Portable Cribs Review

Portable cribs are handy for travel or for grandma's house

Portable cribs are useful for parents who travel, but they're also handy for grandma's house or even as a family-room supplement to a full-size crib. They vary in size; some portable cribs are more like folding versions of a full-size crib, while others are soft-sided and more collapsible.

If you're really short on space, you could use a portable crib as your baby's primary sleeping space. Apartment-dwellers may find that a full-size crib takes up too much space and some parents prefer to have an infant sleep in the same room with them, so a smaller crib is often more feasible. Portable cribs are also less expensive than traditional cribs, so they make good second cribs for a family room.

Portable cribs come in two primary styles: folding cribs and travel cribs. Folding cribs look like traditional cribs, often constructed of wood with slats on the sides that keep a baby from falling out but also allow him or her to see out. Some folding cribs are smaller than standard cribs, while others are the same size as a full-size crib but fold flat for easier storage or mobility. Families who do a lot of traveling might still find a folding crib cumbersome, especially if they own a small vehicle.

Portable travel cribs, on the other hand, resemble play yards. They have soft sides, aluminum or other metal frames, and they fold up compactly in a carrying case or storage bag. Travel cribs are better suited for on-the-go families. Some have additional features, such as mesh tops, waterproof materials or even mosquito netting to maximize your baby's comfort during outdoor trips.

Portable cribs differ from play yards in that play yards are meant for use as a secure play area for an infant, although many parents report using a play yard as a travel crib. Most portable cribs don't come with the included mobiles, bassinets and changing stations that some play yards do, but some parents don't find all those bells and whistles necessary. This report covers portable cribs that are solely designed for use with a sleeping infant, although many of the products could perform double duty as a play yard. (We cover play yards in a separate report.)

The best comparative review of portable cribs appears in The New York Times. An outdoor-enthusiast couple with four children between the ages of 6 months and 7 years test out five portable cribs on a camping trip, and while they don't provide formal ratings, they do offer feedback on setup, features and ease of use. The latest edition of the popular baby-gear book "Baby Bargains" by consumer advocates Denise and Alan Fields has a thorough section covering cribs in general, but discussion on portable cribs is limited to one recommended model. That said, consumers can check out the authors' ratings of manufacturers, although a few key portable crib makers are missing from the list.

ConsumerReports.org doesn't cover portable cribs specifically, but one crossover model is included in its play yard roundup. We also found several lists of recommended portable cribs on sites such as People.com, Trekaroo.com, About.com and Parents.com. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.) Because parent feedback is important to uncover a product's durability and ease of use in the real world, we also turned to consumer reviews on sites such as Amazon.com, Viewpoints.com and Target.com.

One travel crib that earns middling reviews from consumers is phil&teds Traveller (*Est. $200). While it offers some useful features, such as waterproof, windproof and washable fabric and tent pegs for added stability, a review on Trekaroo.com says that this travel crib is a bit more difficult to assemble and tear down compared to others in the category. It's middle-of-the-road in terms of price, but while similar models include UV screens, the UV screen (*Est. $30) for this model is sold separately, adding to the total cost. Just under 30 reviewers posting to Amazon.com contribute to the travel crib's average rating of 3.5 stars out of 5. Reviewers agree that setup is tedious and it's difficult to get the folded-up unit in the carrying bag. If you're willing to spend more than $200 on a travel bed, other models receive far better reviews.