Worth Itby Betteroo

Sleep and travel · Months 6 to 24

Travel cribs: one to carry, one to leave where you visit.

A travel crib earns its place if you travel often or visit family without baby gear. The one to buy depends on whether it travels with you or stays put.

  • 2 picks, 3 skips
  • Recall-checked Oct 2026
  • Includes the $0 option

Independent picks. If you buy through our Amazon links we may earn a commission; as an Amazon Associate, Betteroo earns from qualifying purchases. It never decides what makes the list. How we choose

The short answer

Buy for whether the crib travels with you, and that’s the decision. Flying or moving around: the BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light, 13 lbs with its bag, from newborn to about age 3. A crib that stays at the grandparents’ house or rides in the car: the Graco Pack ‘n Play On the Go Zip DLX, with a zip-in bassinet for the early months, at under half the price.

If you travel a couple of times a year, you may not need either: borrow one or ask where you’re staying. Whatever your baby sleeps in, use its own mattress, a fitted sheet and nothing else (AAP). On October 13, 2026 we checked both picks’ live US listings, price bands, the makers’ specs and the CPSC recall database.

At a glance

Two cribs, for two kinds of trip

Before you buy

What a travel crib has to do

A common mistake is buying the lightest crib for a house you visit by car, or the heaviest for a flight. Decide first whether it travels or stays.

We assess both picks on the same things: the maker’s age and size limits, the weight you carry, the folded size, whether its own mattress is included, and the US play-yard standard.

Its own mattress

Both come with theirs; nothing gets added (AAP).

Limits you can check

Age, height and climbing-out limits from the maker or CPSC.

Matched to the trip

Carried on a plane, or left at the grandparents’.

The picks

Why each one made the list

01
For flying and trips

BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light, Silver

A 13 lb travel crib that sets up in one movement, mattress included.

BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light, Silver
Price band: PremiumCheck price on Amazon

Checked Oct 13, 2026: price, stock, specs, recalls

A mesh travel crib with a steel frame and a built-in base, and no loose parts to attach. BabyBjörn gives the weight as 13 lbs including the carry bag, and the sizes as 32 x 44 x 24 in. set up and 19 x 23.5 x 5.5 in. folded in its bag. The mattress is included. BabyBjörn says it’s for newborns up to about age 3, or until your child is able to climb out, with no upper weight limit, and that the crib fabric is machine washable (BabyBjörn).

Why it’s worth it

  • 13 lbs with its carry bag
  • Mattress included
  • From newborn, to about age 3
Worth noting: At about $218 it’s our Premium pick, more than twice the Graco. The carry bag is a bag, not a backpack, and BabyBjörn says not to tumble dry the crib fabric.

Key specs

Age range
Newborn to about 3 years, until able to climb out
Weight
13 lbs with carry bag
Set up
32 x 44 x 24 in.
Folded
19 x 23.5 x 5.5 in.
Mattress
Included
Bassinet level
None

From BabyBjörn’s product page, then the amazon.com listing, checked October 13, 2026.

Safety check

  • No recalls found in the CPSC recall database (searched by product name, Oct 13, 2026). BabyBjörn’s past CPSC recalls covered baby carriers (1999, 2004), feeding spoons (2006) and bouncer chairs (2009), not the travel crib.
  • BabyBjörn says it complies with EN 716, the European folding-crib standard (BabyBjörn). In the US, play yards must meet 16 CFR part 1221, which incorporates ASTM F406 (CPSC).
  • Use only its own mattress, with a fitted sheet and nothing else in the crib (AAP).
02
For the grandparents' house

Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go Zip DLX, Parker

A standard playard with a zip-in bassinet, to leave where you visit.

Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go Zip DLX, Parker
Price band: Mid-rangeCheck price on Amazon

Checked Oct 13, 2026: price, stock, specs, recalls

A full-size playard with a full-size zip-in infant bassinet, an adjustable toy bar, knit fabrics, woodgrain legs and a carry bag. Graco gives it as 40.6 x 29.2 x 29 in. The bassinet is for the early months: Graco says to stop using it when your baby begins to push up on hands and knees or weighs over 15 lb, whichever comes first. The playard is for playing or sleeping, and Graco says the playard and bassinet follow AAP safe sleep guidelines (Graco).

Why it’s worth it

  • Zip-in bassinet for the early months
  • Folds into a carry bag
  • Half the price of the BabyBjörn
Worth noting: It’s a full-size playard, so it’s the one to leave at a relative’s house or carry in the car, not to fly with. Graco’s page lists no weight for it, and its mattress pad is wipe-clean only.

Key specs

Age range
Bassinet: until pushing up on hands and knees, or over 15 lb
Weight
Not listed
Set up
40.6 x 29.2 x 29 in.
Folded
Not listed
Mattress
Mattress pad included
Bassinet level
Zip-in, full size

From Graco’s product page, then the amazon.com listing, checked October 13, 2026.

Safety check

  • No recalls found in the CPSC recall database (searched by product name, Oct 13, 2026). Graco’s 2021 playard recall covered the inclined sleeper accessory sold with four other playards (Day2Dream, Nuzzle Nest, Everest, Rock ‘n Grow), not the On the Go Zip DLX (CPSC).
  • Play yards sold in the US must meet 16 CFR part 1221, which incorporates ASTM F406. CPSC describes play yards as for a child who cannot climb out and is less than 35 in. tall (CPSC).
  • Use only its own mattress pad, with a fitted sheet and nothing else (AAP).

Side by side

Two picks side by side

BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light, Silver
BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light, Silver
Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go Zip DLX, Parker
Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go Zip DLX, Parker
JobFlying and tripsStays where you visit
Price bandPrice band: PremiumPrice band: Mid-range
Weight13 lbs with bagNot listed
Folded19 x 23.5 x 5.5 in.Not listed
Bassinet levelNoneZip-in, to 15 lb
Upper limitAbout 3 years, or climbing outUnder 35 in., or climbing out (CPSC)
MattressIncludedMattress pad included

Which one is yours

Start with your situation

BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light, Silver

Flying, or trips every monthThe BabyBjörn Travel Crib Light.

Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go Zip DLX, Parker

A crib to leave at the grandparents'The Graco On the Go Zip DLX.

Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go Zip DLX, Parker

A newborn, and you want a raised bassinetThe Graco, with its zip-in bassinet, until your baby pushes up or reaches 15 lb.

Two trips a yearThe $0 version: borrow one, or ask where you’re staying.

The $0 version

Borrow one, or ask the hotel or rental for a crib when you book. Check any crib that isn’t new against the CPSC recall list first, as the AAP advises, and use it only with its own mattress and a fitted sheet (AAP).

A borrowed crib, recall-checked.

What we would skip

Three things we’d leave on the shelf

They’re sold next to every travel crib. Here’s why we’d pass.

Skip

An extra mattress or topper

The AAP says the mattress should be designed for the specific crib and fit tightly, with a fitted sheet only, and lists mattress toppers among the soft bedding to keep out of the sleep area (AAP).

Skip

A baby nest, pod or travel bassinet that doesn't meet federal standards

The AAP: alternative sleep surfaces are only an option if they meet the federal standards for cribs, bassinets, portable cribs or play yards; if a product doesn’t, don’t use it (AAP).

Skip

Keeping it once they can climb out

BabyBjörn says to stop when your child can climb out, and CPSC describes play yards as for a child who cannot climb out and is less than 35 in. tall (CPSC).

Cribs we passed on

  • Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go, Kaden. The top seller in Amazon’s search for travel cribs on October 13, 2026, at about $80. It’s the base model of our pick’s line; Graco lists the Zip DLX as adding an adjustable toy bar, knit fabrics and woodgrain legs (Graco).
  • Guava Lotus Travel Crib. In the Worth It emails, but on October 13, 2026 Guava’s site sold only the newer Lotus Everywhere (13 lbs), while the Amazon listing is the older Lotus (15 lbs), so we couldn’t check the linked model against its maker. It’s also about $250.
  • Pamo Babe portable crib. High in the same search at about $63, but sold by Pamo Babe, not Amazon.

Questions parents ask

FAQ

What age is a travel crib for?

BabyBjörn says its Travel Crib Light is for newborns up to about age 3, or until your child can climb out (BabyBjörn). CPSC describes play yards as for a child who cannot climb out and is less than 35 in. tall (CPSC).

Can I add a thicker mattress to a travel crib?

No. The AAP says to use a mattress designed for the specific crib that fits tightly, with a fitted sheet only, and to keep mattress toppers out of the sleep area (AAP).

Is a travel crib safe for a newborn?

The AAP says to place your baby in a crib, bassinet, portable crib or play yard that meets CPSC’s safety standards, on a firm, flat surface (AAP). BabyBjörn rates its crib from newborn; Graco’s bassinet is for babies until they push up on hands and knees or reach 15 lb.

What safety standard do travel cribs meet?

Play yards sold in the US must meet 16 CFR part 1221, which incorporates ASTM F406 (CPSC). BabyBjörn also cites EN 716, the European folding-crib standard.

Have these been recalled?

We found no CPSC recall for either model on October 13, 2026. Graco’s 2021 playard recall covered an inclined sleeper accessory sold with four other playards.

Why trust Worth It

How we choose

Checked and sourcedEvery pick is checked against the maker's own age and weight limits and the CPSC recall database. Where safety guidance applies, we link the AAP, CPSC, FDA or NIH source right next to the advice.
The $0 option, alwaysMost problems have a $0 answer. It goes on the page, even when it costs us the sale.
A skip list with sourcesAdd-ons and traps we would leave on the shelf, with the guidance behind every safety call, plus the products we passed on and why.
Picked for an agePicks follow what babies actually do each month, not what is on sale this week.

We don’t run a product lab, and we won’t pretend we do. Worth It picks are researched from makers’ instructions, retailer listings and official safety guidance, not lab-tested. Each is chosen for a specific age and a specific job, the way a friend a couple of years ahead of you would choose: a few products, each with a reason, and an honest note on what could go wrong.

We check every listing on amazon.com for a live US offer and sort it into a price band: Budget (under $30), Mid-range ($30 to $100) or Premium (over $100). We don’t print exact prices because they change daily. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission. That pays for this, and it never decides what makes the list.

For safety, we search the CPSC recall database by product name, and we note the US safety standard the maker says a product meets. Where the maker doesn’t say, we tell you what the law requires for that kind of product. The JPMA’s certification list (now run by the Baby Safety Alliance) isn’t publicly searchable, so we only mention certification when the maker states it. Specs come from the maker first, and the Amazon listing second.

Last checked October 13, 2026: prices, stock, specs and recalls

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