We received a sample of the product reviewed below in order to facilitate the review. All opinions are 100% our own.
I think there’s a reason that it takes 9 months to have a baby. Lately I have been feeling like I need at least that amount of time (if not more) to get ready for Baby Boy to arrive in October. Not only do we have a nursery to get ready, but then there’s the BABY GEAR. Fortunately, we saved almost everything that we used when Lily Bean was a tiny tot. Most of it is still in great shape – it hasn’t expired or deteriorated and will be ready to go come fall.
Among all of the gear that we recently pulled out of storage was a traditional playard that came with a bassinet insert. This will more than likely have a permanent spot in our bedroom and will be baby’s first bed before moving him to his crib.
That left me searching for a “playard that was JUST A PLAYARD” to keep downstairs and have on hand for traveling. I didn’t need any sort of bassinet insert or anything that plays music, vibrates, etc. A bonus would be to have a larger space for baby to play in or rest – similar to the traditional play pen. There are a few advantages to having a playard on hand – the most notable ones for me would be keeping the baby off the ground (where we and the cats walk all day) and safely corralled in one spot.
Years ago we discovered Joovy after my sister purchased one of their strollers and continued to talk up a storm about it. We borrowed her stroller during our first trip to Disney and I don’t think we were home for 24 hours before we bought one for Lily. It’s got a great design, Lily is quite comfortable in it and I love (LOVE) that they are a family-run, American-based company.
My search for a playard ended when I found the Joovy Moon Room. Available in several colors (black, gray, purple), the Moon Room has a whopping 10+ square feet of floor space for baby to sleep or play.
I could not wait to check this thing out!
Like a true, traditional playard the Moon Room is extremely portable. It comes in a travel bag and took up about the same amount of space in our car as our Pack ‘n Play.
When you go to set up the Moon Room for the first time, you’ll notice how compact it is. For such a large playard it folds up to a fraction of its assembled size.
I despise trying to keep setup and installation manuals when I buy new products (baby-related or not) so one thing that caught my eye immediately was that the Moon Room comes with easy setup directions RIGHT ON THE PRODUCT ITSELF. You can send this thing to even the least-mechanically-inclined babysitter and chances are pretty good that it will be set up correctly.
In less than 2 minutes, we had the playard itself set up and ready for the mattress pad. I know that I sound redundant, but I was so pleased with the sheer size of the Moon Room. It seemed huge! Not only will baby have a large play/sleep area inside the Moon Room, the product itself did not take up a large portion of our room. In fact, it tucked nicely in the corner of our kitchen and in our living room as well.
Each Joovy Moon Room comes with one (1) 100% cotton fitted sheet (additional sheets are available for purchase).
Here is a look at the finished product:
I am so pleased with this product. I knew that I liked the look of it on their website, but it’s even more impressive in person.
Here’s a summary of what we thought:
What we loved –
1. Large play/sleep space
2. Sturdy design will ensure years of use
3. EASY set up and break down
4. Very portable – perfect for use at home and travel
5. Eye-catching – in short, the Moon Room looks nice when it’s set up in our house. Some baby gear just looks like clutter – this thing really looks sharp!
6. No assembly required – this product is literally ready to use out-of-the-box
What we might change –
1. More color selection for the Moon Room
2. More color (or pattern) selection for the fitted sheet
3. Lighter design – weighing almost 28 pounds, the Moon Room is heavy but not impossible to lift and carry when packed up in the travel bag. If you travel a lot and are looking for something lighter, check out the Joovy Room Ultralight which only weighs 21.5 pounds.
The Joovy Moon Room retails for $219.99.
The Moon Room is ideal for infants up to children 35″ tall.
Where to purchase Joovy Products: http://www.joovy.com