Pack N Play

As soon as I found out I was pregnant, my mom bought me the Graco 3-way Pack n Play. I picked it out, of course, and told her what pattern I wanted which was the Checkered Bear.

My husband and I absolutely love this bassinet! We have the 3-way Pack n Play which comes with the bassinet as well as a portable playard and changing station. There is also a 5-way available now that comes with a canopy as well.

The first time we used it was when we took a trip my parents' cabin in Lake Tahoe. It was so easy to transport in the carry bag. Once at the cabin, we assembled it - which took a little time. When using just the playard, you just unpack, unfold and put the mattress in. However, when using the bassinet, you need to insert four bars which must be connected together in pairs first and then slid into openings along the side of the unit. It took a little more time and we had to read the instructions but once assembled, it was great! Our son was only about 7 weeks old at the time, and we were a little concerned about him sleeping in it overnight. He slept so soundly that when we got home, we replaced his bassinet in our bedroom with the Pack n Play. It was nice because he was getting to the point where he was too big for the bassinet and since the Pack n Play is so large, we were able to delay moving him to his crib and keep him sleeping in our room longer. Disassembling took a little time also but after a few times, we can now do it in less than 5 minutes.


BASSINET

The bassinet is large and sturdy. The mattress is soft, comfortable and fits very snug along the edges. Steel bars run along the sides of the unit and lock in place so there's no movement or "play" when fully assembled. It has a mesh material on the sides for easy viewing of the baby. It also has wheels which makes moving it a snap.

CHANGING STATION

The changing station is very convenient. There is no extra assembly required. You just place it on the top of the unit and it rests with steel hook-shaped bars. The pad is soft with an easy to clean plastic surface. However, it can be cold when changing the baby directly on the material. It also comes with a safety belt in the middle. The belt loops were placed a little too close together which means that the baby lays on the belt but truthfully, the baby doesn't even notice. When finished, you can just remove it from the unit, or keep it on.

PLAYARD

The playard is sturdy, large and uses the same mattress as the bassinet. The wheels make it easy to move around and the mesh sides make it easy to see the baby from across the room. Anytime you're traveling with the baby, you can just pack it in the car with a few toys and you're off. The carry bag is small enough to fit in a small trunk - even a hatchback.