10 Best Playpens [Tested and Reviewed]

This playpen by Yoleo is made of plastic and has 14 panels that can be rearranged to change the size and shape of the pen. It doesn’t take much effort to set up right out of the box, so it’s quick and easy. In addition, you don’t have to take it apart because it’s foldable, making it perfect for people who want to store their playpen when they aren’t using it. The panels are a little short at just under 24 and a half inches, so children around three years old may be able to climb out on their own. However, this shouldn’t be a problem for children up to around two years old, which is the main target age for playpens.

As far as stability is concerned, it has numerous grips on the bottom surface and hardly moved when we rolled a 22-pound medicine ball into it for our test. On top of that, the gaps in the walls are a bit narrow, but all the panels have spaces in them, so it’s easy to see inside even from a distance. It has a door over the entrance that can be locked, unlocked, opened, and closed with one hand while standing, so it’s easy to get in and out of while holding your child. In addition, the lock is on the outside of the pen, so you don’t need to worry about your child opening it.

It also has an abundance of toys to keep your child entertained, which is great for children who don’t like to be separated from their parents. This product excels in safety and ease of entry, while also being easy to assemble and store, so if you’re having trouble deciding on a playpen, this is our recommended choice.

The Foldable Baby Playpen is a plastic product that allows you to change the size and shape by adding or subtracting panels. It’s quick and easy to assemble, as there are only a few simple steps. In addition, you can fold it up without taking it apart, so it’s great for people who want to store it while it’s not in use or don’t have a lot of storage space. 

On the flip side, the walls are only 24 inches tall, which is a bit on the short side and might not be enough to keep children around three years old from climbing out. That being said, you shouldn’t have to worry about this if your child is around two, which is the main age for these products. We found this product to be very stable, as it didn’t move much when hit with a medicine ball in our test, thanks to the plethora of grips between the bottom surface and the floor.

All the panels have gaps in them, although they’re a bit small. But you can see inside with ease, even if you’re a little far away from the playpen. The door helps you get in and out smoothly, but you need two hands to operate the lock and open and close the door, so it’s hard to get in and out while holding your child. On the plus side, it has a lot of features to keep your child entertained, including buttons that make noises when pressed and a whiteboard. This product is easy to assemble and stow and helps keep your child entertained, so it’s an excellent option for children who don’t like to be away from their parents.

This is a plastic playpen that can be set up in different shapes and sizes by rearranging the panels, so you can easily adapt it to the room you’re using it in. Assembly only requires a few simple steps, so it’s a very smooth process. If you want to stow it away when you’re not using it or don’t have a lot of space for storage, this is a good choice because you can fold it up without taking it apart.

On the other hand, the 24-inch panels aren’t quite tall enough to keep a child around three years old from climbing out. However, it should be fine for children up to around two years old, which is the age range when you’d be using it for the most part. It’s also very stable, as it has a number of grips on the bottom surface, and we didn’t observe much movement when we tested it against the impact of a 22-pound medicine ball.

Despite being a bit small, there are gaps on every panel, so you can check on your child inside without being right next to it. It’s easy to get in and out of thanks to the door, but you need both hands to work the lock and open and close it, so it’s unfortunately hard to do without putting down your child. It has two different toys to keep your child entertained, which is a plus. Thanks to its hassle-free assembly and storage, it’s great for people who only want to use it occasionally and put it away when they aren’t.

The Cloud Castle by Fortella Baby is a plastic playpen that lets you adjust the size and shape by rearranging the panels, making it easy to adapt it to the room. It’s quick and easy to set up, as there aren’t many steps and it’s simple to assemble. It’s also foldable, so you can store it away when you’re not using it. If you want to put it away when it’s not in use or only want to use it occasionally, this might be a good choice. The walls are a little shorter than others at under 24 and a half inches, so children around three may be able to get over them on their own. However, playpens are mostly used for children up to around two years of age, and they shouldn’t be able to get out.

Unfortunately, the grips on the bottom are somewhat weak, so it slid around a bit when we tested it. When your child gets to a more active age, you’ll need to make sure they don’t smack into the sides or shake it. It’s relatively easy to see inside as every panel has slits, even if they are a little narrow, so you can check on your child from a distance.

Getting in and out is very smooth because it has a door, but you need two hands to use the door and lock, so it’s hard to enter and exit the playpen while carrying your child. On the plus side, it has plenty of features to help keep your child entertained, which helps if your child doesn’t like being in a playpen.

The Foldable Playpen for Babies and Toddlers by Dripex is made of plastic and has stars and moons on the panels. There are a lot of parts to put together during assembly, but the process itself is relatively easy to carry out, so it doesn’t feel like a hassle. However, the 24-inch panels are a bit on the short side, so children around three years old may be able to climb over them on their own. 

Furthermore, despite having grips between the bottom and the floor, they lack strength and don’t prevent the unit from sliding. You have to keep an eye on your child when they start getting more active. Additionally, two of the 14 panels have no gaps, while the rest have very few, so it’s hard to see inside. That being said, there’s a door that can be opened and closed and a lock that can be operated with a single hand without crouching down, so you can get in and out while carrying your child. The lock is on the outside of the playpen, so you don’t have to worry about it being opened from within.

This eight-panel playpen by North States makes use of latticework walls. The weather-resistant panels can be washed with water and neutral detergents, so this product claims to be suitable for outdoor environments. It doesn’t take many steps to set up, so it’s rather easy to assemble. This is a good choice for people who want to store it when they aren’t using it.

The walls are fairly tall at 26 inches, so you shouldn’t have to worry about a two-year-old getting over them. However, it didn’t perform well when it came to stability against sliding, as a medicine ball rolled at it knocked it around quite a bit. Once your child reaches a more rowdy age, you’ll have to be careful.

The latticework walls have a lot of openings, so it’s easy to see inside even from far away. It also has a door, which only takes one hand to open, close, lock, and unlock, all of which can be done standing, so you won’t have to put your child down to do it. However, the lock is difficult for a child to operate, so you don’t have to worry about them opening the door.

The Pop 'n' Go Playpen by the California Beach is notable for its compact size and ability to fold down. It comes with a canopy with a UPF rating of 50, so it’s popular with people who want a playpen for outdoor use. When you want to use it, all you have to do is to pull it open and lock it from the top. You can also fold it down to a compact size when you’re done using it, so it’s perfect if ease of storage is one of your top priorities.

Its walls are 28 and 3/4 inches high, which is tall enough to keep your child from climbing even as they approach three years old. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any grips on the bottom surface, which makes it slide easily. You have to be careful once your child starts to get more lively. All the panels are made of a highly transparent mesh material, so you can easily check on your child from a distance. The entrance closes with a fastener, which isn’t a problem for the child, but adults need to crouch down to get in and out.

This playpen by North States features latticework walls and comes with a carrying strap, which, combined with its light weight, makes it easy to take with you on the go. It only needs a few steps to assemble, making it quick to set up. This is great for people who want to put it away when they aren’t using it. The walls are fairly tall at 26 inches, and it doesn’t have an entrance, so children around two shouldn’t be able to climb out of it. On the flip side, it lacks stability against sliding, as a 22-pound medicine ball rolled at it pushed it around a bit. This could become a problem when your child gets more active, so keep this in mind. 

One advantage of this product is the latticework walls, which make it easy to check on your child without walking back to the playpen. However, it doesn’t have an entrance, so adults need to step over the walls or take apart the joint every time they go inside. You need to step quite high to get over the walls, which makes it hard to get in while holding your child. As for removing the joint, it takes a good amount of strength to do so, making it a real hassle to do every time. If you’re looking for a product that is easy to get in and out of, you might want to look elsewhere.

This lightweight playpen by Regalo International has mesh walls and folds down to a compact size, making it highly portable. It’s easy to set up, as you simply have to unfold it and lock it in two places with your foot. It can fold down very compactly when you aren’t using it, which is a big bonus for people looking for an easy-to-store option. The sides are relatively tall at 27 inches, so children around two years old shouldn’t be able to climb out on their own. 

However, this product struggles with stability, as the whole unit moved quite a bit when we rolled a 22-pound medicine ball into it. You’ll need to be careful when your child reaches their more rowdy years. On the bright side, the mesh sides are highly transparent, so you can check on your child easily even when you’re a little far away. However, it doesn’t have an entrance, so you’ll have to step over the sides to get in and out. The sides are quite tall, so it’s hard to step over them while holding your child, as you have no way to brace yourself if you start to wobble.

The Baby Playpen by SASRL is a mesh product that comes with a bag for easy storage. Assembly is a bit complicated, taxing, and time-consuming, as there are several pipes of different lengths and connections you need to put together. If you’re looking for a product you can set up quickly and put away when you’re not using it, this isn’t the product for you.

The 26-inch sides are fairly tall and should keep children around two years old from climbing out. However, we found when testing its stability that the entire unit moves significantly when hit, which can become a problem if your child is very active. The mesh walls are very transparent and offer great visibility, allowing you to see inside from a distance and check on your child.

The entrance uses a fastener to close, which isn’t a problem for your child, but makes it hard for you to get in and out of yourself. If you decide to step over the side instead, you have to take a big step, and the pipes don’t offer much support, so it’s a challenge to get in and out while holding your child. On the plus side, it comes with handles on the top of the walls and 50 balls to help keep your child entertained.