Fantastic travel crib >> The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light

I’m not a really sentimental person in terms of keeping a lot of baby ‘stuff’.  I’ve saved a few things from B’s under-two days… a few pieces of artwork, his first pair of sneakers and a pair of tiny pj’s, now worn by one of his stuffed animals.  Most of my favorite moments are kept in a digital fashion and chronicled in photo albums.

But our travel crib is another matter.  Although B has grown out of it and usually shares a bed with us now when we travel, this is one piece of travel gear I’m not looking forward to giving up. 

From our earliest trips with a baby-on-board, we have been using the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light.  Lightweight at only 11 lbs, comfortable for baby, safe, sturdy and super-easy and fast to put up and take down, our Baby Bjorn Travel Crib has come along with us everywhere from Panama to Hawaii.  It has also come along for numerous trips to visit friends and relatives, as it makes a great spot for nap time and is far more compact and convenient than hauling around a pack ‘n play.

Selling at around $250, this crib does not come cheap.  But for us, it has paid for itself many times over in terms of practicality and convenience.  Bringing the crib along has removed the uncertainty around the quality/cleanliness of a borrowed or rented crib, and it has provided B with a familiar place to sleep regardless of our destination.  The mattress cover and crib fabric are both machine washable, and the mattress is easily wiped clean.  The crib uses standard pack ‘n play sheets so there is no need to buy specialized bedding.

A couple of considerations if you plan on flying with it:

1. The crib case isn’t weatherproof.  I’ve found the best way to keep the crib in excellent condition despite numerous flights is to pack the crib in one of the large plastic airline bags first, THEN slide it inside the nylon crib bag.  This keeps the crib clean while in transit, and allows you access to the crib bag handles, both for baggage tags and for ease of carrying through the airport.
2. Unlike strollers and car seats, many airlines (including Air Canada and United) do NOT consider a travel crib a safety item, and will treat it as an additional piece of baggage.  It’s always a good idea to check your airline’s baggage policies in advance so you don’t get any expensive surprises at the airport.

I’ve found a new owner for our travel crib but I am definitely sad to see it go.  Thankfully I know our travel crib is going to a good home and has a long life ahead!