It is quick to get things done when your little ones are safe and powerless in their cribs, but once they start to move on their own, that presents another challenge. Babies should enjoy their freedom in exploring the world, but sometimes it is impracticable to baby-proof the entire activity area. In this case, they also need to be confined to stay safe. Luckily, an excellent baby product checks all those boxes, a baby playpen.
Baby playpens, or play yards, serve as fantastic baby guardians while giving them the freedom to turn, toss and play. That way, babies can learn their independent play from the start.
Whether you're looking for a baby playpen for your home only or plan to use it while traveling, you'll find exactly what you're looking for in this blog. The dedicated team from Fortella explains how to choose the best and safest baby playpen and highlights the most popular ones on the market.
What to Look for When Buying a Baby Playpen
The massive market of baby playpens gives headaches to many new parents. They are lightweight, easily movable, and typically wood, metal, mesh or plastic. How to choose the best play yard for your baby? With so many choices regarding budget, style, and designs, it is easy to find this purchase a bit stressful.
However, once you know the priorities, you will know where to start.
Safety is definitely essential, and that is the first thing to look for.
Play yards also come in many sizes, so choose the one that will fit where you plan to use it. In addition, it is wise to opt for baby playpens that fold and are easy to transport and store.
Below we list the essential factors for choosing the best baby playpen.
Safety
First and foremost, a safe and quality baby playpen should meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. It should also meet the safe sleep guidelines for babies.
Kidshealth.org has published essential safety guidelines to consider, with these three being the most important:
- A playpen must have proper ventilation
- Flooring must be soft and considerably padded
- The sides must be firm and sturdy
Some baby playpens are only for sleeping, while others serve as a safe playground for your baby. Think about your baby's needs and look for appropriate solutions.
Also, if you plan to move the playpen outside, consider the material and support system. Wooden playpens are usually not designed for transport or outside use.
Size and Weight
If you're planning to travel much, you should choose a lightweight playpen that folds easily. But if it's going to be a home play yard only, opt for the one with more attachments and options that will engage your baby.
Simplicity in Use
Choose an easy-to-assemble playpen and put it apart to save time and energy you indeed need as a new parent. There are tons of choices with intelligent, quick mechanisms.
Experts' Choice of the Best Baby Playpens
With such a massive range of solutions available, getting lost is easy. Therefore, it's wise to listen to experts. The diligent Madeformums.com listed the best playpens for 0-1-year-old babies. You can check them out here.
However, if you're still unsure and need a high-quality and versatile one, we're glad to inform you that Fortella has precisely the type of baby playpen highlighted on the list.
This Baby Playpen Is Large, Durable, and Stylish
The Cloud Castle foldable playpen by Fortella is safe and certified by CPSIA and ASTM standards to ensure your baby's safety. Moreover, the material is food-grade, non-toxic, and without odors.
And although Cloud Castle doesn’t come with padding, you can use it with another fantastic Fortella product. This baby yard goes excellent with our foldable baby play mat.
Rated as the most educational playpen by experts from Amazon, the Cloud Castle comes with the following features that make it stand out:
- spacious and suitable for all floor types
- foldable, portable, and easy to transport and storage
- sturdy and secure due to 14 robust hinge connectors and anti-slip pads
- includes a gate with a safety lock to keep the baby inside
- includes a whiteboard that fosters creativity
- fun and educational with five sensory toys on the walls (dial phone, abacus, rotating gears, sound buttons, reelers)
- pre-assembled out of the box
- backed by Fortella FREE 2-year warranty
The Bottom Line
You've already done the most critical part - research. Now it's time to choose the best baby playpen for your and your baby's needs. There is only one top priority, and that's safety. So never compromise on it by purchasing low quality and cheap play yard.
3 comments
Fortella - Reply to Chelsea
Thank you so much for asking!
To answer your question, we will start with the material of our playpen – HDPE or High-Density Polyethylene plastic. It is a type of Polyethylene, world’s most widely used plastic that has been extensively reviewed to be found non-hazardous.
All Fortella products including the Cloud Castle playpen are tested to the U.S. children’s product safety standards of CPSIA and ASTM. The certifications and test documents are easily accessible under product descriptions.
For plastic products, the applicable safety concerns are Phthalates, heavy metals, and lead, which are not detected in the Fortella playpen.
For other endocrine disrupters you mentioned:
- Formaldehyde is not involved in the manufacturing of HDPE plastic. It is a concern for wooden products that contain glues.
- Parabens, Propylene and DEA are ingredients used for food and cosmetics as preservatives or moisturizer. They are not applicable for plastic products.
- Dichlorobenzene is a compound used in dyes. Plastic products are colored with masterbatches instead of dyes. Therefore Dichlorobenzene is also not applicable for Fortella playpen.
We hope you find this answer helpful. If you have any other concerns or questions, please always feel free to leave a comment or reach out to us at service@fortellababy.com.
Thank you so much for asking!
To answer your question, we will start with the material of our playpen – HDPE or High-Density Polyethylene plastic. It is a type of Polyethylene, world’s most widely used plastic that has been extensively reviewed to be found non-hazardous.
All Fortella products including the Cloud Castle playpen are tested to the U.S. children’s product safety standards of CPSIA and ASTM. The certifications and test documents are easily accessible under product descriptions.
For plastic products, the applicable safety concerns are Phthalates, heavy metals, and lead, which are not detected in the Fortella playpen.
For other endocrine disrupters you mentioned:
- Formaldehyde is not involved in the manufacturing of HDPE plastic. It is a concern for wooden products that contain glues.
- Parabens, Propylene and DEA are ingredients used for food and cosmetics as preservatives or moisturizer. They are not applicable for plastic products.
- Dichlorobenzene is a compound used in dyes. Plastic products are colored with masterbatches instead of dyes. Therefore Dichlorobenzene is also not applicable for Fortella playpen.
We hope you find this answer helpful. If you have any other concerns or questions, please always feel free to leave a comment or reach out to us at service@fortellababy.com.
Roo
interested in a response to Chelsea’s question from 1/4/23 “What about the safety of the materials? Can you guarantee they are free of Phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, Propylene, DEA, Dichlorobenzene, or any other endocrine disrupters that can be harmful to children?”
interested in a response to Chelsea’s question from 1/4/23 “What about the safety of the materials? Can you guarantee they are free of Phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, Propylene, DEA, Dichlorobenzene, or any other endocrine disrupters that can be harmful to children?”
Chelsea
What about the safety of the materials? Can you guarantee they are free of Phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, Propylene, DEA, Dichlorobenzene, or any other endocrine disrupters that can be harmful to children?
What about the safety of the materials? Can you guarantee they are free of Phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, Propylene, DEA, Dichlorobenzene, or any other endocrine disrupters that can be harmful to children?