Playgro Fold & Go Playgym at a glance:
The Fold&Go baby Playgymis perfect for on-the-go families. Complete with 3 teething toys, a spinning toy and a roly poly ball, with folding legs and a carry handle for easy storage or travel. The activity toys can be detached for versatile play. Reposition them around the gym to suit your baby, attach to baby's stroller/car seat when you are on the move, or place them on the floor to encourage tummy time. Vibrant colours, textured surfaces, tactile shapes and moving parts designed to engage baby's senses, encourage exploration, support teething and help develop baby's fine and gross motor skills.
We spoke to these real parent testers to get their review...
How did this product make your life easier?
Suzy Grey says: It is so compact to store and easy to stand up to make ready for playing it saves time when parenting one handed. The transportability is ideal as you can quickly fold it down and put it into the car or buggy to take on a day out (without taking up too much space or weight). My baby loves playing with it, which buys me more time to get other household chores done, knowing he will be happily playing.
Pippa Hunt says: Whilst my baby is playing with the “fold & go” at home I am able to carry out some simple tasks like making and preparing food, doing some housework or even answering emails! When out and about this toy can make a Mum's life simple because it keeps a bored baby entertained and occupied. When out and about, I am able to easily transport this toy and unfold it ready for my baby to play with. Sometimes as a Mum you need to catch up with family and have conversations which are not centred around the baby, and because my baby is happy and occupied during playing with this toy I can have a bit of ‘me time’. This toy has been particularly helpful during lockdown as when keeping in line with current social distancing measures and guidelines, trying to keep a baby entertained on a picnic mat outdoors has been challenging – until I took this product with me and my baby was no longer bored! More importantly, this toy makes my baby happy which makes me feel relaxed and satisfied as a mother.
Lindsay James says: We’ve found this gym so handy to be positioned over a play mat or bouncy chair indoors and out, and the fact it’s foldable will come in especially useful out visiting family, when the time comes. I love that it folds away really small so I can put it away in the evenings when I tidy up and take back my space
Would you recommend this product to other parents?
Taiba Javaid says: The design is over all very exciting for little ones as theirs very bright colours and lots of varying shapes and textures. It is easy to clean and this helps with hygiene which is really important. Its light and easy to transport, I would recommend this to other mums. The quality is evident and everything feels robust.
Annique Jeffrey says: The product is so neat and compact. I’m a sucker for a space saver and when you live in very tight small quarters, coming across a product like this that folds away neatly is a god send. It’s portability is also a key appealing factor and the fact that it is made from a durable plastic means that it is easy to clean and can be used outdoors as well as indoors.
Ellie Johnson says: I would recommend this to a mum friend. It is bright and colourful with several objects and play toys on it for my baby to look at. My baby likes to lye underneath and look up at the toys but we also put him in his little chair so he can sit up and look at the toys from a different angle. It's also great as you can take the toys off and take them out with you on day trips or in the car. It's so easy to fold to make it transportable and easy to put in the car without taking up any room.
Would you choose this product above all others on the market?
Jessica Johnson says: I would choose it for an easy toy that can be put away and got out very quickly - a simple, easy toy. It stands out for these reasons. Simple, fun and colourful. I haven’t seen another play gym that can be transported so easily. It is full of plastic, I quite like wooden toys but that’s the only thing I am unsure about.
Suzy Grey says: YES. I can say that confidently having used it in lots of different environments and locations. We have taken it on two holidays and around to a friends house when we had a garden meet up. The folding legs (and therefore is compact nature) makes it the best of the bunch. We have other similar products that do not meet up to this standard or versatility.
Pippa Hunt says: I think I would choose this product above others on the market because of how easy and versatile it is. I just love that it is so lightweight and easy to use. You really can “fold & go” and it is easy to carry about with you. Also, because my baby genuinely loves playing with it! I also like that it is very easy to clean quickly and keep bacteria and virus free, which has been extremely poignant recently. I feel reassured that my baby is playing with a safe toy. Lots of other products on the market, and household toys, are made of fabric which is not easy to clean quickly. The colours are bright and contrasting and the toys have different colours, sounds and textures to entertain my baby whilst developing her new skills. Furthermore, the loopholes are wide enough to fit other toys into. I think this product should win because it does what it promises and is a fair price! It makes your life easier as a Mum and sometimes this is what we need – ease and no complications
What changes would you make to this product?
Lindsay James says: I think it could probably do with some more interactive features, such as a light up toy, or musical toy or something else sensory, the teething toys seem a bit useless for the gym as it’s all about building thousands all important hand eye coordination skills, I’ve been using a bell toy on it and it works perfectly, it wouldn’t be very costly for the company to add this themselves.
Taliba Javaid says: If I could change one thing it would be having a compact carry case and mat as part of this design, although it has a good handle, keeping things together can be a bit difficult as some of the velcro on a few toys started getting a bit ineffective and so a case would reduce the potential for loss. Having a mat would also be helpful as it would make the portable nature of this even better.
Annique Jeffrey says: I would probably add an adjustable height frame to make it more suited from newborn and I would probably look to add a sensory toy that moves, makes sounds and maybe one that even has a light on it. Just so that babies from birth can benefit from it making it even more of a useful product. I would probably also choose different shades of colours but I understand that this can be difficult to get right and may even be down to personal taste, when you are trying to make a unisex product.