23 out of 23 people found this review helpful.
Buy a Bassinet and a Playpen
Date of Review: Jul 23, 2004
The Bottom Line: Poor value. Costs more than a bassinet and a playpen combined and doesn't do either job well.
My wife bought this product because we wanted our new baby to sleep next to the bed with us and thought this would be a good choice because we'd also be able to use it as a playpen. I read some of the other reviews and was amazed people were giving this such a high rating, even though the complaints matched my own.
Here are my complaints:
- This thing is very difficult to expand and collapse. It seems simple enough, but the locking mechanisms are buried under fabric and padding and lack any positive feedback (difficult to tell when you actually locked or unlocked them). Top joints have locks and the bottom ones don't (but are stiff enough to make you think so). Grab the handiest person you know and watch them curse at the product. Unlock one side and watch the other side lock back together...repeat. I've used two other folding playpens and had no problem folding/unfolding them.
- It's heavy, much heavier than the other playpens of the same size I've used. Not significantly sturdier, just heavy.
- Having it by your bed is nice, but I wouldn't say it is any better than a bassinet. Fact is this thing is way bigger than you need and essentially blocks off the entire side of your bed. That wouldn't be as bad except that it isn't easy to move, even if you don't secure it to the bed with the attached strap you have to run under the mattress. Plan on gather a rats nest of debris underneath it and that side of the bed. A bassinet is smaller and much more convenient. Plenty big for a few months, and not oversized in order to do double duty as a playpen.
We would have been much happier, and spent about the same (or less) for a bassinet and playpen.
BabyEarth
