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. Lightweight – make sure that the bed is light enough to carry. When you are travelling with your baby think about strategies to keep your load light. One way to do this is to buy a travel bed that is light. It should certainly weigh less than 2 pounds or under 800 grams. The lighter the better.

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. Good air flow. Look for a bed that is designed for naturally good air flow. Beds that have sturdy mesh side walls will keep your baby in the bed but also will provide a nice air flow through the bed keeping your baby cool and comfortable while they sleep.

6. Bed liner. The liner in your bed should be padded so that your baby will be comfortable when in the bed. There will be times when you’ll need to be able to clean the liner and that may needed to be done when you are traveling. For easy cleaning make sure that the liner is easily removed.

7. Warranty – look for quality. The best beds come with a lifetime warranty. And make sure that the retailer or that your on-line store has a really good return policy in case you purchase an item and it turns out to be not the right item for you and your family.