Graco Pack 'n Play

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

I think it really depends on your lifestyle. My babies slept in our room until sixmonths; that was in the pack n play. Everytime we go camping or travel to hotels or friends, we bring the pack n play. We also moved at some point and baby slept in the pack n play for a while because we did not have a crib for him yet. Last summer, we had yard sales and outside events and we also set up the pack n play to keep baby safe while we were doing other stuff.

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

We did this as well! And when my husband had to travel, I’d put the baby in the pack n play with some toys so I could shower

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

We use it as our diaper changing station downstairs. / we have the diaper changing attachment

Thread: "Use Pack n Play as Primary Crib?"

No issues. A pack n play is a safe sleep place. Personally I think the configuration 4 with just the full removable bassinet is the easiest most streamlined way to buy the crib. The changer and the dome just take up space after a month or two.

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

I used it to keep my baby safe from her brother who was 18 months. But mostly it was a giant toy box at the end of the night.

Thread: "All 26 versions of Graco's Pack n Play - summarized (January 2022)"

Wow. This is a great breakdown! I've been super frustrated with the seemingly endless models and trying to sort through them. I just want an f'ing Pack 'n Play, why do they make it so complicated?! Thanks for doing the leg work!

Thread: "Traveling when your toddler is too tall to sleep in a pack-n-play?"

I stayed in a hotel with my wife and toddler recently. The crib they offered was a pack and play. We had a double queen room so the toddler slept in bed with mom. Not ideal, but it got the job done.

Thread: "All 26 versions of Graco's Pack n Play - summarized (January 2022)"

I don’t know why Graco thought it would be funny to have a million different kinds of pack & plays for us to chose from when we’re working with pregnancy brain and 3 hours of sleep. This is such a helpful list!!

Thread: "Pack n Play or bassinet for newborn?"

Bassinet. Don't get a crazy expensive one, the Fisher Price ones are great and they're like $120. The pack and plays are bulky in my opinion compared to a bassinet and they're not approved for safe sleep in all countries. However I still got a pack and play as a gift and I used it more for the diaper changing station on my main floor so I didn't have to walk up to the nursery every time. It was good for nap time too during the day when I was awake to watch him.

Thread: "Use Pack n Play as Primary Crib?"

It’s a safe sleep space, perfectly fine to use as the primary bed. Something to consider though is pack n plays aren’t the most comfortable. My brother uses only a pack n play, and his daughter was perfectly fine with it. His son currently hates it. Wakes up every 20-30 mins from being uncomfortable. He sleeps really well on his play mat on the floor, his parents bed, the couch (all of these are just naps with supervision). If they put him in the pack n play for naps he’ll wake up every 20 mins still. They’re hoping he will get used to it but he just turned 5 months and he still struggles! Another kid I know actually prefers his pack n play over his crib. So I think it all just depends on the baby, but it is a factor to think about

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

Same, travel. My MIL did not purchase a crib, so we’d take the pack n play when visiting her. Used it in hotels, as well. We also had to provide one to our daycare for our kid to use for naps.

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

Great for travel (cottage, in-laws house etc). People will also use them as a bassinet, bedside. My babysitter also uses it for my child for nap because it’s easily packed away for the next day. I use mine a lot, but to each their own!

Thread: "Thoughts on using pack n play bassinet for primary sleep spot"

My son slept in a pack in play until 13 months. It was next to my bed. He took naps in the nursery crib. It worked great!

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

I feel for a lot of people it just depends on your lifestyle. I personally live several hours from my family as well as my husband’s family so when we go to visit, we bring the pack n play for our baby to sleep in. Also, I regularly go to the gym while my husband is working and there’s no one to care for my baby so I bring the pack n play to our her in so she’s in a contained space and able to snack on things and play with toys. Was a very worth while investment for us but I understand it doesn’t suit everyone’s lifestyle.

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

My baby has been sleeping in his pack n play since coming home from the hospital, my mom is giving us a crib but lives hours away so I haven’t gotten it yet 😭 he moved out of the bassinet attachment within 1 1/2 months and is now in the raised full bassinet area and he loves it, he sleeps so good. Tbh even when he’s probably “ready” to move into his own room I’ll keep him in the pack n play and just lower it down to the base level as he gets older, it’s just so convenient 😅

Thread: "Where does a toddler who is still in a crib but possibly too big for a pack-n-play sleep when you travel?"

It’s usually a pack and play… I will say it depends on the kid but we used a pack and play past the weight limit largely because he refused to climb out or otherwise even press on the side

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

We did a road trip across California & I ordered a pack & play for $40. I picked it up from Walmart when we first arrived. Then we asked the last Airbnb we stayed at if we could just leave it for them to keep there. It was way easier (& cheaper) to do that than, than schlep and pay for taking our own.

Thread: "Pack n Play or bassinet for newborn?"

One thing to consider is your baby’s size. We have one of these for downstairs, but our baby ended up being in the 100th percentile for height and was too long for it by eight weeks. Of course you can always just use the pack n play, but ymmv for the bassinet attachment.

Thread: "Using a travel crib as a permanent crib. Is that bad?"

That’s absolute BS. Any space that is safe to sleep in can be used at any time. We used a run-of-the-mill Graco pack n play in our bedroom every night until we were ready to graduate to the big crib. Did this for both kiddos. And this is coming from a dad and a pediatrician. You are keeping your baby safe and doing what works best for you and your family. Can you provide some specific things they were saying? I can guarantee you they were very much misguided but with more specific context, I can give more specific answers.

Thread: "Thoughts on using pack n play bassinet for primary sleep spot"

Used a pack n play as our crib until we transitioned to a toddler bed at 16 months. Totally safe. Didn’t use the bassinet part and just started baby in the “upper deck” of the pack n play.

Thread: "Pack n Play or bassinet for newborn?"

For us, (granted I had a lot of issues with breastfeeding so we were triple feeding, which was it's own kind of hell and our baby was right on the border between being a "high needs" baby and a "colicky" baby), **having a bassinet that swiveled towards and away from the bed was a life saver**. It was just a little thing that made my nights and early mornings not as awful. I found mine used on marketplace for $80 and I highly recommend one. It also helped with gently teaching him to self-soothe to sleep occasionally, because when he was just starting to wake a little, but didn't need to eat, I could swivel the bassinet back and forth a little and sometimes that would be enough for him to fall back asleep without me having to pick him up and rock him. We did use the bassinet addition on the playpen as a secondary sleep space in the living room and also as a sleep space at my in-laws when we visited. In fact, he still naps in his playpen at my in-laws the two days a week he spends at their house while I'm working at 2 years old (28 months) and he's a big two year old. So the playpen with bassinet addition is definitely worth it, but I wouldn't want that to be my main option for overnight.

Thread: "Pack n play choice?"

Throwing in an alternative. We love our guava lotus. It’s compact, light, has straps like a backpack, and fits very easily in the overhead compartment. It goes with us for every weekend trip, flight, and nap time we have to spend away from home. Even when hotels offer pack n plays, we usually prefer to bring it since our LO is familiar and loves it. My parents have a Graco pack n play at their house and we tried it one time and didn’t love it. Our kid didn’t sleep comfortably on the flimsy mattress.

Thread: "Use Pack n Play as Primary Crib?"

Here’s my moment! Because of the way our house is laid out and my daughter’s phenomenal climbing skills, we ended up using a bassinet for her first 5 months of life and then a pack n play after that until she was 2 and climbed out of it for the first time. We had no issues, other than it took a massive beating from the constant use and we will have to buy another one for baby #2. It was super nice to be able to bring her bed with us everywhere since we take a good number of trips to visit family. One possible downside - My daughter got so used to sleeping on the firm mattress that she will prefer to sleep on her (carpeted) floor with her pillows and blankies instead of in her toddler bed 😑

Thread: "Using Pack N Play as Bassinet - Breathability?"

I use a Graco pack and play every night for my three month old to sleep in next to my bed and I can’t see how it could be safer. It’s a firm pad with a waterproof cover on it, and totally mesh sides. The FDA regards pack and plays as safe for overnight sleep. Health Canada does not, but only because pack and plays aren’t subject to the safety regulations around sleep that cribs are here. Firm, flat, and no loose/soft bedding are the main things you want in a safe sleep set up for baby. A pack and play hits all of those :)

Thread: "Torn on which pack 'n play to buy for newborn"

1st or 3rd one. The nice thing about the first one is how big the bassinet is. Your baby can use it a loooot longer. In fact we kept ours in his until 5 months when he was becoming a huge rolly polly. We had the cheaper version (was a nice gift from someone)

Thread: "Pack n play, bassinet, crib? Which one(s)?"

Pack n play with bassinet attachment and crib. No need for a separate bassinet. We just set up the pack in play in our room until the baby can sleep in their own room in their crib around 5 months. Then you have pack n play for travel and times when you need baby to stay put.

Thread: "Use Pack n Play as Primary Crib?"

Used config #4 as our bassinet (baby was pretty long for the bassinet attachment, we gave it away) and I really liked being able to put my hand on the mattress and rock her back to sleep when she was fussing! Only worked sometimes but it was a nice option.

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

Nearly $300 for a pack n play is insanity

Thread: "Thoughts on using pack n play bassinet for primary sleep spot"

That’s what we used except it was a Graco brand and it was the only thing she slept in until 3 months when she went into her crib ! Our peds said it was safe!

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

Yeah pack n play is all my LO slept in until he could climb out of it. I really didn't see the point of a more expensive cribs, even the kind that could transition to toddler bed. We just got a twin mattress and kept it on the floor.

Thread: "Traveling when your toddler is too tall to sleep in a pack-n-play?"

We stayed at a ritz carlton last month and even they only had a mini crib (on the lowest setting so I couldn’t even use it) lol. We went to a resort in Hawaii and they gave us a mini crib too. The cheaper hotel we stayed at while traveling to Hawaii gave us a damp pack n play from their storage room so he slept with us that night lol

Thread: "All 26 versions of Graco's Pack n Play - summarized (January 2022)"

Thank you so much for the breakdown of everything here! So… what do I actually need? I’m a FTM and considering using a pack and play as a bassinet for a few months until we transition baby into their own room with a crib. Have people found value in all the extra odds and ends? Bouncers, changing tables, etc.

Thread: "Torn on which pack 'n play to buy for newborn"

I have the 1st one. We still use it at 15 months. It’s great to contain LO while I vacuum and mop but he can still see what’s going on and we can talk. Also super useful for when I need to shower and my husband is working, great for when someone comes to the door, when I need to tend to the chickens… it just has endless uses.

Thread: "Which Graco Pack n’ Play?"

I wouldn’t get either of these. Most people don’t need all the fancy attachments. Keep in mind with the changing table, you have to take it off while the baby is sleeping in there, so it’s less convenient than it looks. Get the basic one or the one with just the bassinet layer https://www.amazon.com/Graco-Playard-Folding-Bassinet-Portable/dp/B0DM6LNT9W I think most people don’t need that dome attachment, it is outgrown quickly and you don’t need it inside your house, it’s good for them to be on the floor so they have freedom of movement. If you need a place off the floor you can use the raised bassinet layer Generally if you’re traveling you’re not going to want to deal with all those attachments and it really increases the price

Thread: "Use Pack n Play as Primary Crib?"

your back. also when it’s a hard transfer from holding a sleeping baby to pack and play (like they’re extra sensitive and waking up) it will be a challenge

Thread: "Pack n Play or bassinet for newborn?"

Same here, we have a Halo Bassinest I got on FB marketplace for the bedroom upstairs and a Pack n Play we got from the registry for daytime naps downstairs. Works great for our needs!

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

We used a Graco Pack’n’Play when travelling. Approved for sleep in the states.

Thread: "Pack n Play or bassinet for newborn?"

I’m definitely pro pack and play but I’ll say that changer attachment wasn’t great even when baby was small enough for it. It was small and restrictive. And we were don’t with it by the time baby was four months old (and he was a peanut).

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

To each their own. I had a pack n play and hated it. My baby was 15lbs at 8 weeks and it was impossible for me to gently lean over the insanely tall side to put him down gently, especially when he got into the sleep regression phase. It had a zip open side for going in sideways and shorter sides for leaning over. The mattress and sheet also clips down. And it folds up really small into a backpack for traveling with.

Thread: "Pack 'n play - which should I get?"

We use the Graco with the bassinet attachment and it’s been working great. He sleeps in it in the living room during the day. We haven’t had to travel with it yet, but the assembly is very easy. Plus, it’s affordable, so my parents bought the same one for their house.

Thread: "All 26 versions of Graco's Pack n Play - summarized (January 2022)"

This is a wonderful list!! I Have bought 3 of the play yards with the bassinet ($85). I used one next to my bed with my first and he slept in it until he was 17 months old (when my 2nd was born and I had to finally move him into his room cause a newborn would wake him up). Then i have a 2nd one in the living room and a 3rd at the babysitters house. I did get a added mattress once they were a little older to add to the pack n plays for extra cushion (once I felt comfortable adding something that wasn't standard to the product). Cribs and nurseries in general are a waste the first year+ 😅 I've bought a high priced travel crib and it was a huge waste. Nothing beats the durability and ease of good old graco pack n plays!!

Thread: "Best pack n play?"

Whatever brand you get, consider one that comes with the upper layer shelf that can be used as a changing table. We had our pack n play set up downstairs as a secondary nap area for many months and it would have been nice to have the extra standup changing station. We did our registry during lockdown so I really didn’t get to view a lot of our list items in person. And I didn’t know that removable shelf was a thing. Live and learn and hopefully share your experience, right?

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

Some people I know use it as their cribs essentially. I had a hand me down and I’ve used it once in two years when traveling to hotels

Thread: "Pack n Play or crib"

We planned on using a pack N play but we tried a couple nights after moving from the bassinet and it was horrible. She slept better in the crib. She'll sleep in the pack n play while traveling, though. So it might be worth starting with the pack n play and seeing how it goes. If it's terrible, it's still nice to have one for travel or for containing baby during the day.

Thread: "Recs for travel crib so we can hopefully not loose the training?"

Pack n play with a snooze shade

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

Forgot to say- we got a bag of ball pit balls and put them in the pack and play for a mini ball pit experience, my curious nonstop moving baby absolutely loved the ball pit aspect!!!

Thread: "How are you all using your pack n plays? We haven’t touched ours after 2 babies. I must be missing something "

This! Other than naps, it's great as a baby container when they're crawling and cruising. Dump a few toys, play some music, and then you can get stuff done around the house.

Thread: "Pack n Play or bassinet for newborn?"

This is what we did and it worked great. Once our now 2 year old could roll over we removed the bassinet setting and just used it as a pack n play bed. I was a nervous 1st time mom and kept her in the pack n play til like 8 months despite her sleeping through the night at like 4. This go we will probably transition baby sooner if she will take it.

Thread: "Thoughts on using pack n play bassinet for primary sleep spot"

My first son preferred the pack and play to a crib (he moves around a ton in his sleep so mesh sides were better). He slept in it until he was 16 months, at which point he moved to a floor bed. Some babies much prefer a crib mattress though, it’s impossible to predict. Something to consider is that they will max out the bassinet portion pretty soon (weigh limit is 15 lbs), which means you have to bend over far to lower baby in bottom portion. If baby sleeps through the night then it’s no problem, but doing that a bunch of times per night gets old. For this reason, I am doing a mini crib with baby #2 (don’t have room for full sized crib in current house) although I’ve hung on to the pack and play in case he ends up being like his brother.

Thread: "Lightweight Portable Crib Suggestions?"

I think the popular pack n play fits all of those requirements.