Ryan and Rebecca are such different kids. When Ryan was little we couldn’t put him in a pack n’ play or playard for ANYTHING. He just wouldn’t have it… so our pack n’ play sat and collected dust. Rebecca, however, is very curious and content sitting and inspecting toys in front of her.
Also, a playard comes in very handy when you have two kids…. sometimes I need to tend to Ryan, the toddler, but want Rebecca to be somewhere safe.
So… I was really excited to try out the Ultralight Playard from Joovy. It’s much larger than a pack n’ play and gives room for her to move around.
It comes in a handy bag for easy transport and directions are printed right on the mattress. The first time I set this up I had a really hard time…. I couldn’t get the four upper bars to lock straight. I never wanted to take the thing apart just because I didn’t want to have to set it up again! BUT I am VERY happy to say that I did take it down (when we moved to our new house) and when I put it back up it took me seriously less than 2 minutes and was really easy.
The trick: the middle of the playard has to be up pretty high off the ground while you’re locking the 4 edges. If it falls down near the ground much, the bars won’t lock. And yes, that IS in the directions, but I guess I was just frustrated the first time around lol.
I love the huge pocket on the outside of the playard and use it to store the carrying case and random toys.
Can you see our toddler in the photo above? Haha, he’s playing with his sister through the mesh sides. Yes, he has crawled in there before and he loves to throw toys in there for Rebecca to play with, lol.
I can’t even describe how helpful this thing has been. With Rebecca now very mobile and crawling everywhere, I use this playard all the time… even just for a few minutes at a time. It gives me peace of mind to know she’s safe while I quickly run to the bathroom or go change Ryan’s diaper… or while I’m cooking dinner… it even allows me to have quality one-on-one play time with Ryan because she stays occupied in there with her toys.
We keep this set up all the time, but if you want to take it down and store it without completely folding it up, you can basically just fold it flat like in the right photo above. Buckles keep it together and it’s slim to store under a bed or in a closet. Once you want it, set up is super easy from this point. Otherwise, you can fold it all the way down for the carrying case.
Joovy took their popular Room2 and made it over 30% lighter with this version at just over 21 pounds… and it’s still 90% as large at 9sq ft. It’s durable, sturdy, and we love it – I HIGHLY recommend it! One of my fave baby products.
You can buy this Ultralight Playard online for $209.99 or find a local store. Make sure you keep up with Joovy on their facebook and twitter pages!
This looks so big and comfortable! I don’t own any Joovy products, but I hear such good things. I’m expecting my 2nd baby, and it’s weird to think they can be so different! I hope my new one likes at least some of the same things my first did, because there’s going to be a lot of handing down 🙂
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What an interesting way to fold! I like that it would easily be hidden away when not in use.
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Oh my goodness I love this! There is more room for baby to play and it looks amazing too! I love Joovy products!
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I’d love one of these. It would be great to have baby in a place that big brother doesn’t bother him, but easy to use when needed to move.
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I love how roomy it is! This would be perfect for me soon!
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WOW that is a BIG portable play yard–very cool–wish they had that when mine were in need–it was so small at the time
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Looks like a great product. It’s crazy how different kids can be!
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Wow, that thing looks super big and comfy for your little one. Love it! Thanks for the post
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Looks nice and roomy sot hat it could be used a bit longer than other ones.
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I love the mesh and I absolutely love that it comes in black!!
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I love the look of that, it looks nice and simple. Thanks for the review! I’ve been looking for a play yard for my little guy!
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I spent hours researching play yards online and was very disappointed in the options. 1st most of them are very small and too easy to climb out of. 2cd they all are raised up and suspended off of the floor thus creating the “weight limit” issue. Both of these creates a problem at an early age for moms with larger/taller babies. Then I found a review about the joovy room2 ultralight and it was everything that i wanted in a foldable/portable playyard. To my disappointment this product has been discontinued. So, if anyone and everyone that wants one of these perfect play yards would contact joovy and voice their opinions we might get a similar product put back in to the market.
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Emily Dickey Reply:
April 8th, 2014 at 6:23 pm
Amanda, I have shared your comments with Joovy and they are sending them to their team! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The low center of gravity on the Ultralight was definitely a unique feature. All playards do have the same weight limits and at the point a child can stand and lean over a side, it shouldn’t be used because of the possibility of tipping over. I have also tested Joovy’s MoonRoom and love it (even for my toddler)! Good luck on your search!
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