Perfect for parents with limited space, the Venture All Stars Joy provides little ones with a safe spacious environment to play and have fun. And when playtime is over, the baby playpen can be collapsed and popped easily in a corner or cupboard.
Venture's Joy is wipe clean and strong enough to survive many rigourous playtime. Its toughness doesn't make it any less comfortable though, all of the fabrics are soft enough for shuffling little legs and feet. It also won gold in our 2023 Mother and Baby Awards in the Best Safety Product category.
Overview of the Venture All Stars JOY Baby Playpen
Pros
Spacious safe space
Easy to set up
Neutral design
Cons
Takes up a lot of space
Not much padding
Testing the Venture All Stars JOY Baby Playpen
When your baby gets to that stage where they want to be here there and everywhere and their crawling speed would give Usain Bolt a run for his money, then a safe place to pop them while you're cooking dinner or working is essential.
Our mum testers loved the Venture All Stars JOY Baby Playpen for this, and they found they used this playpen on a daily basis.
One tester said, "My little one loved the playpen - he can be incredibly fussy and doesn’t like to be left alone for too long, but the netted sides and peekaboo hole meant he never felt that mum and dad were too far away. I loved how big the playpen was as it meant I could fit lots of his toys in there to keep him busy while I could get on with my mummy duties."
It was also popular for outdoor use during the summer months, and our testers loved how it gave their tot some protection from the sun.
Another tester said, "I have used the product both inside the house and also outside during the heatwave with my 12 month old. I love the fact it has a zip flap for baby to go in and out of when they want to but also can be closed when you need them to maintain in the play pen. The design is lovely and looks great in the home. My baby loved playing in it and found the padded base really beneficial especially when using it outside. My baby loves the mesh sides and putting her face and hands on them and playing peek a boo. Using the product during the heatwave was great as I was able to be outside and play with my little one whilst keeping her in the shade."
The neutral design was also a big hit with parents, and they loved how this could suit any interior. Some however did worry about getting stains out of the light fabric. All our testers were big fans of the excellent quality and feel of this playpen – something you don't always get with these kinds of products.
"The item feels well made and high quality. I really like the fact it is an understated grey colour rather than lurid colours with garish patterns. Other than being quite large, it wouldn't be a huge eye sore if you are bothered about the aesthetics of your home. The material is wipeable and is also entirely removable so that it can be machine washed - I think this is invaluable. Size-wise, it is quite large and it is pretty heavy too (15kg), which is worth bearing in mind. Although it comes with a handy carry bag with strap I wouldn't really describe it as portable due to its bulk and weight."
Talking of its size, many of our mums would have loved a smaller option, as although the pen was nice and spacious for baby, it did take up quite a lot of floor space in the house.
One of our mum testers commented, "To improve this product possible options could be to have different size options as it is quite a large play pen which may not be suitable for all homes. Also there could be pockets or hooks on the play pen to be able to attach or store toys in for baby’s who are non mobile to look at from above however I am really happy with it and feel these are just added extras to think about."
Despite the large size, our parent testers loved how easy it was to put up and put down and it stored away nicely in smaller spaces when not in use.
"The playpen comes in a handy carrying bag with strap. Once out of that, it was extremely easy to open up and was ready to be used in a matter of seconds. It is a hexagonal design which springs open, with mesh sides (improves visibility and ventilation). The base is a soft/padded material. A zip in one panel means you (or your toddler/baby) can get in and out if needed. My 15 month old was very happy to play in the playpen with some toys while I was close by."
Final thoughts
While you might not need this product until your baby is confidently moving about, our mums found this an essential if they wanted to get anything done around the house without having to worry about their baby.
It gave testers the peace of mind that us parents are constantly in need of, and it provided a very comfortable and safe space for baby to play.
As the play pen is rather spacious, it is worth having a good check of the dimensions and your room size before purchasing, just to make sure it will fit comfortably in your home.
Full product specs
Dimensions L: 136 x W: 136 x H: 75 cm
Floor area: 1.4 Square Meters
Maximum height: 95 cm
Maximum weight: 15 kg
Item weight 6 kg