Our team of editors and parents tested 11 travel cribs in our Verywell Testing Lab in New York City and in the real world, using them at home and on the go. In this test, we evaluated the BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light and the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib for ease of assembly, compactness, design, and care. Both travel cribs have different strengths, making them great picks for families with varying wants and needs, but one travel crib stood out more.
The Main Takeaways
The BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light and the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib are both top-of-the-line options for families looking for a high-quality pack and play. We liked both cribs during lab and at-home testing, naming the BabyBjörn Best for Travel and picking the Lotus Travel Crib as Best Compact in our lab test of the best pack and plays. Ultimately, both models have handy features and are lightweight, but the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib made a stronger impression with its backpack carrying bag and side zipper. Keep reading for our in-depth comparison of the BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light versus the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib. Price at time of publication: $300 Who It’s For: Simple yet sturdy, the BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light is best suited for busy families that prioritize saving time. Assembling and collapsing this pack and play is quick and easy, and the fabric can effectively be spot cleaned without having to put it into the washing machine. It also fits into the included travel bag for portability. Who It’s For: The Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib is ideal for families that are frequent fliers. In addition to being lightweight (it’s only 11 pounds), it was the only model in our pack and play test with a travel bag that can be carried as a backpack or on a shoulder. If you’re wrangling children through the airport or into the car, it’s helpful to have the option to carry the crib hands-free. Plus, it’s compact when folded for easy storage. Both travel cribs were easy to assemble in well under three minutes, but the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib was trickier to collapse. To set it up, the BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light simply needed to have the legs popped into place before testers sprung it open and slipped in the thin mattress. (For bedtime and naps, you should also put a crib sheet on the mattress before inserting it into the playard.) Collapsing it took just over 4.5 minutes, and we needed to refer to the manual a few times. The Guava Family Lotus was similarly easy to assemble without a manual. We extended the aluminum legs and pulled the crib’s sides open until they clicked into place. Taking down the pack and play, however, was more of a challenge. “Collapsing the legs … took a little while,” a lab tester noted, while our at-home tester added that since the folding process was not intuitive, she was repeatedly searching online tutorials. Strapping in the mattress to secure it to the crib took a while, too.
Compactness and Portability
Winner: Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib The Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib edges out the BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light for compactness and portability, due to its lighter weight and handy dual-use carrying bag, though both cribs are solid options in this category. Weighing just 11 pounds—or 15 pounds when in the travel bag, according to the brand—the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib is very light. It also folds to half of its size and “doesn’t take up a lot of space to store,” earning it a spot as the Best Compact pick in our lab test. When it comes to portability, the folded pack and play fits into the included travel bag, which can be worn on a caregiver’s back like a backpack or on a shoulder. In testing, we found that the crib’s light weight makes it easy enough to move around a room, even though it lacks wheels. The BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light is not much heavier at 13 pounds (not including the travel bag), and we had no problem moving it around. In the lab, we did find that “the red ties on the legs catch on [the] carpet when you drag it across,” and the crib doesn’t have wheels. Like the Guava, it comes with a zippered carrying bag for toting it through the airport or storing it in a closet, though the bag doesn’t have a backpack option.
Care and Cleaning
Winner: BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light After spot cleaning both cribs as part of our lab test, we decided that the BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light is the best in this category, since it can be spot cleaned without leaving a stain. To assess how easy the pack and plays are to clean, we intentionally spilled applesauce on the fabric. Spot cleaning the BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light was just a matter of wiping off the muck. For deeper cleans, the crib’s fabric is also detachable and can be put in the washing machine. On the other hand, the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib wasn’t as easy to spot clean, with the material absorbing some of the liquid from the applesauce and cleaner, leaving a stain. Luckily, the fabric is also removable and machine washable, so it can be thoroughly cleaned, but it will take longer.
Design
Winner: Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib There are a few design features on both cribs that are worth mentioning. The BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light comes in a couple of color options, while the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib is only available in one color combination. Both travel cribs come with a thin mattress included; while some testers wished the mattresses were thicker for added comfort, the mattresses are thin and firm to comply with safe sleep guidelines. One unique feature we really appreciate in the Guava Family Lotus is the way one side of the crib unzips, helping caregivers put their babies down without hurting their backs and turning the travel crib into a play space for supervised toddlers. This zipper, plus the sleek aluminum legs, help the Guava Family edge out the BabyBjörn to win Best Design. However, both pack and plays are solid, well-made options.
Value
Winner: Tie Both travel cribs are priced similarly, with the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib costing $280 and the BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light going for $280-$300, depending on the retailer. Each pack and play requires you to buy crib sheets from the brand separately. The Guava sheets cost an additional $25, while the BabyBjörn sheets are an extra $30 and can also be purchased in a bundle with the crib itself for $310. Ultimately, the Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib is slightly less costly, but both models are a similar investment.
How do I get my travel crib onto a plane?
Taking a travel crib with you on a plane flight will look a little different depending on the airline you’re flying with. Some airlines require all pack and plays to be checked before going through security, which may cost an additional baggage fee. Other airlines may allow you to check it gateside for free or even take it as a carry-on, if it fits the size requirements. Similarly, rules for taking strollers and car seats on planes will vary by airline, so make sure to do some research before flying with your little one (and all of their gear).
Why Trust Verywell Family
Phoebe Sklansky is Verywell Family’s Associate Commerce Editor. Prior to joining the Verywell Family team, Phoebe was a freelance writer for multiple home and entertainment outlets. She holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University.
