The Best Playard - 2021
We looked at the top 6 Playards and dug through the reviews from 52 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Playards.
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Our Picks For The Top Playards
- The Best Playard
- 1. Summer Infant Pop ‘N Play Compact Fold Portable Playard
- 2. Graco Pack & Play Compact Fold Portable Playard
- 3. Regalo 6-Panel My Portable Washable Playard Kit
- 4. Guava Family Lotus Portable Travel Playard Crib & Backpack
- 5. Joovy Room2 Portable Playard
- 6. Baby Trend Nursery Center Playard
Indoor-Outdoor SolutionYou can set this playard up either outdoors or indoors, allowing you to use it either at home or on the go.
Extra Safety FeaturesThe safety features set this playard apart, including fastening straps to hold the mattress in place and padded metal bars.
Easy to CleanThe mesh walls and nylon play surface make it easy to simply wipe with a damp, soapy cloth to clean.
Designed for PortabilityWeighing only 13 pounds, this playard is highly portable and even includes a carrying case with shoulder straps.
Why we recommend these playards?
Products Considered
Products Analyzed
Expert Reviews Included
User Opinions Analyzed
Our experts reviewed the top 6 Playards and also dug through the reviews from 52 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Playards.
DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.
The Best Overall
Summer Infant Pop ‘N Play Compact Fold Portable Playard
Our Take
This playard can be set up either indoors or outdoors, making it a versatile solution. The lightweight "pop-and-fold" design is designed to allow you to set it up and break it down in a matter of seconds. It has mesh sides to encourage airflow and a water-resistant canvas floor that will keep your baby dry.
What other experts liked
What other experts didn't like
The Best Bang For Your Buck
Graco Pack & Play Compact Fold Portable Playard
Our Take
Available in a variety of designs, this playard has feet and wheels that automatically fold to make it easy to transport. An insert lets you raise the sleeping surface to a level more easily reachable, and mesh sidewalls keep airflow moving through the playard. The mattress is held in place with fastening straps to give you the peace of mind of knowing your baby will stay firmly in place.
What other experts liked
What other experts didn't like
Overall Product Rankings
4. Guava Family Lotus Portable Travel Playard Crib & Backpack
Our Playard Findings
Summer Infant Pop ‘N Play Compact Fold Portable Playard
What We Liked: This playard can be set up either indoors or outdoors, making it a versatile solution. The lightweight “pop-and-fold” design is designed to allow you to set it up and break it down in a matter of seconds. It has mesh sides to encourage airflow and a water-resistant canvas floor that will keep your baby dry.
Graco Pack & Play Compact Fold Portable Playard
What We Liked: Available in a variety of designs, this playard has feet and wheels that automatically fold to make it easy to transport. An insert lets you raise the sleeping surface to a level more easily reachable, and mesh sidewalls keep airflow moving through the playard. The mattress is held in place with fastening straps to give you the peace of mind of knowing your baby will stay firmly in place.
Regalo 6-Panel My Portable Washable Playard Kit
What We Liked: The frame of this playard has an all-steel construction, making it sturdy and likely to last through many years. Setup is easy, thanks to a a double-locking mechanism that you can operate using only your foot. It includes a carrying case that has an arm strap to make it portable.
Guava Family Lotus Portable Travel Playard Crib & Backpack
What We Liked: This playard is both lightweight and durable, with a design that surrounds your baby. You can set it up and take it down in seconds, and guides on the crib will walk you through setting it up until you get used to it. It’s lightweight, but one of the best things about it is how small it is when folded down, making it easy to pack up and squeeze into your car.
Joovy Room2 Portable Playard
What We Liked: This playard is ideal for setting up in your home and leaving it, as you’ll get 10 square feet of playspace, double the size of typical playards. It comes with a waterproof mattress sheet to give the baby a clean surface for playtime.
Our Playard Buying Guide
You can’t keep eyes on your baby 24 hours a day. Infants and toddlers need room to play and move around and doing so can easily get them into trouble. Even if you’ve baby-proofed your house, things can happen.
That’s where a playard comes in. Earlier generations called them playpens, but a brand called Pack ‘N’ Play, manufactured by Graco, transformed the concept of a playpen. Instead of being confined to your home, Pack ‘N’ Plays allowed parents to fold up their playpens and take them on the go. But today, Graco isn’t the only manufacturer making this type of product, so to get a true picture of the market, you’ll need to use the product name “playard.”
Like a playpen, a playard gives babies a small, safe space for them to play freely. Think of it as a gated area, only the gate is a soft, safe mesh, and instead of crawling around on the floor, babies get a soft flooring to crawl around on. But perhaps the best thing about playards is they don’t limit you to one small area of your home. They’re built to easily fold up so that you can take them on the go with you.
You aren’t limited to inside play areas with playards, either. You can find some that can be used either outdoors or inside, making them much more versatile than the playpens your grandparents and their parents used. The mesh walls of playards also ensure airflow gets through, which keeps your little ones from being confined between walls that restrict the oxygen they breathe.
But as with almost every other baby product, playards come in a wide variety, with each offering its own unique features. You may find you love the ease of cleaning one playard, only to discover that a competitor has a more comfortable mattress or better safety features. That’s why it’s important to shop around until you find the playard that has everything you need.
DWYM Fun Fact
Playpens have a long history. In fact, they’re believed to have gotten their beginnings when primitive moms realized they could confine babies to a corner of the cave using a barrier, effectively keeping them safe. But as a commercial product, playpens weren’t popularized until the late 1800s, when they were referred to as a “baby cage.” These cages more closely resembled a walker than a playpen, though. That version could double as a cot. A later version was an adjustable cot that could double as a playpen and a go-cart. The first known use of the term playpen was seen in a 1931 ad in the Daily Express, which referred to “play-pens in best hardwood.”
The Playard Tips and Advice
- One thing many playards offer that playpens didn’t is portability. You’ll find most fold down, with some even coming with storage bags that you can use for carrying. Look at the folding mechanism. The best ones make it easy to set up and break down, taking mere seconds. Some even let you do the setup and breakdown work through the use of a foot pedal, which comes in handy if you’re holding a baby.
- If you opt for a playard with a storage bag, make sure it has a storage strap that makes it easy to tote around.
- Some playards have something called a “bassinet feature,” which simply means you can lower and raise the sleeping area by adjusting it. This can make it easier to pick up and put down your baby.
- If you plan to regularly take your playard on the go with you, look for one that has a changing area built in.
- Safety features are important with any product geared toward children. Check to make sure the mattress will be secure and that all parts of the frame are sufficiently padded to reduce the risk of injury.
- As useful as playards can be, it’s still important to keep an eye on an infant or toddler, even when in a confined area.
- Durability is important, too. The frame needs to be built to last. If you plan to use your playard outside, make sure you buy one that can weather sun, humidity and even a surprise rainstorm.
- You’ll need to clean the playard. In fact, you’ll probably find cleanup is necessary on a fairly regular basis. Having one with a cover for the mattress area can be valuable since you can simply remove the cover and wash it as needed. But it can also be nice to have one made of material like nylon that can simply be wiped down with a damp, slightly soapy washcloth when needed.
About The Author
Stephanie Faris is a novelist and professional writer. She's also a wife and stepmom who lives in the Nashville, Tennessee, area. Her work has appeared on popular parenting sites. She also writes books for young children, including the Piper Morgan series of chapter books published by Simon & Schuster's Aladdin imprint.