Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go Bassinet Review

Pros: Budget- friendly, versatile, better mattress
Cons: Harder to use, some breathability concerns with corner fabric
Manufacturer: Graco
The Skinny
Compare to Similar Products
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Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Price | $100.00 List Check Price at Amazon | $435.00 List $245.00 at Amazon - 44% off | $200.00 List $199.99 at Amazon | $240.00 List $199.99 at Amazon - 17% off | $390.00 List $349.99 at Amazon - 10% off |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Budget- friendly, versatile, better mattress | Natural materials available, adjustable height, easy to reach baby | Quick setup, portable, easy access to baby | Mesh breathability, swivel versatility, easy access to baby bedside | Very breathable, machine washable |
Cons | Harder to use, some breathability concerns with corner fabric | Expensive, hard to move | Has some flex in the frame | Spot clean only, hard to move from room to room | Expensive, easy to compress mattress, MDF board |
Bottom Line | Budget minded choice that gets the job done | Functional wood bassinet you can use from your bed | Good for co-sleeping and a free-standing bassinet for most families | Safer alternative to co-sleeping and perfect for moms with c-sections | Eco-friendly fabrics cover this high-quality, breathable, freestanding bassinet |
Rating Categories | Pack 'n Play On... | babybay Bedside... | Beside Me Dreamer | HALO Bassinest... | BabyBjorn Cradle |
Ease Of Use (35%) | |||||
Breathability (25%) | |||||
Sleep Surface (20%) | |||||
Quality (15%) | |||||
Eco Health (5%) | |||||
Specs | Pack 'n Play On... | babybay Bedside... | Beside Me Dreamer | HALO Bassinest... | BabyBjorn Cradle |
Assembled Weight | 22.8 lbs | 28.6 lbs | 17.5 lbs | 33 lbs | 12.1 lbs |
Open Dimensions | 28.8"H x 41.1"L x 28.6"W | 37.1"H x 36"L x 20.7"W | 26"-30.5"H x 39"L x 27"W | 36.9"H x 45.3"L (base) 33.8" (bassinet) x 21.8"W (bassinet) | 26"H x 31.5"L x 18"W |
Age/Height/Weight Limit | 15 lbs Discontinue Use When Infant: Pushes Up On Hands And Knees |
5 Months Discontinue Use When Infant: Pushes Up On Hands And Knees Discontinue As An Attachable Baby Bed When Infant: Rolls Over Or Pulls Up To A Kneeling, Sitting Or Standing Position |
5 Months or 20 lbs Discontinue Use When Infant: Pushes Up On Hands And Knees |
5 Months or 20 lbs Discontinue Use When Infant: Pushes Up On Hands And Knees, Pulls Up, Rolls Over, Sit Unassisted, Can Move Out Of The Security Of The Walled Sleep Area |
6 Months or 18 lbs Discontinue Use When Infant: Pushes Up On Hands And Knees |
Product Care | Spot Clean | Wipe Down | Machine Wash | Sheet: Machine Wash Base and Mattress: Spot Clean |
Machine Wash |
Bassinet Mattress Height Above Floor | 19.7" | 3"-27" Adult Mattress Height 10"-31" |
14" - 19" Adult Mattress Height 18.5"-24" |
26.5"-33" | 15.4" |
Special Features | Travel Crib Accessory | Made From Solid Wood | Foldable | Rotates 360 Degrees, Sidewall Lowers | Springy Movement |
Modes | Portable | Bedside Sleeper | Bedside Sleeper Bassinet |
Bassinet Bedside Sleeper |
Bassinet |
Chemical Flame Retardant Free | Not Specified | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Portable Design | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
Wheels | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
Mesh Sides | Partial - Fabric on Ends | Wood Slats | Yes - Full | Yes - Full | Yes - Full |
Included Accessories | Features on certain models: Toy Bar, Storage Bag, Fitted Sheet | None | Sheet | Fitted Sheet | None |
Available Accessories | None | Classic Mattress, Cooling Comfort Mattress, Eco-Organic Mattress, Cloud Comfort Mattress, Cooling Comfort Jersey Sheet, Snuggle Comfort Terry Sheet, Dry Comfort Mattress Protector, Classic Comfort Mattress Pad with Cotton Cover, Cooling Comfort Mattress Pad with Dry Comfort Mattress Protector, Organic Comfort Mattress Pad with Dry Comfort Mattress Protector, Cloud Comfort Mattress Pad with Dry Comfort Mattress Protector, babybay Organic Babynest, babybay Patterned Babynest, babybay Solid Colored Babynest, Bassinet Conversion Kit, Rolling Casters, Canopy Holder, Organic Canopy, Patterned Canopy, Solid Colored Canopy, Bed Frame Anchor, babycare Organizer | Waterproof Fitted Sheet | Fitted Sheet, Mattress Pad, Mobile Sleepy Owl, Mobile Whimsical Birds, Storage Caddy, Newborn Insert | Fitted Sheet, Canopy |
Set Up Time | 5:02 | 39:14:00 | 6:50 | 27:10:00 | 7:19 |
Materials | Polyester Fiber , Polyurethane Foam | Beechwood, Water-Based Finishes, CFC Polyurethane Foam | Polyester, Polyester Fiber Batting | Polyester Fiber, Polyester Fiber Batting, Polyurethane Foam | Polyester, Cotton (website), Polyurethane (Manual) |
Our Analysis and Test Results
In 1942 Philadelphia, two entrepreneurs named Russell Gray and Robert Cone, co-founded Graco as a car parts fabrication company. Several years later, Gray left the company, and Cone decided to produce baby gear with the help of an engineer. The first product they created was the infant swing from the inspiration of an outdoor glider a coworker used to soothe their newborn. The unique product sold millions, putting Graco on the map in the baby gear world. Soon after, Graco became the world's leading producer of baby paraphernalia.
Performance Comparison
Ease of Use
The Graco earned a below-average score for ease of use.
Our ease of use metric includes a variety of features and functions that influence daily use.
Accessibility
This product is rather large, and the bassinet would require reaching further in toward the middle to reach your baby. If you had this next to your bed, you'd need to sit up to reach the baby, and it would be hard to get out of bed without moving it.
Portability/Mobility
This bassinet weighs 22.8 lbs and measures 28.8"H x 41.1"L x 28.6"W when setup. This weight could make it harder to move, but it also has two wheels on one end so you can lift the side and pull it almost like luggage.
The width is narrow enough to fit through doorways, making it reasonably easy to move from room to room even if it is a little hard on stairs thanks to the weight and length.
This product is also a travel crib/play yard and easily folds and fits in a travel bag for easy transportation. This transportability makes it a good option for use for child care away from home.
Additional Features
The full-size bassinet is one of the additional features of this product. The others include a plush toy bar (above left) and a storage bag that hangs off the end of the yard (above right).
Ease of Setup
The Graco took almost seven minutes to set up with the bassinet. If you include the accessories, it takes closer to nine. The Graco has a lot of moving parts, but the directions are shown on the play yard bottom (above left) and include locking the sidebars and pressing down on the center of the yard. The fabric snaps to the frame, and the mattress secures with velcro. The bassinet clips over the top rail and uses the same bed as the play yard bottom. Folding requires pressing on the side rail button (above right) and pulling up on the bottom handle.
Cleaning
This Graco sleeper is spot clean only with soap and warm water, so we recommend purchasing a fitted sheet to keep the mattress cleaner.
Breathability
This Graco earned a lower score for breathability. While the play yard itself has mesh fabric walls aside from the corners, the bassinet attachment has some fabric on the ends, which decreases overall breathability.
The broader width of the Graco also means a baby could turn sideways and end up with their mouth against fabric instead of the mesh. The Pack 'n Play would have a higher breathability score if the bassinet were all mesh.
Sleep Surface
This Graco earned a relatively high score for the sleeping surface. This score is the highest sleep surface result for any product under $100 in this review.
The Pack 'n Play mattress is average for compression compared to the competition making the mattress firm, but not the best in the group.
It is stable with no rolling issues observed, and it fits nicely into the bassinet without moving, though we were able to get our fingers around it by pressing on the mesh.
The mattress is .7 inches thick, where the maximum allowed for this type of product is 1 inch.
Quality
The Pack 'n Play earned a surprisingly high score for quality, which is somewhat impressive given the lower list price.
This product is sturdy with no tipping issues, and you can press on the top rail without it moving. However, it tends to shake back and forth with minimal effort. The fabric and mesh are taut and fit the frame nicely, but they aren't very soft. We didn't see any issues like poor stitching or connections, and while the materials could have been better, they are good quality for the price point.
Eco-health
This Graco earned one of the lowest scores in the group for eco-health thanks to a lack of information and the potential use of flame retardants (the company has not responded to our inquiries). This score is the lowest in the group and ties with several other budget options.
This bassinet fabric is polyester without any details on whether or not it includes flame retardants. The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) gave Graco their second-lowest rating of "Fair" because the company failed to report their flame retardant status to CEH even though customer inquiries indicate that the products are free of these chemicals. We remain skeptical about whether or not Graco uses these chemicals as it seems like a feature most companies are bragging about while Graco remains mum. The polyurethane mattress and lack of any third-party certifications or organic materials hurt its overall eco-health score. The product itself is JPMA certified.
Manufacturer Video
— Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz