There are a number of good quality and functional infant travel beds on the market. You want to make sure that you get the one that best suits your needs and the needs of your baby. Read our tips for making sure that you get the baby travel bed that works best for you…

1. Lighten the load. When you travel with your son or daughter you always have to bring lots of gear – so you’ll want to make sure that what you bring is as light as possible. Purchase an infant travel bed that weighs no more than 2 pounds – and in doing so it helps to keep your total weight as low as possible.

2. Packs down to a small size. If you are planning on travelling on an airplane or maybe thinking of a Caribbean cruise vacation, or even if it is just an overnite trip to grandma’s house you’ll want a bed that compacts to a small size when packed. There are beds on the market that are 12 inches in diameter (40 cm.) or less and they often come with their own carrying pack.

3. Effortless set up and put away process. When you arrive at your destination you’ll want to be able to set up the bed quickly, and without complications. And when you are ready to put the bed away you want to be able to put it back into its carry pack easily as well. The bed that you purchase should be easily set up by one person – and it shouldn’t take any longer than ten seconds or so to do it. When you want to put it away one person should be able to do it, again in 10 seconds or so.

4. Side panels that both protect your baby and allow easy access. The top item to consider when choosing your infant travel bed is making sure that you can easily and quickly get to your baby when you need to. Look for a bed that has side panels that both protect your baby while they are sleeping and at the same time the side panels can be opened with ease to allow for quick access to the baby.

5. Comfortable for baby. The bed that you purchase should be constructed of mesh side walls/panels that will be strong enough to keep the baby safe in their bed, and they provide a natural cross-flow of air so that when your baby is napping they will be comfortable.

6. Detachable padded liner – you want your baby to be comfortable. Make sure that the bed that you purchase has a detachable padded liner. It will help the baby to be comfortable and being detachable also makes it easy to clean.

7. Protect your investment. You’ll want to get many years of use from your infant travel bed – not just for your first child but for any future babies. Look for a bed that has at least a five year guarantee – even better look for one that has a warranty for a lifetime. It also matters who you buy it from. If you ever need to return the item you want to make sure that the store or the online store that you purchased it from will allow you to easily return it without questions.