Summer Pop ‘n Play Portable Playard

The Summer Pop ‘n Play Portable Playard provides a roomy and safe space for babies to play. With a unique hexagonal shape that stretches 4’ wide and stands 26” high, this play yard provides 14 square feet to easily accommodate more than one child.  Its quick setup and take down make it ideal for everything from a day at the park to an easy temporary play space in the backyard.

Highly portable, this play yard folds up and slips easily into a cylindrical carry bag that can be slung over your shoulder (similar to an oversized yoga mat). Lightweight and slim, it won’t add much bulk to your load, so you’ll have a much easier time fitting it into your trunk and won’t have to make an extra trip back to the car for it. Setup takes a couple minutes – literally. I timed myself putting it together at a leisurely pace. Just pull the legs apart and snap a buckle together at each of the six corners to secure the structure.  That’s it! To take it down, undo the buckles, and the structure folds back in on itself. It remains standing in its collapsed state, making it easy to just toss the bag over it, grab the handle and go.

The floor of the play yard is made of a water-resistant material, so you don’t have to worry about wet dew making its way to baby or, when used indoors, your wet baby getting to your carpet.  Note that the floor of the play yard isn’t padded, so you’ll only want to use the play yard on carpeted or otherwise padded floors when inside the house.

The mesh sides provide great visibility, though there are exposed bars that cross at each side, so if you have a particularly active child, you may want to watch that they don’t run themselves into one of them.

I love that the hexagonal shape provides so much room, as my 3 year old loves climbing in with her baby brother.  Just note that, if you’re looking for a more permanent play yard, the shape of the Pop ‘n Play doesn’t lend itself well to being tucked away in a corner.

A fantastic take-along for a day out with baby, the Pop ‘n Play Portable Playard retails for $84.99.  Learn more at www.summerinfant.com.

By Michelle Lee

Michelle enjoys reviewing the latest and greatest baby and toddler products to hit the market. With two little ones of her own, she has firsthand, in-depth experience with a wide array of juvenile products as well as ready help from her junior reviewers in testing everything from strollers to toys. Her background in User Research, Engineering and Product Design lend to an appreciation for well-designed products that are solidly constructed and created with the end consumer in mind.