Before I started shopping around for a playpen-type unit, one mother kept telling me, “You need a Pack ‘n Play.” “Buy a Pack ‘n Play.” “The Graco Pack ‘n Play is the best.” So I decided to check it out. I found one at a garage sale for $25, but it was so dirty I wouldn’t put my cat in it, much less a human baby. Then, I found one at my local Wal-Mart. Here’s my Cosco Juvenile Funsport Play Yard vs. Graco Pack ‘n Play review.
Intro
One thing about Graco I’m sure many mothers like, is that the company makes a variety of play yards you can choose from. I didn’t do an extensive search, but I only found two types of Cosco play yards. But, that didn’t bother me. The one I found at Wal-Mart was perfect for my needs.
Price and Availability
The Graco Pack ‘n Play that was very similar to the brand and model I bought cost $80.00. I thought that was quite a price to pay for a play pen that could only be used until your baby reached a weight of 20 or 30 pounds. The Cosco brand play yard I ended up buying only cost $40- a whopping 50% less! After the baby outgrows it, I figure I can sell it for $20. – 25. at a garage sale, so it’s going to end up costing me $15. – $20. What a deal!
I found the Cosco Juvenile Funsport Play Yard at Wal-Mart and K-Mart. It’s also available through Amazon.com, Target, Sears, Toys ‘R Us, Meijer, JC Penney and Kohl’s, that I know of.
Product Features
If you saw the Graco Pack ‘n Play and the Cosco Juvenile Funsport Play Yard side-by-side like I did, they look quite similar. That is, they’re both rectangular playpen-style units with mesh sides connected to an aluminum frame. There’s a pad for the bottom of the play yard to protect your little one from the metal cross bars underneath. When I felt the Graco pad, I was astonished to feel a flimsy, vinyl covered pad that probably only contains a thin sheet of foam. When I grabbed the pad in the Cosco Juvenile Funsport Play Yard, I was pleased to feel wood or some sort of hard material, in that one, along with a cushy material. That meant my baby wouldn’t feel the metal support bars under him, only the soft pad. That feature right there made me a believer in the design of the Cosco model.
Other features of the Funsport Play Yard and the Graco Pack ‘n Play include wheels on one end so you can easily move them across the room, or even from room to room.
Ease of Use
The company states that setting up the Funsport Play Yard takes less than sixty seconds. And they’re right! All you do is grab a tab in the center of the bottom and pull up. All four sides raise up and lock into place. I check them to make sure they are locked, though, as sometimes a side needs a little help. Then, place the padded bottom in, and it’s ready for use.
To take the play yard down, remove the pad and simply push the white buttons on each side and they’ll release. Slide the Cosco Juvenile Funsport Play Yard into its carrying bag, wrap the pad around it, and you’re ready to go with baby! There’s also an accessory bag for baby’s needs included in the box. Or, you can store the folded up play yard easily under a bed.
The Graco Pack ‘n Play works the same way.
Weight Limits
Both play yards can be used for infants less than 35″ tall and under 30 pounds. Once your infant can pull him/herself up, for safety reasons, you’re not supposed to use either unit anymore.
Warranties
The Cosco Juvenile Funsport Play Yard has a standard one-year warranty. I believe the Graco Pack ‘n Play does as well. You can contact the company and buy a replacement pad if need be.
Recalls
I couldn’t find any recent recalls on either of these Cosco or Graco brand play yards. At least on these certain models, that is. There was a recall in 2003 for the Graco play yards with the raised changing table. It posed a strangulation hazard which sadly took the life of a thirteen-month-old girl. Some of the Cosco “Zip ‘n Go”, “Okie Dokie” and “Carters” playpens were recalled in 2001 because of faulty locking tabs on the rails. An eleven-month-old boy died when his chest became stuck when the play yard collapsed.
