When I was pregnant with my first, I remember starting to catalog all the expensive big-ticket items that would now become necessary.
“Can I borrow my sister’s car seat?”
“How much do cribs cost?”
Strollers, wagons, bassinets, the list of products that new parents consider purchasing is daunting.
One item I wasn’t really planning on was a travel crib. It kind of popped out of nowhere as the family started to envision our first trip.
Sure, you can rent gear when you travel, but there is something wonderful about having your own mini cot, ready for adventure. It’s personal, your children grow accustomed to it, and once you get the hang of a particular brand, it becomes like an extension of your body.
After years of using only the Guava Lotus Travel Crib, this is my story of the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light — how it snuck into my life and how it compares to the competition.
The Deets:
What We Love About Baby Bjorn Travel Crib?
1. Lightweight:
If you know me, you know I don’t do heavy. The lighter the better…with pretty much anything (heavy on the whipped cream, heavy on the Hallmark Rom Coms…light on everything else).
The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib is the lightest option out there when it comes to travel cribs, cots, playpens, pack-n-plays, thing-child-will-sleep-ins (there’s a hundred names for these, you get the idea).
Weighing in at a whopping 13 lbs, every other option I’ve come across is both bigger and bulkier.
While bigger and bulkier can have its advantages, for outdoor use or containing a particularly rambunctious munchkin, if lighter is your goal then this crib is for you.
2. Trusted Brand:
Sometimes when you’re making bigger purchases, regardless of the genre, it’s best to stick with a brand you recognize. In terms of the baby world, there aren’t many companies that have been doing it longer than the Swedish Baby Bjorn.
These guys got started in 1961! I mean, that’s 60+ years of developing awesome gear for parents and babies.
Believe it or not, Baby Bjorn’s original hit product was their bouncer (which I could not have survived the newborn stage without), and they are most well-known these days for their line of baby carriers.
When you purchase this travel crib, you can be confident it is what it says it is, made with quality material, and built to last.
Even the travel bag itself is made out of 100% polyester. The material is rugged enough to handle the many bumps and scratches that come along with family travel.
All-in-all, there is an undeniable comfort level that comes from buying Bjorn.
3. Portability:
Any parent in the market for a travel crib, of course, wants one that’s extremely transportable. How well does it pack? How easy is it to lug around? These are key questions.
Baby Bjorn Travel Crib gets top marks in this category as well. Folded up in its carry bag, the crib is a slender 5.5 inches in width. In other words, paper thin.
My husband typically becomes the ‘car packing expert’ when it’s time to fit the vehicle for an excursion. He needs all the families’ various suitcases and bags out in the open before he can determine what goes where in the trunk of the car.
Mr. Fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants morphs into Planning Dad, spending the whole night investigating how we can comfortably fit all of our belongings while allowing easy access to items like the cooler and diaper bags.
The folded-up Baby Bjorn in its carry case is so slim, that it can easily slide in the side or top of an already packed vehicle. It really is convenient for those long road trips.
This helps tremendously, as the travel crib is often one of the last items to get stowed away after a vacation. The plan is typically to get everything packed in the car, my last step is waking up the kids, disassembling the crib, and folding it in the carry bag for travel.
What Can Be Improved?
1. Quick Break Down – A Little Struggle:
When it comes to dismantling this bad boy, it’s really 2 simple steps that can be accomplished in under a minute.
The four posts have arrows which direct you to pop out, and fold down.
Once the posts are out, they freely collapse in on themselves, and what you’re left with is a flat frame.
Now I will admit, the first time I did this, it took me a couple of minutes to figure out this last step: folding the whole frame in half.
I guess I knew what came next, I knew it folded in half…I just couldn’t get it to budge.
The instructions on the mesh insert only have two visual steps. 1. Pop out the legs (check). 2. Fold in half. Well come on now why isn’t this thing folding in half?
You kind of need to ‘force’ the whole frame flat, but putting your knee on it, but then it folds over super easily. That aha moment goes off and you never have the issue again.
Once you do it right one time, you’re all set.
Wrap the mattress around the broken down crib, and slide the whole thing into the travel bag. Bing, bang, boom.
2. The Skinny
The real skinny on the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is just that, it’s real skinny.
Them legs are thin. Don’t get me wrong, the design is flawless, and there is no wobble factor even with the slim legs.
My youngest boy is two years old and full of energy. The Baby Bjorn has no problem containing him without tipping or knocking it over.
A potential issue I could see would be for families planning on getting super rugged with their travel crib. The Baby Bjorn is skinny and lightweight to the max.
3. No Side Opening
The unit also lacks a side opening, which I find helpful in transferring sleeping baby. But it’s because of its simplicity that the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib truly is the most lightweight, and easiest to break down floor resting travel crib in the market.
A great product from a great brand, you can trust you’ve made a good decision if you purchase this crib.
Price:
Regular market price: $279.99.
It’s not cheap for sure. But it is also at the same level as the other premium pack-n-plays, such as Guava Lotus Travel Crib.
Wrapping Up
I plan on writing a comparison piece, discussing the nitty-gritty differences between what we believe to be the best three travel cribs on the market; The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib, The Guava Lotus Travel Crib, and The Baby Moov Moov & Comfy.
While similar in many ways, they do offer subtle nuances worth considering to make the most informed decision.
Bottom line, you are making a great choice as a consumer if you were to purchase the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib; it is a top option that keeps both parents and toddlers satisfied.
