Get the Best Infant Travel Bed - Seven Things to Look For

If you have a child under nine months of age buying an infant travel bed will likely be a good investment for you. There are many good ones on the market - here are our seven tips for getting the right one for your family.

1. Lightweight - make sure that the bed is light enough to carry. When you are travelling with your baby think about strategies to keep your load light. One way to do this is to buy a travel bed that is light. It should certainly weigh less than 2 pounds or under 800 grams. The lighter the better.

2. Small - You may be packing the bed to take with you on a plane or a cruise ship or just loading into your car with all the other baby gear. Look for one that is small when packed away. Good beds will be under 40 centimetres or 12 inches in diameter, and should also come with its own carry case.

3. Effortless set up and put away process. When you arrive at your destination you'll want to be able to set up the bed quickly, and without complications. And when you are ready to put the bed away you want to be able to put it back into its carry pack easily as well. The bed that you purchase should be easily set up by one person - and it shouldn't take any longer than ten seconds or so to do it. When you want to put it away one person should be able to do it, again in 10 seconds or so.

4. Easy access to the baby - being able to reach in to pick up your baby with ease should be a prime consideration when purchasing a portable bed. Look for beds with side panels that provide protection for baby and can be easily opened for quick access to the baby.

5. Good air flow. Look for a bed that is designed for naturally good air flow. Beds that have sturdy mesh side walls will keep your baby in the bed but also will provide a nice air flow through the bed keeping your baby cool and comfortable while they sleep.

6. Bed liner. The liner in your bed should be padded so that your baby will be comfortable when in the bed. There will be times when you'll need to be able to clean the liner and that may needed to be done when you are traveling. For easy cleaning make sure that the liner is easily removed.

7. Warranty - look for quality. The best beds come with a lifetime warranty. And make sure that the retailer or that your on-line store has a really good return policy in case you purchase an item and it turns out to be not the right item for you and your family.

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