Do you like to travel with your child – but you are concerned with their comfort and safety when it comes to bed time when you are away from home? Maybe it is a simple overnight trip to the grandparent’s home. They have the old second-hand crib – but how safe is it? Or how about at a hotel – how safe and reliable is the crib that they quickly setup for your son or daughter? Maybe now is the time to consider a toddler travel bed for your child.

Not any longer. Parents want their child to be comfortable and safe when they travel – even if the travel is just an overnight at the grandparents’ home. If you have ever been away from home with your child for at least one night you have probably considered a Toddler Travel Bed. There are lots available on the market – some will suit your family better than others. Here is help for you to choose one that best fits your lifestyle and budget.

1. Lightweight – make sure that the bed is light enough to carry. When you are travelling with your toddler 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 6 pounds or under 3 kilograms. The lighter the better.

2. Compact in size. Whether you are off on a 2 week trip to Europe or just an overnight to grandma’s all of your gear has to be compact to fit into your trunk, or to check in on a plane. Make sure that the travel bed you select can be easily packed away (in its own travel pack). The bed when collapsed should be smaller than 60 x 20 x 20 (centimeters) or in inches 24 x 8 x 8.

3. No hassle set up and put away process. Speed and simplicity are the keys when setting up or putting away your toddler travel bed. You arrive at your destination – your child is tired – you don’t want to struggle to get the bed set up. You want a bed that one person can handle on their own for set up and for putting it away in its travel pack. The bed you get for your child should be easily set up in less than one minute or so, and it should be put away in a similar amount of time.

4. Easy access to your child – being able to reach in to pick up your child with ease should be a prime consideration when purchasing a toddler travel bed. Look for one with a zip down side panel that can be lowered for quick access to your toddler.

5. Good air ventilation – a good bed will provide for good air flow for your child. Look for one that has mesh side panels that will allow for good air flow helping to keep your child comfortable.

6. Light and comfortable mattress. The mattress in a toddler travel bed can sometimes be heavier than the bed frame itself. Look for a travel bed that comes with a foam mattress – it will be both comfortable for your child and lightweight to carry.

7. Warranties. Think of the purchase of a toddler travel bed as an investment in your family’s peace, happiness and safety. Make sure that the bed you purchase will be used for many years. Bed manufacturers of well built beds will provide a life time guarantee – make sure that your bed has this kind of guarantee. In addition, the retailer that you buy from is important as well. If you get the bed home and it is not what you expected – will the retailer take it back – with no arguments or difficulties?

There are lots of essential pieces of baby gear that make life better and easier for families. We consider a toddler travel bed to be essential to our family – and maybe you feel the same way for your family. When the time is right for you to look for a bed for your toddler child use these tips to help to make the right decision for you.