Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light Review

What does a mom with 7 kids think of the Baby Bjorn travel crib lite?

When you have seven kids, and no: I'm not the Octomom...not yet anyway...you sort of develop an expertise in the baby gear department. This usually comes through trial and error. I’ve done plenty of both.

I'm not sure what category this falls into, "trial" or "error," but this year we are planning on piling the seven kids into our 12 passenger van, which doesn’t have as much storage as you might think. The plan is to spend the holidays with my mother-in-law.

Traveling with kids anywhere always proves to be tricky when you start thinking about sleeping arrangements. This is what led me to begin my search for the most efficient, user-friendly and convenient travel crib I could get my hands on.

When I first encountered the Baby Bjorn travel crib lite, I was sure that it would be a quality portable baby crib. This company has a reputation for high quality children’s products. I was already a fan of their baby carrier original classic, having used them with several of my children. But quality doesn’t always equate to functionality.

Thankfully, in the case of the Baby Bjorn travel crib, it does.

Here’s why...

      "Baby Bjorn Travel Crib - Buy it Here For The Cheapest Price"

This portable crib IS lightweight (go figure that!).

One of the things that stood out about this portable baby crib, as opposed to other portable baby cribs we've owned, is how lightweight it is. It weighs in at just under 11 pounds! That could be the size of a hefty newborn (a couple of ours were nearly that).

This weight includes its carrying case, which has sturdy canvas straps. That alone is a major selling point for me. The Baby Bjorn travel crib can actually fit into a large suitcase. It definitely will fit into the trunk of your car, or even the corner of your limited storage 12 passenger van.

One great benefit is - thanks to the way the airlines have decided they can "get you coming and going" - you won't pay nearly as much for this if you're taking it as a carry-on (if you need to). If you thought flying was expensive enough, try adding extra luggage and getting charged more per pound...with this travel bed, it's not that big a deal.

How does the Baby Bjorn compare to Graco's Pack-N-Play?

There are several other travel lite cribs on the market, and one of them is the Graco travel lite crib. I already own this. I personally like it as a bassinet, not as a portable crib. While it is lighter than the original Graco Pack-N-Play, at just under 20 lbs, it is nearly double the weight of the Baby Bjorn travel crib light. That is like comparing the weight of a nearly newborn and an average one-year-old.

Once, when we were traveling from coast to coast and flying out of LAX, we had to lug our Pack-N-Play just a "tiny" bit (from end-to-end of the airport!). In typical fashion, the airport was under construction and disorganized, there weren't any more carts that we could find.

That day, I bet my husband wished we had the Baby Bjorn travel crib vs. the Grace Pack-N-Play...

What is the Material Used? Is it comfortable for your baby?

We all want our children to be comfy when we lay them down in a travel crib. After all, it isn’t going to be exactly like what they are used to in their everyday crib. Ultimately if it isn’t comfortable, your baby won’t sleep, which is key to having a good vacation in my book!

Like other baby travel cribs, the Baby Bjorn crib has mesh sides and the outside is a thin, soft, material. The mattress on this infant travel bed is quite different then the kinds you find on standard travel cribs, like the Graco Pack-N-Play or their travel lite crib.

It is not a thin, hard mattress.

It's rather a thick, insulated mattress made to be comfy, not just efficient.

It also has a removable waterproof cover, which is bonus, because you know you will be dealing with those nighttime leaks. One downside is that standard crib sheets do not fit the Baby Bjorn travel crib. They have to be purchased separately.

Amazon sells them here. What sets the material of this baby travel crib apart from the others though, is its boast of being "Oeke-Tex Standard 100 class 1 certified."

What Does "Oeke-Tex Standard 100 Class 1 Certified" Mean?

It means the material is guaranteed to be free from any chemicals that could harm your baby. (I’m into that.) To top it all off, the mattress cover and all of the material on the outside can be removed and tossed in the washer.

Sturdy Construction

In the world of baby travel beds, I found this travel crib to be very sturdy. It has a solid base with slanting sides. What is nice about this is that if you have older kids like I do, who want to lean on it, or even try and climb in, it doesn’t wobble or shake around. The mesh sides allow you to peek in and baby to peek out.

Also, due to the design of the slanting sides, it is a little more compact without sacrificing sleeping space. This will be perfect for the cramped quarters that traveling often necessitates. This can also be used as a toddler travel bed because it is made for children, from infant to three years of age.

Set-Up/Take-Down

I really have saved the best feature for last. We all know what a pain that 30-lb Graco Pack-N-Play can be to set up. Hey, I don’t hate the Graco, it has its purposes in the arena of portable baby cribs. When it comes to baby travel, it just isn’t a winner in my book. It is more suitable around the house.

Who wants to battle with pulling up the center of the portable crib just enough, so that you can lock the sides in place? Only then to have to push the center back down... Not to worry, because the Baby Bjorn can be put up in 30 seconds with one hand.

Yeah, you heard me right. Taking it down is just as simple.

Okay, fine. It may take 45 seconds break down. But believe me, it is a breeze.

How much does the Baby Bjorn travel crib cost?

This typically retails for $279.99. Save money by shopping on Amazon - you can currently get it for $219.95. It is more pricey than some of the other portable cribs you can buy.

Obviously, having a lot of kids, money is tight. One thing I have learned, though, is to look at the big picture and how a larger purchase could be actually saving me money in the long run. The fact that the Baby Bjorn light travel crib lasts up to age 3 as opposed to age 1 with the Graco Travel Crib Lite, makes it worth the extra money to me.

One final assurance that this was a hands down great portable crib was seeing that it only received 4-5 stars on all of its Amazon reviews...and there are hundreds of customer reviews! That's rare for any product.

The awesome features and great quality that is consistent with all Baby Bjorn products make me consider this to be the best portable crib for the price. Can you say, "hand-me-down to the next baby?" With the Baby Bjorn travel crib light packed nicely in the back of my 12 passenger, I am almost looking forward to traveling on a 10 hour road trip with my (many) kids. I said almost.