They are only 6 months old and they are already breaking. The seams at the bottom that supports the mattress has a 4 inch hole I found today. The sad thing is the kids that I had in them were all under a year so these really weren't even used hard.

So long story short, they have to go. I am trying to decide if I want to go with a better brand of pack n play (suggestions welcome) or mini cribs. I am having a hard time though with the new laws going into effect finding any in stock. Also how do I know for sure before I buy them if they are compliant?

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Check to see if they are still under warranty before you toss them.

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I contacted customer service today, I am waiting for a response but I can't put a baby in on Monday and I don't think they will resolve it that fast. I wish I would have bought them at costco, returns there are so easy.

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Where did you buy them? You should still have your receipt that you saved for taxes. If you bought them somewhere like Target, WalMart, or ToysRUs, they may exchange them for you.

I wouldn't volunteer that you use them in a business setting, though.

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Unfortunately this is becoming more and more common. The equipment now is really being made for short term single kid use.

I really encourage providers to check equipment diligently. If the rip is four inches now there is a good chance it's been going on for a while.

One trick we use for playpens is to turn them over on their side and crawl into them. The angle you have when you are right in the playpen allows you to see all the seams a lot closer than leaning over it. Once in, we run our fingers over the seams. Just feeling the seams with your fingertips can really help in identifying flaws.

I have poor vision so I've had to adapt by trying different techniques to get the best visual. The crawl in and inspect technique works best for me. Also, if you can catch the first wear on the seams often you can repair them by stitching them.

When kids find a flaw in the stitching or netting they will dedicate their every waking moment to picking at it and tearing it. Even little babies will be able to do that.

I hope someone comes along and gives you an idea for a replacement one that is high quality and not shallow in inside depth. I haven't bought regular pnp's for so many years, I couldn't tell you what the best current one is.

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I'm glad you made this post. I also need to purchase 2 pack n plays so I can open daycare soon. I want matching ones, yet am having difficulty deciding. Do I purchase new? Do I purchase used from someone with twins? Do I spend a lot of buy the cheap $30 pack n plays from Walmart? LOL

I would LOVE to buy mini cribs as they are so darn cute and not badly priced, but I must keep my budget in mind as we're buying a house.

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I don't know what regulations you have but I buy used off Craigslist. I have gotten nice Graco ones and the like for as cheap as $20 with all the accessories (which I don't need but still). I did have a DCG rip a hole through one but the rest have held up well.

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Can you use Peapods? They are GREAT! I had to get one for a little escape artist who kept vaulting out of her PNP even though she was the tiniest thing in the world. She absolutely LOVED her "nap tent". I just made sure I pulled all of the zipper pulls out so she couldn't unzip it herself. She had the Peapod Plus, which is bigger. Also a cinch to twist up and fold.

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I use mini cribs and they're still in perfect condition after almost four years of use. Just make sure they aren't the drop-sided ones (like I bought). I had to send for the hardware to make sure they were in compliance.

Oh, and you can look on Amazon. They have mini cribs in the $125.00 to $175.00 range. You may not have the money to replace them all right now, but maybe you could replace one at a time?

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I too am tired of repairing my pnp's. I am going to buy one of these at a time as I can afford it. They are small, fit thru doorways etc and fold flat for storage.

They are called "Delta" and meet all the new safety requirements. About the same size as a pnp

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I just bought two of those. I put one together the other day, and it suits my needs well. It folds up easily and stands upright against a wall, so super easy for storing. I love the cherry wood because it looks good in my living room. The size of the cribs make it simple for me to roll them into the garage in the evening. The only thing I don't like about it is the mattress....covered in cheap vinyl, thin and flimsy. I am going to buy new mattresses this evening.

When I get the 2nd crib set up and set up my space I'll try to post a pic.

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Crystal can you give me the depth on the inside of it from the top of the mattress to the lowest point in the crib horizontal railing? Do you have to buy specific mattresses to fit flush side to side? Do you guys have mattress thickness regs?

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We do. pnp's only just meet our state regs for the distance between the top of the mattress and the top of the pnp. I hate that because the pads in pnp are almost useless, but a thicker pad makes it out of regs. These portable cribs have a 1" mattress. I'll put a thicker one IF I can when I get them.

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It's only 22" deep. I will only use it until the infant is a year old, and then they lay on nap mats. I'd prefer it deeper, but it meets my needs. I couldn't find a mattress at the store today, so I will have to order on-line. The information that came with the crib has the specifications for the size of mattress. Licensing doesn't have any specific regs on crib mattresses thickness that I am aware of.....I would have to double check that though. The mattress that came with it is only 1"....I want thicker, so that will make the depth from the rail to the mattress even less.

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The three centers I'm consulting with now want help finding the best quality for the best price. Two have kids in it unti one. The other goes a bit longer than that.

I think we have a two inch regulation for centers but I will have to recheck that. I remember when the owner of one of the centers purchased her last set she bought mattresses because the ones that came with it were thin and thin vinyl.

This crib change is going to really hurt the centers bottom line next year. When you are buying 150 of them it is going to hit hard.

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I bought a bunch from Walmart years ago, and they are awesome, but are no longer made. It's definitely time for me to replace them though.

I bought a few of the $40 ones at Walmart, and they are HORRID.... they do. Not. Close. Once you open it, you can't even fold it and put it away. The mesh is rough and cheap.

I bought a very large one from Craigslist, and it's my best one yet. So, I think in a month or so, I'm going to start looking on Craigslist for two more.

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What brand did you buy?

I just bought three of these and I am pretty happy with them.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Graco-Pack...hford/14707380

I would never buy a pack-n-play that wasn't Graco. I am replacing three Graco's that are all about 10 years old, only because one of my 4 year olds decided to cut the mesh on all three with a scissors.

The three that I am replacing were folded up on a daily basis before the daycare moved to the basement. For the last 5 years they have been up continuously in the nap room and used daily.

I went back and forth on the Delta's that Meeko mentioned, but I could get three for the price of one when I found the pnp's.

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They were Cosco brand. I'll look at the gracos this weekend. I need to start buying a few before school starts.

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