Guava Lotus Travel Crib with Lightweight Backpack Design | Certified Baby Safe Portable Crib | Folding Play Yard with Comfy Mattress for Babies & Toddlers | Compact Baby Travel Bed

We were using a relative’s Baby Bjorn crib, but we had to give it back. We almost bought one for ourselves until we discovered the Guava Family Lotus, and we’re so happy we did! After having used both, here’s why…Size/Weight: At the time, the Baby Bjorn seemed to be the smallest size (when packed) that we could find. However, the Lotus is much smaller, and we really like that it can be carried like a backpack. There are some straps on the back of the bag that are hidden in a pocket, and you can take them out and clip them to the bag to turn it into a backpack. I would say that the Lotus is about ½ the size of the Bjorn when it’s in its bag (although it does weight about the same as the Bjorn). Also, we found out the hard way that the Baby Bjorn doesn’t work as a carryon (we ended up having to pay baggage fees for it because we had already checked the carseat and stroller). But, the Lotus is allowed as a carryon which is a huge plus.Using it: This is where the Lotus really shines. When the Lotus is setup, they are pretty much the same size. The mattress on the Lotus seems a tiny bit thinner than the BabyBjorn, but its still very comfortable, and our daughter sleeps great in it, right from the very start, so we’re very happy.The main difference is the Lotus has the side door, which is amazing. She thinks it’s her play area and loves crawling in and out. Any crib that can actually make my daughter giggle and want to be in it is a huge winner in my book. And, we can lay in it with her to play or help her to sleep too. Ingenious. Also, the zipper door has a little clip to lock it from the outside so she can’t undo the zipper herself, which is a nice feature. This door really makes the Lotus a fantastic product.Setup: The thing I always loved about the BabyBjorn is how quickly and easily it sets up. It beats the Lotus for setup time. But the Lotus is only a matter of an extra step that takes a second or two (opening the legs). The Lotus has some Velcro tabs that hold the mattress down that also takes more time because the Baby Bjorn doesn’t have these. But, we have the sheet for the Lotus also, and these tabs go through the sheet to hold it onto the mattress which we like. It makes it all seem very sturdy and secure.Overall, they are both great products. These have come a long way since the pack n play (what a pain!). But, the side door, and the backpack make the Lotus so much more useful. It’s by far our favorite baby purchase.

The quick review: We use this travel crib as our daughter's main sleeping space, and it works great. She is 9 months old, and we transitioned her from cosleeping to this crib with minimal effort. If you are looking to transition from cosleeping (or like the idea but do not want/cannot have baby in your bed) this is the answer.The long review: My 9 month old was cosleeping with us, but she started trying to crawl out of the bed at night. We did not want to get rails because we were afraid she would get trapped in them, but she is too young to transition to a toddler bed. We have tried other play yards, but she would always wake up when we lowered her into them and then refuse to go back to sleep because no one was cuddling her. Our apartment is too small for a full sized crib, but I imagine we would have run into similar problems.The Guava Travel Crib was the solution we needed. After researching several similar travel cribs (ones that rest on the floor and have a side opening so you can snuggle baby to sleep), we decided on the Guava because it seemed incredibly sturdy and well-made. If we were going to use it every day, we wanted to make sure it would hold up. We were also impressed by other buyers' positive experiences with the company regarding replacement parts, etc. The Guava Family even answered several of the buyer questions, which we found helpful and professional.Pros:* It is small- the full sized crib is about 2 feet wide and 3.5 feet long. Our daughter is tall for her age, but she had enough room to sleep. It also does not take up much floor space, making it perfect for tiny apartments, small master bedrooms (for rooming-in babies), and travel destinations.* The side flap - This is great for so many reasons. If you are pregnant or have a bad back, it is easy to get baby in and out of the crib. If you are using the crib for travel, you can also use it as a play area at your home. Your child can use it like a fort. I like it personally because I can lay fully in the bed to snuggle or nurse baby. If you are a regular sized adult (I am only 5 ft tall), you can lay partially in the crib to snuggle with baby.* It rests on the floor - This goes along with the side flap. There is no weight limit, so you can lay in there with baby, or several children can play in it as a fort.* It is easy to set up - I am mechanically challenged, and I set this up in about 2 minutes with no problems.* It is lightweight - It is easy to move it from one room to another or take it with you on a trip.* It is well made - This was important since we planned to use the crib every day. The mesh is sturdy, and the design makes it virtually tip proof (my 5 year old niece even tested this).Some other reviews thought the zipper was noisy. It is a zipper... it's not particularly loud or particularly quiet. We have a white noise machine in baby's sleeping area, so it masks the sound pretty well if I zip it up when she is sleeping. I also did not find the mattress difficult to secure at all (that factored into the 2 minute set up time), but I do have small hands.The mattress is not "too hard." It is actually much softer than other play yard mattresses. There are also strict safety standards that require baby mattresses to be firm to protect from SIDS. I fell asleep on it and thought it was fine. We have it down on the hardwood floor and there is no problem with it being uncomfortable.You do need to invest in the sheets, and this is the closest thing to a con that I can mention about this crib. We used a towel tucked under the mattress for the first few nights since we had ordered them separately from the crib. I would not recommend doing that with a younger baby as it is not in safe sleeping guidelines, but it was okay as a temporary solution for our older baby.Overall: This crib has been a life-saver as we transitioned our baby from cosleeping, and it might be the best investment in baby gear that we have ever made (on par only with our baby carrier). I will recommend this crib to anyone who will listen, and I think I will start out my future children on this crib from day 1. Thank you Guava Family!