After struggling with a bulky and cumbersome Graco Pack ‘n Play on several trips, I knew there had to be a better solution for a travel crib. The traditional Pack ‘n Play, while ubiquitous, is heavy, awkward to carry, and not exactly travel-friendly. That’s when I discovered the world of lightweight travel cribs and became intrigued by the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light. Could this be the answer to stress-free travel with a baby?
Eager to find out, I got my hands on the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light, and I was immediately impressed. Even without instructions, folding and unfolding it was surprisingly intuitive. In this comprehensive review, I’ll share my experience with the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light, from its portability and ease of setup to how we even used it as a playpen at home. Keep reading to see if this lightweight travel crib lives up to the hype and whether it’s the right choice for your family travels.
Women setting up the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib
Setting up the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib is quick and easy, making it perfect for families on the go.
What is the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light?
The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is designed with travel in mind, offering a significant upgrade from standard, bulkier travel cribs. It folds down compactly, roughly to the size of a large briefcase, making it ideal for families who are always on the move. For parents prioritizing familiarity and hygiene while traveling, bringing your own travel crib, like the Baby Bjorn, can be a much better option than relying on potentially less clean or unfamiliar hotel cribs. If you are interested in hotel stays with a baby, you might find our tips for staying in a hotel with a baby helpful.
One of the standout features of the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is its slim, flat-folding design. This makes it exceptionally convenient for road trips, as it can easily be placed on top of luggage in the trunk, maximizing space. It’s particularly well-suited for children who have outgrown bassinets and are under three years old, or until they are able to climb out.
Unlike traditional Pack ‘n Plays, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light features a mattress positioned much closer to the floor, held securely within a mesh enclosure. This design not only provides excellent stability but also allows for unobstructed visibility of your child from any angle. The crib boasts a minimalist aesthetic with sleek lines and a sturdy yet lightweight frame. Soft padding along the top edges ensures safety for standing toddlers, eliminating any sharp or hard surfaces. Notably, there is no upper weight limit for this travel crib; the primary safety guideline is to discontinue use once your child is capable of climbing out.
Important Safety Note: The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is not designed for newborns as a bassinet alternative, nor is it suitable for toddlers and children who can climb out independently.
Women carrying the Baby Bjorn travel crib inside
The lightweight and compact design of the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib makes it easy to carry, even for grandparents.
Key Features of the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib
Let’s dive into the features that make the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light a popular choice among traveling families. These are the aspects we’ve come to appreciate during our use.
Lightweight and Compact Dimensions
When fully assembled, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light measures approximately 32 x 44 x 24 inches. This size is thoughtfully designed to be spacious enough for your child to sleep comfortably without being overly large or intrusive in a room. Its manageable footprint is a significant advantage, so much so that we actually used it as a playpen in our living room for several months.
Weighing only 13 pounds, including its carrying case, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is remarkably lightweight. It’s the lightest travel crib we’ve owned, and this lightness makes a real difference in portability. I even felt comfortable asking my mom to carry it from my apartment to the car – a testament to its ease of handling.
The slim profile when folded is another key benefit. It feels less cumbersome to bring along when visiting family or friends for naps or overnight stays. The difference in bulk compared to a Pack ‘n Play is substantial, making the Baby Bjorn feel significantly less burdensome to transport.
An infant in the Baby Bjorn travel crib playing with toys
The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib is not only great for sleep but also functions well as a safe and comfortable play space.
Easy to Fold and Pack
The foldability of the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is one of its most praised features. To fold it, you start by removing the mattress, which is designed to be folded in half. This folded mattress actually provides structure to the crib when packed in its carrying case.
Next, you simply unhook and fold each of the four frame poles. The poles are intuitively designed with arrow symbols indicating the direction in which they should be folded. Once all four poles are folded towards the center, the entire crib frame can then be folded in half. The frame then neatly nests within the folded mattress inside the carrying case, and a simple zip secures it all for travel. The process is straightforward and can be done quickly, even without referring to instructions after the first couple of tries.
Women setting up the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib
Folding the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib is a simple process, even for first-time users.
Women setting up the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib
Setting up the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib is just as easy and fast as folding it down.
Included Accessories
When you purchase the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light, it comes complete with everything you need to get started. The package includes the travel crib frame itself, a comfortable mattress, a fitted sheet specifically designed for the crib, and a convenient carrying case. For added convenience, you can also purchase extra fitted sheets separately.
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Women setting up the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib
The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib comes with a fitted sheet and a travel case, ready for any adventure.
Machine Washable and Easy to Clean
Hygiene is paramount, especially when it comes to baby gear. The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light addresses this concern with its machine-washable fabric. The crib fabric is easily removable and can be washed in a standard washing machine. This is incredibly practical, particularly if you use the crib as a playpen like we did, where spills and messes are inevitable.
Baby Bjorn travel crib top cushion
The washable fabric of the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib makes cleaning up after messes a breeze.
Safety Standards
Safety is a top priority for Baby Bjorn products, and the Travel Crib Light is no exception. It meets the EN 716 safety standard, which is the European standard for child sleep safety in domestic environments. Additionally, it complies with national fire safety requirements, providing parents with peace of mind regarding the crib’s safety and construction.
Comparing the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light to Competitors
When considering a travel crib, it’s helpful to see how the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light stacks up against other popular options like the Graco Pack ‘n Play and the Guava Lotus Travel Crib.
Baby Bjorn vs. Graco Pack ‘n Play
The most significant difference between the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light and the Graco Pack ‘n Play lies in their weight and portability. I recall a specific instance when preparing for a road trip; my partner cautioned me against even attempting to lift our Pack ‘n Play due to its considerable weight.
He was right – the Pack ‘n Play is surprisingly heavy. Weighing in at nearly 19 lbs and folding into a bulky shape, transporting the Pack ‘n Play is often a two-person job. Before we switched to the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light, moving the Pack ‘n Play was always a chore.
In stark contrast, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is a full 6 pounds lighter, a difference you can immediately feel. Its folded shape is also much more manageable and easier to carry. I can effortlessly lift it with one hand, which is a testament to its superior design for portability. The Pack ‘n Play is also quite long and unwieldy when loaded into a car trunk, whereas the Baby Bjorn crib’s slimmer profile makes it much easier to pack and transport.
(Here’s a photo of our Pack ‘n Play, assembled at an Airbnb, before we got the BabyBjorn Crib)
Graco Pack n Play assembled on a hard wood floor
The Graco Pack ‘n Play, while functional, is significantly bulkier and heavier compared to the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib.
Baby Bjorn vs. Guava Lotus Travel Crib
A more direct comparison can be made between the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light and the Guava Lotus Travel Crib, as both are mesh-sided travel cribs with mattresses positioned on the floor. Their designs are conceptually similar, focusing on lightweight and portable solutions. However, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light has a slight edge in weight, being a bit lighter than the Guava Lotus, which weighs around 15 lbs.
Baby Bjorn travel crib feet on a hard wood floor
The minimalist design of the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib is both stylish and functional for travel.
Price-wise, the Guava Lotus is generally less expensive and is sometimes available on sale. The folding mechanism also differs; while the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib folds into a flatter, taller shape, the Guava Lotus folds into a more compact, cube-like shape and can be converted into a backpack for easier airport navigation.
Both cribs feature a minimalist design aesthetic with slanted poles and a full mesh body. They both fold down relatively easily and are designed to be discreet and travel-friendly. However, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light’s flatter folded profile might be more suitable for road trips, especially when trunk space is limited. Conversely, the Guava Lotus, with its backpack carry option, might be slightly more convenient for air travel.
Here’s a photo of our Guava travel crib in its case. For a deeper dive into the Guava crib, you can check out my Guava Lotus Travel Crib review.
The Guava Lotus Travel Crib, shown here packed, offers a different folding style and backpack carrying option.
Is the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Worth the Price?
When considering the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light, the question of value inevitably arises. It’s positioned at a higher price point than many traditional travel cribs, so is it worth the investment? In my opinion, for a lightweight, machine-washable, and thoughtfully designed travel crib, the price reflects the benefits it offers, particularly for frequent travelers.
You’re paying for the convenience of its manageable shape and size, a crucial factor for parents constantly on the go. The reduced weight and easy foldability are not just minor conveniences; they significantly decrease the stress associated with traveling with a baby. The price also accounts for the quality and durability Baby Bjorn is known for, ensuring the crib will withstand frequent use and last through multiple children.
If you plan to expand your family and anticipate using a travel crib often, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is a worthwhile investment. However, if travel is infrequent, borrowing a crib from friends or family might be a more economical choice.
Additionally, consider the crib’s versatility. As we did, using the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light as a playpen at home adds to its value. Its easy foldability means it can be quickly stored away when you need to reclaim space, making it a practical temporary solution for containing a baby who is sitting but not yet crawling.
Where to Buy the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light
The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is available at several retailers, making it relatively accessible. You can find it at these retailers, including BabyBjorn.com, which is often recommended for the most direct service and product information:
- BabyBjorn Official Website
- Amazon
- BuyBuyBaby
- Nordstrom
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Baby Bjorn Travel Crib
To maximize your experience with the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib, here are some helpful tips based on our usage:
Flying with the Baby Bjorn Crib
When flying, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light, when packed in its case, generally cannot be carried on as hand luggage due to its size restrictions. It typically needs to be checked in as luggage at the baggage drop. The good news is that the mattress provides substantial padding around the frame when packed, offering good protection during transit.
Update: Some parents have reported successfully carrying the Travel Crib Light onto planes and fitting it in overhead compartments, but this is not guaranteed, especially on smaller planes with limited overhead space. It’s best to plan to check it at baggage drop.
Take it Around a Room or Through the House
Unlike bulkier Pack ‘n Plays that are cumbersome to move once assembled, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib’s lightweight design allows you to easily pick it up and move it around your home without needing to fold it. This is incredibly convenient for shifting rooms or repositioning it during the day. Trying to do this with a Pack ‘n Play is significantly more challenging. My mom, who often hosts both my niece and our child, appreciates how easy it is to move the Baby Bjorn crib between rooms compared to her experience with a Pack ‘n Play.
Figuring Out the Fold-Up Process
Initially, some parents might find packing the crib back into its transport case a bit snug. However, with a few practice attempts, the process becomes much smoother. Like any foldable baby gear, mastering the folding technique for both Pack ‘n Plays and the Guava Lotus Crib also requires a little practice initially. Don’t get discouraged if it feels tight at first; it gets easier with repetition.
Cleaning the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib
Accidents are part of parenthood, so the washability of the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib is a significant advantage. The mesh siding and mattress cover are removable and machine washable, making cleanup straightforward. For the frame poles, you can simply wipe them down with child-safe cleaning wipes. The mattress cover can be washed on a hot water setting, and remember to wash the fitted sheet in warm water before its first use.
Getting Replacement Parts
In the event of lost or damaged components, BabyBjorn offers replacement parts for the Travel Crib Light on their website. You can purchase replacement mattresses, extra fitted sheets, and even the transport bag, ensuring longevity and continued use of your travel crib.
What is the Baby Bjorn Brand?
Baby Bjorn is a brand that prioritizes practical, high-quality baby products designed to simplify life for parents. My first experience with Baby Bjorn was with the Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier Mini, which both my partner and I used extensively when our baby was a newborn. We valued its ease of use and versatility, making it suitable for both moms and dads. It was perfect for carrying our infant during weekend trips to places like Litchfield, Connecticut and the Catskill Mountains.
From months 1-6, we also found the Baby Bjorn baby bouncer invaluable. It’s a popular choice among parents for its quality and convenience. We often brought it along when visiting friends’ houses, providing a safe and comfortable spot for our baby. We even considered taking it on road trips with a baby, although trunk space became a limiting factor.
Exploring the brand further, we discovered Baby Bjorn’s range of baby carriers, sleep products, kitchen items like feeding sets, and bathroom potties. Their blog about travel with a baby is also a great resource for parents navigating travel with little ones.
One of the appealing aspects of Baby Bjorn is their focused product line. They concentrate on a curated selection of bestsellers and parent favorites in key categories, rather than overwhelming consumers with an extensive and confusing array of products. This targeted approach makes it easier to choose quality items without feeling overwhelmed.
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