The best baby playpens for safe and happy playtime – tried by toddlers, tested by parents

The Venture All Stars Joy Baby Playpen is a top choice for parents seeking a spacious and convenient play area for their little ones. Its large design offers ample room for babies to play, and it easily collapses for quick storage, making it perfect for families with limited space. The playpen is durable and wipe-clean, ensuring it can handle even the most energetic playtimes.

If you prefer a more compact model, the Venture All Stars Joy Square playpen is a better option than the hexagon design. It takes up less floor space and fits neatly into a corner of the room, making it easier to tidy up your little one's toys at the end of the day.

Mum tester Breige Swift praises its practicality: "This model is foldable and comes with a handy carry bag, which makes it a viable option for us living in a flat with limited storage." She also appreciates the netted sides, which allow for easy visibility, and the zip-open side panel, which offers additional flexibility. The understated grey colour makes it aesthetically pleasing and suitable for any interior, even though it’s a bit bulky and heavy at 15kg.

However, Breige notes that the base could use more padding, especially if you plan to use the playpen on hard surfaces or outdoors. Despite this, the removable and washable fabric covers provide peace of mind, making sure the playpen stays clean and hygienic.

Breige advises parents to consider purchasing this playpen early to maximise its use: "For parents considering a playpen, I would recommend buying this as early as possible to get the maximum value and use for the investment."

Overall, the Venture All Stars Joy Baby Playpen combines practicality, safety, and ease of use, making it a standout option for creating a secure play space for your baby. This playpen earned the Gold award for Best Safety Product at the Mother&Baby Awards 2023.

Read our Venture All Stars JOY Baby Playpen review.

The Tutti Bambini Hexa Playpen is a stylish and practical choice for parents looking for a safe and flexible play area for their toddler. Its hexagonal mesh design not only adds a touch of elegance to any room but also ensures visibility and breathability for your child.

Mum tester Emily Gilbert says: "I knew I would need somewhere safe for my little one when he starts to crawl, and the Tutti Bambini Hexa ticks every box for us. It looks lovely in our living room and folds up so compactly that we don't need to leave it out all the time. We can also take it along with us when travelling in the handy travel bag." She particularly appreciates the playpen’s easy folding mechanism and the zip-framed door that simplifies access for both parents and toddlers.

The playpen’s ease of use is enhanced by its foldability, allowing for effortless storage and portability. Its mesh sides are not only functional for visibility and ventilation but also contribute to its stylish appearance. The playpen is available in grey or cream, with the latter option featuring a walnut-coloured frame, making it a bit more expensive but adding a touch of sophistication.
However, some parents might find the playpen’s size a bit restrictive for their needs. While it is durable and well-constructed, ensuring it stands up to regular use, it may not offer as much space as some other options.

Overall, the Tutti Bambini Hexa Playpen offers a blend of design, functionality, and convenience, making it a great choice for families seeking a portable and stylish play area for their toddlers.

The Joie Cheer Playpen is a versatile and stylish option designed for smaller spaces where safety and comfort are priorities. Its square design is not only practical but also visually appealing, featuring a unique mountainside scene and detachable plush toys that engage your baby. This playpen is ideal for creating a secure environment for playtime and even naptime, making it a valuable addition to any home.

Mum tester Zoe Ward appreciates the playpen's thoughtful features: "The breathable mesh sides are perfect for keeping baby cool, and the zipper allows Aubrey to crawl in and out easily, which is great for both play and supervision. The removable mattress is comfy and doubles as a play surface or napping spot, adding to its versatility."

The playpen folds easily into a compact rectangular tube, making it highly portable. This feature is particularly useful for families who travel frequently or need to store the playpen in tight spaces. The included carry handle further enhances its portability, making it a practical choice for trips to visit family or overnight stays.

Despite its many benefits, the playpen is somewhat heavy when folded, which might make it challenging for some parents to carry. However, its size and features justify the weight, especially if you have a vehicle with adequate storage space. Zoe notes that while the playpen fits well in her car boot, it may be cumbersome for some.

Overall, the Joie Cheer Playpen combines safety, comfort, and a charming design at a reasonable price. Its ease of assembly and practical features make it a solid choice for parents seeking a secure and stylish play area for their baby. The playpen's blend of functionality and design ensures it stands out as a valuable addition to any family's home.

The Venture All Stars Duo Plastic Playpen is a popular option for parents looking for a spacious and secure area for their little ones. Its size is one of its biggest advantages, offering ample space for babies and toddlers to play safely. Mum tester Jasmine highlighted, “This playpen is fantastic. It's very large, so my toddler can play inside it safely with a lot of her toys in there as well. It’s also a handy place to store her toys at the end of the day, which keeps everything tidy.”

Assembling the playpen is straightforward, thanks to the click-together design of the plastic panels. However, the playpen is best suited for use on hard floors, where the suction cups on the feet can stick securely. Dad tester Ben Clarke shared his experience: “The panels are very light, and if the base isn’t stuck down, a determined little one will be able to move it around the room by pushing."

While the Venture All Stars Duo Playpen is practical for those who plan to keep it up permanently, it’s not ideal for parents who need something more portable. Ben mentioned, “If you don’t have the space to leave the playpen up permanently, this might not be the best fit. It’s too bulky to store away easily, and setting it up multiple times would get monotonous quickly.” He also noted the playpen’s limitations for outdoor use: “We would have liked to use it outside, but the suction cup design of the feet and the fact it doesn’t fold up easily mean this isn’t possible.”

In terms of safety, the playpen is generally secure, but there are some concerns to be aware of. “The activity panel features star-shaped buttons that squeak when you push them. My daughter managed to remove one of the stars, which gave her access to the squeaker inside—a choking hazard,” Ben warned.

"I contacted Venture, who said they hadn’t seen this issue before and immediately sent out a replacement panel. The second panel was completely fine, so I would assume they had a manufacturing fault with the first. Looking at customer reviews online, no one else has reported similar, so I must have been unlucky."

Overall, the Venture All Stars Duo Playpen is a solid choice for parents who have the space to keep it set up permanently. Mum tester Jessica said: "I would definitely recommend this playpen to any parent/carer. My baby automatically goes in as he recognises it as his safe, playing space."

This playpen earned the Bronze award for Best Safety Product at the Mother&Baby Awards 2022.

Read our Venture All Stars DUO Playpen review.

This Hadwin Foldable playpen is portable and folds into a compact travel bag, meaning it's great for taking with you on holiday or for playdates. It has a weather-resistant canvas floor, so it's great for use outdoors too. There is no door or gate opening, so you will have to lift your baby in and out - bear this in mind if you've had a C-section and it's still tricky to lift your baby.

We like the mesh sides on this playpen, making it easy to see your child playing; one review said: "My little one has recently started crawling and pulling everything down. I couldn't leave the room but didn't want to put him in a small place in which he couldn't move around much. This playpen is a fantastic size; he has all his toys in there and still has a lot of room to crawl and move around. It is easy to put up and take down, which means you could easily take it with you to a friend's house, to the beach, etc. It folds down to a very small size and is easily carried and put in the car. My baby enjoys being in it; there have been no troubles so far."

The steel frame is very sturdy, but it’s surprisingly simple to set up and collapse; there is also padding on the connections to prevent bumps. You can choose from two sizes: one with six panels or one with eight panels, depending on how much room you have. The eight-panel option is great if you have the room; it provides plenty of room if you have twins, or want to have a friend over for a toddler playdate.

The Dreambaby Adventure Pop-Up Playpen is a fantastic choice for busy parents who need a versatile play area that’s easy to set up and take down. Whether you’re heading to the park or setting up indoors, this playpen’s pop-up design makes assembly a breeze. It’s made from durable mesh fabric, so it’s tough enough for regular use and safe for your little one to play in. Plus, it’s lightweight and portable, perfect for families on the go. The UV-protected fabric means you can use it outside without worrying about the sun.

One of the most recognisable and well-loved playpens for years, this BabyDan playpen is functional with an emphasis on safety over style. That doesn't mean it won’t suit everyone’s tastes, however. 

It’s a basic design with steel railings, and a padded, washable playmat; one side is a door opening, and the playpen can be attached to the wall or used as a room divider. 

It’s not the easiest or quickest to assemble, but that’s down to its serious practicality; one reviewer said: "The pen wasn't particularly easy to assemble. However, this is because it is such a sturdy and safe structure once it is built up that it's understandable that it takes a bit of elbow grease to put it together. The mat has cushioned many a tumble, and it has been through the wash a few times now and come out fine. It's really helpful to be able to pop baby in here to play for a short period just to give us a chance to get on with little jobs. She has also helped with her strength as she is supporting herself by holding the bars as she practices standing up."

This brand has been making safety products for babies and children for more than 75 years, so if you’re looking for peace of mind with a safe playpen, this is the one for you.

This playpen is easy to assemble or collapse, making it great for travelling on holiday or simply on playdates to friends’ houses; one parent tester said: "Assembly... or rather 'put up' is extremely easy.. just pull out the bars and lift the cross bars. To pack away, the unit easily pushes together and folds up very small (like a small pram).”

It’s blue, making it different from most other playpens, which are generally grey, but no other colours are available. The floor is water-resistant, meaning it’s a great option if you want to place it outdoors. Like most mesh playpens, there’s a zipped door for the baby to use, and it’s easy to fold up into the travel bag. 

The price is on the high side, especially given it doesn’t have any additional features.

A perfect playpen if your house is styled with Scandi decor - it's simple and stylish but also super practical. It is really easy to fold away and store when your baby isn't playing in it or moving the sides into different shapes. 

The playpen is available with three colours of connector but with just one style of railings; this playpen stands out from all others we’ve tested as it’s made from wood rather than metal or plastic; one reviewer said: "The playpen is very high quality, the colour is beautiful. It is also really practical because it can be folded up and stowed away or set up elsewhere so super quickly."

The structure is flexible, as you can use it as a room divider instead of a playpen; it’s easy to dismantle, fold up and store - although it takes up more room for storage than most others.