Traveling with kids can be such a nightmare. Make it two kids and the nightmare doubles – no economies of scale here. However, there are some things that make traveling a tad easier (like valium…was that my inside voice or my outside voice?) We just returned from a family get together at the beach and borrowed a Phil & Ted’s Traveller travel cot/crib for our littlest one and I have to say, it might have been more trouble than it was worth.
I was (and am) grateful for the loaner. That said, it was a major pain in the you-know-what to put together. Luckily the men (brother, brothers in law and husband) banded forces to put the thing together and it STILL took them about a half an hour.
When finished, the Phil and Ted’s Traveller looked like a mini pack and play, only lower to the ground. It’s kinda cute, actually, and looks comfy to sleep in. And sturdy. It seems very sturdy for a travel bed. Also, it has shaded sides so the baby can see out, but it’s still nice and dark inside. Well, dark may be an overstatement, but still, darker than the room was when the lights were on. Handy for all of us being in the same room.
And now for the bad…it’s low to the ground, so stooping over with an infant was a bit back breaking. Especially in the middle of the night when the baby and I were both groggy and heavy with sleep. I tell you, I almost dropped her a few times. Then again, that could just be me.
The Phil and Ted’s Traveller cot/crib is also hot. Each time I picked up the baby, her back and neck were all sweaty. We had her on a sleep positioner that should have been enough of a shield between her little body and the plastic -ike fabric, but not so. She still was sweaty. Then again, we were at the beach and it was very, very hot. But this was at night, inside, with the air conditioning on, so she should have been comfy cozy.
It’s a total pain in the rear end to put together. I mentioned that, right? Well, I think it’s worth mentioning again considering that traveling is stressful enough…you should know what you’re in for. It’s also a large pain to break it down once you’re done with it.
That said, it’s delightfully small and portable. The Phil and Ted’s Traveller rolls up into a very compact case – much smaller and lighter than a typical pack and play.
The Traveller helped us out and I’m happy to have had it, but I don’t think I would buy it over some of the other options out there. The Phil and Ted’s Traveller costs $199.99 and is available at Amazon:
