KIDCO PEAPOD TRAVEL BED REVIEW: TRAVELING WITH AN INFANT OR TODDLER
The Kidco Peapod travel bed is one of the most popular toddler travel beds. We purchased the Peapod because it was one of the few that was reasonably priced, unlike other travel beds that can be over $200. After having the Kidco PeaPod for over two years, we are finally writing our Kidco Peapod travel bed review.
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This post is not sponsored by anyone and is solely our opinion based on our experience. You can trust that our Kidco Peapod travel bed review is written to help parents like you find the best travel bed for your toddler.
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Kidco Peapod Travel Bed Stats
- Weight: 2.45 lbs
- Dimensions when open: 46” L x 18” H x 28” D
- Bag: 16.5”L x 16.5”H x 3”D
- Colors available: Cranberry, Sunshine, Midnight, Tangerine, Sky
- Recommended for kids ages 1 to 3
Read More: Best Travel Pack-n-Play for Babies
Safety
We always start our reviews with the safety of a product, and this is no different. I thoroughly research an item and even look for past recalls for all baby and infant gear.
There was a recall of this product in 2012 due to the risk of suffocation in infants in the gaps between materials. If you would like to learn more about the recall in 2012 check it out here.
This was initially a concern for us but after more research, we found the incidents were connected to younger kids and we could take precautions.
I could not find any safety incidents since the 2012 recall. Based on the changes they made to the design of this toddler travel tent, I have the utmost confidence in its safety.
To reduce the risk of our 1-year-old being entangled we only let him sleep in his travel bed with a small blanket. The manufacturer stresses NEVER adding a pillow, comforter, or another mattress for padding.
As an added precaution the sleeping pad included with the travel bed should only be used on the outside. NEVER place it on the inside with your infant or toddler.
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Portability
The carrying bag is the best thing ever. This is the best travel bed for portability because it can fit in a suitcase. The carry case is so light our son likes to drag it around, I think it makes him feel like a big boy.
We’ve taken this to Oahu, Mexico, Colorado, and Ohio. It is a lot easier to get around with than the Baby Bjorn travel crib. If you are an outdoor family this is the perfect travel tent for your little one.
Comfort
Our son will not sleep if he is uncomfortable. We learned this when he was 5 months old and refused to sleep in his crib. We finally got fed up and thought to purchase a mattress pad, and it worked. He started sleeping through the night in his crib at 5.5 months.
Based on our experience above we know he will not sleep if he is not comfortable, so we believe it is comfortable enough for him to sleep in. I tried to test it myself, but I am a little too mature to fit inside (see pic below).
Durability
Our KidCo Peapod has been through a lot in the last two years, especially with a toddler as rough as ours. He makes it his personal mission to break as many things as possible, but this travel bed has held up.
The one vulnerable area is the netting, which our son has managed to tear over the course of the last six months. He thinks it’s funny to put his hand or foot outside of the tent.
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Price
This is one of the most affordable toddler travel beds. At less than $70, it is a good investment for family travel, especially if you do not want your toddler sleeping in the best with you.
The most similar toddler travel bed is the Joovy Gloo, which is almost twice the price of the Kidco Peapod.
How to get your baby to sleep in the Peapod
- Start early – Start putting your infant or toddler in the travel bed for one of their naps and slowly increase it
- Make it fun – We do not want him to dread going to bed so we use it as a play area and bed
- Be consistent (don’t give in) – As new parents, we had to learn to see it through. It is all about willpower because if you give in once you will have to start from the beginning.
- Stay encouraged – If your little one is as stubborn as our son you have to believe it will get better, trust us.
The mistake that we made is not using the Peapod soon enough. We purchased it and threw it in the closet for several months (big mistake). It would have been smart to start sleep training him in the travel bed before he became a busybody.
He slept in his crib at night and it would have been a good idea to get him used to sleeping in it in his crib (hindsight is 20/20). Since we made it harder on ourselves, we are transitioning him to sleeping full-time in his Peapod travel bed.
To get him used to the bed we would go inside and play with him. As you can see it is a little too small for me. We did this for almost 2 weeks and he eventually would go inside with his toys to play by himself.
Eventually, we started moving his long afternoon nap into the travel bed. After a week and a half, we put in him the travel bed to sleep through the night.
I must admit we are still working on sleeping through the night in his Peapod, but we are making progress. It is unzipped at night in the event something is wrong, and he wants to get out to come to our bed.
He sucks us in with his cuteness, so he ends up in our bed 4/5 times. We have committed to buckling down and not giving in starting this weekend. I love my child, but I do not love sleeping with him.
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Kidco PeaPod Updates
Update: Our son now gets into his tent for nap time when he is tired. We have mastered nap time in his travel tent.
Our routine is to play sleepytime music 15 minutes before naptime so he can relax. After 15 minutes he gets into his tent and we play a sleepytime video with fish that helps soothe him to sleep.
Recent Development: Our 21-month-old son sleeps in his travel tent, full-time. He gets inside when he is tired during naptime and at night when it is time for bed. The last 6 months have been great with him using this as his bed.
2021 Update: Now we are more than a year into using the PeaPod as his full-time bed, and it’s going better than ever.
He gets in his bed when we tell him it’s time to get in his tent without a fight. We recently purchased the KidCo PeadPod Plus because he needs more space.
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Kidco PeaPod Plus Stats
- Weight: 3.65 lbs
- Dimensions when open: 52.5”L x 34”W x 22”H
- Bag: 19L” x 3.5”W x 19”H inches
- Colors available: Midnight, Camo
- Recommended for kids ages 2 to 5
What we LOVE about the Kidco Peapod Travel Bed
What we love most about this travel bed is how lightweight and portable it is. We just throw it in our suitcase without worrying about the weight.
This travel bed is perfect for camping, a day at the beach, or a family picnic. The mesh is great because it provides protection from mosquitos for your little one and makes it easy to see inside. The material is also UV-coated and fire-retardant.
If you detest laundry day as I do there isn’t much needed to clean. We use a damp cloth and wipe it down and place it outside to dry.
It only takes a few hours to dry so we clean it in the morning, and it is dry and ready to go by his second nap.
Read More: The 20 Best Travel Toys for 3-Year-Olds
What we DO NOT LOVE about the Kidco Peapod Travel Bed
There are a few things that we do not love about the Kidco Peapod travel bed.
When you remove the travel bed from the bag be prepared for it to pop open quickly. It is like a can of biscuits, even though you know it is coming you are still surprised when it pops open.
I am not sure if it is just me, but it seems impossible to get this folded correctly within a few tries.
We’ve had this travel bed for over eight months, and I have not folded it successfully one time. I defer to my wife because I usually get frustrated and walk away.
Also, the area where the mesh and zipper meet seems like it needs to be reinforced. I am not sure how that could be done, but that area does become “worn” quickly.
If your toddler is anything like ours (escape artist) they may pick at that area and cause it to become weak over time.
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KIDCO PEAPOD TRAVEL BED PROS & CONS
Pros
- Affordable
- Fits in suitcase
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- UV Protection
- Anchor straps
Cons
- Longevity
- Difficult to collapse
Popular Toddler Travel Beds
Last update on 2024-09-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Kidco PeaPod vs Kidco PeaPod Plus
Our son has been using the Kidco PeaPod for nearly two years, so we recently upgraded to the Kidco PeaPod Plus now that he is 2.5 years old.
Now that he’s using the bigger toddler travel tent, we wanted to update this review with some of the differences between the Peapod and the PeaPodPlus.
Here are the major differences and things that stand out about the PeaPod Plus:
- Larger
- Holders for flaps
- Fewer color options
- Cooler (more breathability)
- More expensive (roughly $20)
- Weighs slightly more than PeaPod
- Two double zippers to protect your little one
Kidco PeaPod Plus Review
We’ve been using the PeaPod Plus for nearly a month, and our 2-year-old loves it. He’s been sleeping in his travel tent for two years, so he’s happy to have the additional space.
What I love most about this brand is its portability. We’ve taken this toddler travel tent to Mexico, Guatemala, Orlando, Philadelphia, Williamsburg, Atlanta, and many other places.
One of the complaints we had about the PeaPod was how hot it could get. Our little one runs hot, so he usually has to sleep in a diaper.
The PeadPod Plus has more air and breathability. We’ve noticed he isn’t as hot throughout the night when we check on him.
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OUR FINAL VERDICT
We love the Kidco Peapod travel bed for our little one. We’ve been using it for nearly three years. Our son has gotten used to it so much, that he won’t sleep without it.
As a family on the go, it is perfect for us when we travel. We can avoid the additional cost of having a two-bedroom. He sleeps in the room with us in his travel tent.
We’ve encountered cribs that did not look safe during our travels. There was a crib in Beijing that had a bent leg, so the crib was leaning. We did not feel that it was safe for him, so this is perfect.
If you need a portable, lightweight, durable travel bed for your toddler look no further. We plan to continue using this for years to come.
Recently, we purchased the Kidco Peapod Plus since it can be used for kids up to 5 years old. It’s only been a few days, but he loves it just as much because of the additional space.
If you would like an infant or toddler travel bed that is designed like a pack-n-play check out our recommendations below.
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Most Popular Travel Cribs
Last update on 2024-09-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Do you have a favorite travel bed for your infant or toddler? Tell us about it below in the comments.
How old was your son when you started putting him in the Peapod?
We started putting him in the tent at 8 months but it was a failure. We finally got serious when he was 13 months and now he puts himself to bed in the tent. (18 months now) He loves it and it’s great for us since we travel full-time.
Does he sleep in this every night even when you all are not traveling? My son will be 3 in a few days and still sleeps in his crib and doesn’t want to go to the big boy bed because he likes to feel caged in I guess he will sleep in his tee pee but not his toddler bed
He used it every night since we travel full-time. Now we usually get places with 2 bedrooms, so he sleeps in a big kid bed now that he’s older. He still uses it as a play fort now.
Hi there,
I’m not sure if I’m misreading this, but I think you have a typo in the begging under the safety section.
It says “As an added precaution the sleeping pad included with the travel bed should only be used on the inside. NEVER place it on the inside with your infant or toddler.”
I’m assuming you meant to say it should only be used on the OUTSIDE ?
Thank you for catching that, I have fixed it.