lot of pack & plays so it’s more comfy for baby.

Thread: "How do you travel with a 1 year old? Portable crib?"

We love the Baby Biorn travel crib! The Newton one was my second choice, but the BB had slightly taller sides which was important to me for longevity.

Thread: "Is baby bjorn playyard light/ travel crib worth it? [bc]"

I love the baby bjorn. I have a graco too and the baby bjorn is my favourite for travel and at home. Not sure it will solve any sleep problems, though.

Thread: "Best travel crib? Packable, good mattress and mesh preferred. TIA"

I have the baby Bjorne travel crib and absolutely love it. It takes no time to set up and my babe likes it more than her actual crib

Thread: "travel cribs - on floor?"

I have the Bjorn and like it, never thought it was an issue having it on the floor tbh. It’s fairly light, easy to open and my boy seems to like it so it’s a winner in my mind.

Thread: "travel cribs - on floor?"

We ended up with the babybjorn much to my first hesitation and it ended up really great. She used it all until this past February (she turned 2.5 in March). We’ve traveled a lot domestically and internationally with it, the mattress has a back that then fits into the mesh bed so it’s enclosed. If you do get it, I recommend buying a few of the Bjorn sheets. I always had a few clean ones I traveled with. And just going to throw it out there that we had the slumberpod that we would put over the travel crib and it was amazing combo.

Thread: "Guava lotus regret?"

We love ours! We went with a pack and play because we were in an apartment with limited space. The lotus let me have a bassinet without having to buy multiple sleeping surfaces/spaces. We used the lotus as the main sleeping space for a year until we moved into a house and baby moved directly into a twin bed. It was in bassinet mode for 4 months before being converted. I only wish I could’ve used it for longer 🥲 The side zip is life saving. My back got roasted with the baby bjorn travel grib I had at my mom’s house. But the Bjorn def has the nicest mattress.

Thread: "travel cribs - on floor?"

Hi, can I ask what you went for in the end and how do you find it? I have the exact same thoughts about them being so close to potentially manky floors?! Seems wrong but the Baby Bjorn one gets such rave reviews otherwise.