"Hey Rocky! Watch me pull a bassinet out of my hat!"

So said my husband when our Graco Bassinet Pack 'N Play arrived in the mail. The Pack 'N Play's carry case reminded me of Mareeee Poppeeen's (as Dick Van Dyke so 'beautifully' said in the movie of the same name!!) 'carpet bag' and I wasn't entirely convinced that something so large could fit into something so small!.

However, I was wrong and all my previous doubts on purchasing this product were put aside. Our baby would be able to sleep very happily in a crib which would later become her playpen! And here are the reasons why...........


When we shop for that special nursery we are lulled into the beautiful, but expensive, image of tiny bassinets. They look simply divine and we can just imagine our precious little bundle of joy in them - well, hopefully, sleeping like a baby! We buy them because they are cute, we buy them because we feel our little one will look so lost in a huge crib and we buy them because we only want to use them for three months max (yeah right!)

My first born had everything - he also had two bassinets before he even slept in his crib. He slept in a cute wicker bassinet with white lace and bows (not something he wants to be reminded of now that he is a rough and tough eight- year old!). He then graduated to a larger bassinet because in just one month he had outgrown the first one. Finally, at six months he moved into his crib where he stayed for the next two years. That child had 4 beds in 2 years - OUCH!

So, Baby #2 and commonsense prevailed. I wanted one of those "convertible cribs" but they were outrageously expensive. We also thought that if we had a third child, then baby #2 would have to vacate her nice 'convertible' and downgrade to a cheaper model. And so began our search for the compromise.

I like Graco. We subsequently bought their stroller, car seat, open top swing and high chair (Oh! The reviews I shall write!). Did I like their Bassinet Pack and Play? No, not at first! I simply could not imagine our newborn sleeping in a playpen. My first concern was safety followed by my secret hankering for those lace and bows! Its biggest selling point was its price and portability but I was not entirely convinced. What sold us on this product was the following:

* Simple to assemble - it easily unfolds from a compact carrying case
* Easy clean mattress pad that acts as base for bassinet and playpen
* Made from easy to clean vinyl fabric
* Minimum pieces to set up - four top rails and velcro straps secure the product
* Easy to change from a bassinet set up to a playpen set up
* Lockable swivel casters - easy to move between rooms
* The instructions are ON the product - essential!
* Graco's excellent customer service and reputation

The playpen is for use by a child that is less than 30lbs and under 34 inches.
The bassinet attachment can be used for infants up to 15lbs.

Our baby daughter slept happily in the bassinet that precious first night at home. She did look a little lost after that small plastic box, hospitals use to place our newborns! She continued to sleep happily in her Pack 'N Play until at four months and 13lbs we thought it time to move her to a crib. The main reason was after constant use, the bassinet attachment had begun to bow a little, but from a size point of view, I think she could have remained in the bassinet for a least another month.

The Graco Bassinet Pack 'N Play now stands proudly in our living room as her playpen. It has become my reliable 'cage'! I place her in there when I need to answer the door, empty the laundry or attempt to start dinner! When she goes to bed at night, I throw all her toys of the day in there and use it like a giant toy box! Our daughter can sit up unassisted so she can happily see mum through the mesh sides. Before this newfound skill, the playpen was large enough to place her 'boppy' inside so that she could be supported.

Graco market this product as a portable playpen that can be used as a bassinet for traveling purposes. Personally, I would market it as baby's first crib that indeed travels well and can later convert to a playpen, saving you precious dollars in unnecessary baby equipment.