As your baby grows, you will need to invest in a good playpen or play yard. This is an important piece of baby equipment that ensures safety, while allowing your baby plenty of room to move around inside. Playpens are useful both, inside the house when you have work to attend to, or outside.

These are some tips for buying a playpen:

• Make safety your primary consideration while choosing a playpen. Ensure that the playpen you buy is certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), or Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC).
• Consider your requirements first and select a design that offers the features you need.
• Buy a design with removable sheets or mesh sides to facilitate easy cleaning.
• Ensure that the playpen you buy is easy to set up or fold back.

Here are some additional features:

• Bassinet: Some playpens have built-in bassinets in their design. They can be removed once the baby grows a little bigger.
• Crib: This feature allows you to convert the playpen into a crib during the night.
• Shade: This is important to protect your baby from the sun while outdoors.
• Changing table: This is especially useful while traveling.