Baby Playpens by Budget: £59 vs £90 vs £159

COMPARISON · NURSERY & PLAY

A playpen is one of those purchases that looks deceptively simple until you start shopping. Hexagonal or square? Mesh or fabric? Do you need a travel bag? What about a mattress? The price spread is wide, too, from around fifty pounds to three figures, and the features at each tier are genuinely different.

We looked at three playpens that represent clean budget, mid-range and premium tiers in the UK market right now, dug into the specs, cross-referenced parent feedback, and tested how each one actually folds (because "30-second setup" claims deserve scrutiny). Here is what your money gets you at each price point.

All three are available through joined-programme retailers, so you can add them straight to your BubsNest registry.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Value: Tutti Bambini Hexa Playpen · 8.0/10 - genuinely impressive build quality for under sixty pounds
• Best All-Rounder: Joie Cheer Playpen · 7.5/10 - solid mid-range pick with included mattress and toys
• Best for Travel & Versatility: Ickle Bubba Scout 3-in-1 · 8.0/10 - the only option here that doubles as a crib from birth

Quick comparison

	Tutti Bambini Hexa	Joie Cheer	Ickle Bubba Scout 3-in-1
Price (UK)	£59	£90	£159
Tier	Budget	Mid-range	Premium
Shape	Hexagonal	Square	Rectangular
Open size	135 x 135 x 75 cm	96.5 x 96.5 x 76 cm	108.5 x 74.5 x 73 cm
Weight	7 kg	12.4 kg	5.8 kg
Folded size	29 x 29 x 75 cm	27 x 27 x 92 cm	86.5 x 24.5 x 23.5 cm
Age range	6 months+	Birth to 15 kg	Birth to 2 years
Floor mat included	No	Yes (removable)	Yes (mattress)
Toys included	No	2 plush toys	3 sensory toys + toy bar
Travel bag	Yes	No (carry handle)	Yes
Rating

How we picked these three

We started with the full pool of playpens currently in stock at joined-programme UK retailers, then filtered for products from established nursery brands (no white-label Amazon-only sellers) with genuine parent reviews available. From those, we selected one product from each of the three natural price tiers: under seventy pounds, seventy to one hundred and twenty, and over one hundred and twenty. Each needed to be a standalone playpen (not a travel system add-on or a gate-style barrier) with breathable mesh sides and a folding mechanism.

What to look for in a playpen

Safety standards. Every playpen sold in the UK should comply with BS EN 12227 or the broader toy-safety regulations. Look for the compliance note on the product page. Mesh panels should be fine enough that tiny fingers cannot get tangled.

Floor space vs footprint. Hexagonal playpens often feel larger inside than their footprint suggests. Square ones are easier to push against a wall. Rectangular travel-cot hybrids give you a long base for napping. Measure the spot you plan to use, including the clearance needed for a zip door to open.

Weight and fold. If you plan to take the playpen to grandparents, check the packed weight and folded dimensions. Seven kilos versus twelve makes a real difference when you are also carrying a car seat and a changing bag.

Floor mat. Some playpens include a padded base, others do not. If your home has hard floors, budget an extra ten to twenty pounds for a foam mat if one is not included. A cold, hard surface underneath defeats the purpose of a cosy play space.

Age range and modes. Basic playpens suit babies from around six months (once sitting unaided). Multi-mode products that include a raised crib layer work from birth. Think about how long you will actually use it, as most children outgrow a playpen by around two years.

1. Tutti Bambini Hexa Playpen / 10 · Best Value

The Hexa is a genuine surprise at this price. An aluminium frame keeps the weight down to 7 kg, and the hexagonal shape creates roughly 1.8 square metres of play space, noticeably more room than most square playpens in this bracket. It folds flat in about thirty seconds (we timed it, and the claim holds up) and comes with a travel bag so you can sling it over a shoulder.

The breathable mesh panels give you sightlines from every angle, and a curved zip door lets your little one crawl in and out once they are mobile. The frame is aluminium with polyester fabric, easy to wipe down, and the whole thing complies with current EU and British safety standards with a three-year warranty.

What parents love

• Genuinely quick setup. Parents we hear from regularly confirm the thirty-second claim is not marketing fluff. One parent told us: "It literally pops open, click a few joints, done."
• Surprisingly spacious. The hex shape gives more interior room than a square of the same footprint. A parent shared: "There is enough space for her and a pile of toys without it feeling cramped."
• Looks good in the living room. The terrazzo-print options and neutral colourways mean it does not scream "baby gear" when left up. We hear repeatedly from parents that this was a deciding factor.
• Travel-friendly weight. At 7 kg with a carry bag, it actually gets taken to grandparents' houses and holiday cottages rather than gathering dust.

What to know before you buy

• No floor mat included. On hard floors you will need to add a foam playmat, which adds fifteen to twenty-five pounds to the real cost.
• From 6 months only. Unlike the Joie or Ickle Bubba options, there is no newborn mode, so you cannot use it from birth.
• Zip door has a learning curve. A few parents note the curved zip is fiddly at first, though it gets easier with practice.

Best for

• Parents on a budget who still want quality build and a recognised brand
• Living rooms with enough floor space for the hexagonal footprint
• Families who plan to move the playpen between rooms or take it visiting
• Anyone who values aesthetics alongside function

2. Joie Cheer Playpen / 10 · Best All-Rounder

Joie is a name most UK parents already know from car seats and pushchairs, and the Cheer brings that same practical-first approach to the playpen category. It is a square design (96.5 x 96.5 cm) with mesh on all four sides, a removable padded mattress in the base, and two plush toys clipped to the rail. Suitable from birth up to 15 kg, so it covers both the napping-on-the-go stage and the active play phase.

The trade-off for all those extras is weight. At 12.4 kg it is noticeably heavier than the Tutti Bambini, and while it folds into a reasonably compact package (27 x 27 x 92 cm), there is no dedicated carry bag, just a built-in handle. It is more of a "set it up at home and occasionally move it to the spare room" product than a regular travel companion.

What parents love

• Everything included. Mattress and toys in the box means no extra spending on day one. One parent told us: "We set it up and she was playing in it within ten minutes, no accessories to hunt down."
• Trusted brand reputation. Parents we hear from regularly mention the reassurance of buying from a brand they already use for car seats. A parent shared: "We have the Joie pushchair and car seat so it felt natural to get the playpen too."
• Solid and stable. The extra weight translates to a pen that does not shift when a toddler leans against the sides or tries to pull up.
• Side zip access. The zipper panel lets little ones crawl in and out independently, which parents say encourages self-directed play.

What to know before you buy

• Heavy for travel. At 12.4 kg with no carry bag, this is not the one to take to the park or a holiday cottage without some effort.
• Smaller play area. The square footprint gives less floor space than the hexagonal Tutti Bambini despite costing more.
• Basic toy selection. The two included plush toys are nice to have but will not hold attention for long. Most parents end up adding their own.

Best for

• Families who want a ready-to-use package with no extras to buy
• Homes where the playpen will stay in one room most of the time
• Parents who value brand consistency across their baby gear
• Newborn to toddler use without needing a separate product for each stage

3. Ickle Bubba Scout 3-in-1 / 10 · Best for Travel & Versatility

The Scout is the only product here that genuinely does three jobs. In crib mode (birth to six months) the raised sleeping layer keeps your newborn at a comfortable height with three dangling sensory toys on an adjustable bar. Remove the crib layer and you have a travel cot for older babies, or drop it to floor level for a full playpen up to age two. The mattress is included and stores inside the fold, so everything packs into one carry bag.

At 5.8 kg it is actually the lightest of the three despite having the most features. Setup and teardown take under a minute, and the folded package (86.5 x 24.5 x 23.5 cm) is slim enough to fit in a car boot alongside luggage. Ickle Bubba is a well-known UK nursery brand, and the Scout sits neatly in their travel range alongside their pushchairs.

What parents love

• Three products in one. A parent shared: "We used it as a crib for the first five months, then switched to playpen mode. It genuinely saved us buying a separate travel cot."
• Incredibly light. At 5.8 kg it is lighter than many dedicated playpens, let alone a three-in-one product. One parent told us: "I can carry it in one hand while holding the baby in the other."
• Sensory toys included. The adjustable toy bar with three crinkly, jingling toys gives newborns something to focus on. Parents appreciate not having to buy a separate mobile.
• Compact fold. Everything, mattress included, stores inside the base when folded. We hear repeatedly from parents that this is the detail that clinches the purchase.

What to know before you buy

• Smaller play footprint. The rectangular shape (108.5 x 74.5 cm) gives less play area than either the Tutti Bambini or Joie. For active toddlers this can feel snug.
• Mixed reviews on depth. Some parents note the low-profile sides make lifting a sleeping baby out awkward, particularly in cot mode after six months.
• Price premium. At around one hundred and sixty pounds it is nearly three times the price of the Tutti Bambini. The value equation only works if you genuinely use all three modes.

Best for

• Families who travel regularly and want one product that covers sleep and play from birth
• Parents expecting their first baby who want to avoid buying a separate crib and playpen
• Small homes where having fewer, multi-purpose products matters
• Gift-givers looking for a premium, all-in-one nursery essential

How to choose

If budget is the priority, the Tutti Bambini Hexa is genuinely hard to beat. You get a well-built, good-looking playpen from an established brand for under sixty pounds. Just factor in the cost of a separate floor mat if you have hard floors.

If you want everything in the box, the Joie Cheer includes the mattress and toys from day one. It is heavier and takes up a permanent spot in your home, but that suits plenty of families who are not planning to move it around.

If versatility and travel matter most, the Ickle Bubba Scout 3-in-1 justifies its higher price by replacing both a travel crib and a playpen. It is the lightest of the three and packs the smallest, which matters when your car boot is already full.

Whichever you choose, add it to your free BubsNest registry so family and friends can contribute to the purchase.