Graco Pack 'N Play Playard with Reversible Napper and Changer Reviews

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List Price: $99.99
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We added this Pack 'N Play to our baby registry since the features looked like they would be useful. This is the first Pack 'N Play that I have owned so I wasn't sure what to expect. The directions were fairly simple to follow and only minimal assembly was required for the bassinet support, reversible station, and toy arch.

I really like the feel and support of the bassinet. The metal tubing keeps the mattress pretty level and my son seems to be very comfortable sleeping and playing on the mattress.

The reversible station is a nice added feature to this version. The napper on one side is slightly sloped and the changing pad on the other is flat with a plastic surface. It is simple to flip with one hand and very convenient to have both readily available. It is nice that the napper is secured on the ends rather than on one side as it is on other models. I feel that this makes it more stable and level. On the down side, it is surface clean only so you can't just throw it into the wash. It is also rather difficult to remove without completely removing the bassinet. Since it also doesn't fit in the travel bag, it's probably something that we'll use only while at home. I agree with another reviewer that the low height of the changing pad reduces its functionality. It hasn't replaced our nursery changing station, but rather provided us with another place change our baby.

Overall, I really like this version of the Pack 'N Play. The usefulness and convenience of a reversible station far outweigh any problems I've had with it. My son sleeps in it almost every day and I would highly recommend it.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program As a mom of three children, I have had plenty of experience with playards over the past ten and a half years. This Graco Pack N Play with reversible napper/changer is nice, but I know Graco could make it better. The pack and play is not too much different from the current basic model they have. I have the very basic model that features the bassinet and useless toy arch, and this newer napper/changer model. There are a few differences between the models to make up for the $30 price difference.

The basic model will get you folding feet/wheels which allow the playard to fold up into a bag that is roughly six inches more compact than the napper/changer model. It has the same size mattress, and ease of set up. The bassinet has poorer mattress support which will allow the mattress to sag and be uneven. This is because the metal cross supports that run across the bottom of the bassinet insert do not run the length of the playard. The seams of the corners of the playard are also visible from the inside.

For a slightly higher price tag, the reversible napper/changer model will get you a more thoughtfully designed bassinet feature. The bassinet has metal tubing that runs the full length of the bottom of the bassinet providing better support for the mattress. Unfortunately my four month old daughter is above the bassinet weight limit, so I was unable to test how well the mattress held up with my baby sleeping in it. I can tell you that it was sturdier feeling when I pressed down on it with my hands. Per the owner's manual for this playard, the changer/napper feature has a 15lb weight limit. Graco's online product manual incorrectly states a different weight limit for the changer which is also quoted in another review. The changer/napper feature is nice, but I was surprised to see that it is surface wash only. Babies spit up and sometimes have leaky diapers. If an accident occurs while your baby is sleeping in the cozy napper, you'll only be able to surface wash the material. Seasoned moms will tell you that sometimes surface washing just won't cut it for some messes. Upon further reading of the owner's manual, I found it odd that you cannot use the bassinet feature while the napper/changer is installed. Since removing the napper/changer is impossible without taking off the bassinet to release the napper/changer bracket, I find this highly impractical. It would have been nice if the changer could be used for a higher weight baby. Ten years ago Graco made an awesome folding changing table that held babies up to 25lbs that could easily be popped on and off the playard. Surely their engineers can find a better way to incorporate this feature so moms of babies heavier than 15 lbs can conveniently change their baby at the playard.

One of the nicest touches on this playard when compared to the basic model are the corners that hold the playard mattress down. It's a nice little added security in addition to the velcro straps that hold the mattress down to the bottom. This particular model also does not leave the seams at the corners exposed to the baby.

Total set up time for this playard with the bassinet and napper/changer is about 20 minutes for a seasoned parent. I suspect it will take longer for first time parents who don't already know how to set up the playard. Setting up just the playard alone without the bassinet and napper/changer can be done in about 3 minutes.

Overall, this playard is very nice. I know I would have loved the changing pad feature when my daughter was a newborn. When compared to the basic model, this one is nicer, but the looming question is whether or not it's worth spending an extra $30 or so for features that you'll only get to use for about three or four months before your baby outgrows it.

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I love this playard. My son is almost a month old and has been sleeping in it since we brought him home from the hospital. He has slept in both the napper and the bassinet part and seems comfortable in both. The changing table has come in handy in the middle of the night when we've wanted to change his diaper without going very far. As much as I like this playard, there are two big flaws worth mentioning:

(1) You cannot remove the napper/changing table without taking apart the whole pack n play which is not convenient if you want your child to sleep in the bassinet part but also want access to the changing table.

(2) The fabric on the napper is spot clean only, which is not practical if you have a newborn who spits up and occasionally pees past the diaper (we still haven't figured out how he does this, but it seems to happen about once a day). To remedy this issue, I bought several flannel bassinet pads on Etsy from the "BabyWolfgang" shop. The fabric is soft so my son sleeps comfortably on them and when they get dirty, I stick them in the washing machine/dryer. They hold up well after many washings and are a good solution to issue #2. (Added bonus: I use them to protect my stroller bassinet because they are easier to wash than taking off the bassinet fabric to wash it and then reattaching it.)

I also recommend using a waterproof pad under the pack n play sheet to protect the mattress. I got the American Baby Company Waterproof Porta-Crib Sheeting Pad and it fits perfectly. If you want a super-soft matching sheet, I recommend the American Baby Company Heavenly Soft Chenille Porta-Crib Sheet in Celery. I also like the American Baby Company Organic Interlock Pack N Play Sheet. (I bought all three of these products on Amazon.)

Some customer reviews mention purchasing an additional mattress to put over the pack n play mattress. I don't think this is necessary and it is possibly unsafe. The mattress that comes with the pack n play is all the baby needs and is ideal in terms of firmness/thickness. Overall this is a very good product.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This is the second Pack 'N Play I have gotten from Graco. It couldn't be any easier to set up. Just pull it out of the box and push down to snap into place. The mattress fits and snaps snugly in the corners. The bassinet clips onto the top. The changer/napper also basically snaps on the top rails. The instruction booklet has step by step instructions if you need help. Having set one up before, I did not need it.

My previous Pack N Play had the bassinet feature, so I put a changing pad down and had been using that as a changing station. Now with this version, they have added the changer/napper. You can use this feature until the baby is 3 months old or 15 lbs. It is very convenient! I keep this downstairs and set out diapers and wipes on the bassinet, or nearby. When the baby wakes, you can just flip the napper over and use the flatter side to change. The napper is cushioned and fleecey. The changer is lined with waterproof material. Be sure to get a sheet for the bottom mattress pad, because it can feel cold without one.

It is also very easy to disassemble. Remove the mattress and pull up on the handle. You may have to fiddle with the rails to get them undone. The mattress pad wraps around the unit and velcros together. It fits nicely into the bag that comes with. The napper/changer does not fit into the bag, so you have to bring that along separately.

I like the colors on this playard. They are gender neutral and look nice in any color room of the house. The wheels make it easy to move from room to room. I have no problems or complaints about this product.

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First, I just have to say we love this thing. Yes, it's probably a huge overreaction to a fairly simple product, but that's pretty much what we love about it: it's simple. When we were first shopping for baby things (this is our first child), it seemed so overwhelming, not to mention expensive. Basinets, playpens, play yards, cribs, etc. etc. So, we narrowed down what we actually needed: a place for the baby to sleep while he was still in our room that was either cheap or something that we could use for a long time. Et voila!

A place for the baby to sleep: We used the napper as a basinet in our bedroom, which ended up being perfect; It's rated up to 3 months and a certain weight/length, and right as our boy was meeting those restrictions, we/he was ready to be in the crib.

Something we use for a long time: We took the napper off and now it's just a handy pack n' play! He's just starting to scoot a little, so we've taken this to friends' houses, outside, etc. really anywhere that isn't baby-proofed and it's perfect for hotel stays (not to be alarmist, but who knows where the pack n' play/cribs in hotel rooms come from?!?).

Isn't too expensive: There are a lot of play yards out there that are basically a nursery, complete with a vibrating napper, and a 200 sq ft organizer (sorry for the hyperbole, but *seriously* some of them get ridiculous!).... The baby already has/had a nursery, so I didn't see the point of something that involved. I ended up taking some of the baskets I bought to organize the nursery drawers, and put them in the basinet to organize diapers, wipes, clothes, etc.

A couple of very minor fyis:

-The napper cover isn't removable, so you can't just toss it in the wash. I ended up putting a waterproof liner on top of it, which I'm pretty sure I would have done anyway.

The "basinet" that Graco refers to is different than the "napper." The napper is the part that the baby cuddles into and reverses to the changing pad. The basinet is the feature that raises the bottom of the playpen it's a separate grid of poles that suspends the normal bottom of the play pen to a more reach-able level. We kept the floor in the basinet position so that the baskets of clothes, etc that I mentioned were easily accessible. At 8 months pregnant, this was fairly confusing.

The fabric on the floor of the play pen shows watermarks... pretty noticeably. But, when we are putting the baby in the actual playpen, rather than the napper, we always use a sheet anyway.

Here's the deal: I would have thought $100 was a reasonable amount to spend on something that we would use an insane amount for the first three months.... the bonus that now we have something that we can use pretty much indefinitely?? Amazing.

Bottom line: this is one of the things that I am so glad that we decided to save some money on. It has every necessary feature (the changing table was seriously a stroke of genius), is very reasonably priced, and isn't overly complicated.