momofhart

Okay I am flying united and I wanted to avoid getting charged.... Does anyone have an idea of any bed I could bring for my son to sleep in on our trip that folds up small enough? or even small enough to go in a suit case?
Thanks,
megan

themicah

We have a standard, basic Pack and Play that we've never been charged to check. We've always had someone with elite status traveling, though, so checking the Pack N Play separate from our other luggage wasn't an issue.

If you want something that'll fit in a carryon, One Step Ahead makes an inflatable travel toddler bed. I'm not sure if it folds up small enough to fit in a carryon, though.

icedancer

At the recommendation of folks in this forum, we got a Bjorn travel crib for TinyDancer, and we carry it onboard whenever we fly. It only weighs 11 lbs, and is only a couple of linear inches more than the allowed size for a carryon suitcase. I have never been given any trouble by United or any other airline for this. Of course, most importantly, the baby sleeps well in it. The only downside is that it's on the pricey side at ~$250.

flymeaway

We recently used the Peapod Travel Bed on a trip, and I can't rave enough about it! It is incredibly lightweight and easy to carry. The small version will fit inside a standard roll-aboard suitcase. The big one will have to be carried separately or packed in a larger suitcase. (We bought the small one because it was the only one our store carried, but then found the big one at a resale shop the very next day! We kept them both, but the smaller one will be outgrown much more quickly for sleeping..good for play, though!) The only downer for us was that it took a bit of practice getting her into it once she was already asleep, but we figured it out pretty quickly.

http://www.kidco.com/main.taf?p=4,5

Edited to add: we flew Southwest when we used it...as far as charges go, they didn't charge us on the outbound since it's a baby item - he just treated it like a stroller/etc. But he did warn that other agents may not be so flexible, and we were charged on the return.

ACB

Are you staying at a hotel? Many that I've visited have had "cribs" available (by "crib" they mean pack n play). I just bring a pack n play sheet in my suitcase. When I travel to visit friends or relatives, they've always been able to borrow one from someone locally.

If you really are needing to buy something, I don't have a specific recommendation, but those Kidco Peapods look cool. I'd never heard of those until this thread, and were my daughter a bit younger I very well might have invested in one.

rsolomon

How old is he? When our kids were infant/toddler aged we usually got a "crib" at the hotel, which as noted above was usually a pack-n-play. I seem to recall that a sheet and pillow on the floor with extra blankets as a "mattress" served once or twice... but they were into beds pretty quickly.

Where are you going? Wal-Mart sells a basic pack-n-play for under US$50:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=8342858
which could be less than you'd pay in baggage fees to tote yours....

I can't imagine carrying a pack-n-play along with all the other travel "stuff" that Sherpa-Dad typically schlepped at that age!

Richard

jsnydcsa

We're flying internationally in a few weeks and, while our Graco Pack and Play plain nylon "case" has done fine on car trips, I seriously doubt it will survive multi-connection and international baggage handling once we check it in (as checked baggage, not gate checked). Does anyone have a recommendation for a stronger bag of some sort to put the thing in to survive. I was thinking about some sort of large camera/tripout bag (something along the lines of what a news cameraperson might use to carry their heavy/valuable tripod in).

Checking a few other sites (via google searches) many seem to think you can just pack it in the nylon case and it'll be fine. But, after years of travel and looking out the window at the baggage handlers, I'm skeptical.

freeflyin

We've done pretty well with checking ours-I usually wrap some towels or bubblewrap on the corners of the frames,since there is no padding inside the bag. I also use a luggage strap around it,just on case the zipper gives way.

If you decide to try another bag over it,you may get lucky with some sports bags-bat bags and golf bags may accommodate it.

jsnydcsa

Towels or bubble wrap. Check. Sounds good.




Not being a big baseball fan, I would have never thought of that type of bag. I may give this one a try

Mizuno Samurai Equipment Wheeled Bat Bag Red
http://www.amazon.com/New-Mizuno-Sam.../dp/B002GHKTU6

as the dimensions appear to match that of a "packed" pack and play. Plus, it has wheels and sturdier handles. So that might make it a little easier to move around. No additional padding it seems.

Checked around at some of the golf travel bag sites and though the options there seem to include more "padded" (and, even, hard sided) cases, they all seem to be too long for the length of the folded pack and play.

Cellisttoo

The peapod has worked very well for us. We have traveled with our daughter enough that she associates it with sleeping. She seems really comfy in there. As she has gotten older it is especially nice since she can crawl out of a pack in play. The zipper keeps her safe and secure inside. Hotel rooms are not baby proofed at all, so it is nice not to have to worry about her wandering around when we are asleep.

Bonus is that it works well in places where insects might be a problem- protecting her from mosquitos. It also works in Asian hotels that normally only accomodate 2 people per room- fits nicely into a suitcase along with her clothes, diapers, etc.

xinerevelle

Another vote for the peapod. I bought mine on eBay. My daughter used it when she was an infant and then refused it (but had other sleeping issues, so I didn't blame the product). Just recently we used it with my then-4 month old (now 6 month old) and my daughter (now almost 3) thought it was the coolest thing she'd ever seen and desperately wanted to sleep in it. But, since her little brother was sleeping there and she had her own bed, she had to be a big girl and suck it up and sleep in the bed instead.

In reality, at most hotels, we just get 2 double/queen beds, and each of us sleep with a kid in the bed with us. Works pretty well. Hotel pack and plays are kinda grimy, so be prepared with some Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface Cleaner if you decide to use one.

JMezmur

Not sure how this would work size-wise but we use hubby's golf club travel bag for our umbrella strollers and it works great. It is very sturdy and might also work for a pack & play. Plus it is big enough we can stuff some other things (i.e. blankets, jackets, etc) down inside.