I don’t know about you, but when my daughter transitioned from her crib to her big bed, I wasn’t quite sure what traveling would look like. She had slept in a pack ‘n play until that point and she still moved around a lot while sleeping, so I wasn’t ready to just stick her in a hotel or Airbnb bed. And packing her bed railings didn’t seem to make sense.

I was made aware of this portable toddler bed rail bumper, however  I also really wanted my daughter to keep sleeping in the SlumberPod, if at all possible, as the SlumberPod is the perfect blackout solution when traveling with babies and toddlers – plus it allows your little one to have their own sleep space, even when room sharing! I also wasn’t ready to make sure our hotel rooms had an extra bed for her or that our vacation rentals had a spare room for her just yet, and the SlumberPod gives us that flexibility!

So in this blog post I’m going to share the best portable toddler mattresses I have found, as well as:

• Which portable toddler mattresses we have personally used
• Which portable toddler mattresses fit inside the SlumberPod
• The pros and cons of each portable mattress

And more!

Portable Toddler Travel Beds We Have Used

Millard Portable Toddler Travel Nap Mat

The Millard Portable Toddler Travel Nap Mat is definitely my favorite of the two we’ve used! I was looking for something that would keep my little mover contained while she slept, wouldn’t spring a leak, and could fit in the SlumberPod.

The first time we tried this toddler travel bed was when we took our first family camping trip and it was perfect! We didn’t need any outlets to blow up an air mattress and I knew my daughter wouldn’t feel like she was sleeping on the ground. And again, it kept her contained as the four of us slept in a tent together.

Pros

• It is not inflatable, so you don’t have to worry about it leaking.
• This nap mat is enclosed on all four sides so it helps keep your wiggly toddler contained all the more.
• It comes with a fitted sheet and it’s very easy to put that sheet on (a standard crib sheet fits on it, too).
• It’s easy to take apart and clean, in case your little one is sick or has an accident (we had to learn this one the hard way).
• It fits under the SlumberPod (which is a must for me right now!).

Cons

• It’s big – definitely not compact! If you’re traveling and have limited space, this probably isn’t your answer. It does squish, so you could stuff it in your trunk and put things on top of it, but it still takes up a good amount of space.
• It’s hit or miss when trying to purchase it from Amazon – checkout Overstock if you’re having trouble purchasing one!

The Shrunks Toddler Travel Bed

The Shrunks Toddler Travel Bed is the first toddler travel bed we bought and we were fairly pleased! I was looking for something with sides that would fit under the SlumberPod, and it checks both of those boxes.

Pros

• It has two inflatable sides to help keep your little one contained.
• It’s very easy to get a fitted crib sheet on and off – you can “untuck” the actual mattress part to put a sheet on.
• It is fairly compact and therefore much easier to travel with. We checked it in our luggage when we flew this winter and it was great!
• It fits in the SlumberPod! You have to slightly stretch the SlumberPod material over the ends, but it in no way over-stretches the material and still works really well.

Cons

• It’s inflatable, so like any air mattress, it could spring a leak. Ours did, in fact, get a leak after the first use on one of the inflatable “guard rails,” so while the part our daughter was sleeping on was still filled, the sides to keep her contained had deflated, so she rolled right off. (This travel toddler bed does come with a repair kit, so my husband was thankfully able to find and fix the leak.)

Intex Kids Travel Bed Set

We recently traveled to visit a friend and she had all of the sleep gear we needed for our girls ready to go at her house when we got there, including the Intex Kids Travel Bed Set…such a gift!

Pros

• The mattress piece can be completely separated from the sides, which means if the travel bed springs a leak, it won’t deflate the entire set, just one piece. You could also just use the mattress piece without the sides if you wanted to.
• It’s bigger than the standard toddler travel mattress, so it will grow with your child.

Cons

• The mattress is too big for a standard crib sheet, but too small for a fitted twin sheet, so you have to get a bit more creative.
• It does not fit in the SlumberPod, so you’d still want to make sure the room where your child is sleeping is nice and dark!

Other Popular Portable Toddler Mattresses

I have not personally tried or seen any of these portable toddler mattresses, however they are listed on the SlumberPod website as fitting in the SlumberPod, so I checked them out and give my perceived pros and cons list below!

Regalo My Cot Portable Toddler Bed

The Regalo My Cot Portable Toddler Bed looks like a cot toddlers might nap on at daycare or preschool, raised from the ground by about one foot or so.

Pros

• It is lightweight and is very compact to pack up.
• It comes with a fitted sheet.
• It is not an air mattress so won’t spring a leak!
• It fits in the SlumberPod!

Cons

• This portable toddler bed does not have any side railings for kids who move a lot.
• Though I have not tried this product for myself, the material looks similar to that of a camping chair and it does not seem to be very comfortable.

Baby Delight Go With Me Bungalow Deluxe Portable Travel Cot

The Baby Delight Go With Me Bungalow Portable Travel Cot is similar to the Regalo cot described above, however it’s more enclosed.

Pros

• 3/4 of the cot is enclosed, so there’s less concern of your child falling off the bed.
• It comes with a removable canopy, so this travel cot is a fun option for outdoor time with with your little one, as well.
• It folds up to be quite compact.
• It’s not an air mattress, so there’s no concern of a leak.
• It fits in the SlumerPod!

Cons

• It does not look like the most comfortable material to sleep on, in my opinion; similar to that of a camping chair.

Conclusion

Is a portable toddler travel mattress necessary for your toddler to sleep well while you’re traveling? Absolutely not! If you’re traveling somewhere that has an extra bed, or is easy to put railings on to keep your child safe, absolutely go for it!

But if you’re struggling to find an in-between option because your child has outgrown their pack ‘n play and having an extra bed while you’re traveling isn’t always an option, these portable travel mattresses are perfect for you!

And the extra cherry on top is that some still fit in the SlumberPod so you don’t have to worry about darkness!

For more tips when it comes to traveling with kids, check out our comprehensive travel sleep guide! The guide includes tips for car travel, hotel stays, time zone changes, what to do when sleep is hard, how to adjust back home, etc, to help you feel confident traveling with your kids.

With Grace,

Lauren