The Chicco Alfa Lite Playard is the perfect addition to a traveling routine with your baby. This is the playard you’ll want in your living room while you mop the kitchen and the one to travel with if you stop at hotels, visit family, or even go camping. It’s your new go-to on-the-go safety net for your baby and toddler.
Everything you want in a playard shows up in the Alfa Lite from a small footprint to the front open, and of course, a lightweight design. You don’t need to worry about safety as it’s designed to keep babies safely contained with minimal chances of escaping.
Let’s get into the details and find out why this affordable playard may be the best choice for your child.
Why You Need the Chicco Alfa Lite Playard
Traditional playards fold up and move around but lack ease. Enter the Alfa Lite Travel Playard, ready to make traveling with an infant or toddler a little bit easier. It offers a place to sleep, play, and stay safe so mommy can finally get a shower.
With seven impressive features, you won’t have any trouble spending money on this product. You don’t have to sacrifice much in space either, as it measures quite similarly to a standard playard, but without the hefty weight, so you won’t need to lug it around or try and squeeze it into your car.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the features of the Chicco Alfa Lite Playard.
Size
Starting with the measurements, the playard measures 43 x 29 x 25 inches making it a fabulously portable option. Assembled, it weighs just 12.5 pounds, which is at least five pounds lighter than standard size playards. Kids up to thirty pounds or 35 inches tall can use the playard, so they can enjoy it for at least the first two years of their life and maybe a little longer.
The top of the playard tapers a little while the legs of the playard stretch out for stability. Furthermore, the legs bend inward at the top for more security.
Fast Set-Up/Take Down
With a quick and simple snap-open motion, the legs automatically position securely into place. That’s it! Take the playard out of the included storage bag, make one quick motion while holding the top, and the legs go right into position. Place the mattress in the playard and you are good to go!
Tear down is about as simple as setting up. Fold the two buttons in the middle, fold down, and you are done. Toss it in the extra generous storage bag with the foldable mattress and you are all set!
The storage bag includes handles and offers tons of space, so you don’t have to try and finagle the playard into it. Moreover, it lays down flat and more square than a traditional playard offering more space and more storage options.
Easy Zip Open
One of the interesting features of this playard is the full zipper in the front for easy exits and entrances. Instead of leveling babies over the playard and placing them in, you can gently place them in from the front for a less jarring experience. It’s also a safe way for children to crawl in and out too.
Don’t worry, the zipper is only on the outside and not accessible from the inside. However, precocious toddlers might be able to figure out how to put their finger in the hole between the frame and zipper and cinch it up. Make sure to always zip it down completely to prevent this issue.
Mattress
The mattress pad is exactly what you would expect from a playard. It’s thin, padded, and sturdy. What you might not expect is that the padded mattress includes a zip-off cover you can toss in the washing machine. No more spot cleaning!
You don’t have to wrap the mattress around the frame and cinch it in with Velcro. The fabric is a variegated heathered gray that matches the black and blue/gray top padding. The top padding keeps little fingers and heads safe as it’s plush and smooth, preventing little tots from attempting to climb out of the playard.
Washability
Are you ready for this? Not only does the mattress pad zip off for a bath in the washing machine, the entire mesh frame comes off completely to be washed as well. How amazing that the entire thing washes by machine instead of by hand; it’s a mother’s dream!
Taking the frame off to wash is fairly simple as it zips off around the top; you just need to unsnap the plastic hooks at each foot. Reassemble the same way, starting with re-zipping on the top and then re-buckling the legs. Now the playard is ready for another serving of applesauce or what every your child smooshed on to it!
You do need to read the instruction manual to find out if the product can go in the dryer. Our advice is to never put anything you don’t want to potentially shrink into the dryer.
Travel Friendly
We’ve gone over all of the fantastic travel options but let’s recap.
First, it folds up smaller than a traditional playard. Second, it takes up about the same space, but in a lightweight frame, so you can move it easily. Third, the zipper allows for easy entry and exit. Fourth, the playard comes with an easy-to-pack travel bag. Furthermore, your baby gets a full-sized sleeping area on a comfy mattress.
Finally, one easy movement unfolds the playard making it a great option when you’re on-the-go. The Alfa Lite is the ultimate portable playard for hassle-free travel. It’s even small enough to take on the plane as a checked bag.
What’s Missing
Honestly, the only thing missing on this playard is something it doesn’t need – wheels. Sure wheels would be nice but they’re not really necessary as long as you set the playard up where you want it in the first place. If your baby falls asleep and you need to move the playard to a new place, then you need to take the baby out first before moving the playard for safety.
You don’t get all the bells and whistles you might get with a fancy playard, but that’s not the focus. As a travel playard, this one doesn’t come with built-in storage, an infant bassinet, changing table, nor other luxury features. Don’t worry, you won’t really need those features anyways as they are only useful for the first three to four months of your baby’s life.
FAQs about the Chicco Alfa Lite Playard
What other playards are offered by Chicco besides the Alfa Lite Playard?
Chicco offers a variety of playards from fancy to simple. They also offer a line of bassinets ready to suit anyone’s needs. We love the Tot Quad Playpen as it’s simple and exactly what you need. Moreover, it offers extra space with a square shape.
Can I put more than one baby or toddler in Alfa Lite Playard?
No, the playard is not designed for multiple babies. It’s best to keep children in separate playards especially for sleeping, as it’s a safety hazard to have two kids in the same playard. Although there are no directives against putting two babies in one playard for playtime, we highly suggest you keep a constant eye on both children if they’re both inside the playard.
For safety, keep soft bedding and extra cushions out of the playard. If you do need a playard big enough for twins, consider the Joovy Room2.
What are some helpful safety tips for playards?
The best tip for playards is to keep them away from anything your toddler will be able to reach. Do not place the playard near windows, cords, curtains, or other hanging items. Also, remember to put your baby down to sleep on their back.
Check the playard regularly for rips, tears, holes, or other damage to prevent injury to your child. Also, be careful what you put in the playard, as babies can stack stuff and try to climb out. Finally, once your baby can climb out of their crib, it’s time to stop using the playard, because if your baby can climb out of one, they probably can climb out of all.
Is the Chicco Alfa Lite Playard a good option for newborns?
Absolutely! A newborn up to toddler age can use the playard with ease. However, your back may not love having to bend down to reach your infant in the playard, although the zippered front section is convenient for accessing baby with ease. If you want a playard with tons of extra features, you may want to consider the Graco Anywhere Dreamer Playard.
Final Thoughts About the Chicco Alfa Lite Playard
No matter where you go, the Chicco Alfa Lite Playard is ready to travel with you. The main feature we love is the zippered section in the front and the lightweight design. We also adore the ability to remove the entire frame and wash it in the machine.
This incredible and affordable playard will go far and make your life easier with a baby or toddler. You’ll rest easy knowing you purchased a high-quality product from a brand dedicated to ingenuity and usefulness.
