Do you travel a lot with your baby or toddler, and need a lightweight travel crib to take with you, that you can hold in one hand, leaving you a free hand for luggage, baby, or even a coffee?
If so, you should consider the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light
So, what is so good about the Travel Crib?
For those who do not have time to read my full review click here to go to amazon
HOW LIGHT AND PORTABLE IS THE CRIB?
As the name suggests, it is light, weighing in at just 13lbs, and it folds up in to a carry bag, which makes it super easy to carry with one hand, leaving you a hand available to hold your baby, or other luggage.
Any travel crib has to be easy to assemble and put down, otherwise it gets left at home and not used, and the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light does not disappoint in that regard:
HOW EASY IS IT TO SET UP THE TRAVEL CRIB?
It is exceptionally easy and quick to set up, it takes just a few seconds to open up the bag, and the spring loaded legs go in to action. Just pop in the mattress and sheet, and you are ready to go. When you have a tired baby at the end of the day, this is a godsend!
AND HOW EASY IS IT TO FOLD?
As with the set up, it is also pretty quick to dismantle, and just involves removing the mattress, turning the crib over, unclipping each of the legs, and folding them in. Just put the mattress, and then the crib, in the carry bag, and you’re good to go.
HOW SOLID DOES IT FEEL?
Unlike cheaper travel cribs, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light feels very sturdy, and the mattress feels substantial, which is what you want for your baby or toddler. The built in rigid base makes the crib sturdy and wobble-free. It also helps that it is slightly tapered, ie the base is slightly larger than the top, so this helps keep it stable and safe.
Just watch out though, as it can be easy to trip up on the legs, as they do stick out, but you’ll soon get used to it. Try to make sure you don’t set the crib up in a narrow area where you need to squeeze past.
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?
Not only will it last your first child for 3 years, you can then use it again for your second child, and probably your third, if you go there! This makes it great value for money, if you are able to re-use it, and then it not as expensive as it could be. It can be very frustrating to have to buy new equipment for each new baby!
CAN YOU SEE BABY EASILY?
Another great feature of this crib is that the sides are made of a light and airy mesh fabric, which allows you to see in to your baby, and your baby to see out, and is breathable, which again is highly important to me. The mesh goes all the way down to the mattress, so there are no concerns about baby not being able to breathe in the crib, and there is nowhere for the little one to hide!
DOES IT SMELL?
The fabric used feels great, and doesn’t smell, which can happen with cheaper cribs. The Baby Bjorn crib uses natural, organic fabrics which are free from allergenic substances, which is important to know. I personally don’t want my baby next to fabric with potentially harmful fumes.
Click here for great prices on the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib
HOW DO YOU CLEAN A BABY BJORN TRAVEL CRIB?
Machine wash ability is a big must for me, as babies do tend to make a mess don’t they? The mesh fabric and the breathable, waterproof mattress cover are both removable and can be machine-washed, along with the sheet that you will use. The crib doesn’t come with a sheet, however Baby Bjorn do have an organic sheet which can be bought separately. Alternatively you can use your own sheet with this crib (the Baby Bjorn organic sheet is lovely, but very expensive).
WHAT ABOUT SAFETY?
Apart from the sturdy tapered design, which keeps it upright, the mattress is made from flame retardant materials, without having the toxic chemicals in them, which are still legal in the US. Baby Bjorn have gone above and beyond to make their products as safe as possible. You can see here what they say on their website about this.
WHAT AGE IS THE CRIB SUITABLE FOR?
Baby Bjorn market this crib as suitable for newborn up to three years, although interestingly there is no upper weight limit, unlike most other cribs. Baby Bjorn say on their website that it is fine for even adults to stand in, however as soon as your child is able to climb out, it is time to stop using it, so you can expect it to last until your child is 3 or thereabouts. It will depend on how tall and agile your child is.
WHAT COLORS DOES IT COME IN?
At the moment, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is available in 4 colors: silver, black, dark blue and pink/purple. They all look good, but my favorite is the silver because it can be used for either a boy or a girl.
ANYTHING ELSE?
My only comments would be, apart from thinking this is probably one of the best travel cribs ever, are these:
The mattress is virtually on the ground, so although a newborn is light, you still have to lean right over and inside to pick them up. If this isn’t an issue to you, that’s good. If it is, you may want a bassinet for when your baby is young, and move to this crib when they are a bit older. When your baby can sit up or stand it is a lot easier to reach in and get them out.
Your baby is sleeping really close to the ground, which is fine when you are at Grandma’s, but in hotels you may want to re-consider, depending on the hotel. If I am concerned I put a towel or blanket on the floor below the crib, just to make me feel better!
IS THIS THE BEST TRAVEL CRIB TO FLY WITH?
The carry bag is too large to take on a plane as hand luggage, so it will need to be checked in, which can be expensive if you take it as a separate piece of luggage. A much better way is to pack it in a larger suitcase, if you have used up your bag allowance, and put other baby things in the same suitcase.
No problems with the carry bag if you are going by road, as the bag will easily fit into the trunk of a car.
VITAL STATISTICS
Weight (including carry bag): 13 lb/6 kg
Mattress: 23.5 x 41 x 1.2 in/60 x 105 x 3 cm.
Assembled: 32 x 44 x 24 in/82 x 112 x 64cm.
Folded up in bag: 19 x 23.5 x 5.5 in/49 x 60 x 14 cm.
A fitted mattress is included.
SUMMARY
The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is lightweight, portable, sturdy and safe, as well as looking good and long lasting, hence the price is at the top end, but if you are going to be using a travel crib a reasonable amount, it is money well spent. However, If you do a lot of your traveling by plane, consider your luggage options before you buy this, and be prepared with a larger suitcase, so you can maximize your luggage allowance, and don’t end up with additional baggage fees.
14 thoughts on “Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light Review”
Wow! I love this travel crib! There was nothing like it available when I was having babies. We had a port-a-crib, but it weighed a ton and was a pain to put together. Now my kids are getting married and starting families. I will definitely keep this in mind for them. I might be a good one to keep at Grandma’s house, too. It wouldn’t take up much space.
Thanks for stopping by Marge – I think you children will definitely appreciate this crib when the time is right, or as you said, you could keep one at home in readiness
This is a fantastic review – when I was traveling with my kids, we had a pop-up travel crib – but that goes with all the difficulty of getting it folded up by twisting it the right way etc. This looks a whole lot simpler!
Thanks for your comment Dawn, you are right, the Baby Bjorn Travel crib is very simple to assemble and re-assemble, I’ve never been good at the pop-up versions either
Could it also double as a playpen? My parents have a house full of breakable items and that makes it hard to visit them.
Thanks for your question Elizabeth, and yes, it definitely can be used as a playpen as well
This seems way more convenient than a pack n play. I like your suggestion about putting down a blanket under the crib since it touches the floor. I’m a bit of a germophobe so that’s a great idea!
I really like the features of visibility – in and out of the crib. I also like that the product is made of safe materials – so important to not breathe in those toxic fumes that some cheaper products have.
I like the idea that it can be used for a playpen as well, perfect that it light sounds like it would be the right gift for my niece. One that she would find really useful.
I am going to echo one of your other commenters above and say that this looks like a perfect solution for me (a soon to be gradma). You’ve pointed out a lot of other benefits in the article that I hadn’t thought about as well, thank you!
I was looking for some good baby shower gift ideas … this looks like a great one! Like some of the comments above, I would have sought out this travel crib when my kids were little. It looks much easier to use and safer than what we had. And we did travel a lot. Thanks for the review!
Very nice for traveling. I like that it is light weight and will fold up into a bag. Also that the fabric is see
through for Mother and baby, It sounds like it would be cooler as well.
We had the Graco Pack n Play and it worked quite well, but this looks like an improvement. Much lighter and more packable. I wonder is it easy for the child to tip over if they get extra active?
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