Best pack and play with changing station

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Quick quiz: you’re home alone with your baby and you need to shower, get ready for work or—gasp—eat a warm meal in peace. What do you do with your little one?

Enter the playard, FKA the playpen. Playards sit either directly on the floor or slightly above it and have mesh sides for breathability and visibility. Many are designed for easy transport and have helpful add-ons like bassinets, changing stations and organizer pockets. They’re a safe spot for your baby to hang out in when you’re busy doing other things or simply need a quick break.

Do You Need a Playard?

Playards aren’t the only way to create a safe play zone for your baby or toddler. Playmats, jumpers, activity centers and baby gates are great for keeping little ones contained for a short time.

However, playards have a few distinct advantages, and many parents choose to add one to their registries. Playards provide babies with a safe space where they can move around. Many are easy to move from room to room and are useful for travel. They can also do double duty as:

• Changing stations
• Bassinets
• Portable cribs

How Long Can You Use a Playard?

Most playards can be used from the newborn stage up until about three years old. Once your child reaches 35 inches tall or can climb out, consider your playard’s tour of duty done.

Note: If you get a hand-me-down or purchase a used playard, be sure it folds and unfolds properly and the mattress is snug. Check for holes or tears on the sides. And make sure it was manufactured in 2013 or after as that’s when new federal safety standards were enacted.

Most Versatile Playard

The Scoop

• Seven ways to use
• Breathable mesh sides
• Heavy

What Our Experts Say

It’s no surprise that Graco, a long time leader in the playard space, knocks it out of the park with the ultra-versatile Day2Dream Pack ‘n Play. This playard is a minimalist’s dream; it’s an infant sleep space, a fold-flat travel bassinet, a changing station and a spacious Pack ‘n Play all rolled into one. We especially love the ultra-breathable mesh sides that promote airflow and make it really easy to see your little one. This playard comes with two carry bags (one for the bassinet and one for the playard) and an integrated storage organizer to keep essentials close.

What’s Worth Considering

The Day2Dream is heavy, weighing in at almost 40 pounds. It’s also on the pricier side, but since it takes the place of so many separate items of baby gear, we think it’s actually a pretty great deal.

Additional Specs

Best Playard for Travel

The Scoop

• Folds into backpack
• Ultra light
• Zippered side door

What Our Experts Say

You have enough to lug around when you’re traveling with your baby—a heavy playard shouldn’t be on your packing list. This ultra-light playard folds up into a backpack, making it easy to tote around when you’re on the go so you can also hold your little one, a diaper bag and everything else you need. And that’s not the only standout feature. Parents love the zippered side door that allows you to lie down with your baby to nurse or cuddle, and toddlers love that it gives them a bit of independence. (Not too much, though, don’t worry—you can clip the zipper closed so they can’t escape!)

What’s Worth Considering

The playard can be converted into a bassinet, but this requires an additional kit. Some parents also find the mattress to be quite thin.

Additional Specs

Best Lightweight Playard

The Scoop

• Ultra light
• Easy set up and break down
• Color exclusive to Babylist

What Our Experts Say

Babybjörn’s travel crib is our all-time favorite lightweight playard. It weighs in at just about 13 pounds, a solid 10 pounds lighter than most competitors, and is compact and easy to carry when it’s broken down. It’s designed to be set up in one motion and break down just as easily. The sides are made entirely of mesh and both the mattress itself and the fabric frame can be tossed right into your washing machine. And you’ll only find this dark green color exclusively at Babylist.

What’s Worth Considering

This travel crib is expensive, especially considering you’ll need to buy sheets separately as they’re not included with the crib.

Additional Specs

Best More Affordable Lightweight Playard

The Scoop

• More affordable lightweight choice
• Easy setup
• Includes zippered carry bag

What Our Experts Say

If a lightweight playard is a priority but you don’t want to spend upwards of $250 (or more), Chicco’s Alfa Lite is an excellent choice. This playard offers many of the same features you’ll find in much more expensive playards and travel cribs: an ultra light weight (13 pounds, to be exact); 360-degree mesh sides, an easy, compact fold and fast setup and zip-off, washable fabrics. There’s even a zip-down side, just like in the Guava Lotus. The Alfa comes with a zippered carry bag and accommodates toddlers up to 30 pounds.

What’s Worth Considering

Users rave about this well-priced travel crib, especially when comparing it to other pricier models. The one complaint seems to be the mattress, which is on the thinner side.

Additional Specs

Best Budget Playard

The Scoop

• Great value
• More compact fold than most other Pack ‘n Plays
• Perfect for grandparents’ house

What Our Experts Say

This no-frills playard is the perfect pick if you’re looking for a budget-friendly Pack ‘n Play, need an extra spot in your home where your little one can sleep or play safely or want something for the grandparents’ house. It features folding feet and wheels, so it’s 20% more compact when folded—a nice perk for on the go. The push-button fold makes it easy to break down and there’s a carry bag included for when you need to take it away from home.

What’s Worth Considering

You won’t get too many fancy features with this playard, but we don’t think you need them—this Pack ‘n Play is a real workhorse for the price and more than gets the job done.

Additional Specs

Easiest Playard to Set Up

The Scoop

• One push to open, one pull to close
• Includes bassinet and changing station
• Sleek, modern design

What Our Experts Say

You haven’t hit peak parenting frustration until you’ve wrestled with a playard setup at 9 p.m. as your baby wails beside you. Good news: you’ll never have to if you own the Breeze Plus. As its name implies, setting up and breaking down this sleek, minimalist playard is really, well, a breeze. You’ll need just one hand to push down on the center to open it up. When it’s time to pack up, pull the same central hub up and the whole thing collapses into itself. The Plus also comes with a removable side-by-side bassinet and changing station.

What’s Worth Considering

If you like the idea of an easy-open, easy-close playard but want to spend a little less, check out the Breeze Go. It doesn’t feature the bassinet or the changing station, but will save you some money.

Additional Specs

Best All-in-One Playard

The Scoop

• Quick, one-hand fold
• Greenguard Gold Certified
• Lots of accessories

What Our Experts Say

UPPAbaby, makers of some of our favorite strollers of all time, has branched out into the playard space with the release of the Remi—and it doesn’t disappoint. All-in-one functionality meets beautiful design in this playard and travel crib combo that goes the distance. There are thoughtful features throughout like breathable sides, a zip-down side panel and a quick, one-handed fold. The Remi is Greenguard Gold Certified and comes with a removable bassinet insert and a travel bag. There are also tons of accessories like an organizer, organic mattress cover and waterproof mattress cover.

What’s Worth Considering

The Remi is expensive. It’s also heavy, weighing in at 20 pounds, so keep that in mind if you plan to use it for travel.

Additional Specs

Best Playard for Outdoors

The Scoop

• Great for outdoor use, beach, camping etc.
• Weighs less than 12 pounds
• Removable sun canopy

What Our Experts Say

Getting outside with your little one is fun, but it’s also a bit nerve wracking if they’re a little too free to roam. Taking along a playard can help. While you can certainly use this playard indoors, it really shines for outdoor and on-the-go use. There’s a (washable) nylon floor to keep your little one clean and dry on damp ground and a removable sun canopy for warm days, along with six wide panels featuring breathable mesh sides. Everything folds up in seconds and stores in a carry bag that’s lightweight enough to sling over your shoulder and be on your way.

What’s Worth Considering

Unlike traditional playards with mattress-like bottoms, this one doesn’t offer any padding and is made from nylon, making it more of a play space rather than a sleep space.

Additional Specs

Best Playard for Small Spaces

The Scoop

• Lightweight and compact to store
• One second to unfold, three seconds to fold
• Includes bassinet insert

What Our Experts Say

Leave it to luxe stroller brand Bugaboo to come up with a playard that’s just as stylish as it is functional. The Stardust is sleek, simple and seamless. It opens and closes in seconds and is great for use both at home or for travel thanks to its light weight. Unlike most playards, it folds in on itself like an accordion rather than downward, which means you can store it upright just about anywhere and pop it open whenever you need a spot for your little one to play or chill.

What’s Worth Considering

It’s pricey, and there aren’t a ton of add-ons other than the bassinet. There are no wheels on the base legs, but since this playard is pretty light we don’t think that’s too big of a deal.

Additional Specs

Best Playard for Multiples

The Scoop

• 50% more space than traditional playards
• Great for multiples
• Large footprint

What Our Experts Say

RSVPing for two (or more)? The Room2 is the “big daddy” of playards with nearly 50 percent more space, totaling ten square feet of place space. It’s a good choice for multiples or if you’re simply looking for a playard with a little more room. There are edge-to-edge mesh windows for maximum visibility and a simple, modern design that parents love. A fitted cotton sheet is included.

What’s Worth Considering

You won’t get compact here. It’s also on the heavier side, but considering its size, being just short of 30 pounds isn’t so bad. Some parents also note it’s a bit tricky to set up and take down so it may be a better choice if you’re looking for more of a permanent play or sleep space.

Additional Specs

Other Playards We Love

• The Baby Trend Retreat Nursery Center is a Babylist parent favorite and a well-priced playard packed with features. It includes a bassinet that converts into a standalone rocker, hanging toys, sounds and vibration, a larger removable bassinet and of course a roomy play space.
• Know for their beloved one-handed fold line of strollers, Baby Jogger’s City Suite Multi-Level Playard delivers both looks and functionality. This multi-level playard is lightweight (a little over 13 pounds), includes a bassinet and folds compactly so it works for either at home or on the go.
• The Fisher-Price On-the-Go Baby Dome is a great affordable option for an outdoor or on-the-go playard, but it works just as well for indoors too. It includes a canopy and a few hanging toys.

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