• Playpens provide a safe space for babies and toddlers to play, rest, or roll around without the need for the full attention of a caregiver.
  • A good playpen sets up quickly just about anywhere and packs down small for transport and storage.
  • The Regalo My Play Portable Playard is our top pick because its setup requires mere seconds and it packs down small enough to come with you across town in your car.

Playpens, also known as play yards and not to be confused with pack ‘n’ plays, provide a child with a few square feet of space that can be guaranteed free of choking and falling hazards, electrical outlets, unstable furniture or decor items, and all the other common household items that can be difficult to babyproof.

When choosing the best play yard for your family, consider first where you will use it the most. If the answer is your own home, then you don’t have to worry as much about weight or how small it can pack down, so a play yard made with large panels might be a great choice. If you’ll regularly bring the playpen to playdates, a daycare center, or to a relative’s house, one that is not comprised of multiple pieces is a better pick.

For a playpen that can also be enjoyed outdoors, make sure the materials of any option you consider can handle exposure to the elements. Also, make sure you consider the people who will be using the playpen, meaning both kids and adults. If you choose a play yard that’s too small for the kids to enjoy, it won’t serve its purpose. Or if you get one that’s too heavy or cumbersome for the adult who has to move it around, set it up, and take it down, it will lead to more frustration than convenience.

Here are the best playpens you can buy:

Prices and links are current as of 3/18/2020.

The best playpen overall

The Regalo My Play Portable Playard sets up in about 10 seconds, packs down that fast, and is light enough to be carried around the house.

The Regalo My Play Portable Playard has become a fixture in our home, deployed during dinnertime meal prep, when we’re cleaning up after a meal, when we put away groceries or fold laundry, or generally any other time when my wife and I aren’t able to give our baby full attention while also completing some necessary task. As our 6-month-old is often on the move and a fan of putting anything she can find into her mouth, for us this playpen isn’t just a matter of convenience, it’s a matter of safety.

But convenience is the main selling point here, actually. The My Play Portable Playard weighs less than 14 pounds and collapses into a tube shape that's small enough to lean behind a door, tuck into any closet, slide under a bed, or toss in the trunk of a car. With practice, that collapsing process takes mere seconds and can be completed with one hand.

So, too, does the setup take but a moment, a single hand, and occasionally an assist from a foot to lock the tubular steel frame open. The walls of the playpen are made from a fine, nearly see-through mesh, while the floor is a smooth and durable nylon that wipes clean with ease.

Add a fair price tag, and you've got one fine playpen, parents.

Pros: Easy setup and breakdown, lightweight and portable, good price

Cons: Mesh walls prone to tearing

The best playpen with a gate

Foto: Source: North States

The North States Superyard Ultimate makes it easy to place a child into its safe confines thanks to a gate eliminating the need for leaning over the side.

I'm 6-foot-2, in my mid-30s, and in good shape, thank you very much. I don't say that fishing for compliments, I say it because for me, lifting a baby into or out of a playpen isn't that big of a deal. However, I have every intention of someday being a grampa, and I know that with a few more decades added on, bending over the wall of a play yard while holding a couple dozen pounds of kid won't be that much fun.

For anyone who wants the safety offered by a playpen but doesn't want to have to lean over the side to get a kid in or out, the North States Superyard Ultimate is a great choice. Its wide gate makes it easy to step into the playpen to put a child down, pick them up, or hand over a toy or book. The playpen is made from panels of durable plastic that can withstand years of bumps and kicks, spills and spit-ups, and that are safe for use indoors or out.

When setting up on a hard surface like a wooden floor, be sure to have the included non-slip pads. And if you need a safe play space larger than the 18.5 square feet the six-panel playpen creates, it can be expanded with additional panels that are sold separately.

Pros: Gate for easy access, nonslip pads come included, suitable for outdoor use

Cons: Bulky when folded down

The best compact playpen

Foto: Source: Delta Children

The Delta Children Portable Playard is large enough for a baby or toddler to stretch out in during a nap or romp around in during play, yet it takes up just 9 square feet of floor space.

There's something unique about the Delta Children Portable Playard. It's not the fact that it folds down small, though that's a plus. And it's not the included mattress pad that protects a baby against bumps when they topple over and creates a cozy spot for naps, as welcome as the pad is. It's actually the shape that's so impressive.

Most playpens on the market today are hexagonal or even octagonal in shape, which is great when you have a spacious room or you're setting up the play yard outdoors. But for use in smaller spaces, those obtuse angles take up lots of space, making walking around the playpen a hassle if it can even fit into your living area at all. The square shape of the Delta Children Portable Playard allows it to be tucked into a corner or slid right up against a wall, couch, or other flat surface.

And yet within the 3-foot by 3-foot play yard, there's still plenty of space for a baby or younger toddler to play or to lie down and stretch out for a nap. It's rated as suitable for use by kids weighing less than 30 pounds and standing less than 35 inches tall.

And when not in use, the Delta Children Portable Playard packs down small enough to be stored in a closet, under a bed, or placed in the trunk for childcare on the go. Note that at nearly 30 pounds, it's pretty heavy and might be difficult for some people to move around, especially up or down stairs.

Pros: Square shape saves space, easy to set up and fold down, comes with soft mattress pad

Cons: Rather heavy

The best expandable playpen

Foto: Source: Evenflo

The Evenflo Versatile Play Space's 18.5-square-foot play area can be expanded with additional panels to make a much larger play space.

For many families, an 18.5 square foot playpen is much too large to tuck into a living room or kitchen. For some households, the 18.5 square foot space created by the Evenflo Versatile Play Space is ideal. Still, for others, that might not be enough room.

The good news is that, as its name suggests, this play yard is highly versatile. With panels removed, it can be made into a smaller playpen, while with panels added (you'll have to buy them separately), it can create a much larger safe space for play.

And said safe space can be indoors or outside. Each panel features stakes for secure use outdoors on soil and anti-movement, non-scratch pads for use on hardwood flooring inside.

Pros: Expandable, large or small, decent price, easy to use

Cons: Some say it isn't sturdy or good for older babies who can climb it like a ladder

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Foto: Source: Dr. Brown

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