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I don’t have babies anymore but I am a mom of 3 and was a daycare provider for infants as well as a nanny for many years before having children of my own. I understand the value of well made baby gear. Graco has a handful of new products this year that were designed to grow along with baby and make new parent’s lives a little bit easier. The first product is the Graco Pack ‘n Play Playard Nearby Napper.
I remember putting together my Graco Pack ‘n Play for my son over 7 years ago when I was pregnant and preparing to be a first time mom. It didn’t have quite as many bells and whistles as this new version but it was one of the most used baby items we purchased. Not only that, but the quality of the product ensured we were able to use it through two more babies! In fact, we still own it and use it when friends come to visit and need a quiet place for their babies to nap.
The basic design of the Pack ‘n Play hasn’t changed much, if at all. It’s super easy to set up and take down and comes with a zippered bag that makes it easy to travel with. We used ours for everything from overnight hotel stays to camping and day visits to family or friend’s houses. One end of the Pack ‘n Play has wheels which makes it easy to move from room to room without collapsing it. It’s just the right size to be able to fit through standard doorways too!
The new Graco Nearby Napper comes with a cozy removable nest bassinet with vibration to soothe baby, a portable seat that becomes an elevated rocker and an automatic mobile to keep baby entertained and a changing station for easier diaper changes. All of these are great for newborns and give you different options for resting places. Newborns sleep a LOT so it’s nice to be able to lay them down in different spots around the house so they are always nearby.
For the first four months we kept the Pack ‘n Play next to our bed so that I could nurse in middle of the night without have to really get up. There is a raised bassinet feature that keeps baby closer to the top of the Pack ‘n Play so you don’t have to bend all the way down to pick baby up from the bottom. It’s awesome for the first few months and is super easy to remove when it’s no longer needed. It just snaps on and off the sides of the Pack ‘n Play and uses the same mattress.
Other features include:
- Music and nature sounds and a look light allows check-ins both in playard and in portable seat
- Push button folding for quick and easy packing
- Geometric print in kelly green, grey and white
This is what it looked like before I put it together. The piece in the far back is what it looks like folded up for travel but it has a nice zippered bag to protect it. For the most part, putting this thing together was really easy. For some reason I had a little bit of trouble with the napper. I just couldn’t get the parts to go together correctly. Since I was frustrated, I set it aside and came back to it a few days later. Of course, it went right together! I’m not sure why I couldn’t get it the first time!
I was glad I was able to get it together because this part is really cool. It’s reversible! With a single button you can flip the seat over for a bassinet style mini-bed. The legs and mobile stay in place. Use the vibration feature to help calm and soothe baby. This part is new to me as our old Pack ‘n Play did not have one of these — it would have been so useful in those early days!
The Graco Pack ‘n Play Playard Nearby Napper retails for around $250.
Next is the SwiviSeat Highchair. I can hardly believe how easy this highchair is to use and the ease of adjustment as baby grows. The straps are adjustable from teeny tiny to toddler size.
The seat reclines for new eaters with a single button that you can control with one hand. Similarly, the seat can be moved 360 degrees in any direction so that baby can always be facing the action. The tray can be operated with one hand too, an important factor when choosing a high chair! It features a removable dishwasher safe tray, and a wipeable and machine washable seat pad for easy clean up.
Want baby at your level? There are 7 height level adjustments to make feeding baby comfortable for you! The footrest has three different positions, just slide it out and move it to the level that is most comfortable for your child.
The legs of the highchair fold easily for convenient storage. Adjusting this highchair couldn’t get much easier.
Neither could assembling it. Pictured are the pieces. It was a snap to put together in just a couple of minutes. I could have easily done it without using the directions. The Swiviseat features the same fabric (Trinidad) as the Pack ‘N Play which is stylish and gender neutral — something I looked for when purchasing baby gear since I knew I’d want to use things again for future babies.
The SwiviSeat retails for around $200.
Learn more about the SwiviSeat and Pack ‘n Play Nearby Napper at Gracobaby.com.
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A complimentary product/service was provided for this review, however, all opinions expressed are my own. I was not compensated in any other way. See Mommies With Cents disclosure policy for more details.
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