Lotus Baby Travel Crib - review
Is this the safest travel crib for baby jet setters?
Are you looking for a super lightweight travel crib with loads of safety features for your next overseas adventure?
While there are a number of travel cribs on the market that are highly recommended by moms, the Lotus Travel Crib by Guava Family ticks all the boxes for me for a number of reasons.
It is certainly lightweight at just 11 lbs, it is easy to set up and fold down, it comes in a handy backpack style carry bag and I love the all mesh sides that zip right down to the mattress for full air flow.
You can learn more about the Lotus Travel Crib and other recommended travel cribs in this lens.
Why Is The Lotus Crib So Popular?
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While I was particularly looking for a travel crib for overseas travel, this travel crib is also a great choice for simply visiting friends and family or taking baby on their first camping holiday.
The Guava Family describe their Lotus Crib as an EVERYWHERE crib!
What parents love about the Lotus Travel Crib
- Lightweight at 11 lbs, it suits babies 0 to 3 years.
- Easy to set up in 1 minute or less.
- Very sturdy with folding metal legs
- The longer, narrower shape means it can fit tall babies or toddlers for longer
- The backpack carry bag is great for hands free transport around airports
- Can be used as a plane carry on
- The narrow footprint means it fits in the smallest hotel rooms
- Full mesh zip down sides
- The travel crib doubles as a play house and babies can crawl in an out to play with their toys
Lotus Crib - Full Mesh Sides For Safety
Unlike most other popular travel cribs the Lotus Travel Crib has full mesh sides that go all the way down to the mattress without a fabric or vinyl edge around the bottom.
This creates a more safe "breathable" sleeping environment and you can also see your baby at all times, even when the sides are zipped up.
After the safety recall of the Kidco Peapod travel crib tent in 2012 there has been some concern about the safety design of some travel cribs for small babies. The Peapod travel tent is a smaller, more compact model than the Lotus Crib and it has since been re-designed. The problem with the original model was that infants could roll off the edge of the inflatable mattress and become trapped between the mattress and the fabric sides of the tent. Airflow was then severely restricted.
The Lotus Travel Crib has full mesh sides that zip right down to the floor so air flow is never restricted. This also means you can tuck baby back in at night more easily, without waking him up after feeding (although this does require some bending down!). You can even nurse your baby to sleep while lying in the crib or read a book to your toddler before zipping them in for the night.
I notice that Phil & Ted's have recently released a Traveller Crib that also has full mesh sides. This travel crib is safety certified and packs up into a small zippered bag. It weighs only 7 lbs so it is also a good option for travellers.
Buy the Lotus Crib at Amazon
Lotus Crib Backpack
The Lotus Travel Crib comes with it's own backpack which makes it more portable and there are no separate bars or poles when you set it up. The straps are hidden in a pocket on the back of the bag and you can take them out and clip them on to turn it into a backpack.
The backpack meets the requirements of a "carry-on" when flying with the bag measuring just 24" x 11". If you have a stop-over with a wait between flights you could even set the crib up - right there in the airport terminal!
It easily packs into a larger suitcase too if you don't want to use it as a carry on.
The portability makes it easy to take the Lotus Crib anywhere - to Grandma' houses, out to dinner at a friends house, to the park and even to the beach!
How To Set Up The Lotus Travel Crib
Lotus Travel Crib FAQ's
Does the Lotus Crib come with any accessories?
The Lotus Travel Crib comes with a mattress, a backpack style bag (the convertible backpack straps are included) and an instruction manual.
Does the Lotus Crib come with sheets?
No. The Lotus Travel Crib does not come with sheets.
These need to be purchased separately. While it is possible to wrap other cot sheets around the mattress, the Lotus Crib Fitted Sheets are designed to fit the mattress snugly. You can buy Lotus cotton sheets or Lotus plush quilted sheets (recommended for babies 12 months and older) which have special velcro tabs to attach the sheet to the mattress.
Some parents have found that fitting the sheet to the mattress is a bit fiddly because you have to velcro it all around, however, you get quicker with practice!
Why is the Lotus Crib mattress so thin?
Many parents are concerned that the mattress seems a bit thin but this is apparently due to safety standards and generally moms have found that the mattress is quite comfortable for baby and they sleep on it just fine.
What materials is the Lotus Crib made of?
The Lotus crib is made from high quality, durable fabrics that are safe and non-toxic.
The crib does not contain PVC, Phthalates, PBE or PBDE Flame Retardants.These compounds can sometimes be used to soften plastics or they can act as a flame retardant. They are believed to be toxic to humans and can affect the nervous system.The Lotus Crib is designed to conform to ASTM F406-11b (the Standard Consumer Safety Specification for non-full-size baby cribs and play yards).
The mattress has a vinyl look and is very easy to wipe off and clean. It does not have a wooden support because it rests on the floor. This means there is no weight limit and the playard will last longer than those that have a 30 lb limit.
The crib cover can easily be removed and thrown in the wash which is handy if you have been an a dusty camping adventure! The legs are made from aircraft aluminum so they are very strong but without the heavy weight. The black mesh sides are made from fully breathable "Clearview" mesh fabric.
For more information about the Lotus Travel Crib and tips for travelling with baby visit my blog at Travels With Baby.org,
