Big child playpens — Do they exist anymore?

In search of the best baby play yards? The two biggest play-pens I can find: Delta Children 36×36 and the Joovy Room2.

When I became a parent I realized there were a few things that seem different from my childhood. One thing I noticed is playpens and their lack of size. When I was a kid my play yard seemed big, and according to my parents — it was! Much bigger than the ones currently sold in major stores. So the past few weeks I’ve been on the hunt for a big, massive, over-sized play pen for kids. Something bigger than his crib!

I wanted something in the 5’x5′ range, but didn’t find one. Our kid is extremely mobile for his age. He’ll get from one side of the room to the other in under 10 seconds doing the infamous army crawl. So yep… we need something big. But I’m not a fan of the fence enclosures. He’s already so strong and destructive, I feel he’ll eventually break through and the whole thing would become pointless.

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The biggest and most portable play pens I can find

After reading tons of reviews on baby playpens I narrowed it down to two choices. It was between a big square one – the Delta Children 36×36 and the Joovy Room2. The Graco TotBloc is now out of stock at most locations. Both are portable and both have a good size. I also wanted something square instead of rectangular so the little guy wouldn’t feel like he’s in his crib, which he absolutely hates being in unless he’s in a deep sleep.

Which did I choose?

Graco TotBloc Pack N’ Play – no longer stocked – CHECK THIS OUT INSTEAD: Delta Children 36×36

Like I said earlier… I read a ton of reviews. The great thing about shopping at Amazon is the customers love to tell everyone how much they either love or hate the products they purchased. Both playpens had a plenty of reviews (like here), and both did well. With the price difference being only $35, I had to look at other factors. Some complained about the Joovy Room being too stationary and heavy, and a funny smell that couldn’t be eliminated. Some Graco TotBloc owners complained that the construction of the playpen was too weak and not sturdy enough. I’ll repeat the following statement many times on this blog — there is no perfect product. Eventually you have to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision.

Have you found something better? Let us know in the comments below.

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