BEST TRAVEL CRIBS OF 2022
Travel cribs are a surprisingly hard area of baby gear to nail down. In theory you could just pick the lightest one or maybe the longest lasting. But travel cribs are used for more than travel so picking the right one isn’t so simple. Let’s talk more about the best travel cribs for 2022/2023 and where each excels!
What's the best travel crib?
When you are thinking about travel cribs, consider these important points:
Where will you use your travel crib? Travel cribs are often used as a secondary sleeping space in the living room or office so you can hear and see our baby as you go about the day at home. With this getting used daily you’re almost never going to fold/unfold it so choosing a travel crib with heavier or larger dimensions isn’t such a bad thing. The Nuna Sena Aire is one of the sturdiest travel cribs that can handle being knocked around.
Non-work related Air Travel: Post-baby you’ll fly less often than pre-baby. This means you could be spending a lot of money for a plane-friendly travel crib that you almost never use. If you flew more than four trips each year, maybe you have annual trips to several family and friend groups, you’re definitely going to need the lightest option: maybe jump right to the 11lb Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot.
Car travel and trunk size: Car travel is easy to work around with travel cribs! Regardless of trunk size, there’s a travel crib that will work for you. The Bugaboo Stardust and Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot both fold almost flat for the smallest of cars. The other cribs fold up to be close in size, so families with mid-size and larger cars shouldn’t spend too much time worrying about size and should focus on the favorite features.
Frequent visits to the grandparents: If you have a second house the baby will spend weekly/bi weekly trips to, consider getting a travel crib just for this house. Folding the crib, carrying/loading it into the car, and carrying it into the house, gets old fast. And you’re going to do the whole thing again when you head home. It’s a lot to do on top of also having an infant with you, and it leaves the door open for forgetting or damaging your travel crib. Do your future self a favor and leave a quick collapsing crib at the grandparents that they can store into a closet, like the UPPAbaby Remi with its snappy fast fold, slim profile.
Bugaboo Stardust Travel Crib 2021 | 2022
$339 | 17.2 lbs | Max: 33 lbs or 35 in. | L38.8 in x W33.5 in x H25 in
This is an honest compliment: the Bugaboo Stardust is a great choice for anyone, but it’s especially suited for the clumsy, impatient, and mechanically un-inclined. This is important, as many of us fall into at least one of these categories. The Bugaboo Stardust is the easiest and fastest travel crib to fold up and put back in its travel bag. And the Bugaboo Stardust is the only option to fold with the mattress installed (at the lower crib height). What the other travel cribs won’t talk about is that to fold them you have to remove the mattress AND release 4-6 Velcro straps attaching the mattress to the crib frame…and then replace them all every time you use the crib.
Bad back? The Bugaboo Stardust is the only option that doesn't require you to bed over to fold/unfold it. It also stands unassisted while folded, and has a shallow bassinet height for easy reaching!
- Bugaboo Stardust comes with:
- Baby zip-in bassinet
- Carry bag
- Bugaboo Stardust Accessories:
UPPAbaby Remi Travel Crib 2022
$349.99 | 20 lbs | Max 35 in | L40.5 in x W26 in x H28.5 in
The UPPAbaby Remi is a fantastic travel crib with really no downsides. It’s the only one-handed folding and unfolding option, and does so with a single, smooth motion. The zip-open panel is unique on this list. It allows for easy access to the baby from the side and is a complete lifesaver for anyone who has pain or physical limitations with their back or neck. Down the line, the zip open panel can be left open for toddlers to independently move around the nursery post-nap!
The UPPAbaby Remi and the Nuna Cove Aire Go are almost the same weight and length/width. While the latter was developed to be a slimmer version of the original Nuna Sena Aire, the UPPAbaby Remi is the only travel crib by UPPAbaby. And at only 26in wide it’s 4-6 inches narrower than the larger travel cribs. By 6 months old your infant will likely be able to touch both UPPAbaby Remi crib walls at the same time. On the upside, the 26in width is amazing for smaller apartments and bedrooms.
- UPPAbaby Remi comes with:
- Bassinet
- Duffle style travel bag
- Organic cotton mattress cover
- UPPAbaby Remi Accessories:
Nuna Sena Aire Travel Crib
$399.95 | 20.8 lbs | Max 30 lbs or 35 in | L41.3 in x W30 in x H29 in
The Nuna Sena Aire has the most solid frame of any crib on this list. A good shake to the side barely moves it making it extra ideal for babies with the strength of a free climber. The frame is quite thick and does add a lot of bulk to its shape. The extra heft is probably why the Nuna Sena Aire is the sturdiest option and also why it forces you to put a knee on it to get it closed and packed up for travel. Two people can get this done more efficiently, but a single person will initially question if it’s even possible.
The Nuna Sena Aire is the longest mattress length on the list so it’s well suited for tall families and for longer term use as a play yard.
Added benefit: The Nuna Sena Aire mattress is made of layer up layer of breathable mesh for airflow and temperature regulation. Nervous parent? Sweaty baby? The Nuna Sena Aire is your match!
- Nuna Sena Aire Travel Crib comes with:
- Bassinet
- Organic Cotton Sheet
- Zippered travel bag w/ carry straps
- Nuna Sena Aire Travel Crib accessories:
Nuna Cove Aire Go Travel Crib 2021 | 2022
$349.95 | 22 lbs | Max 30 lbs or 35 in | L40 in x W24.5 in x H30 in
The Nuna Cove Aire Go is a bit baffling. Its dimensions are smaller than its sister crib the Nuna Sena Air, but the Nuna Cove Aire Go is heavier by 1.2lbs. Both travel cribs are about 40 inches in length (the Nuna Sena Air is only 1.3in longer) but the Nuna Cove Aire Go is narrower by 6 inches. Strangely, their folded dimensions and weights are almost exactly the same, so the Nuna Cove Aire Go isn’t giving you a lighter or smaller package for stashing in the car. Both Nuna travel cribs have the same folding mechanism, which is easy to pull closed, though it does need a couple shoves to get it wrapped up in its mattress.
If you want narrow, instead of a Nuna Cove Aire Go you could get an UPPAbaby Remi that’s the same price, 2 lbs lighter, and folds faster.
- Nuna Cove Aire Go comes with:
- Bassinet
- Organic Cotton Sheet
- Zippered travel bag w/ carry straps
Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light Mesh
$269.99 | 13 lbs | 0-3 years | L44 in x W32 in x H24 in
**Mattress dimensions: 41 x 23.5 in
The Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light design makes almost too much sense. It’s the only crib on this list that lays the mattress and occupant at floor level, avoiding a need for a weight max. And by skipping the elevated floor framework the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light can get away with being a ridiculously convenient 13 lbs!
This crib is often overlooked because it doesn’t have a bassinet level and a rather unconventional look. But the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light is the only travel crib on this list ergonomically designed to carry through an airport. Its “briefcase” shape and 13lb weight is perfectly balanced for a one hand carry that won’t drag on the floor or knock into stair steps. And instead of laying your infant down on a mattress made of hard plastic boards and layers of fabric, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light mattress is a completely seam-free, non-toxic foam 1.2 inches thick. I cannot express enough how luxurious this mattress is, it feels like a cloud forming to a child’s growing shape instead of pushing against it.
Clumsy parents beware: the metal legs add almost 9 inches to the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light floor dimension…the likelihood for tripping is real.
- Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light comes with:
- Briefcase style travel bag
- Organic cotton mattress cover
- Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light Accessories:
Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot
$195 | 7.7 lbs | L51 x W36.2 x H24.8
**Mattress dimensions: L43.3 x W23.6 x H24.08
The Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot is a wonder of the baby gear world. With its tiny 7.7lb frame and a 2-second “pop-up tent” style fold, the Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot is the most convenient travel crib on our list. It’s light enough to carry around an airport, pack into the car, store behind furniture at home, and bring it up and down stairs (folded up). The polyester material cleans easily and doesn’t pick up debris from the ground, making the Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot the only option worth bringing to the backyard and even the beach!
Some parents may find the Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot to be shaky but it’s well built and has stability bars running vertically if (when) your baby tries to climb over the rail. Just like the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light, the Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot doesn’t have a weight maximum and it’s quite wide at the base despite having a much shorter mattress length. With the added benefit of the bassinet, we’d say the Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot has the edge over the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light and the other travel cribs for travel. But for frequent use in the house, a taller and more reinforced option will probably hold up better over time.- Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot comes with:
- Bassinet
- Carry Bag
- Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot accessories:
Looking to see the travel cribs in action? We’ve made an accompanying Best Travel cribs of 2022 video and more to help you choose the best option for your growing family:
- Bugaboo Stardust vs. Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light vs. UPPAbaby Remi vs. Nuna Sena Aire
- Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot vs. Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light
- Aeromoov Instant Travel Cot
Check out our corresponding youtube video
Email questions@mbeans.com or give us a call at 866-600-BEAN) during business hours (M-F, 9 am-5 pm EST). Or set up a one-on-one Baby Gear Consultation with an Mbeans expert!
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