Eddie Bauer Playard 05065 - Is paying for a "name" worth it?
Written: Dec 29 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Vibrates, mobile, plays music, bassinet, changing table.
Cons: Battery hog, flimsy, bassinet only holds up to 15 lbs.
The Bottom Line: Not up to my expectations.
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| LisaDo's Full Review: Eddie Bauer Playard 05065 |
Shortly before Jesse was due we decided to go shopping for a Pack-n-Play. We had a few in mind but we wanted to wait until we got to the store and see what was available before we made our final choice. Out of all of the models and brands available, the Eddie Bauer Playard 05065 seemed to have everything that we had been looking for, plus a few things that we weren't, and was one of the least expensive models the Navy Exchange had. We couldn't wait to get it home and get it set up!
Matt, my husband, put it together for me. It didn't even take him 10 minutes to drop everything out of the box and pop the pieces into place. Since I wasn't paying attention to what he was doing, or how, I have no idea how to put it together. I imagine, however, that, due to the lack of cuss words, that it was pretty simple.
The Eddie Bauer Playard 05065 is roughly 27" wide, 40" long and roughly 34" tall, from the floor to the highest point. From the bottom of the inside of the playard, to the top of the rails, is roughly 23". The changing pad attachment is roughly 28" long, 17" long, and 4" deep. The bassinet attachment is roughly 18" deep.
The Eddie Bauer Playard 05065 is a unisex model, but I think it is more suited for a boy. It's dark brown and tan in a small checked pattern. There are tan accidents around the seams and the molded plastic pieces.
Some of the features that the Eddie Bauer Playard 05065 offers are:
~Night Light
~Vibrates
~Plays four melodies (Volume Control)
~Plays four sounds
~Parent tray
~Roll Down Shade
~Toy Bag
~Mobile
~Rounded Corners
Once Matt got our Eddie Bauer Playard 05065 put together, he put it in our bedroom, waiting for the day Jesse would arrive to use it.
Our first issue actually came well before Jesse did. Lucy, my barely over 5 lb cat, was the first issue. She was very nosey and wouldn't stay out of it. We even covered it with a blanket, but somehow she managed to find her way in. Since we didn't have the floorboard in, which doubles as the carrying case and handle, when she went to jump out she ripped the seams that ran on the outside of the playard, near one of the legs. It ripped almost halfway to the top. It has made the inside a little weak, but there isn't a good way to fix it. After cussing the cat, my husband covered it better and secured it to keep her out. I was concerned, however, that if it tore with my lightweight cat (she had been de-clawed so she didn't snag on anything to cause the rip), could I trust it with my 10 lb growing infant?
The second issue came when Jesse came home. The vibrating and music only last five minutes before they auto-shut-off. This is a pain. Jesse loves the vibrating feature, but just as he's starting to doze off it would stop, waking him again. I wish they have a setting so that you could turn the auto-shut-off off.
Shortly after we had begun using the Eddie Bauer Playard 05065, the next pain in the backside surfaced. Changing the batteries. Depending on how often you use the music, sounds, light or vibrations will depend on how long your batteries last. It requires 2 "AA" and 1 "C" battery. Both are housed under the control panel, which has to be snapped on and off, which is no easy feat.It also requires a Phillips screwdriver.
Next issue came along a month or so later. He outgrew the bassinet. It only holds up to 15lbs. Jesse wasn't a large baby, but he gained weight right on schedule, so he quickly outgrew it. One of the times my husband had taken it off of the playard frame one of the supports tore through it's hole and it couldn't be used anymore, anyway. The poor construction was very much on my nerves by the time this happened.
We never even used the changing table. It doesn't really have any padding. It was easier to lay him in the middle of our bed, or on a blanket on the floor, than to use the changing table attachment. I never used one with Zacky, either, so I didn't really miss it when Matt shoved it under our bed. It's pretty shallow and I was always afraid that he'd roll out.
The next pain in the backside was the big one. Jesse hated it. When he got to big for the bassinet, we put him in the playard to sleep at night. He still slept in our room due to some breathing problems. I wanted to make sure he was right there in case anything happened, but we didn't want him getting used to sleeping in our bed.
I don't know why he hates it. I do know that, especially at night, it's dark in there. Even with the side flap up, the small openings in the dark colored mesh don't allow much light through. I've tried peeking through the dark colored mesh to the inside and could barely see what Jesse was doing. The two ends are tan, but they're solid, so no light comes through. We finally had to give up and move him to his crib.
We now have a $100 paperweight. We only used it for a couple of months, at most. I wouldn't want to sell it or pass it on due to the easy way that it fell apart. I wouldn't feel right, especially if someone else's child was hurt.
A few features that the Eddie Bauer Playard 05065 has, that we never had a chance to use, are the parent tray (as two small nets and one solid base for diapers and such, and the toy bag, which is a bag sewn into one of the ends. That is where we put the carrying bag so that it wouldn't get lost. There is a shade on one side that you can use to cover the mesh to help keep out the sun if you take the playard outside, but we never rolled it down. It is secured with Velcro and we never let it down since there was never a reason to. We also never used the mobile, which has three of the same tan bears with dark brown and tan checks on their tummies and ears. They're cute, but they never held Jesse's attention.
All you can really do to clean the playard is with dish soap and warm water. The carry bag can be washed in the washing machine on delicate and hung to dry.
If I had it to do over again, I'd purchase one of the more expensive Playards. With Eddie Bauer's name, I figured it would be a higher quality, even though the price said otherwise. I found out, very quickly, that I was wrong. Maybe Eddie should stick to making trucks with Ford and leave playards to Grayco.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
LisaDo
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Member: Lisa D
Location: Back home in Indiana!
Reviews written: 552
Trusted by: 272 members
About Me:
Proud SAHM, Navy wife and member of SHLEPS!
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