4moms Breeze Plus Playard Review: Why We Love It

Confession: I managed to avoid buying a pack-and-play for the first year and a half of my daughter Carlin’s life. We didn’t travel much, and when we did, we either had a crib or bassinet at our destination. The thought of travelling with one more thing felt stressful, but the aptly named 4moms Breeze Plus changed all of this.

Intuitively designed and easy to use, it sets up in just minutes and is easy to collapse and store. But the best part of this product is that it truly simplifies travel with children. It’s not simply a pack-and-play—it features a built-in bassinet and a changing table attachment. With a smart, sleek design, it’s an all-in-one solution to the trials and tribulations of travel.

While I had major concerns about using this 4moms pack-and-play for an entire week, Carlin slept well in it and changing even the most unpleasant diapers was—well—a breeze. Whether you’re looking for the best pack-and-play or you’re adding to your baby registry, I cannot recommend this product more enthusiastically. Read on my 4moms Breeze Plus playard review.

Key features and functionality

Setup and portability

Setting up and taking down the 4moms pack-and-play is easy. While the brand claims its a one-handed process, that’s not exactly true. While you can collapse the frame with one hand, installing the mattress, sheet, bassinet and changing table definitely requires two hands. If you’re trying to set this up, you'll need to put your child down. Grab another adult to help you, if possible, and it'll only take a few minutes.

The playard includes a travel bag for easy transport and storage. It wasn’t too hard to get the collapsed pack-and-play in there. The travel bag has straps like an oversized duffle, so it’s a cinch to store in your garage or even upright in a closet.

Integrated bassinet and changer

The integrated bassinet and changer make the Breeze Plus worth the investment. New parents often invest a great deal in baby gear that's only used for a short time. The bassinet attachment makes this 3-in-1 solution worth the money, since it can be used for babies from birth up to 18 pounds.

The changer is my favourite feature of the 4moms Breeze Plus. It clips right onto the top of the frame and feels incredibly secure. Safe for babies up to 25 pounds, it’s the perfect size. My daughter doesn’t love having her diaper changed, and having this feature took a lot of worry out of travelling.

When used as a playard or portable crib, the 4moms Breeze Plus is designed to safely hold babies up to 30 pounds. How long you’ll be able to use it depends on how fast your little one grows.

Durability

The quality of the materials is pretty good. The frame feels sturdy enough to bring on a plane and store with luggage, while the breathable mesh feels as though it could stand up to even the strongest little kicker. The changing table is lined with plastic that is comfortable for baby, while also being very easy to clean and maintain. It just takes a baby wipe or two to wipe clean, unless you have a true diaper blowout on your hands.

The only thing it doesn’t come with—but that you absolutely need to purchase separately—is a sheet. The Breeze Playard Organic Jersey Cotton Sheet is made of a soft material that feels like your favourite T-shirt. While other brands make sheets that fit this model, I really like the 4moms offering. This also felt like the safest choice—after all, an ill-fitting sheet is a baby sleep hazard.

Design and aesthetics

Frankly, playards aren’t the prettiest pieces of baby equipment. Functionality typically trumps aesthetics when it comes to travelling with a small child. That said, the 4moms Breeze Plus is pretty sleek-looking. Even with the changing table and bassinet, it has a clean, modern design that doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb if you leave it in common areas.

The 4moms Breeze Plus comes in Black and Birch, which is an off-white, almost oatmeal hue. While I selected the black one for travel (it's less likely to look dirty), the Birch version may be a good choice for certain interiors. If you have a house cluttered with toys and baby equipment, you’ll probably appreciate the minimalist design and neutral colours.

It’s worth noting how smart the design of the changing table is. It easily flips to the side without taking up too much space. I was slightly concerned that if I left the changing table up, it might make Carlin feel claustrophobic, especially sleeping in a pack-and-play for the first time. Being able to flip it over and out of the way is super handy.

Real-world testing: How does it perform?

Setup

Setting up the playard is pretty easy and takes just a few minutes. After removing it from the travel bag, simply push down the centre column with a loop. The mattress fits inside and is secured with Velcro straps. This is an extra step, but an added layer of safety that’s well worth the extra minute or two it adds to the setup process.

The changing table attachment easily clips on and stays secure. While I didn’t use the bassinet because my daughter was too old for it, it was easy to put on and take off. It’s pretty intuitively designed.

Putting away the pack-and-play is also simple and takes just a few minutes. First, the mattress straps need to be unfastened. Then, remove the mattress and fold it up. There’s a centre loop that pulls up so the frame collapses in seconds. While the included instructions were helpful—there’s also a short video available from 4moms on YouTube for those who prefer visual directions.

Functionality

In my opinion, the best thing about this playard is the changer. We were staying at my parents’ house for a week, and my daughter is an award-winning squirmer. From rolling to kicking and the occasional cry, changing her sometimes feels like I'm dealing with a lion cub. Having an integrated changing table was a feature I was looking forward to.

It was a game-changer. The changing table attachment contained Carlin perfectly. She didn’t have much room to move around, and even the worst blowouts weren’t too big of a challenge. Ideally sized, it’s small enough that there isn’t too much space for your little one to wiggle, but big enough for you to comfortably change them.

The changing table attachment was also very easy to clean. Nothing seemed to stick to the plastic material, and anything that needed to be wiped came off easily with a baby wipe. While I usually use a disposable pee pad (the kind that's made for dogs) over any changing table, I didn’t need to with this one.

The only thing I wish the changing attachment had was a place for wipes, extra diapers and diaper cream. While 4moms offers the Breeze Playard Diaper Storage Caddy, it is an added cost on top of an already pricey pack-and-play. It’s certainly not the end of the world to go without it (I survived for an entire week), but I would have appreciated the convenience. If you have a lot of travel plans, it’s worth considering as an add-on.

I also appreciated the changing table because it allowed us to be pretty self-contained. Staying at someone else’s house or a hotel with a baby can be exhausting, especially with the amount of gear most children require these days. So, having a place for your baby to sleep, play and get changed all in one spot makes life easier.

While we mostly used the playard for sleeping, it’s definitely large and sturdy enough to contain your toddler and a few toys—whether you're cooking or need to take a quick shower.

Portability

This pack-and-play is impressively portable. It easily fits into the travel bag for taking in the car, on a plane, or for storing away in a closet until the next time you need it. It only takes a minute or two to take down. My only issue was that my fingertips were pinched while removing the changing table attachment, so be careful when doing this.

Another minor issue is that at 23 pounds, this pack-and-play is a bit heavier than other models. That said, a more lightweight option may not be as sturdy as this one, so it’s definitely a trade-off. Still, if you’re looking for something to take in the car or leave at a grandparent’s or other caregiver’s home, you’ll be very happy with the 4moms Breeze Plus.

Who is the 4moms Breeze Plus best suited for?

If you’re looking for a playard you can use for the first few years of your baby’s life, from the newborn and infant stages up to toddlerhood, it’s hard to go wrong with the 4moms Breeze Plus. Whether you need to travel a long distance or just want to keep something on hand for last-minute trips or longer vacations, you won’t be disappointed with this playyard/bassinet/changing table combo. With easy setup and takedown, it truly lives up to its name.

Final verdict

Very sturdy, sleekly designed, and easy to use, the 4moms Breeze Plus playard is the ultimate pack-and-play filled with useful features. While it’s a premium price, you get a lot for your money. It also makes a generous gift for a new mom who appreciates both functionality and minimalist style.

4moms Breeze Plus

Pros

• Takes you from birth to the toddler years
• Easy to keep clean
• Changing table feels comfortable for little ones
• Easy setup and takedown
• Available in two colours
• Sturdy but not heavy

Cons

• Pricey compared to other pack-and-plays
• Changing table attachment is a bit tricky to remove
• The travel bag is a bit flimsy