It's true. Our 18 months old has used this product since birth and we never had to purchase a crib. When he was born, we used the bassinet area. It's basically the base is raised up but it was easy on our backs, we could move the playpen around easily. We kept it near our bed at night and in the living room in the say. Granted there was a long stretch where our son actually slept in his carseat carrier but that was simply because you "DO NOT DISTURB" an already sleeping baby.
It comes with a changing pad with straps that hooks right over the top of the playpen. We used this constantly as it is very easy to clean vinyl. Now that our son is bigger, we no longer hook the changing pad over the playpen but we do still use the pad on a larger table. It's still easy to clean and the straps come in even handier. We've got a wiggler.
As my son grew, we eventually removed the bassinet section and just continued to have him sleep in the playpen. I know this sounds odd to some mothers but he was already familiar with the bed, it was very safe, he could see through the side mesh, we never had to worry about dangerous bumper pads or when to lower the crib mattress, hitting his head on the bars, neck stuck between slats.
Just today, we finally got our son a big boy bed but we haven't started the adjustment yet. As I am writing this, my boy is sleeping soundly in his Graco. And just to brag a bit, he goes to sleep without a peep, maybe it's because he really loves his bed.
Again, I know most people buy a crib but also many people use this playpen for travelling, so why not use it all the time? As for travelling, it is extremely easy to fold up and reset up. It fits perfect in it's little duffle bag. It's great when you go to visit friends or relatives who don't have kids and may not have really childproofed their home. You can use the playpen as a safe area to play, they can nap in it, sleep in it, heck they can even eat in it. And best of all, just to see T. smile, I can crawl in it with him-try that in a crib!
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