Guava Lotus

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

We ended up buying a guava lotus travel crib because they sit on the floor and there is no weight limit. Spendy but we knew we’d get a bunch of use out of it (interstate move including stays with family) and figured we could either hand it down or sell it once we were done. There might be other brands that have a higher limit but we had a time crunch.

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

Maybe look up the total folded dimensions of the Guava lotus. It seems just larger than a carry on (length wise) probably would take up about 50% of a full size suitcase. Not the cheapest option but people rave about it!

Thread: "Best way to go about a car seat, stroller, and crib/pack n play for traveling internationally with baby? & any International travel tips with a baby"

Consider the Guava Lotus. You won’t have to buy a pack and play every time you land in another country. It’s pricey, but worth it. You can wear it like a backpack and it’s perfectly fine for overhead/checked bag. Also consider that whatever card you use to buy your tickets may have free checked bags as a benefit - or if you have the ability to sign up for a travel card that offers it, do it! But I stand by the Guava Lotus as the best thing we got from our shower. It’s sturdy, easy to fold and unfold and we specifically got it for traveling. :)

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

We got one of these used on Facebook marketplace. When she outgrew THAT, we got a hiccapop inflatable bed that she actually does great with despite still sleeping in a crib at home.

Thread: "Thoughts on using a travel crib (like the newton or guava lotus) as a transition between bassinet and crib?"

Mine went from bassinet to guava lotus to floor bed.

Thread: "What’s your favorite pack n play?"

We have a Graco and a Guava Lotus. Guava Lotus is great for long term use. Graco is wayyyy cheaper and works well

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: "Pack N' Play vs. Mini Crib?"

A pack n play is perfectly fine and will last for travel. I’d personally get a less expensive graco or if you’re going to spend more get the guava lotus with bassinet

Thread: "Pack N Play recommendations for carry on plane travel?"

The Guava Lotus one is supposed to be pretty good for travel. Folds up to backpack size. But depending on which cities you are going to, have you looked into a rental company like BabyQuip?

Thread: "Crib vs. Playard/Travel crib"

I would not do one that sits on the floor as your primary crib for the first few months at least. Either a crib or a pack n play with the higher bassinet setting is going to be much easier for constantly picking up the baby, and transferring when they're sleeping. A lot less bending over. We got a convertible crib and my 3 year old is still using it with the toddler bed conversion. Some people like going to the floor bed fairly early, I personally liked keeping her in the crib as long as possible 😆 I do like the guava lotus style for travel later on - we went with the Pamo Babe brand available on Amazon and it's very similar, no complaints at all!

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

We actually had to make a quick decision on this yesterday because we realized our Guava travel crib had mold just before bedtime, and my wife and I went to Walmart to get a pack 'n' play, only to realize our lovely 90-plus percentile toddler is too big for that or the Guava. We have a Slumberpod that has worked well for traveling in the past, so we bought a Graco toddler mattress with bedding and put the Slumberpod over that. We were worried about her busting out of the Slumberpod because she could easily lift up the sides, but, luckily for us, she slept on the mattress the entire night! It helped that we had already transitioned to a toddler bed at home, and she hasn't seemed super interested in getting out of the bed herself. EDIT: I would struggle with putting her into a real bed that was elevated unless there's some protection for her falling off the bed because she likes to move around a lot in her sleep. Case in point: She was halfway off the mattress this morning when I saw her sleeping this morning. Such a cutie!

Thread: "Which pack and play do you suggest??"

Do you ever envision using it for travel? If so I highly recommend the Guava Lotus. It has a bassinet kit. I find the form factor to be much more conducive for flying.

Thread: "Best pack n play?"

If you plan to have a changing area separate from your pack n play, maybe look into the Guava Lotus. We got ours off Marketplace for less than a third of what the company charges. It can be a stationary or rocking bassinet. Once baby outgrows the bassinet, it transitions to a more traditional pack n play. It’s on the floor so there’s no weight limit. It also zips open from the side. This has come in handy for us when our LO wants to fall asleep snuggled up but we don’t want to wake her by moving her from one area to another. It’s super lightweight, so we also take it to grandparents’ houses and have flown with it as carryon. I also love that we can take off the mesh siding and throw it in the wash.

Thread: "What travel crib do you use?"

We use the Guava Lotus and are pretty happy with it, but the key I’ve found is the SlumberPod. Now that mine is over one I have no qualms about using it. When I tried to get my baby to sleep in the Guava without it he was just way too distracted by his surroundings, even when we made it as dark as possible. But with the Slumberpod he goes literally right to sleep!

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

Guava lotus is not cheap but we found well worth it for portability.

Thread: "Best travel crib/playard that is NOT Graco"

I got the Guava Lotus and I love it.

Thread: "Crib vs. Playard/Travel crib"

From personal experience, the crib was well worth the investment. I have a 2.5 year old who I will keep in the crib as long as possible. She’s resists bedtime at all costs and would be running around her room/the house all night if she were in a toddler bed. She can easily climb out of a travel crib but doesn’t try climbing out of her crib for whatever reason. I also have an 8 month old and it was worth it to us to buy a second crib. That being said, we also have a guava lotus for travel and both of my kids have slept great in it. It’s also very convenient!

Thread: "What travel crib do you use?"

I have the Guava Lotus and been using it for the last week (to get my baby used to it before we travel next month) and he's been having the best sleep in it (knock on wood)

Thread: "Guava Lotus Bassinet Safe Overnight?"

We used it next to our bed for 6 months and plan to use it again for our baby due in august! It is definitely safe for overnight sleep and very stable, and i like that it’s bigger than most bassinets so can last longer as a bassinet. After the first 6 months we used it in pack n play mode for another 4ish months next to our bed and now travel with it! We really love it. It’s lightweight and easy once you get the hang of the fold. Definitely get an extra set of sheets for it because normal bassinet sheets won’t work and you’ll want a second set!

Thread: "Can’t decide on travel crib"

The Guava Lotus has the option for a bassinet. I think most bassinets will have the same weight restrictions. I would not put an additional mattress to try to elevate a child- that is not conducive with safe sleep.

Thread: "Pack n Play that isn’t Infuriating"

Another vote for the guava lotus. We love it

Thread: "Is the baby bjorn travel crib worth it? Travelling for an extended period with 2 under 2"

We have the guava lotus but have also used the baby bijorn but yes I think it's worth it. The mattress is on the floor so it doesn't have the bulky bars that a pack n play does and it's so much more lightweight for travel

Thread: "Best Travel Crib: Nuna Paal vs Guava Lotus"

We are looking at the Guava Lotus. I don’t have personal experience with either, but what attracts me to the Guava is the lack of weight limit. Since the play yard base essentially sits on the ground, there’s no max weight. Looks like the Nuna caps out at 30 lbs. Just something to consider.

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

Guava lotus travel crib. We have traveled A LOT internationally and this is one of the best purchases we have ever made. It turns into a backpack. Super fast set up and takedown. And we have even left it set up in a spare room for extended periods for naps (when we needed one kid to nap in a separate space for some reason), or even in master closet for infant sleep. My middle guy napped in it until well past age 3.

Thread: "Thoughts on using a travel crib (like the newton or guava lotus) as a transition between bassinet and crib?"

We have a guava lotus and my 18 month old still sleeps in it. We upgraded the mattress at some point when he got bigger. I love having the side zipper so we can cuddle him in there and zip it up.

Thread: "Pack n play choice?"

I agree that a lot of the time the accessories are gimmicky and not necessary. Exception for the bassinet insert if you plan to use it while baby is under 15 lb. If you plan to travel with it, I’d get one that is carry on sized. A pack n play is not free luggage the way a stroller is. Occasionally you may get an unwitting agent that lets you check it for free but many of them are strict and you would have to pay for the Graco pack n play like a checked suitcase. For this reason we bought the Guava Lotus because we can carry it on for free. It’s a great crib as well, I really like that it’s on the floor so the mattress moves around less while my baby rotates like a rotisserie chicken in his sleep.

Thread: "Thoughts on using a travel crib (like the newton or guava lotus) as a transition between bassinet and crib?"

mine slept in guava lotus for her naps, starting at probably 7 months until we got her a floor bed. she also would do the first stretch of sleep at night in it, until we went to bed and we would bring her into our bed. she seemed comfortable in it and it was nice to be able to lay next to her to help her go to sleep!

Thread: "What’s your favorite pack n play?"

If you’re not having more kids/don’t see yourself using it other than Thanksgiving and maybe Christmas, get whatever’s cheapest. If you and/or your siblings plan to have more grandkids, then you might consider something more expensive with whatever features might matter to you (changing table but watch the weight limits, or something like the Guava Lotus that doesn’t have weight limits, etc).

Thread: "Pack n Play or crib"

We’ve moved a lot so my kid has slept in a number of different things, including a pack and play, and she was fine. The one she used to sleep on at home for a few months was the Guava Lotus. I considered getting the basinet option for it but don’t want to buy anything else so we’ll use a basinet someone gifted us (the halo).

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

Second this! I bought an adorable bassinet for my daughter she was too long for by 8 weeks. One thing I will also add because I wish someone had told me: get one with mesh sides. My daughter would sleep on her side when she was a newborn and one night I woke up and she had moved all the way to the side of the bassinet and her mouth was against the side. I was terrified she could have suffocated.

Thread: "Best way to go about a car seat, stroller, and crib/pack n play for traveling internationally with baby? & any International travel tips with a baby"

SAME. I'm obsessed with ours. Our kiddo slept in it at home even until she was a year old

Thread: "Crib vs. Playard/Travel crib"

We've used the guava travel crib every day/night for over a year now. We started using it when baby started rolling. I love it! I love that it sits on the floor. It doesn't move around as much as the Graco pack n plays that we've used at my sister's house. The sides are mesh all the way around so I've never been worried about baby being able to breathe. No weight limit is also really nice. We went with a travel crib purely because we didn't have room for a full size crib. I've been very happy with it. Baby is still very comfortable with more than enough room at 20 months olds.

Thread: "Bassinet v. Pack n Play"

I have both and find them both useful but imo if you can only choose 1, go with the pack n play. The bassinet is helpful in the newborn stage when you're checking in on them very frequently since it is level with the bed, easier to lower them into without waking them up, etc. But bassinets are typically outgrown quickly (10 weeks for my first kid, 12 weeks for my second). A pack n play will last you longer and also is useful when travelling, but you'll have to physically get up out of bed to check on baby. Also harder to lower baby into without waking them up because the mattress is so low to the ground.

Thread: "What’s your favorite pack n play?"

+1. The mattress pad lays flat on the ground so there’s **no weight limit**. It’s also stupid easy to fold up, I’ve used Graco and others and none have felt as nice.

Thread: "Travel Crib solution for a 2 Year Old?"

I love our Guava Lotus. It folds up much nicer for travel and it’s longer than a pack and play so kids can fit in it longer (their website states up to 35” tall).

Thread: "Safe sleep: Seeking recommendations for playard /pack n play"

In the US, “travel crib” is not a regulated safe sleep space category. We only have safety standards for full-size cribs, bassinets, and playards/non-full-size cribs. For a “travel crib” to be safe for sleep, it would have to meet one of those standards. We also have the Guava Lotus, and it meets the US standards for a playard/non-full-size crib. Mesh is just for visibility, and has nothing to do with sleep safety. Manufacturers will claim it’s there to be “breathable” but that’s just a marketing term in the US, not something regulated or tested for. ETA as far as the manufacturer guidance, if you’re in Canada, that might just be a legal requirement? I’ve never seen that on a PNP in the US. But it’s also worded in a way that sounds very CYA/legalese to me, “you must still provide the supervision necessary for the continued safety of your child” - they don’t specifically say you have to be watching them or even nearby, so I’m wondering if it’s like, “don’t leave your kid asleep in a PNP in an empty house/in the front yard alone/in a room full of cats.”

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

My kid won’t sleep in a pack and play. It’s suspended off the ground, so it wiggles when she moves. She has zero problem sleeping in the Guava Lotus because it sits on the ground. $300 for a peaceful nights sleep is well worth it. Also, the GL has no height or weight restrictions because it sits on the ground. It gets longer term use.

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

Highly HIGHLY recommend the guava lotus. I’m only 4wpp and it’s one of my favorite things.

Thread: "Guava Lotus Travel Crib – Any Drawbacks?"

We have it and I agree, it is low. But that doesn’t seem to bother my daughter at all. It’s extremely lightweight which is what we wanted since we travel quite a bit.

Thread: "Guava Lotus Travel Crib – Any Drawbacks?"

The mattress on the floor is one of the reasons we got the Guava Lotus. It means there’s no weight limit. We also love the side zip, so great for helping a baby settle then rolling away 😅 it’s super compact and not too complicated to set up/break down. We pack it on road trips, but usually don’t fly with it as I make sure the places we’re going have a crib situation

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

The guava lotus is a fancy pack n play that sits on the floor. As it sits on the floor, there is no weight limit. There is still a height limit, like with every crib & pack n play. The height limit is 35 inches tall for all of them. It’s best to stop using them when they can climb out or reach 35 inches tall. Your child is 33 inches tall & probably able to climb out if she chose to, which is a sign they’re developmentally too old for a pack n play or crib of any kind. Of course, many people still use one past that tall, so do what you feel is best here. Some kids never climb out, but they might, so it’s always a risk analysis on continuing to use it. I have no judgement on that, as I’ve used a pack n play in a pinch after my kid was developmental too old for it to save my sanity. I’m just saying the recommendations that I’ve seen on the products. So do with this info what you choose to do with it. A pack n play has a weight limit of 30 lb, as added info. You should also stop using a pack n play when they get to be 30 lb. My question is: Is there really a point to buying an expensive $200-300 pack n play + an expensive tent for it if your kid has almost developmentally out grown it? Even with a slumber pod? I’d say the same thing about a pack n play. In your case, I’d personally try to transition to a toddler bed or actual bed while you’re at home & have time to aid in the transition. You’re so close to the max height of a crib/travel crib & risking a child climbing out. Would a slumber pod keep them from climbing out, if they tried it? My then 14 month old tried to climb out at 32 inches tall, she was barely a toddler. I switched her that night to a room with her brother on a regular bed. Climbing out can be very dangerous, so even if an adult mattress wasn’t recommended for her, it was still safer than her climbing out & potentially hurting herself trying to escape. If you still think a travel crib would be best, I’d just get a cheap $60 pack n play, a few sheets, & maybe a mattress pad for it with your slumber pod, assuming the kid can’t climb out with it on. There’s no need to spend $200-300+, unless you’d use it again for multiple kids or could recoup that cost. This is just my take on it, as a guava lotus is just a fancy, way more expensive basic pack n play,

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

We love our guava lotus! They just had it on black friday sale, but I bet you can find one on FB! If that doesn’t work you can get a regular graco pack and play for $70 on amazon. My daughter slept in that just fine too.

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: "Lightweight Portable Crib Suggestions?"

We have this. Haven't used it yet, but we got it because we heard great things from friends. https://www.guavafamily.com/products/lotus-travel-crib

Thread: "Recommendations for play yards/travel crib/ play pens?"

I really recommend deciding what you want to use it for. Most play yards are really heavy ( > 20lbs!) which is fine for driving trips to the grandparents, but is really hard to manage if you are flying especially solo for trips. If using for flying, I've heard good things about the guava lotus and baby Bjorn. Otherwise most will be comparable. Note that in Canada, only the bassinet portion is rated for safe sleep, usually to a max of ~15lbs.

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

Maybe the people in the other sub didn’t really know what it was. The guava lotus is a perfectly safe baby sleep space and if your nanny couldn’t bend over the side she could have just gone through the zipper opening.

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

I also really love the guava lotus one. So much smaller, easier and lighter than a standard pnp. We use ours all the time

Thread: "Guava Lotus Travel Crib – Any Drawbacks?"

No weight limit was great because we used it until almost 3 (she was in a sleep sack the. so would’ve been hard to climb out). And I definitely spent some nights laying on the ground next to her thanks for the zipper. We’ve also flown with it and used it as a carry on and checked bag.

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

I got a pack n play with a bassinet thinking we were set and it's all my baby would need... however, I didn't anticipate the 4 month regression and how lowering him down to the mattress would wake him. I ended up also buying the Chicco Alfa Lite to avoid the lower, and also so I could nurse to sleep and sneak away(occasionally I also fell asleep nursing side-lying next to/in this crib lol) I think if I did it over again knowing what I know now, I would go for the Guava Lotus with a bassinet attachment. Even though it's pricey, it may save you from throwing money at a problem later! The mattress resting on the floor, side entry, and no upper weight limit is golden.

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

We use the Guava Lotus (bought it in the US) and as far as I'm aware it is not approved for safe sleep in Canada - but it is in the US so we feel comfortable with it. It is a great crib and I love that baby rests on the ground instead of being elevated. Personally, as long as it is a relatively known brand (i.e. not some random one from Amazon) and it's approved for safe sleep in the US I would feel comfortable using it here, too.