Buying a Bedside Crib For Travel

The crib’s size is a hit with moms It’s larger than a Moses basket but smaller than a cot bed. It also can fold down to a third of its original size and fits into a convenient travel bag, making it ideal for travel.

Remember that the crib is intended for sleeping. Toys, pillows and blankets can cause a child to be suffocated.

Safety

If you’re looking to purchase a travel crib, you’ll want to make sure the manufacturer meets all safety standards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) site is a good place to begin. It will let you know whether a crib for portable use has ever been recalled. Select a mattress that is suitable for the crib of your baby so it won’t fall through the gaps or create a suffocation risk.

Look for cribs or bassinets that meet the updated safety standards for 2022. You should also avoid older cribs or cribs that have been modified, or drop side cribs that have been used for travel as they aren’t evaluated and could pose dangers to your baby’s health.

A travel crib must be strong and well-constructed. Check for missing, loose or broken screws and other hardware. If you’re using a playard, it should have mesh windows and sturdy walls for air flow. The slats on the crib should be spaced no more than 2 and 3/8 inches apart to prevent baby’s head or limbs from being trapped. Also, do not put baby bedside crib , blankets or toys with stuffed animals in the crib. These items can suffocate or strangle your baby. They should be removed from the crib at the time your child is able push up on their hands and knees or before 5 months old or when they reach 5 months of age, whichever comes first.

Examine regularly for loose or broken screws and other hardware. This is particularly crucial when traveling with an infant. Make sure to remove all crib furniture before use, as well.

If you’re using a portable crib, make sure it is not located right under a window. A window is an injury from falling and your baby could be injured in the event that they crash into it. It is recommended to keep your baby’s bedroom away from windows, even if they are old enough to roll over. It is important to wake your baby when they begin to roll over while sleeping.

Portability

Portable cribs (or playards or playards, as they’re often referred to) are a great option for those who are going on vacation, having guests over, or just needing a safe crib for use during a sleepover or with friends. These foldable contraptions are easy to assemble and compact when closed, and come with a comfortable padded mattress that can hold newborns up to 15kg.

The BabyBjorn Travel Crib is a favourite with MFM home testers who appreciate the fact that it can be folded down and stored in just a few minutes and that its simple one-handed drop-down panels are easy for even bleary-eyed parents to use. It’s not the tiniest of packs-and-play on our list but it’s a decent weight, weighing just under 15 pounds. It comes with standard carry handles rather than the backpack-style strap that some find more comfortable to carry around.

The Joie Kubbie Sleep is another great option. It incorporates a bedside bassinet as well as a crib into one compact unit. It is ideal for long-term stays and holidays with friends and family. It’s not the cheapest one, but it does come with many all-singing and all-dancing features like a storage basket and soothing night lights that change colour and white noise. It also has lullabies to help your baby fall asleep and sleep. Its bassinet sits up higher than most to make it easier to use in the beginning of the day when mom is still recovering.

It’s also easy to clean, with machine washable and wipeable fabric. It’s also light, at just under 12kg, and fits neatly into the small, compact travel case that comes with it. It has six height settings, including the tilt of the tummy for reflux/colic babies, and is able to fit beds of all sizes. It is also very easy to set up. Our MFM tester was able to do it in just 10 minutes. It will require a mattress that is separate.

Feeding

It is essential that your child is comfortable and safe when you travel, whether for business or pleasure. It is better to buy a travel-specific crib or bassinet than to use one that you already have. They are smaller and come with mesh sides so parents can monitor their child without causing any disturbance to them. They’re also light and can be easily transported between places. These also meet the safety standards of American Academy of Pediatrics and have not been recalled.

If you must utilize a crib for your bed it is recommended that your child be positioned on their backs and that the sleeping surface be free of pillows, blankets and animals stuffed. Sharing a bed with parents isn’t recommended for any baby regardless of age, and this form of sleeping with a partner is associated with an increased risk of SIDS. If you must occasionally co-sleep, make sure that your baby is sleeping and that you and your partner are fully dressed and awake.

There are a variety of cribs for newborns and babies.

Some are designed as a mini-crib or Moses baskets, while others have sides that can be put into parent’s bed. This allows parents to access their infant during the middle of the night to comfort and feed their child, and avoid the dangers of co-sleeping. The AAP warns against this because of the risk of being suffocated. Examples include the Arm’s Reach Clear-Vue Bassinet, a bedside sleeper that attaches to the side of a mattress for a parent. This is a good option for older children, since the sides can be raised so that you can reach the baby without having to lift them out of bed. Another option is a travel cot, which has a built-in bassinet that can be removed from the top of the crib which makes it easier to lift up the sleeping infant to feed or other care.

Sleeping

Bedside cribs are a great option to sleep comfortably with your newborn. They are placed near your bed so you can easily reach them for feedings and check on their sleeping without disrupting them. Some cribs have drop sides that you can lower to make this easier, and others have an adjustable height so that they will be able to fit in your bed at home or when you are away.

While it was once recommended that babies sleep in a separate bedroom, there is now a increasing preference for parents to sleep with their infants. Also known as rooming in, this arrangement allows babies to be close to their parents yet remain safely separated on their own bassinet or crib. There are many types of co-sleepers that are available, including the iCrib which is designed to be a portable crib that fits on the top of your bed, or a standard crib. It has a light frame and a mattress that can be removed and can be folded to make it easy for storage. It also comes with the Joie Roomie Go crib, that is attached to the edge of the bed and has 7 height settings that can be adjusted as well as a tummy tilt for reflux and colic. Our MFM home testers loved the crib for its compact folding design and its ease of use. It is also available in different colours.

There are also freestanding cribs for bedside use, such as our Lilly and Alain, that can be positioned alongside the traditional bed frame. They have a movable side barrier that can slide down so you can pick your baby up for dinner at night, but the crib is otherwise fully enclosed and your baby will be sleeping comfortably throughout this time. These cribs meet the latest BS EN1130:2019 safety standards which require a 120mm separation between your mattress and the child’s cot.

There are also cribs for travel available. They are designed specifically for use on the road. These are typically much smaller and lighter than standard cribs and are therefore easier to carry in and out of hotels and cars. The Munchkin Brica travel crib, for example can be set up and taken down in under one minute, and weighs just 3 pounds, making it easy to lift and carry.