Getting babies and toddlers to sleep while away from home can sometimes be tricky. The smell of the room or bed sheets, the feel of the mattress and a new routine/schedule can affect sleep – that’s why we often pack our kids’ bed sheets or a portable crib or bed.
Bringing your own bed from home makes the transition to a new environment easier for little ones.
If you are looking for affordable travel beds for babies and toddlers, here are a few of our family’s favorites. We currently own a few of them, some we’ve borrowed from friends and others we’ve rented while on vacation.
All 6 get high marks for portability and price – we can’t recommend them enough.
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Travel Cribs and Bassinets Under $100 for Babies and Infants
SwaddleMe By Your Side Sleeper
The SwaddleMe By Your Side Sleeper is a foldable co-sleeper/bassinet weighing 6 pounds – great for hotel rooms and nap time at Grandma’s house.
Mesh sides provide good air circulation and allows parents to see their baby easily.
The metal bar frame keeps this bassinet in place and the included mattress pad and fitted sheet make this a wallet-friendly travel bed for babies.
Overall dimensions are 14.5 x 32 x 11 inches and SwaddleMe’s age recommendations are from birth to until baby begins to push up or roll over.
The SwaddleMe By Your Side Sleeper is a good option for moms that had C-sections. Both our kids used it for 3 to 4 months.
Graco Pack ‘n Play Change ‘N Carry Playard
For parents looking for the traditional playard, Graco makes simple and affordable ones that work well for travel.
We have used Graco’s playards on cruises (Disney Cruise Line has them available for guests to use in their stateroom) as well as on road trips.
The push-button fold makes setup and storage super quick.
This playard measures 39.5 x 28.2 x 29 inches, weighs just under 20 pounds and is suitable for kids less than 35 inches tall.
Outside of travel, we had our playard permanently set up in a room connected to our kitchen until our kids started walking so they would have somewhere safe to play while my husband and I prepped dinner.
Brica Fold N’ Go Travel Bassinet
The Brica Fold N’ Go Travel Bassinet is the lightest portable crib on our list of travel beds for babies – weighing in at 2.5 pounds!
Like the SwaddleMe Side Sleeper, this travel bassinet features mesh sides, foldable metal frame and comes with a mattress pad and fitted sheet. It folds flat and is small enough to pack into most suitcases.
Overall dimensions are 30 x 18.5 x 10 inches and this bassinet can be used from birth to 3 months, 15 pounds or until baby begins to push up or roll over (whichever comes first).
KidCo Peapod Infant Travel Bed
The KidCo Peapod Infant Travel Bed combines the best features of bassinets and playards into one kid-friendly travel bed. The lightweight polyester and mesh sides makes the crib easy to travel with (it weighs 2.5 lbs) and quick to set up.
It provides UV protection and comes with anchor straps which allows for outdoor use. A large zipper panel allows kids to easily get in and out.
The KidCo Peapod Infant Travel Bed measures 14.7 x 4 x 15.1 inches and comes with its own storage bag – perfect for storing in a large suitcase.
Road trips, camping, using it in the backyard or park during warmer months or as an enclosed play space at home is what this crib is best suited for. This portable crib is recommended for kids 1 to 3 years old.
Travel Beds Under $100 for Toddlers and Kids
Regalo My Cot Portable Toddler Bed, Includes Fitted Sheet and Travel Case
Perfect for indoor and outdoor use, the Regalo Cot is our current favorite. It also happens to be a very affordable travel bed for toddlers.
The steel frame and canvas liner makes it very sturdy and lightweight – weighing approximately 6 pounds.
This travel cot is easy to set up and is compact enough to pack in your suitcase and is perfect for the beach, the cottage, hotel room or cruise ship cabin (which is where we recently used it – set up between the sofa and the desk).
The Regalo My Cot Portable bed measures 48 inches long, 26 inches wide, and 7 inches high. It is recommended for kids 2 to 5 years old weighing less than 75 pounds and less than 52 inches tall.
The Shrunks Toddler Travel Bed Portable Inflatable Air Mattress Bed for Travel
If you’re looking for a travel bed to get you through the toddler and elementary school years, then consider The Shrunks Indoor Travel Bed.
Available in toddler and twin sizes, this inflatable mattress can be set up in less than 30 seconds and fits all standard crib and twin sized bed sheets.
It weighs just over 6 pounds and is recommended for kids 2 years and older and has a maximum weight capacity of 150 pounds. This bed can also double as a transitional piece for children making the move from crib to regular bed.
Thank you for putting together this list! We are considering purchasing a travel type bed for our preschooler (and then could be used by the baby when she’s older) as it would make that transition from crib to bed when we are away from home much easier. Also great to have in a pinch for when we are guests at friends/family’s houses. You have some great options here!