The day your little one begins crawling and exploring your home, is the day your world turns upside down. A solution? The playard, also known as a playpen. It is a small enclosure where you can put your child from birth and they can play, sleep or lounge safely. A registry must-have for new parents, these portable devices sit close to the ground and typically have mesh sides for breathability and visibility.
Top Playards of 2023
In recent years, we’ve seen our most innovative car seat and stroller brands enter into this new category, pushing the standards and creating playards that are both compact and lightweight, with luxuries and trendy details.
In this article:
- Maxi-Cosi Swift Playard
- Bugaboo Stardust Playard
- UppaBaby REMI Playard
- 4Moms Breeze Plus 5.0 Playard
- Nuna SENA Playard
- BabyBjörn Play Yard Light
The 2023 models we’ll look at today have features like bassinets, changing stations, impressive folds, and organizer pockets that will ease your fourth trimester, and become a go-to gear essential for both home and travel. In no particular order, the roundup of our top 6 travel playpens of 2023 are:
Maxi-Cosi Swift Playard
Best for Travel
The newest item in the beautiful and insightfully designed Maxi-Cosi home collection is their stylish 3-in-1 playard, the Swift. The multi-use travel playard can be used as a newborn bassinet, toddler sleep space, and a playard for newborns to toddlers.
The Maxi-Cosi Swift is designed for convenience and ease of use. At 18 lbs, it’s one of the lightest playards on the market and has a smooth fold that is both single-handed and only one step.
The Swift playard is sleep approved and comes with a 2-stage mattress, which unzips into a cozy bassinet for newborns and zips back together to create the play space and a larger nap zone for older children.
With a stunning contemporary design, Maxi-Cosi’s Swift Playard has breathable mesh sides that allow for airflow and consistent supervision. Available in three beautiful neutral colours: Essential Grey, Essential Graphite, and the stunning beige Horizon Sand.
Dimensions:
Assembled 33.86" L x 30.71" W x 41.73" H
Weight:
Assembled 17.73lbs
Material:
100% polyester, plastic, aluminum
Bugaboo Stardust Playard
Easiest Setup
When one of the most popular baby gear brands, Bugaboo, decided to enter the playard market, they did so with a bang. Enter their Stardust, a sleek travel cot with an impressive collection of features that simplify its use for the day-to-day.
The innovative all-in-one design and patented aerospace technology enables the Bugaboo Stardust to unfold in only 1 second and fold back together in 3 seconds, with no pieces to remove and no assembly required.
The Stardust is out of this world comfortable with a multi-layered mattress providing support to your child. For newborns, up to 6 months (or when they can roll) the playard comes with a pop-in bassinet that zips in easily, making it effortless to lift in and out without bending over. In bassinet mode, the Stardust is sleep approved, making it convenient to set up a comfortable and safe spot for the baby to rest, wherever you are.
The Bugaboo Stardust also folds completely differently than most other playards, oblong as opposed to square, and can tuck away into a chic matching travel bag. Available in Black and Grey Melange, the Stardust playard is a piece that coordinates well with trending home decor for 2023.
Dimensions:
Unfolded 25 x 38.8 x 33.5 inch
Weight:
14.8 lbs
Material:
100% polyester
UppaBaby REMI Playard
Most customizable
In 2022, UPPAbaby proved they create more than just their incredible strollers and car seats when they released the very anticipated REMI playard. Loaded with features, the REMI is here to make family adventures easier.
The UPPAbaby REMI has a foam-free air mattress, making play and sleep (when in bassinet mode) comfortable. The REMI also has an innovative side zip panel, revolutionizing how to put your baby into the crib while also giving parents a way to quickly soothe their child or play on their level. The REMI playard by UPPAbaby also features a one-handed fold and is lightweight, making it ideal for travel with a simple setup and tear down.
Known for its trendy colours and beautiful details, UPPAbaby does not disappoint with the REMI playard. Accented with 100% full-grain leather, the REMI is available in four colours: Noa which is a beautiful navy hue, Jake, a classic black, Stella their staple grey, and Charlie a perfect light beige.
There are innovative accessories available for the REMI playard, with the stand-out being a UPF 50+ canopy to be used for both sun and bug protection when outside. Add the Changing Station and REMI Organizer to create a portable place for quick diaper changes.
Dimensions:
Unfolded 40.5" L x 26" W x 28.5" H
Weight:
20lbs
Material:
Mesh on all sides
4Moms Breeze Plus 5.0 Playard
Best all-in-one
4Moms is best known for how they have been able to leverage technology and design to innovate baby gear by making it simplified and more intuitive. Their Breeze Plus 5.0 Playard is really an all-in-one solution to keep your newborn’s essential care in one centralized portable place.
With its “one push open, one pull close” functionality, the Breeze Plus 5.0 incorporates a playard, bassinet, and changer that makes naps and diaper changes easy and convenient by bringing the baby closer to you.
As your child grows, keep them playing safely in the playard by removing the bassinet, until they reach 30 pounds.
Dimensions:
Assembled 43" L x 30" W x 29" H
Weight:
With accessories 28.5 lbs
Material:
Mesh on all sides
Nuna SENA Playard
Most luxury playard
Turn any space, near or far, into a safe spot for your child. Staying true to Nuna’s brand identity, the SENA playard is chic and innovative, showcasing the latest technology and looking beautiful while doing it.
The Nuna SENA playard has unique zigzag legs that allow for it to pop up easily and refolds with only one hand. With 360° mesh, there is excellent ventilation and visibility so you can keep an eye on your little one while they play safely.
Nuna’s playards are made of Oeko-Tex® fabrics and are GOTS certified ensuring there are no manufacturing substances that could be exposed to your child. Available in Graphite (grey with white mesh) and Night (black and white with grey mesh) the SENA playard blends into your home decor providing convenience and ease for your growing family’s needs.
Dimensions:
Assembled 30.7" L x 41.3" W x 29.5" H
Weight:
Assembled 21.4 lbs
Material:
Certified Oeko-Tex® fabric
BabyBjörn Play Yard Light
Lightest play yard
Swedish family-owned BabyBjörn creates well-designed baby products that simplify parent’s everyday life. Passionate about closeness and helping families foster precious moments together, their Play Yard Light is a simply perfect solution to keep babies safe at home or while travelling.
Weighing only 13 lbs the BabyBjörn Play Yard Lite is super lightweight and can be set up with one smooth motion, making it ideal for a day on the go with no loose parts to attach or lose.
Available in a cool Silver, Black, or pop-of-colour with their Dark Green, the Play Yard Light allows your baby to develop and grow while staying safe.
Dimensions:
Assembled 32 x 44 x 24 in/82 x 112 x 64 cm.
Weight:
Assembled: 13 lbs
Material:
OEKO-Tex® Airy mesh
Keeping your little ones safe at home and while travelling isn’t always the easiest but our favourite lightweight and innovative play yards for 2023 can help make those challenges easier, so you can spend less time setting up a safe space, and more time making memories together.
Shop Top Playards of 2023
