Top Equipment: Baby bed

Staying away from home even a few days is a new experience for any child, and on our extended trip, we reasoned that having the same bed with us every night could give at least one point of familiarity to counter the strangeness of new surroundings.
Before purchasing, we looked at different mattresses, but eventually fixed on a mini-tent design (to decrease the chance of rolling out, as our baby was only 1-year old at the time) We looked at many different types of bed, and finally narrowed the search to these types:



Kidco Peapod


The advantage here seems to be the UV-resistant material and the low, stable design, and positive comments from other reviewers.
Negative points are its weight (2kg/4,5lbs) and its size – even packed up, it’s apparently like a huge, thick Frisbee. We were backpacking, and needed to minimise the size and weight, but for those travelling by car, this seems like a good choice.

Open Dimensions: 121.92cm x 76.2cm x 45.72cm (48"L x 30"W x 18"H)
Storage Bag Dimensions: 35.56cm x 12.7cm x 35.56cm (14"L x 5"W x 14"H )
Weight: 2 kg /4.5 lbs
Cost: Roughly $55 US or £36 GB or €42,7

but updated prices  are here on Amazon: KidCo PeaPod Portable Travel Bed - Periwinkle

See the Kidco company description here:

And here are some reviews from users: Reviews 1 Reviews 2

Samsonite pop up bubble travel cot
This was a similar concept of a pop-up tent for babies with a mattress inside. Its advantages are the all-over mosquito netting and lack of any hard elements to bump into. Also the size and shape of the packed up bed, and that the mattress is really a thick linen pad, so there is nothing to pump up. This is best suited for small babies, as more mobile ones may succeed in moving the whole bed. (we simply bolstered it with backpacks and had no more problems. The mattress could also be disadvantageous, as it the baby sleeps directly on it, and the Velcro straps which hold it in place make it difficult to wrap it in any type of sheet. One could cut some holes in a baby bed sheet, but we never bothered, so after 2 years of intermittent use, it is looking a little used now. Really the size and weight sold us on this product. Unpacked it is exactly the right size for babies up to about 18 months.

Open Dimensions: 100cm L x 60cm W x 72cm H (40"L x 24"W x 28"H)
Storage Bag Dimensions: 60cm x 30cm x 15cm (23"L x 11,8"W x 5,9"H)
Weight: approx 1kg
Cost: Roughly $49 US or £45 GB or €38

Not everyone agrees though: Mixed reviews 1, mixed reviews 2
Ok, I have just offered my personal views of the ones I really investigated. For a more cool-headed approach try Suite101.