I was provided the UPPAbaby Remi playard by the Stellar Panel in exchange for my honest and thoughtful review. I have two kids (4 and 1) and we travel frequently, so I have my fair share of experience with travel cribs and playards. Let me tell you, the REMI is a step above anything I've used in the past. Here are my thoughts:
Pros:
- SUPER intuitive to set up and take down (you literally just push a button down to set up and pull a handle to take it down - that's it!)
- The mattress is super breathable and WASHABLE (not just the sheet, the actual mattress)
- Comes with a super-soft organic cotton sheet that my son seemed very comfortable sleeping on. It has held up well in the wash so far
- One of the side panels unzips to allow easy access to the baby (or in our case, to allow big sister to crawl in and play with/steal her little brother's toys when I'm using it as a playard)
- The see-through mesh on the sides makes it really easy to set up a video baby monitor when traveling (this might seem small, but the amount of times I've struggled to find the right angle for the monitor while traveling with other travel cribs is not small)
- Compact fold, despite being roughly the same size as similar travel cribs, it folds up marginally smaller and is significantly lighter
- Beautiful finishes: the fabric is high quality and a beautiful color and the leather handle and labels are a nice touch
- I like that it is Greenguard Gold certified, keeping my kids sleep and play environments as healthy as possible
- It comes with a bassinet attachment that is very easy to install/uninstall once the playard is set-up. My son had outgrown this feature by the time we received the REMI, but I can see us using this in the future. I love how the attachment easy packs into the carrying case for travel (and can be removed once no longer needed)
Cons:
- The carrying bag seems a bit flimsy and I wonder how long it will hold up when we inevitably check it as luggage for airline travel
- This playard is definitely more expensive than a traditional playard/travel crib, but the beautiful design, ease of use, and quality features warrant paying the premium, in my opinion
I didn't think the perfect playard/travel crib existed. I've tried so many over the years. The REMI is about as close to perfect as I've seen. If you're looking for a beautiful, functional, safe, environmentally conscious playard, look no further than REMI.