Don’t Buy an Infant Travel Beds - Read These 7 Tips First
If you have a child under nine months of age buying an infant travel bed will likely be a good investment for you. There are many good ones on the market - here are our seven tips for getting the right one for your family.
1. Lighten the load. When you travel with your son or daughter you always have to bring lots of gear - so you’ll want to make sure that what you bring is as light as possible. Purchase an infant travel bed that weighs no more than 2 pounds - and in doing so it helps to keep your total weight as low as possible.
2. Bed that folds to a small size. When you are going with you child for an overnight stay with the grandparents, or maybe a more exotic vacation on a cruise ship or going overseas you’ll want a bed that is easy to carry. Look for a bed that is under 40 centimeters (12 inches) in diameter, and ideally look for a bed that has a carry case/bag making it even easier to carry.
3. Easy to set up - the last thing you want is when you get to your destination is having to fumble in setting up your infant baby travel bed. It should be a one step process to set up and a one step process to fold it back up again when you are finished. Set up time and fold up time should take less than 10 seconds, and it should be able to be done by one person.
4. Easy access to the baby - being able to reach in to pick up your baby with ease should be a prime consideration when purchasing a portable bed. Look for beds with side panels that provide protection for baby and can be easily opened for quick access to the baby.
5. Comfortable for baby. The bed that you purchase should be constructed of mesh side walls/panels that will be strong enough to keep the baby safe in their bed, and they provide a natural cross-flow of air so that when your baby is napping they will be comfortable.
6. Bed liner. The liner in your bed should be padded so that your baby will be comfortable when in the bed. There will be times when you’ll need to be able to clean the liner and that may needed to be done when you are traveling. For easy cleaning make sure that the liner is easily removed.
7. Warranty - look for quality. The best beds come with a lifetime warranty. And make sure that the retailer or that your on-line store has a really good return policy in case you purchase an item and it turns out to be not the right item for you and your family.