Gear Guide: Playards

Emmett’s busy. Not like he’s away taking a call busy… more like he’s a non-stop-human-tornado busy. While most of the time it’s hilarious and fun, sometimes it’s downright hard to manage. Like for example when we’re on road trips to visit friends and family, and I’m trying to solve for a battery of unknowns: where will he sleep (if he sleeps at all), how will we keep him busy, how will we keep him from falling off the dock into the water (legitimate concern), or sprinting across the room into the fireplace?

We’ve brainstormed and tested a lot of potential solutions (for a while wrapping him in a bubble felt very reasonable), and we’ve realized that Playards are where it’s at. So, because sharing is what we do, we’re sharing our top Playards picks with you! You’re likely going to use a Playard predominantly for one of three things: Play, Travel, or Sleep. So, we’ve broken down our favourite product in each one of those segments… Read on!

 

PLAY: you’ve got a busy babe on your hands and you’re looking for a portable way to keep them safe, and also keep them occupied…. Well, the North States Superyard is for you!

AFFORDABILITY: Playards are an investment. There’s no way around that. They’re a serious piece of gear – so carefully considering how you’ll use it most often, and buying the item most suited to that purpose is definitely key. That being said, the North States Superyard is one of the more affordable options. It retails for $149.99.

BLUEPRINT: There are a few key reasons that the Superyard is a great option for Play:

• It gives you one of the largest play areas available, with 18.5 square feet of playspace for your little ones
• It’s portable, and can be set up in multiple free-standing configurations, making it a great safety solution. Remember my dock/fireplace examples above? The Superyard is a great solution.
• It’s 26’’ tall, creating a safe barrier for kiddos well into toddlerhood
• There’s a built-in door, allowing for easy access to your kiddos once the playard is set up!

CREATIVITY: North States has done a great job designing the Superyard to fit into your surroundings by offering it in various colour combinations. We’re partial to the neutrality of the ivory option and find it suits most modern décor, but there’s even a rainbow option for the more adventurous!

 

TRAVEL: you’re often traveling in the car or on a plane with your little ones, and you need a highly portable, and lightweight play space solution that doubles as a great sleeping space… well, my friends, you’re looking for the Guava Lotus Travel Play Yard!

AFFORDABILITY: Straight to the details here – the Guava Lotus is mid-range in terms of playard affordability, retailing for $289.

BLUEPRINT: Let’s chat about the reasons that the Guava Lotus is a great option for Travel:

• It’s ridiculously portable. The whole playard (and mattress) fold down into a carry-on sized bag, and it’s light enough to be easily carried along with your luggage (the bag can be worn as a back-pack too… because toddlers).
• It’s very light (think 13 lbs vs other playards which are upwards of 25 lbs), but it feels very sturdy once it’s set up.
• The mattress sits on the floor once it’s set up, which means you can use it as a travel bed for your toddler as long as they’re comfortable sleeping in it (think aged 3 or even 4)
• The set-up is wicked easy (check out a video here), which after a long travel day with a toddler, is worth it’s weight in gold.

CREATIVITY: The Guava Lotus gets top marks for creativity with the addition of the zip door in the side of the playard. It makes it easy to slide a sleeping babe into the bed (like a pizza), without breaking your back!

 

SLEEP: you need and extra space for young babes to snooze comfortably at your home (or at grandma and grandpas), but don’t want to have a crib permanently taking up space in your home… the 4moms Breeze Playard is where it’s at!

AFFORDABILITY: Again, we’ll get straight to it – the Breeze is on the high end in terms of Playard pricing, retailing for $349.99. But this makes a bit more sense when you read on.

BLUEPRINT: This Playard excels in the Sleep department, because it’s really almost a second crib/bassinet combo. Here’s why:

• The Breeze has a bassinet option included for tiny sleeping babes, and truly acts like a foldable crib for larger kiddos. It’s sturdy, and has a strong structure. It really feels more like a piece of furniture!
• It has a comfortable mattress, and a roomy and cozy surface for snoozing.
• It folds up easily (check out the video here), and can be easily stored in a closet when not in use – making it a great option for grandparents or other folks who have baby-sleepovers (you know… crazy people)

CREATIVITY: The Breeze’s inclusion of a bassinet ups the creativity factor, and cements it as a great option for snoozin’!

Here’s hoping this has helped you in your Playard search, and shoot us a question if there’s anything else we can help with!

xo

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