Taking care of your baby doesn’t have to take 100% of the time you have at home or even outdoors. By simply going through the best portable play yard for babies comparison contained in this post, you’ll definitely find a tool to keep your baby busy while you are doing your thing.
In those scenarios like woodworking, gardening, or home cleaning, a baby playard becomes practically useful. Regardless of your budget or brand preference, find what you want here is very certain.
For new moms, guardians or grandparents, these things also work well in travel situations. In the following paragraphs, these baby Playard reviews will help you spot what makes each one different from the other. With that comparison, identifying the best fit for your needs should become easier.
Portable Play Yard for Babies Buying Guide 2022 (Factors to Consider Before Buying)
Before we move on to the best portable baby playard comparison, here are the main factors to consider in this buying guide.
- Portability: Are you going to be taking your playpen to other houses? Perhaps you might want to spend a day at the park, where a playpen would be a handy way to keep your baby safe and let them play alone while you read a book? If you think you might be taking your playpen outside of the home, be sure to choose one that can fold up for easy transport.
- Bassinet: Most playards include a bassinet, which is a convenient option if you’re going to have your baby sleep in it while using it as a traveling nursery. The bassinets in playards differ; some are full-sized and run down the length of the playard, some have options like a canopy which is great if you’re going to be using it outdoors, and some have a rocking motion.
- Wheels / Casters: A playard with wheels or casters makes it much easier to move around the house, either to clean the room or to simply move the playard to another area of the house. Just make sure that the wheels lock into place for safety reasons.
- Toys / Music / Lights: Some models come with included toys or music that is great for entertaining your child while they are inside. Just beware that these features sometimes require separate batteries.
- Storage: Some models come with built-in storage for things like diapers, toys, clothing, etc. This can be great if you plan on using the playard as a portable nursery, or just want some extra storage for those baby items.
- Canopy: If you plan on using your playard outside, be sure to choose a model that has an included canopy. The sun can be very damaging to a baby’s delicate skin.
List of Top 6 Best Baby Play Yards
For the budget-conscious buyer, you can be sure that these are the best portable baby playards under $200 in 2022. So you can be sure that all of them are relatively affordable.
1. Graco Pack ‘n Play Newborn Seat DLX Playard
Depending on your choice, you can get a multiplicity of attachments with this option. You can load it up and get it into a much higher range with all sorts of options: attachable changing tables, baby rockers, music players, vibrations, etc. With all those options, expect to spend something around $150 – $200.
You’ll have a great playard, but you’ll also have a very heavy (37 pounds!) and cumbersome playard with lots of peripheral parts to lose, break, and replace batteries in.
Graco has ruled the playard market for over a decade now, so much so that their trademarked name “Pack N Play” has become a more common term than playard. It’s big, heavy, cumbersome, and not great for anything other than car travel.
But it’s sturdy, well built, and has basically any feature you can imagine having in a playard – except for an ultra-portable carrying case or zippered side.
2. JOOVY Room Playard and Nursery Center
As one of the best low cost baby playards, you can access your baby diapers and nursery essentials easily with the JOOVY’s Room Playard. This is an all-in-one nursery center that can carry your child from birth up to when they’re 35 inches tall.
It comes in a teal shade, making it blend in with virtually any décor. The detachable bassinet has a comfortable height and can hold any kid who is below 15 pounds in weight. The changing table is equally sturdy with a weight capacity of 25 lbs. And, when you’re not using the table, just flip it over to create more playing space.
If you’re scouting for a playpen with a host of compartments, look no further than the JOOVY Room Playard. The diaper section allows you to carry all the necessities you need, home and away. Not to forget that you can do away with the bassinet when your kid outgrows it.
3. Baby Trend Nursery Center
With this one, it only takes a few minutes to set up the Baby Trend Nursery Center. It is beautiful, highly portable, has a clean line and art-inspired graphics that make it stand out. The outer fabrics are remarkably soft, and the modern colors add flair to an already great playard.
All these features combine to make this unit the ultimate “everywhere” crib. It lets you carry your baby to your friend’s dinner, at the airport or playgroup. The Baby Trend Nursery Center could as well be the lightest playard on the market.
The Baby Trend Nursery Center makes it easy for your tot to have fun while giving you space to attend to other issues. Its frame has no flame retardants, PVC, or phthalates. It may comfort you to know that this playard meets the GREENGUARD GOLD standards for chemical emissions.
4. Summer Pop ‘n Play Portable Playard
This portable baby Playard comes in at 48″ wide and about 26″ tall. At 14 square feet of play area this is the largest playard on our list.
Based on past user experiences, this Summer Infant Pop And Play Playard was found perfect for car travel to the beach or park, great for an indoor ball pit or out in the yard, but less suitable for travel by plane. Even completely folded up in the included carrying case, it’s just way too big for that type of travel.
The mattress is fine, but not really comfortable for sleeping. So overall, you’re getting a very large, sturdy, and well-constructed playard that is great for some particular uses. So why so far down on our list? Well, the architecture of the playard is a bit unfortunate with the cross-bars all around the sides. The mesh netting is a bit loose, so a few things happened during our testing.
First, one 20-month baby quickly climbed right out by pushing his foot to stretch the netting and climbing on the crossbars. Second, when we used it as a ball pit, one toddler bonked his head on the crossbars. There are some ways to solve this, for instance by placing foam pipe insulation (or even pool noodles!) on the bars, but that seems like a bit of work that should have been done by the company in the first place.
In any event, we definitely think this is a great playard, but you will need to do something about to pad the crossbars.
5. Safety 1st Happy Space Play Yard
Your little one will have the time of their life in this pleasant Safety 1st Happy Space Confetti Blue Play Yard. He or she will spot fun toys that attach to the side which makes it even more fun. You can even toss in a few more dolls to keep your kiddo entertained as you do your thing around the house.
And when it’s time to move, be sure to use the storage pockets strategically placed along the outside to carry baby items. Plus, you can always rely on the robust feet to keep this play yard steady. Meanwhile, the carry bag guarantees hassle-free trips to grandma’s house or vacation.
This could very well be one of the best portable baby playards for anyone looking for a spacious yet handy unit to amuse the young tot.
It is truly pack-able and convenient, whichever way you look at it.
6. Baby Trend Lil Snooze Deluxe 2 Nursery Center
For moms that travel a lot with their family, Baby Trend Lil Snooze Deluxe 2 Nursery Center will be the best pack ‘n play with bassinet to choose. The extremely lightweight of fewer than 20 pounds, convenient size, and push-button fold makes it easy to pack and carry this item.
The model comes with a comfortable carrying bag for perfect portability.
Space-saving design allows placing it in a hotel room easily, yet providing your baby with enough room for rest and games. Airy mesh sides make it suitable even for the warmest climate. The bassinet of this playard is equipped with an original canopy with a cute toy bar which appears to be both protective for excessive sunlight and entertaining your little bundle of joy during their active periods.
However, the reviews mark some flaws in addition to the advantages. First of all, the mattress isn’t waterproof so it’s better to consider having an additional pad. Some buyers also report that this model is a bit pricier than an average pack ‘n play, so you have to decide if you have extra money to spend on it.
As for price, here is one of the coolest options you can find under $150.
Conclusion
So whatever the factor that matters most to you, you can possibly find them with one the best portable baby playard comparison detailed here. One thing to keep in mind is to do the set up immediately after arrival so that if you find any defects, you can be able to return within the acceptable duration.