1. Lightweight - make sure that the bed is light enough to carry. When you are travelling with your baby think about strategies to keep your load light. One way to do this is to buy a travel bed that is light. It should certainly weigh less than 2 pounds or under 800 grams. The lighter the better.



2. Packs down to a small size. If you are planning on travelling on an airplane or maybe thinking of a Caribbean cruise vacation, or even if it is just an overnite trip to grandma's house you'll want a bed that compacts to a small size when packed. There are beds on the market that are 12 inches in diameter (40 cm.) or less and they often come with their own carrying pack.

3. Simple setup process. Imagine now you arrive at your vacation spot, you are tired, your baby is tired - and all you want to do is quickly get the bed setup without any complications. Look for a infant travel bed that has a simple one step process for setting up (should be done in less than 10 seconds) and a simple process for folding back down again when you are finished with it. Also, the setup and the process of putting the bed away should easily be done by one person.

4. Side panels that both protect your baby and allow easy access. The top item to consider when choosing your infant travel bed is making sure that you can easily and quickly get to your baby when you need to. Look for a bed that has side panels that both protect your baby while they are sleeping and at the same time the side panels can be opened with ease to allow for quick access to the baby.

5. Comfortable for baby. The bed that you purchase should be constructed of mesh side walls/panels that will be strong enough to keep the baby safe in their bed, and they provide a natural cross-flow of air so that when your baby is napping they will be comfortable.

6. Bed liner. The liner in your bed should be padded so that your baby will be comfortable when in the bed. There will be times when you'll need to be able to clean the liner and that may needed to be done when you are traveling. For easy cleaning make sure that the liner is easily removed.

7. Product guarantee. Your travel bed should be useful for all of your babies. Make sure that the bed that you purchase has at least a 5 year warranty - there are some beds on the market that have a life time guarantee. The store or online site that you buy from is also important. If your purchase turns out to be not the right choice for you, make sure that their return policy will allow you to return the item without any hassles.