Stay down darn it!
Written: May 27 '04 (Updated Jun 03 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sturdy, rigid construction. Easy to clean. Tasteful colors.
Cons: Mat corners keep coming up when trying to put on a fitted sheet.
The Bottom Line: This is a very good product. Very close to perfect but one minor flaw becomes a large one when you're in a hurry to put a baby in.
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| chretiensucks's Full Review: Fisher Price Close To Me Care Center |
You can’t expect to make the perfect number of purchases for your first baby. So my wife and I were debating on whether we would need a playpen and a bassinette for our first child. In the end we opted to keep the Fisher Price Close to Me care center.
Setup and Assembly
The bassinette has a separate collapsible stand but can also be fitted into the top of the play pen with the mat next to it as a changing station. You have to fit the skirt attachment around the top of the playpen before you can affix the change mat and bassinette and it’s a fairly tight fit. We opted to put the bassinette in its stand and put the change mat on a separate counter anyways because we found the playpen to take an excessive amount of space when the bottom part was not even going to be used for at least a few months. Taking the bassinette with its own stand on trips is no problem either since the bassinette itself is also collapsible.
The Playpen portion when collapsed is flat and rectangular unlike some portable playpens which fold up into a golf bag shaped carry-on. So although it’s not as portable as some, it is far more rigid when assembled. This is a very sturdy playpen. In fact, the perimeter of the top is one continuous steel rail. There are no folding top rails or uncomfortable cross bars below the floor surface. And there are no metal or folding parts exposed to the inside of the playpen. And the 4 legs which form the corners of the pen slide through the sleeves to keep the fabric from sagging and are not exposed to the inside of the playpen. The foot of each leg is shaped like a honeycomb and made out of plastic. Stays put on carpet but slides around easily on hardwood or ceramic tiles. When collapsed, the legs slide into a Velcro compartment on one side. Assuming you're relatively co-ordinated, assembly and dissassembly of the playpen by one person should take about three minutes.
Usability
As mentioned previously, this playpen collapses into a flat rectangle. A soft fabric handle is attached to a one of the long sides for easy carrying although shorter people may find themselves having to lift their shoulder up a bit to prevent it from dragging along the floor.
I have no complaints on the material quality of either the playpen or the bassinette. The dark navy blue colors and blue and grey plaid patterned mats are easy on the eyes.
The bassinette has a retractable canopy which can be used to partially block out light and sound. Typically the bassinette is good for the baby’s first three months. This one is good until the baby weighs 18 pounds.
All surfaces including the padded vinyl mats can be easily wiped clean with damp cloths.
The mesh netting on the two long sides of the play pen provide good circulation and visibility for the baby. A pocket is located on one of the short sides for storing an extra fitted sheet or a thin blanket. It’s to tight to hold anything bulkier.
Because there are no cross bars under the playpen floor, there is nothing uncomfortable to stand or fall on and negates the need for thick padding.
An easy to clean mat (I call this a mat, not a mattress because at ½”, it’s too thin to qualify as a “mattress”) is affixed to the floor of the pen with Velcro edges. The corners are not velcroed so it is very difficult to put a fitted sheet on the mat without the corners constantly flipping upwards. This is very frustrating. The Velcro strips should have been long enough to include the corners. And with the little one already pulling at the fitted sheet, it’s a rare occasion that I don’t find him asleep rolled up in both his comforter and most of the fitted sheet.
It looks like Fisher Price is planning to replace this model with one called the “Nursery Care Center”. The padding is thicker at the top, it includes a mobile, and the side pocket is replaced with a much larger storage bag that hangs off the side. If you can still get the Close to Me Care center out there, prices have dropped significantly. I’ve seen it at www.babyage .com for only $69.99.
Approximate Dimensions
Playpen
Open – 40”L x 28”W x 29”H
Collapsed – 40”L x 28”W x 3-1/2” H
Freestanding Bassinette
29”L x 20”W x 25-1/2”H
Total Weight – 36 pounds. Playpen is 28 pounds, Bassinette and stand are 8 pounds.
Conclusion
This was a really satisfying purchase. Safe, sturdy, easy to assemble, easy to clean and relatively light, my only complaint is the inability for the floor mat to stay put when trying to put on a fitted sheet (especially one that shrunk in the dryer).
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
chretiensucks
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Member: joe unpronounceable
Location: GTA, Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 42
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
How do people with more than one child do it?
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