Travel cribs
Graco Pack 'n Play Portable Playard
Our take
The classic, cheap play yard for grandparents' houses and car trips: wheels on one side, a push-button fold and a more compact fold than older Pack 'n Plays. At 18.5 pounds it's too heavy to fly with.
18.5 lbWheelsBudget
Consider instead: Newton or Guava for a lighter travel crib.
Before you buy
Do you need it?Nice to have Useful for travel, grandparents' houses and naps in another room. Some parents use one instead of a bassinet.
Cost per monthAbout $1.94 a month over a typical 36 months of use. Our estimate; your use may be shorter or longer.
Secondhand?Secondhand with checks. Fine secondhand with its original mattress only, every part present, and no open recall.
What parents and testers say
Recurring praise
- Great value
- Easy push-button fold
- Wheels
Recurring complaints
- Heavy
- No add-on bassinet or changer for this model
Our summary of patterns across the reviews and threads linked below, not quotes.
Materials & safety check
2 of 2 checks clear.
MattressUse only the pad it comes with; skip extra mattresses
RecallsNone for this model; a 2020 Graco recall covered an inclined sleeper accessory on four other playards
When to buy it
Registry
Handy for trips and grandparents' houses
Before the first trip
Practice setup at home
Up to ~35 in tall
Stop once your child can climb out
Other travel cribs we scored
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Reports from parents who've used a product for months are the hardest thing to find. Yours goes only to our team and helps keep this score honest. It isn't published.
Sources
- Babylist: Best travel cribs of 2026babylist.com
- CPSC recall database: "play yard" recalls since 2019saferproducts.gov