A portable crib can be folded down, put in a bag and carried or wheeled with you from place to place. They are generally used for travelling with your baby, days out at the beach or the park or sleepovers with family and friends.

Technically speaking, Pack ‘n Plays or playards are ‘portable’ as they too can be folded down, stored in a bag and re-erected. However their ‘portability’ is not their strong suit. They are heavy, time-consuming to erect and dis-assemble and often cumbersome to transport.

The best portable cribs

The best portable travel cribs should score top marks in the following areas:
1. Lightness. The lighter the better.
2. Ease of erection and disassembly. The faster the better.
3. Compact fold-away size. For air travel where you pay for extra luggage this is critical.
4. Ease of transport Caster wheels, strong handles, shoulder straps etc.

Some portable cribs, like the Phil & Ted’s Traveller are tent-style cots. They are constructed like a traditional camping tent with poles, often springloaded, that slot together to form the frame that the canvas hangs on.

There are also pop up cribs, so called as they literally ‘pop up’ when taken out of the bag. That is their key attraction for parents – they are quick and easy to assemble. We have reviewed the Samsonite bubble

And also the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light 2.

Read our reviews of the best portable cribs:

Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light 2
Phil & Ted’s Traveller
Samsonite bubble