The Best Pack and Plays and Playards, Tested by Active Kiddos

The UPPAbaby brand is beloved for its strollers, but doesn’t sleep (pun intended) on its playard. Its easy setup and lightweight, versatile design earned it a perfect 10 out of 10 from our product tester Melissa across all categories—and this year’s Best of The Bump award for overall best pack and play. (See all of this year’s Best of The Bump winners.)

One of the first things you notice about the Remi is the look—it has mesh sides, neutral colors and a chic, minimalist style that fits into any home. “Sleek and sturdy,” as mom-of-two Melissa put it. The playard includes a machine-washable air-mesh mattress, a bassinet you can zip on for newborns and a zip-side opening for kids to crawl through (or for you to reach baby more easily).

But as our overall best playard pick, the Remi needs more than a stylish look and cool add-ons. It needs to be seamless to set up—and it delivers. “The Remi is a brilliant playard,” said Melissa. “Not only is it super easy to use, but the instructions are very easy to follow. I love how there’s a QR code on the card that takes you directly to YouTube for a short video about how to set it up. The written instructions are very easy to follow too. The first time setting up the playard and bassinet portion took me less than a minute, and that was even with a curious 3-year-old in tow,” she added.

Melissa also reports that the Remi is easy to pack down and carry about, whether in your home or on the road: “the Remi is easy to store as it folds down small, and it’s very portable. It folds down to a small rectangular shape and has a sturdy carrying case with handles. You would be able to check it on the plane or pack for a road trip without having to worry about the playard or carrying case ripping.” And with built-in wheels, you can move around your destination with ease. “We needed to change rooms, so it was easy for me to wheel the playard over even while I was holding my infant,” she added.

But is it comfy? Our tester gives a resounding yes. “My baby seems to love sleeping in the [Remi],” Melissa said. “We’ve tried it as a bassinet and crib and he sleeps great using both.” She appreciated the depth of the regular playard (“I don’t have to worry about my 3-year-old trying to get my infant out,” she explained), but the convenience was what really sold her. “The last thing you need is the headache of having to set up a complicated crib to put down a tired, fussy baby. You can set [the Remi] up in less than a minute and be able to focus on other things.” Convenient to use, easy to set up and easy on the eyes—the Remi excels in all these areas, earning it a well-deserved Best of The Bump title.

Dimensions (open): 40.5" (L) x 26" (W) x 28.5" (H) | Dimensions (folded): 11" (L) x 10" (W) x 28.5" (H) | Weight: 20 lbs. | Height limit (playard): 35" | Weight capacity (bassinet): 20 lbs.

Our community says:

When it comes to design, functionality and top-notch accessories, the 4Moms Breeze Plus Playard checks all the boxes, which is why it earned 10 out of 10 scores across a wide variety of categories. But it’s the easily installed bassinet and innovative changing station (which flips over the side of the playard when not in use) are what earned the Breeze Plus its Best of The Bump award for the best newborn pack and play. While you may think one bassinet is pretty much like any other, our product tester Karly begs to differ: “This bassinet is much easier to set up than any other one I’ve tried… you just unzip the bottom portion of the pack and play [mattress pad] and use it for the bassinet.”

The Breeze Plus playard features a one-handed setup and close, which our product tester described—appropriately enough—as a “breeze.” As any parent of a newborn can tell you, having two hands free is a rare occasion! “The design on this playard is incredible,” Karly gushed. “All the other pack and plays I’ve tried are tacky, flimsy and hard to assemble, but this one is the opposite. You don’t have to mess with clicking in the sides.” The chic black-and-white playard comes completely assembled; just push down the center to expand it or pull the band to close it. She went on to tell us, “It’s also on wheels, which makes for easier transport/moving while assembled.”

Of course, the real test of a playard is whether it provides a safe and stable place for baby to play. “You can see baby so well through [the mesh sides], yet it’s sturdy and high quality. It’s also strong and not flimsy when you shake or move it.” That strength is super important when you eventually transition from baby’s gentle playtime to the play of more active toddlers. With the 4Moms Breeze Plus Playard, you get one item that can take you from day one through the first few years of life.

Dimensions (expanded): 43" (L) x 30" (W) x 29" (H) | Dimensions (folded): 13.3" (L) x 12" (W) x 30" (H) | Weight: 28.5 lbs. | Weight capacity (playard): 30 lbs. | Weight capacity (changing table): 25 lbs. | Weight capacity (bassinet): 18 lbs.

Our community says:

If you’re looking for a playard packed with features and accessories for outdoor use, The California Beach Co Pop ’N Go Playpen, our Best of The Bump winner for best outdoor pack and play, is the one for you. Thanks to the lightweight design and comfortable carrying bag, I found it easy to transport this pack and play out of the house. Plus, it has a wealth of outdoor-friendly features that others on the market lack, including a removable UV cover for sun protection, mesh walls for bug protection and stakes for both the sand and ground. Since testing this playard, my own family has gotten regular use out of it, and I’ve found peace of mind knowing that the sunshade keeps my three youngest children protected from the sun during their older brother’s baseball games.

But the appeal doesn’t end with the accessories—I awarded the Pop ‘N Go Playpen 10 out of 10 scores for ease of use, portability and value for money. This playpen was extremely simple to set up, taking me less than one minute on my first attempt. Once taken out of its carrying case, the legs unfold and it pops up on its own. You simply push down on the center mechanism with two hands to secure the playard. When it’s time to pack up and head indoors, it folds up nearly as quickly and fits easily into the compact carrying bag.

The playard, which weighs only 7.2 pounds (whereas others we tested weighed up to 32 pounds!), is incredibly lightweight and portable, despite being large enough to fit my 5-year-old, 3-year-old and 2-month-old at the same time. At 59 inches wide, my kids have enough room to spread out comfortably without interfering with each other’s space (which parents of multiple kids will especially appreciate).

While it does come at a higher price point than some other playards on the market, I found it to provide excellent value for the money, both for its versatility and because it can be used with infants and up to 6-year-olds alike—I know I’ll get a lot of use out of it. However, I would advise purchasing the self-inflating playard mat, which is sold separately, for additional support and cushion.

Overall, this product is a perfect choice for parents looking for a way to contain their little ones outside and provide sun and bug protection while they’re at it.

Dimensions (open): 59" (L) x 59" (W) x 48" (H) | Dimensions (folded): 36.5" (L) x 7" (W) x 7" (H) | Weight: 7.2 lbs. | Weight capacity: N/A

Our community says:

With nearly 10 square feet of space, the Joovy Room2 provides an ample play area for multiple children. Our product tester Evelyn, who is the mom of 17-month-old twins, raved about the playard, stating, “My twins are in the 104th percentile for height for their age and it was big enough for them for sure!” And her twins took to this playard instantly. “I was actually quite shocked how much they liked it,” she said, awarding it 10 out of 10 scores for effectiveness and features and design.

“The sides and base absolutely felt robust enough to cope with lively toddlers! The baby playard was sturdy and didn’t at all feel like it would tip over or break down while my twins were playing with balls inside,” said Evelyn. And despite its large size and robust design, the Room2 “is very portable and so easy to use that it’s not daunting to try to travel with it,” she added, awarding it 10 out of 10 for portability. “The shoulder straps [on the carrying bag] make things very easy—you can wear it like a backpack if you’re in an airport for example, or hold it like a bag if you’re traveling a shorter distance,” she explained. Once it’s set up, it’s also easy to move around the room thanks to the built-in wheels, which our tester said she utilized “several times without any issues at all.”

Not only does the Room2 provide a safe place for multiples to play, our product tester shared that her twins quickly settled and slept great in this playard. “They loved the fabric of the cover and they kept rubbing their hands over it as they dozed off to sleep. They ended up sleeping their normal nap time amount with no issues at all,” she said. For those with newborn twins, the Twin Nursery Center (sold separately), which includes a changing table, twin bassinet and a bassinet divider, can transform this playard into a safe sleep space for your infants. All in all, a worthy choice for a Best of The Bump award for best pack and play for twins.

Dimensions (expanded): 39.8" (L) x 39.8" (W) x 31" (H) | Dimensions (folded): 10" (L) x 9.5" (W) x 37" (H) | Weight: 29.6 lbs. | Height limit (playard): 35" | Weight capacity (playard): N/A

The Regalo My Play Deluxe Extra Large Portable Play Yard, our Best of The Bump winner for best indoor/outdoor pack and play, provides a safe place for children to play no matter where you are. Our product tester Courtney described the playard as “very versatile,” adding that it was easy to use the playard both indoors and outdoors. “Inside, the Regalo fit easily in our living room and made it straightforward to visualize a safe play space for our daughter. Outside, the playard made a secure spot for her to be part of the group, but allowed the adults to be hands-free for the first time in almost a year,” she said.

The playard can be set up or folded down in just seconds. “The Regalo My Play Deluxe Extra Large playard was very easy to set up straight out of the box,” said Courtney, who awarded it a 10 out of 10 score for ease of use. “It is one of the easiest pieces of baby gear we have gotten,” she added.

The nylon bottom of the playard provides a waterproof, easy-to-clean barrier to keep baby dry and clean, and the detachable canopy offers UV protection when it’s time for outdoor play. And while Courtney would have liked a cushioned mat and at times she wished there was more padding on the bottom for use on hot or uneven surfaces, these were minor complaints. “We really like this playpen overall,” Courtney told us. “It’s very easy to set up and take down. It’s sturdy and easy to see that my baby is safe and having a fun playtime.”

Dimensions (expanded): 62" (L) x 62" (W) x 26" (H) | Dimensions (folded): N/A | Weight: 20 lbs. | Height limit (playard): 35" | Weight capacity: N/A

If you could only buy one piece of furniture for your baby—if you needed one all-purpose playard that could do it all—this would have to be it. The Graco Pack ‘n Play Sit ‘n Grow has four separate modes: a playard, a full-sized bassinet, a removable changing table and—the one that really impressed our product tester Aliez—a portable infant floor seat to help baby learn how to sit independently. “The chair was amazing and my favorite part of the whole set,” explained Aliez, giving the Sit ‘n Grow 10 out of 10 scores for features and design, effectiveness and value for money. “This item is a must. I’ll be taking it everywhere I go since my baby loves to sit now.”

Of course, the chair wasn’t the only thing Aliez appreciated about the Best of The Bump-winning pack and play. Whether she was testing the Sit ‘n Grow for sleep or play, all of its versatile modes got rave reviews. She gave the bassinet feature a 10 out of 10 score and told us the playard was “the perfect size” for tummy time. “I place toys next to her so she can look at them, and she loves it,” she said. “It was super easy to place and pick up my baby from the playard even though it’s low. The corners are not extremely high; they’re the perfect height.”

But the Sit ‘n Grow wasn’t done impressing Aliez with four standout modes; the attachment features really made it shine in her eyes. “[This set offers] different items that cost more if you put them together separately,” she said, adding, “The playard offered a side organizer that I'm in love with! I placed all the diaper-changing items there and some toys. I use it every day, since my playard stays open all day.” Not only are these accessories amazing to use around the house, but if you brought the whole set with you on a trip, you’d have everything you’d need. The Sit ‘n Grow is easily the most expensive of the playards we tested, but to Aliez, “The price is actually cheap in my opinion—the quality exceeded my expectations.”

Dimensions (open): 38" (L) x 29.5" (W) x 38.3" (H) | Dimensions (folded): N/A | Weight: 32.5 lbs. | Height limit (playard): 35" | Weight capacity (bassinet): 15 lbs.