Guava Family Lotus Everywhere Crib

If simplicity is your M.O., you will love the Guava Family Lotus Everywhere Crib. It is light enough for my small frame to pack it, unpack it, and move it with ease—and it’s tool-free. It takes 30 seconds to take down and put back up. There are two main pieces besides the bag that it goes in for travel, so there’s not much to forget about or confuse when assembling. And speaking of travel, guess what? It is carry-on size, which is super handy if you’re hopping on and off planes routinely. The understated sleekness really appeals to my husband who was worried about another piece of needed gear that would take over the whole room.
I think this is a great piece if you are on the go a lot. We are frequently back and forth between our house and our in-laws’, so we love having something this easy and basic. Some other great features include that one side can be unzipped and therefore exposed for playtime on ground level, allowing easy access and more fun. And whether zipped or not, I can see our little boy from every side since the cover is made from a breathable, safe material—no phthalates, lead or other bad guys to worry you. The cover can be washed, hung to dry and maintained easily, and the pad that lies in the bottom is equally easy to take out and wipe down as necessary.
With the ease of use, we can take this to the park, to friends’ homes, families’ homes, or pretty much wherever without feeling like a nuisance. The only place I probably would not want to take it is wet or sandy environments due to sand getting in the joints of the frame or rust occurring in the metal components.
We plan to use this for a while since the manual recommends it for children up to 35 inches or (or until he or she can climb out on his or her own). There are no weight restrictions since it sits directly on the floor. And, as with most products, the manufacturer recommends never leaving a child unattended or left with extra blankets, toys, pillows or extras that could prove dangerous; and the company is emphatic about using their mattress exclusively in order to avoid hazards that could lead to suffocating.
If you want a mounted changing pad or dangling toys, this is not the product for you. What makes this product great for us is its simplicity. The natural comparison is a Pack N Play, which can be the same cost or less depending on which model you choose. The main differences are that there are added gadgets on the Pack N Play, it doesn’t sit on the ground, and although the width is greater, the length is a few inches shorter than the Lotus, which factors into how long your child can comfortably nap in this portable crib.
In our little family, we also have three canine children. The Lotus is not to be shared with pets, so once we established boundaries in their little dog brains, we were good to go.

The manual goes over all of this and is a mere 8 pages long (it’s mostly pictures), which is a dream for a girl (or guy) who hates to read directions. And I do recommend reading the directions. This product is super easy to use, but it’s so clever that you can outthink yourself and make it more difficult than necessary. Take the 30 seconds to ingest these pages first.
You can check out this product out Guava Family’s website at for all kinds of information. They have a neat video that lets you see exactly how easy it is to use for everyday situations as well. There you will also find some cool accessories to help with creating shade and keeping mosquitoes and other blood-sucking pests away from your child. These accessories come in all colors, so if you find the simple grey, black, and white of the Lotus to be a bit drab, you can brighten its décor with one of these options. In addition the manufacturer has a great return policy for the first two weeks
So do I like it? Yes! And if portable and simple is your language, you will too.
Price: $190
To buy: guavafamily.com