So, you are planning to get the best (travel) playpen for your baby or toddler to take on your next trip? Or are you just wanting a play yard for the home use?
You have come to the right place because, in this product review plus a detailed buying guide, we give you our top choices of the best travel playpens for babies that you can choose from.
In our short but still comprehensive buying guide, we give you a few factors that you might like to consider when shopping for one e.g. the size, material, and portability.
Also, before we proceed, firstly, it is important to note that playpen comes in other names like play yard, super yard, and the likes but they share the same functions. It is a great space to keep your children contained in a safe space where they can freely move around and play without you worrying about them.
Even better, playpens can also serve as your child’s bed may you be in the house or even outdoors.
Playpens usually come in handy especially for parents with children 36 months or below.
Related Posts: The Best Booster Seats For Traveling
Best Lightweight Travel Strollers (Not Only) For Airplane Travel
We have focused mainly on the best travel playpens that are lightweight, compact, and can be taken easily on a road trip and even an airplane ride.
Without further ado, let’s find out which one might be best suited for you and your child.
* Please note: all product links in this product review are affiliate links. That means, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Page Contents
The Best (Travel) Playpens For Babies And Toddlers In 2023
BabySeater Portable Play Yard Play Pen – Best Playpen for Babies for Travel Overall
The BabySeater Portable Play yard Playpen is our favorite playpen for babies and toddlers for various reasons. Not only can you set it up with only one hand but it is also lightweight for easy traveling and has a lifetime warranty.
It is designed with a lightweight metal frame, clear mesh and a water-resistant floor. It has 2 safety latches to ensure your child’s safety. The clear mesh design allows you to see your child easily while the floor is padded to give your child a comfortable space all around.
This play yard has a zipped opening where your baby can crawl into it easily.
The hexagon-shaped playpen provides just the right size for your baby to play around with the longest diameter of 54 inches and a height of 30 inches. This play yard is recommended for children with ages 3 years old or lower.
As mentioned earlier, this play yard can be single-handedly opened and is foldable, lightweight and comes with a carrying case. When folded, the BabSseater play yard measures 9.5 x 30 inches and weighs 15.39 pounds.
It is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and can be easily cleaned because of its removable fabric floor that is machine washable. This play yard comes in 3 designs including beige, pink and turquoise. It can be set-up with a canopy that you can purchase separately from the manufacturer.
Pros
This BabySeater Portable Play Yard Playpen is lightweight, safe, portable and easy to clean.
It is great for both indoor and outdoor use. The mesh design offers parent and child visibility and has the right size for your baby to move around.
Best of all, it comes with a lifetime guarantee so you are assured of the product’s quality.
Cons
You may need to add more padding on the floor to ensure your child’s safety in cases of falls.
Overall
The portable play yard by BabySeater has an almost perfect rating amongst Amazon users mainly because of its sturdy built. Not to mention it is easy to use as well.
The lightweight pack and play design allowing parents to open this playpen single-handedly. The ease of use, different color choices, the lightweight yet compact design plus the lifetime warranty make this portable play yard playpen from BabySeater our choice for the best playpen for travel overall.
Order The BabySeater Playpen On Amazon
Skip Hop Portable Baby Playpen
Both items, the mattress pad, and mat can securely be tucked into the corners of the crib/playpen. The side mesh is awesome for the parent as well for the baby to see each other. That way, your baby will feel more secure.
Converting it from a travel crib to a playpen is fairly easy and should only take a few minutes.
The compact size with a weight of 20 pounds makes it the perfect travel companion.
This two-in-one Skip Hop travel playpen is suitable for kids from 0 to 3 years old.
Related post: My Top 5 Travel Cribs For Babies – You Don’t Want To Go Without Them
Pros
The Skip Hop playpen is guaranteed safe, secure and fun to sleep and spend time in it for your baby or toddler.
It is relatively spacious when used as a play yard and is versatile to use. It is compact, foldable and can be easily transported with the included travel bag.
Cons
This Skip Hop playpen/travel crib is relatively pricey compared to other options.
Overall
If you are looking for a versatile playpen that can be easily and readily set up, is compact, and travels well then the Skip Hop playpen is a perfect choice.
This two-in-one travel companion has a unique design and offers great parent-child visibility. It has been properly tested and has met several safety standards.
On top of that, it is comfortable for your baby to sleep in and gives enough play space for your baby.
Its compact size makes for easy storage and traveling.
Order The Skip Hop Playpen On Amazon
Summer Infant Pop N’ Play Portable Play Yard
The Summer Infant Pop N’ Play Portable Play yard is designed with a metal frame, mesh fabric and a weather-resistant canvas floor.
It is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and measures 14 square feet. It is shaped like a hexagon with the longest diameter of 48 inches and a height of 26 inches.
It is canopy compatible that is sold separately.
This play yard is easily folded and assembled. When folded, this play yard measures around 3.5 feet tall and 6 inches wide. It comes with a travel storage bag for easy transport whether you are traveling by land, sea or even air. It weighs 12 pounds.
This play yard from Summer Infant is made of safe materials that are BPA, PVC and lead-free. Available designs come in aqua sugar and green colors.
Pros
This Summer Infant play yard is portable, safe and easy to use.
It is lightweight and well-suited for travel even by air. The material built is guaranteed safe and is designed for both indoor and outdoor use.
Cons
You may need to put some padding on the X bars if your child is more mobile to prevent them from banging their heads into those.
Overall
This Summer Infant play yard is one of the popular playpens with over 3000 sold items. It is a highly rated product in this category mainly because of its portable design and guaranteed safe material built.
The Summer Infant Playard is also the most affordable amongst our product choices. We do like that it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and can always accompany you and your child almost anywhere whether you are traveling on the road, sea or air.
Order The Summer Infant Playpen On Amazon
Delta Children LX Deluxe Portable Baby Play Yard With Removable Bassinet and Changing Table
This play yard can grow with your child from when he/she is still a baby up until he/she becomes a toddler.
The bassinet comes in for babies until they are around 5 months old or up until they weigh up to 15 pounds.
The changing table can carry your child up until he/she grows to 25 pounds. It is designed with a waterproof surface for easy cleaning.
This play yard also suits your baby when they are becoming agile and reaches around 25 inches tall.
This 3-in-1 play yard from Delta also features a removable hanging plush toy to help facilitate your child’s early visual development. The hanging storage compartment is great for easy organization of your child’s diapers, wipes, and many other things.
When assembled, this play yard measures 27.75 x 37.4 x 40.2 inches. It is also designed with 2 wheels for easy movement in between rooms.
The Delta Children LX play yard is easily folded and assembled making it suitable for travel. When folded, it measures 12 x 9.5 x 30.5 inches and weighs 27.6 pounds. It can be allowed for check-in by most airline hence it is also a great carry on for land or sea travel. It is always a good idea to check with your chosen airline beforehand though.
This multifunctional play yard is guaranteed safe for use and is even JPMA, CPSC and ASTM certified.
Pros
This playpen from Delta comes with several features that come in handy as your baby grows. We do love multifunctional gadgets especially since babies grow so quickly.
As outlined before, the Delta playpen can be used as a bassinet, has a changing table, storage compartment, and offers a removable hanging toy. Because of its compact size and reasonable weight, it is great for travel whether by car, train, or air. It is guaranteed safe and has passed several safety standards and certifications.
Cons
This play yard from Delta is relatively heavier than our other product choices and not as spacious as our other recommended choices.
Overall
This Delta play yard is a great choice if you are looking for a portable play yard that can grow with your baby from when he/she is still a baby and when a bassinet and changing table comes in useful.
This playpen is great for travel, safe to use and can be easily packed and assembled.
Order The Delta LX Playpen On Amazon
Evenflo Playpen
Each panel is connected by a hinge design and stands 28 inches. It can be extended into 8 panels with 2 more panels that are sold separately.
This playpen from Evenflo is great for both indoor and outdoor use. It comes with reversible legs with stakes for outdoor use and non-scratch floor pads for flat and smooth indoor surfaces.
According to the company, the playpen is ideal for children ages 6 to 24 months old.
This playpen is relatively lightweight weighing 16.88 pounds. When folded, the dimension is 35 x 29 x 8 inches.
Pros
This Evenflo Playpen is durable and made of weather-resistant plastic. It is spacious and can be easily assembled and folded. It is great for indoor and outdoor use.
Cons
This playpen can be too bulky for air travel. Also, it does not come with a floor or mattress.
Overall
If you are looking for an affordable playpen made with lightweight plastic but is durable and made for both indoor and outdoor use with flexible feet design, then this is just the perfect product. It can be easily assembled and folded as well.
It is suitable to take on road trips but we wouldn’t recommend it for air travel.
Order The Evenflo Playpen On Amazon
Gupamiga Playpen for Babies
This Gupamiga playpen for babies is made of sturdy plastic and consists of 14 panels altogether.
The panel height is 24 inches with one activity wall measuring 24 inches wide, one door panel measuring 32 inches and 12 more panels measuring 16 inches wide. It can enclose a generous space of 25 square feet and is great for both indoor and outdoor use.
This playpen is best assembled into a square with the activity wall and gated panel on opposite sides.
This play yard is extendable depending on extra panels’ availability that you can purchase separately. In between panels, there are top and bottom locks with the bottom locks being rubberized and anti-skid.
This is a fun and colorful playpen to energize your child’s mood with its various colored panels and the attractive activity wall.
For your peace of mind, the material built is safe being BPA free and non-toxic.
Pros
This Gupamiga playpen is made of sturdy and safe materials. It features the biggest area amongst our product choices of playpens for babies.
It can be easily assembled and is stable enough to secure your baby up until he/she grows to 24 months old and in some cases even much older.
The playpen comes in an attractive design with a fun activity wall and a convenient door panel. This playpen can also be used both indoor and outdoor.
Cons
This playpen does not come with a mat and can be bought separately. It is more costly, bulkier and heavier than our other recommended product choices.
Overall
If you are looking for an attractive, colorful and fun plastic playpen that is safe and sturdy then this is the right product for you.
It can easily be assembled and can be both used indoor and outdoor. It is very spacious and has a convenient door panel for easy entrance.
When it comes to traveling, it is okay for road trips but we wouldn’t recommend it for airplane travel due to the bulkiness and weight.
Order The Gupamiga Playpen On Amazon
Buying Guide Best Playpens For Babies
Are you wondering how we choose the products on this list? Or, are you still looking for some features before buying your child a new playpen, then read on.
This buying guide aims to help you understand more about your child’s next playpen.
Related post: The Best Wired And Wireless Headphones For Kids And Toddlers
Expected Use
When buying your child’s playpen, know exactly how you and your child are going to use it.
Will it just give your child a safe play zone? Do you want it as your child’s travel bed? Do you need the extras such as the bassinet, changing table, activity wall and the likes?
Do you plan to use it indoor or outdoor? Know your expected use to ensure you get most of the features when choosing the best playpen for your child.
Material and Built
Most playpen for babies are made of steel frame and mesh panels or plastics panels.
A combination of steel and mesh panels are usually lighter than those made of plastics.
Mesh panels offer better parent and child visibility while plastic panels are usually sturdier and more attractive.
Since in this product review and buying guide we are looking for the best playpen for babies that are also suitable for traveling, all of our product choices are foldable or are compact.
Playpens come in different shapes, those on our list are rectangular and hexagonal. They may also come with integrated floors or just free-standing on the ground.
Size and Measures
Your child’s playpen comes in different sizes. Some can pass through doors even when assembled. This allows you to move your child’s playpen from one room to another easier.
If you wish to purchase this kind of playpen, then you should remember that standard door width ranges from 30-36 inches. From our list, we only have one item of this size but since all our products on the list are foldable then moving these playpens from one room to another will never be a problem.
Hexagonal playpens are usually measured in their widest diameter or by the dimensions of each panel.
Our hexagonal playpens with floors in this list have a diameter of 48-54 inches and have around 14 square feet of enclosed space.
Playpens made of detachable or foldable panels without the integrated floor usually enclose a larger playing area of 18-25 square feet. Some can even be extended by purchasing additional panels.
Doors
Doors in your child’s playpen allow for easier access. The important thing to check when you choose a playpen with door for your child is to check how secure the lock works so your child cannot accidentally open it on his/her own.
Inclusions
A playpen for babies and toddlers also comes with useful features such as the bassinet insert, changing table, storage organizer and mattress. These added features may come in useful when your child is under 12 months old.
Some playpens also feature fun activity walls to engage your child.
Wheels allow for easy movement and are usual features of rectangular playpens. Some playpens are compatible with canopy and wall mount tools as well. Wall mount tools for playpens are applicable when using the playpen as a divider or barrier of some play space for your child.
Portability
Since this product review and buying guide is intended to help you choose the best playpen for babies that you can bring with you on travels, then all our product choices are all foldable and can easily be assembled and disassembled.
The most compact ones are those with mesh designs and with an integrated floor. Those playpens made of panels without the floors also have manageable weights for travel but they may need extra space and may not be great for air travel.
Certifications
Most baby products are tested and certified to meet certain safety standards. The best playpen that you can get for your baby must meet these standards to ensure your child’s safety.
Among these testing or certifying agencies and established standards include JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association), CPSC (United States Consumer Product Safety Commission), ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) and EN71.
Warranty
The best playpen that you can get for your baby should come with a warranty so you are assured of the quality of the product and its worth.
Conclusion Best Playpens For Babies In 2023
So, our review and buying guide for the best (travel) playpens for babies ends here. We wish that your wise shopping starts from here and ends well with you getting the best travel playpen for your baby with the features to satisfy both your needs and that of your baby.
As most parents do, we wish the best things for our baby, and by doing so we also help ourselves in making the time we spent with our children fun, worry-free, and always happy.
More reviews that might interest you:
The Best Travel Toys for Toddlers
Best Travel Gears For Babies And Toddlers
Guide To The Best Baby Carriers For Babies And Toddlers
Top 5 Travel High Chairs For Babies and Toddlers
funtravelingwithkids.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn a commission by advertising and linking to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.
Need Some Travel Inspiration?
Read More In Our Detailed Travel Guides
