We rigorously tested 13 pack and plays in our Verywell Testing Lab in New York City, with a clear winner emerging as our overall favorite: the 4moms Breeze Plus Portable Playard. Following the lab test, one of our testers took the 4moms Breeze Plus out for real-world testing. Over the course of six months, she used it at her in-laws’ house for her daughter to sleep in when visiting the grandparents. Keep reading for all of the details on how this playard performed in the lab and during thorough long-term testing.
Who It’s For
This pack and play is for families who want a convenient, easy-to-use, and safe place for their little one to sleep in—and get their diaper changed in—while away from home. Ideal for travelers, it’s also convenient for stowing at a relative’s house for frequent visits.
Design and Features
According to our lab testers, the 4moms Breeze Plus’ sophisticated, intentional design makes it stand out from the pack. Each feature enhances the user experience without overloading the playard with unnecessary elements. With a changer attachment, the pack and play doubles as a changing table, so you can comfortably change your baby’s diapers and clothing without needing to kneel on the floor or rent an additional piece of gear. The changing station “flips over to the side [of the pack and play], which is very convenient,” a lab tester noted, adding that it saves both time and space. In addition to the changer, which can be used for little ones up to 25 pounds, the 4mom Breeze Plus comes with a bassinet attachment for newborns up to 18 pounds. Other small but thoughtful features include the two extra legs in the center of the pack and play, which provide additional stability for squirmy sleepers. Testers also appreciated that pieces of the adjustable mattress can be unzipped and rearranged to make a mattress for the bassinet attachment, allowing for multiple configurations without taking up additional storage space. “The mattress is nice and soft, and it wraps around the pack and play, so you can slip it into the storage bag,” a lab tester said.
Compactness and Folding
In our lab test, the 4moms Breeze Plus was one of the easiest large playards to assemble, collapse, and fold up for travel or storage. Simply press down on the 4moms logo in the middle of the playard to expand it, then, to collapse, pull up on the attached strap in the same spot. And you can do both of these one-handed! At 43 x 30 x 29 inches, it’s a larger pack and play, so it still takes up a good amount of space when folded. That tradeoff is probably worth the ample space it provides for growing kids. Plus, our real-world tester had no problem fitting the playard into a closet and the car trunk.
Assembly
Setting up this playard is a little time-consuming but quite straightforward. It took our testers about 10 minutes to fully assemble this care station, due to the additional attachments that needed to be placed just right to be secure and safe. However, despite the assembly time, it was simple and intuitive to put together.
Portability and Maneuverability
Despite its weight (28.5 pounds with the attachments), the 4moms Breeze Plus Portable Playard was, indeed, portable. As part of the lab test, testers pulled the pack and play across a linoleum floor and shag rug to assess how easy it would be to move. Thanks to the stacked wheels, it maneuvered smoothly across both surfaces without getting stuck, and it was easy to carry across our testing space, suggesting that moving it between rooms and taking it out of storage would be no problem. Included with the care station is a zippered travel bag, which has a carrying strap for transporting it into the hotel, car, grandparents’ house, or whatever your destination may be.
Care
Kids can get messy, so we appreciated how easy the playard was to clean. Though none of its parts are machine washable, spot cleaning was effective. In the lab, we asked testers to intentionally spill applesauce on it to see how easily it could be wiped off. Testers were impressed that the mess wiped right off, especially given the material’s dark black color.
How We Tested
First, we tested the 4moms Breeze Plus in our lab in New York City alongside 12 other models, evaluating it on characteristics like ease of assembly, size/compactness, design and special features, portability/maneuverability, and durability. Our lab testers put the Breeze Plus together and took it back down, examined its features, dragged it across several types of flooring, fit it into its included travel bag, and purposely spilled applesauce on it. The Breeze Plus was declared the winner at the end of the test. Next, a real-world tester used the 4moms pack and play at home and on the go with her own child over the course of six months. “It’s extremely intuitive [to use], incredibly easy to set up, and our baby really sleeps ‘like a baby’ in it,” she said. Her family primarily uses the playard at a relative’s house. It fit well in their trunk when transporting it, and they store it in the closet when not in use.
Price: Worth It for Families on the Go
Retailing for $300, the 4moms Breeze Plus Portable Playard is an investment, but it’s a worthwhile one for families that travel frequently. For families who are on a tight budget or do not travel frequently, there may be better-suited options out there, but this is the gold standard of a durable, high-quality playard. Per a tester, it’s “well worth the cost and has everything parents need in a pack and play.” Plus, with the bassinet attachment, diaper changer, and travel bag included, the Breeze Plus is a better deal than it might sound like at first. These accessories could cost up to a few hundred dollars if purchased separately, and may not be compatible with standard playards, anyway.
The Competition
Different families may be looking for different things from their playards. Factoring in various budgets, traveling habits, and available space, we also tested a number of other pack and plays with similar yet distinct features from the Breeze Plus. Graco Pack ‘n Play Portable Playard: For those looking for a budget-friendly option, the Graco Pack ‘n Play is a no-frills choice that provides a safe space for your baby to sleep without breaking the bank. At $70, it’s over $200 less than the 4moms playard, making it great for infrequent travelers, too. Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib: Weighing just 11 pounds, the Guava Family Lotus was our pick for Best Compact in our travel crib test, making it ideal for when space is at a premium. However, our real-world tester reported that she prefers the 4moms Breeze Plus to her Guava Family Lotus despite its larger footprint, noting that the 4moms model has “by far an easier setup” and is only $20 more. Bugaboo Stardust Playard: If saving space is a priority, the Bugaboo Stardust is a compact, lightweight pack and play. At $339, it is a bit pricier than the 4moms Breeze Plus, but if space is at a premium, testers found it worth it for the smaller footprint. (They were even able to slide it under a couch for out-of-the-way storage.) The Stardust’s easy collapsing process and sophisticated look are also pluses.
