Lightweight Travel Cribs - Review of the Kidco Peapod

When the Kidco Inc. PeaPod Plus P203 arrived I was shocked at how small the box was- and when I took it out of the box I was even more surprised. This is a tiny little travel bed when it’s in its case! The bed comes with the warning to open it carefully- and they weren’t kidding. Set-up is nothing at all, you just take off the holding strap and the tent pops up into shape!

Sleeping Happily in the PeaPod Tent

Pros:

• Good for use for birth through age 6
• Can be used outdoor (provides UV protection)
• Door can be closed with or without the screen or folded up for easy access
• Very lightweight
• Folds up to a very small size, so easy to store and travel with
• Easy to set up and take down
• Throw a dark sheet over and easily create a "dark room"
• Sells for ~$85-100, so is an affordable option

Cons:

• Can be knocked over from inside or outside
• Air mattress requires inflating on this model

This particular version of the PeaPod has an inflatable mattress that needs to be blown up.  That probably took me less than a minute- it’s not a full-sized mattress and isn’t super-thick, so doesn’t require too much effort to blow up. The mattress slips into a special pocket underneath the tent, so it’s totally separate from where your child is sleeping.  On our most recent trip we set up the bed on a Monday afternoon and took it down on Friday morning. We did not need to reinflate the mattress at any point and didn’t notice any loss of air.

This bed really looks like a tent and has all the features that you would expect in a tent. The main door has both a screen and an actual door flap- you can close one or both or leave them fastened up at the top. I thought that this door was well sized- there was plenty of space for my son, and even my husband and I to climb in and out! There are also little windows, so you can look in to see your child without opening up the door and disturbing them.

We thought this bed was easy to set up, easy to move around and generally easy to use.  I was initially concerned about the lack of sheet- since the mattress is totally separate, there’s no way to put a sheet on the bed.  My son didn’t seem to mind at all though and slept just fine. Some reviewers have noted that the bed part of the tent is a little loud, since there’s no sheet, but this wasn’t something that we noticed at all. The lack of sheet wouldn’t be an issue for older kids, just put down a sleeping bag or blanket and pillow and you’re all set!

Folding up the tent requires the instructions the first couple of times, but after that you will catch on about what to push on and how to fold it.  Once you get the hang of it, taking down this tent and putting it back in the bag is a breeze.  Unfolded this bed is 52.5” L x 34” W x 25”H.  In the bag it’s 19”L x 19” H x 6.5” W.  When I was getting ready to take pictures for this review, I had to search through all our closets to find where we’d stashed it- it folds away so nicely in a really small space!  It only weighs 6.75 pounds, so is easy to take along on travel and move around. 

Another handy feature is that, if your child likes a darker sleep environment, you could easily place a blanket or sheet over the open panels to make the tent dark. And, for more traveling ease, if you are going to be going some place where you will be using this bed on a soft surface, such as thick carpeting,  you could use it easily without the mattress. This would mean an even lighter bag to take along with you! Also, this bed folds up so small that it could easily fit in your suitcase or be carried on a plane.   Really versatile for travel! 

Even though we didn’t use the tent outside ourselves, I like that it could be used for that purpose and that the screened panels would keep out bugs. All the enjoyment of the outdoors without the annoyance!

Comment:
No sheet can be used directly on the mattress. I thought I disliked this at first, but then my son didn’t care at all, and I like the idea of not having to wash a sheet. The surface is easily wiped off if anything gets on it.

Bottomline:

This is an affordable option that will grow with your child and that is useable in a variety of situations.  An especially good choice if your child is too old for a traditional travel.

Related:

• Comparison of the Best Lightweight Travel Cribs
• Lightweight Travel Cribs: Review of the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light
• Lightweight Travel Cribs: Review of the Phil and Ted Traveller
• Which Baby Carrier Should I Bring on Vacation?
• Review of the Safety First Complete Air Side Impact Protection Car Seat
• Best Car Seat Travel Tray for Kids

*These complimentary products were received from the manufacturer to be reviewed by Trekaroo. I received no other compensation, and was not required to express any particular point of view.