The 7 Best Travel Cribs That'll Keep the Kids Well-Rested On the Go

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My two kids could not be more different in temperament. My five-year-old son sees nothing but the best in things. He is sweet and studious and loves nothing more than cuddling and reading books. My one-year-old daughter, on the other hand, oh my God is she strong. Her pseudonyms include Rowdy Roddy Piper and Destructo: Destroyer of Worlds, and sometimes it feels like we are harboring a pet wolverine in our home—albeit a super cute one with dimples that we love to smithereens.

This is all to say, when we travel out to visit the in-laws in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, my son will doubtlessly finagle his way into our guestroom bed, and our daughter requires the strongest travel crib known to man. Surprise, surprise, it ain’t cheap. At $300 the UPPAbaby Remi Portable Playard is a splurge for us, but it’s worth it. It’s super sturdy—overbuilt even, as if one were planning to take it out to sea. And that makes it perfect for our needs. It packs down to an easily portable size and even though it's a bit heavy, as I like to remind my wife, that’s why I lift the weights. (The price reminds me why I buy gym equipment on a discount.)

The merits of a good travel crib are pretty straight forward. First and foremost, the kid sleeps well, which makes all of our days a whole lot more rosy come the morning. A well-rested toddler is worth its weight in gold. A sleepy, crabby toddler storming around the living room demanding everything that comes in contact with her person be the color purple, well, that will make your sweet, snowy Christmas in Colorado ski country significantly less merry. Good sleep, after all, is the foundation of a good life, and Esquire has a whole section on Adult Sleep.

Travel cribs come in all shapes, sizes, and prices for when your tot needs to be contained on the go. Here are a few of the best I've tried from all across the board.

Remi Portable Playard

Besides the fact that this thing feels nearly indestructible, what I really appreciated about the UPPAbaby was how easy it was to piece together. I’m terrible at following instructions—blame it on the writerly temperament. So, being able to simply pull this crib from its box and snap a few things into place using mostly intuition was a godsend. It’s easy to break down too, and folds neatly in upon itself. This crib is just really well designed overall. Edges are padded and zippers are hidden as well, to alleviate the threat of bumps and scratches.

That said, his crib isn’t easy on the wallet, but few things of quality ever are. It’s also 22.5 pounds—heavier than some competitors, but not prohibitively so. The weight translates to durability though. We’ve had this crib for quite some time and it’s still going strong. Which is good, because Destructo requires every ounce of its might.

Swift Lightweight Portable Play Yard

This model easily could have been chosen as best overall. It was nearly a pick’em with the UPPAbaby. It lost a few mph off its fastball because the ease of setup wasn’t quite as simple as the competition, but we are really splitting hairs here. The mattress was extra cozy and all abrasive edges are covered up too. It’s also extra sturdy—it barely budges when you rock it and it feels like you could bounce a bowling ball off the mattress and nothing would break.

This crib also has a detachable bassinet feature. For really little guys you can raise the mattress up for easier access. It’s a versatile feature that parents will appreciate. Like the UPPAbaby this crib is a teence on the chubby side at 18 pounds, but that’s a worthy sacrifice when you take into account this product’s significant advantages.

Lotus Travel Crib

This crib would have scored well on any level, but I decided it’s best suited for flying accolades because of its portability. Flying with little kids is tough enough as is, the last thing you want to be concerning yourself with is lugging an unwieldy crib around the airport while your toddler disappears around the bend and out of sight on the baggage carousel. To that end, the Lotus is just about right. It weighs just 15 pounds, folds down easily to half its size, and has its own easy-to-handle travel bag. But despite its feathery weight, its aluminum frame is sturdy enough to withstand both travel and ornery munchkins. The only issue I found with this one is that the mattress is a little slim, but nothing’s perfect.

PeaPod Plus Travel Tent

If you like to travel light the KidCo Peapod Plus is the crib for you. Of all the cribs I saw, this one outpunched its weight the most—quite literally, it clocks in at a scant 3.5 pounds. This crib stows neatly in its own bag that comes with straps for easy carrying. Setup was a breeze too. And a very cool feature, the tent-like design makes it equally adept at indoor or outdoor sleeping. This is the crib you want if you like to camp. I wouldn’t describe the construction as rigid, but it’s safe enough for an older child. One major drawback for this model is that it has a slippery fabric at the bottom of the crib that isn’t suitable for infants.

Travel Crib Light

One of the tricks I’ve picked up in my years of dad’ing is to keep everything as simple as possible. All your best laid plans are bound to go to hell anyway, but subtracting moving parts from the equation early on will at least make it a smooth ride down.

For that reason, I really like the Travel Crib Light from Baby Bjorn. It folds and unfolds so easily you could almost do it with one hand, a feat aided by its 13-pound weight. The mattress is firm but comfortable as well. The only downside here is that the Baby Bjorn is a bit small and won’t grow with your kids. But if keeping headaches to a minimum is of paramount concern to you (as it is to me) this crib is a good pick.

Brica Travel Pod

This one is less a travel crib than sort of a little soft suitcase you can pop your baby in from time to time. It’s great for travel, camping, or a picnic in the park—the definition of no muss no fuss. It’s meant for newborns who are still largely immobile (not pushing up or rolling over yet). The Brica lies flat on the ground and is effectively a travel-size bassinet. It’s an excellent option for when your newborn is driving you batty and you absolutely positively need to get out of the house.

Travel Crib 2-in-1 Playpen

The Baby Joy gets high marks for sturdiness, ease of use, soft edges, and hidden zippers. It’s a tad too big to fit in an overhead bin though, so we wouldn’t recommend it for flying. However if you’re packing the kids in the SUV or minivan and hitting the highway, this should be a good fit, particularly at a price point (right around $100) that should fit into most budgets. The mattress wasn’t the most plush of the cribs we looked at, but for a night or two we don’t think you’ll hear too much complaining.

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