The Best Travel Cribs for Families on the Go, Tested and Reviewed

Portability and ease are top priorities when you're traveling with a baby or toddler—and the Silver Cross Sleep & Go delivers on both fronts. In our hands-on product testing, it scored top marks for portability, features and design, as well as for effectiveness as a safe sleep space, earning it a Best of The Bump award for overall best travel crib for the second year running. (See all of this year’s Best of The Bump winners.)

At 15 pounds, the Sleep & Go is lighter than many other full-sized travel cribs on the market, which is a big deal when you're already lugging other gear like suitcases, a stroller, a car seat or a diaper bag. "I was impressed by how lightweight it felt," says our product tester, Jennifer W who found it was light to move around the room when set up as well as when folded. Plus, it comes with a waterproof carry bag and strap for easy toting, which Jennifer loved. “The strap of the carry bag was the perfect length and made transporting it comfortable and easy, whereas other similar products can feel awkward or uncomfortable to carry,” she says. “The carry bag felt like a quality product that will withstand being transported around regularly.”

When you finally arrive at your destination, the last thing you want is to wrestle with a fiddly crib to set up baby’s bed. Jennifer assembled the Sleep & Go in under a minute and found it a breeze: Just straighten the crib legs until they lock in place. It takes a few ounces of extra effort to pack the crib down—you'll have to unzip the bassinet and remove the mattress to fold it up—but still only took our tester a minute to do.

Once set up, this portable crib proved sturdy and stable, both when our tester used the ventilated, zip-in bassinet or putting her baby or toddler on the roomy crib mattress, which touches the floor. "It felt very secure," Jennifer says. “The bassinet is high enough that it was easy to see over top of the sides as needed. The lower crib gave baby plenty of room to wiggle without hitting the sides. She slept well and I didn’t see a noticeable difference in her sleep while in the travel crib compared to her normal crib. Overall, I think the effectiveness as a travel crib is 10/10.”

One small downside to note: The design of the Sleep & Go narrows at the top, which means the bassinet offers a smaller sleep space than the bottom of the crib. Our second tester, Katelyn C, found her 3-month-old baby slept well in the bassinet. “The bassinet part provided a cozy and safe space for my 3-month-old and she seemed just as comfortable as in her regular crib,” she enthused. However, both Katelyn and Jennifer felt that the smaller size of the bassinet meant they may need to move their baby to he crib mattress a bit earlier than expected. Still, that was deemed a small price to pay for an otherwise hassle-free, high-quality sleep space. Once you do take the bassinet off, Jennifer’s 3-year-old found the lower space roomy enough “to make a little fort, which he covered with a blanket and filled with stuffed animals, books and pillows (which we of course removed before it was time for baby to sleep again).”

Dimensions (open): 44" (L) x 31.5" (W) x " 26.4 (H) | Dimensions (folded): 35" (L) x 13.4" (W) x 6.7" (H) | Product weight: 15.2 lbs. | Weight capacity: 50 lbs. | Floor style: Floor-touching

Many travel cribs these days feature a bassinet mode for young babies, but they typically nestle into the top of the crib frame. If you’re not keen on bringing the entire crib with you, your alternative is usually a portable bassinet that’s placed on the floor. But a standout feature of the Graco Pack 'n Play Day2Dream—the one that earned it a Best of The Bump award for best travel crib for newborns—is the accompanying bassinet that can be detached and used as a standalone sleep space without the playard, complete with legs that bring baby up to bedside height.

Our product tester, Hanna S., brought the standalone bassinet along for a family trip to Long Island with her 8-week-old and loved that the sturdy legs allowed her to keep her baby elevated at the same height as her bed, rather than down on the floor. "We can carry it from room to room and set our son up for sleep where we are," Hanna reports. “The mesh walls kept the bassinet lightweight and made it easy to see baby, and we liked that the sunshade provided some easy protection while he napped during the day.” While the portable bassinet doesn't rock, Hanna found her baby slept very well. “We typically use a rocking bassinet at home and he didn't seem to miss that," Hanna says.

Setting up the bassinet upon reaching their destination was also relatively easy, taking about five minutes. Just keep the directions handy. "It wasn't immediately intuitive but the instructions were very helpful," Hanna says. Breaking the bassinet down was also straightforward, and it packed up easily into its lightweight nylon carry-on bag. Hanna also appreciated that she could travel with the portable changing pad. “I loved that the feet of the changing pad, which were intended to attach to the pack n play, served as a raised edge for the pad when placed separately on a table.

You can also lock the bassinet into the playard frame, or use the full-size bassinet to give your baby more space as they grow. While the full-size playard with accessories is heavy for a travel crib, it gives you a pack and play ready for when baby gets bigger.

Dimensions (open): 47" (L) x 29" (W) x 33" (H) | Dimensions (folded): 30" (L) x 10" (W) x 10" (H) | Product weight: 12 lbs. (portable bassinet), 39 lbs. (pack and play) | Weight capacity: 15 lbs. (infant bassinet), 20 lbs. (portable bassinet), 25 lbs. (infant changer), 30 lbs. (playard) | Floor style: Suspended

Flying with a baby in tow can come with its share of stresses, but the highly portable Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib will at least make things easier. The amazing fold on this Best of The Bump-winning travel crib brings it down to half its open size, making it super compact—which you’re going to need when you’re lugging it through an airport alongside all your other bags.

Plus, you can tuck the folded crib and mattress into the included travel bag, which can be worn as a backpack (with ergonomic, padded straps!). Coupled with the relatively low weight, it makes a great option for air travel. "I can’t lift very heavy things, and I find myself picking this up with no problem,” reports our tester Imari S., who gave the Lotus 10 out of 10 for ease of use and portability. The crib is a little too big for the overhead bin, so you can't count it as a carry-on. But because it's so easy to tote through the airport hands-free, you can easily bring it up to the check-in counter. And don’t worry about it in the cargo hold, Imari says: “The carrying bag is very durable.”

Sleep-wise, our tester reported that thanks to the sturdy, high-quality sleep space, her one-year-old got a good night's rest. "My child doesn’t really like to sleep anywhere other than his crib, but he was very excited about this travel crib,” she says. “He slept well. It’s easy to put him in and take him out because it’s not bulky."

One thing to consider: The Lotus doesn’t include a built-in bassinet, although the company sells a conversion kit bundle for $130 more. The Lotus isn’t exactly cheap to begin with, so this may not be the best option for newborns. On the other hand, Imari tells us “the quality is great,” and since it's a floor-touching model with no upper weight limit, it’s likely to last you for years.

Dimensions (open): 47" (L) x 29" (W) x 33" (H) | Dimensions (folded): 30" (L) x 10" (W) x 10" (H) | Product weight: 15 lbs. | Weight capacity: No weight limit | Floor style: Floor-touching

Our community says:

If you’re constantly on the road and need a portable baby bed that won’t take up valuable real estate in your car, the Bugaboo Stardust Travel Crib—our Best of The Bump winner for best travel crib for road trips—has you covered. While many travel cribs fold down into a boxy rectangle, the Stardust is a wide, flat rectangle. “Its shape when folded is streamlined, allowing it to be easily tucked away, and its design is optimal for carrying and placing in a car trunk without occupying excessive space," says Jia S., our product tester.

The Bugaboo Stardust scores highly when you arrive at your destination as well. It includes a zip-in bassinet for young babies, and the all-in-one design and built-in mattress means it offers a lightning fast set-up. “It lived up to its ‘1-second unfold’ promise,” enthused Jia, who found the crib design also gave her baby a good night’s sleep. “Size-wise, the crib was spot on for my baby, providing ample space without feeling too vast or too confined. My baby adjusted to the Bugaboo Stardust Travel Crib surprisingly well, settling in comfortably and maintaining her usual sleep patterns. In essence, it delivered a dependable travel crib, ensuring my baby's comfort on our journeys.”

Despite the slim profile, Jia found the Bugaboo Stardust offers a sturdy space for sleep and play. “Its robust sides and base seemed well-equipped to handle the spirited energy of a 9-month-old,” Jia says. Weighing in at a little under 17 pounds, the Stardust is slightly heavier than average—in fact, it’s the heaviest option on our list. But that's not as much of a concern if you're traveling by car, since you don't have to lug the crib through an airport or train station. Just pop it in the trunk and go.

Dimensions (open): 33.8" (L) x 25" (W) x 38.8" (H) | Dimensions (folded): 33.8" (L) x 25" (W) x 5.5" (H) | Product weight: 16.7 lbs. | Weight capacity: 19.8 lbs. (bassinet), 33 lbs., 35 in. (crib) | Floor style: Suspended

Ultra lightweight travel cribs score points for convenience, but they can sometimes run the risk of seeming flimsy. Not so with this option—at 13 pounds, the BabyBjӧrn Travel Crib Light wasn’t quite the lightest full-size travel crib we tested, but it was the lightest to successfully clear our product testing. "The crib is surprisingly light," notes our product tester Mindy K. “I loved that I can carry it on my own both in the bag and while it is set up.” But its weight isn’t its only winning feature—it scored a 10 out of 10 for effectiveness as a sleep space. “The crib was very comfortable for my baby,” says Mindy, a mom of a 6-month-old. “He settled in it well and we didn't notice any difference in baby's sleep pattern,” she reports, adding that she found the crib’s quality to be “ideal.” I can also personally vouch for the sturdiness of this lightweight travel crib. We bought this one for our family, and when my son turned 3 we passed it on to younger cousins—it’s still in tip-top shape!

The crib and mattress fold down flat and can be tucked into the included carry-on bag, making it easy to get from point A to point B. And once you arrive at your destination, set-up is a piece of cake. “It folds in and out so easily, I could almost do it with one hand,” Mindy says, giving the Travel Crib Light 10 out of 10 scores for ease of use, portability and features and design.

Because the crib is a floor-touching model, there's no upper weight limit for babies or toddlers to contend with. On the flip side, the crib's featherweight design means that it’s not as roomy as some we tested. One other thing to note: While newborns can sleep safely in this crib, it doesn't come with a bassinet, so it's not quite as convenient for newborns and middle-of-the-night wake-ups. Still, if you're looking for an extremely light travel crib that'll get you on the road without weighing you down, it’s an excellent choice. “It's worth the price for a hassle-free experience and its convenient travel size,” Mindy reports. “It's not fussy at all and very straightforward.”

Dimensions (open): 44" (L) x 32" (W) x 24" (H) | Dimensions (folded): 19" (L) x 23.5" (W) x 5.5" (H) | Product weight: 13 lbs. | Weight capacity: No weight limit | Floor style: Floor-touching

Our community says:

Traveling with a newborn usually means bringing along a lot of gear. This diminutive bassinet-only option is a safe, cozy sleep space that only adds 6.6 pounds to your load. (It might even fit in your suitcase!) The challenge is that ultra-lightweight travel bassinets tend to be small and somewhat flimsy, with babies often outgrowing them by 3 months of age. What we like about the Baby Delight Snuggle Nest is that it’s sturdy, roomy enough for slightly bigger babies and has a high weight capacity of 20 lbs (although, like other bassinets, it shouldn’t be used once baby tries to sit up). “My 4 month old is on the longer side and he fits perfectly lengthwise and seems to be very comfortable when he naps in this bassinet,” our tester Julia L. reports. This combination of portability, longer lifespan and (at under $50) affordability earned the Snuggle Nest a Best of The Bump award for best travel bassinet.

Julia particularly liked the design, enabling her baby to sleep comfortably and safely. “My 4 month old has been able to take very solid naps in this travel crib, just as good as in his regular sleep spaces at home. The crib is on the narrow side, so there is definitely no room for rolling over, so it gives me peace of mind that he isn't rolling when placed in there. That being said, isn't cramped at all, he has room to lift his arms and move, even though he is a bigger baby.”

Setting up the bassinet—just open and lock the fold-out mini legs—is quick and easy, so you'll be able to get your little one off to sleep ASAP after arriving at your destination. Julia tells us, “The only part that wasn't super-intuitive was the mechanism to lock it in place to keep it open, which was a plastic slider, but I was able to figure it out without much difficulty.” She notes that folding the legs back down to pack the bassinet took a little more effort, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.

Unlike the other travel cribs on this list, this one doesn’t come with a carry bag. "But it folds up and closes with a handle that keeps it securely closed," Julia points out, so it’s easy to transport. "I was still able to carry it and my 4-month-old plus a diaper bag without any issues," she adds. This pick won’t keep your newborn at bedside height like the Graco Day2Dream, but if you're looking for a solid, compact travel bassinet and don't want to spend a lot of money, this is an ideal option. As Julia says, "The size is perfect for travel and portability."

Dimensions (open): 34” L X 15.5” W X 10.5” H | Dimensions (folded): 15" L x 5" W x 17 H" | Product weight: 6.6 lbs. | Weight capacity: 20 lbs. | Floor style: Suspended