You just spent muffled hours putting together your baby’s crib. It’s perfect! It’s beautiful! It can’t leave the nursery. So, if you have plans to travel to see Grandma, or visit with a friend for longer than a few hours, you’ll need a portable baby bed. You may also find that stationing extra infant beds around the house — like in your bedroom or the main living space — helps with your daily routine. That way, you can put the baby down every, oh, I don’t know, six hours, so you can fix dinner or get dressed.

There are many portable beds for baby on the market. Depending on what you plan to use the bed for, you can choose from among co-sleepers, if you wish to have your infant lay safely with you in your bed (although, it’s worth noting the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend this practice, but admits it does happen), easy-to-assemble, fold up-bassinets and portable cribs that double as play spaces for your growing child. Read on the find out more about the different kinds of baby travel beds available, and what to consider in making a decision about which one will best suit your needs.

Best Overall:Fisher-Price Rock 'N Play Portable Bassinet

Best Lightweight Crib: BabyBjorn Travel Crib

Best Folding Portable Baby Bed: Chicco Lullago

Best Portable Baby Bed For Air Travel: Brica Fold 'N Go Travel Bassinet

Best Backpack Portable Baby Bed: Lotus Travel Crib By Guava Family

Best Co-Sleeper: Mumbelli Womb-Like Adjustable Infant Bed

What Are the Types of Portable Beds for Baby?

• • • • Bassinets

        Made for an infant, this is a smaller bed that is supported by legs and  about bed-height, making reaching in and comforting or picking up a new baby easy at any time of day or night. You can use a bassinet from birth. It’s great for small spaces, like next to your bed at home, or in a hotel. Just keep in mind that a baby will outgrow a bassinet at around the age of 6 months (or older, depending on when he sits up), because the sides of this type of infant bed aren’t that high. Still, a lot of parents prefer to start with a bassinet versus a crib, because it features the ideal size and design for an infant.

• • • • Cribs

        A travel crib is larger than a bassinet. Usually a child can sleep safely in a travel bed like this from birth through toddlerhood. Many of the popular baby cribs sit on the floor and have higher, mesh sides, so it can be difficult to bend over and pick up a newborn. But, flash forward a few months, and a baby that is sitting up, crawling or even walking will have a hard time pulling a Houdini and escaping. Travel cribs can also be used as play yards, a space where a baby can safely play while a parent socializes, does household chores, or, gasp, goes to the bathroom on their own!

• • • • Co-sleepers

        This type of portable infant bed will sit on your bed or right next to it, placed inside a bassinet or crib, enabling you to sleep side-by-side with your child. Like a bassinet, a co-sleeper is only safe for a younger baby, and you should stop using it once baby can roll over.

What to Consider

The main thing to look for in a baby travel bed is safety. The bed material should be breathable, with a firm mattress that has no gaps between the mattress and the sides of the bed. Also, an infant travel bed should be easy to set up, so you can place your sleepy little one down for a snooze hassle-free, especially since he could be tired from traveling. It won’t hurt if the bed is lightweight and comes with a carrying case, especially if you’re flying with it.

To narrow down your options, think about what you’ll use the bed for, be it at home or at a grandparent’s house. Will it stay in one place or make the rounds? Finally, budget will determine which baby travel bed you ultimately decide upon, as well as how long you want it to last. Remember, a co-sleeper or bassinet is only safe for an infant. A travel crib will carry your child into toddlerhood but may feel a bit big or overwhelming for a newborn.

These are parents’ favorite travel baby beds on the market now: