Playards

Summer Infant Secure Surround Play Safe Play Yard
Review by A. Kengla : Keeps my twins safe!

My twins learned to sit up, crawl, pull to stand and cruise within a 2 week period when they were 8 months old. It was sooo hard to keep them out of trouble and from climbing on furniture. We got the Surround Play Safe Play Yard and it has been a lot easier for us. They play in there and can still see me when I'm in the kitchen. Then, when company comes over, it is easy to put away.

Summer Infant Secure Surround Play Safe Play Yard
Review by M. Benish "Jaxson's Mommy" : GREAT PRODUCT!

I highly recommend this product to any parents with babies that are on the move! I recently purchased this surround gate for my 7 month old little boy - and it is wonderful. It is large enough (I also bought the extention kit) that he doesn't feel confined. I love the fact that I can fold a load of laundry, read the mail, empty the dishwasher, etc. without worrying where my little one is and what he is doing. I also love the fact that I can easily fold it up and take it outside or on trips. It brings great peace of mind! This is the best $100 I've spent! I only wish I would have bought it sooner!

Summer Infant Secure Surround Play Safe Play Yard
Review by mom_of_T`n`T : Great... with the Two-Piece Extensions!!!

We purchased this for our 15 month-old twins to play in but it was a little small (even with one child and toys it would be small). So we purchased 2 Two-Piece Extension kits and it is awesome. It is durable and sturdy as long as you don't make it into a square or rectangle, I don't know why but it is easy to push over in these shapes. The playyard keeps the children safe in areas that may be too open or not childproof. It is easy to store or take along on outings... just fold and go.

I highly recommend this product for people with children on the go.

Summer Infant Secure Surround Play Safe Play Yard
Review by N. Shore : Serves it's purpose

Works well to temporarily house an infant/toddler and toys when I need to disappear to the loo or remove something hot from the oven. The folding process takes a bit to get used to and the knobs you are supposed to tighten in place and loosen to fold don't really do anything. It is only stable in the hexagon configuration. It comes in handy, especially while caring for two, and I am glad we have it.

Summer Infant Secure Surround Play Safe Play Yard
Review by Michele : Works Better Than I Thought

When my husband picked this out for our 13.5 month old twins, I was skeptical, especially after some of the reviews, but we opted to give it a try. We wanted something that didnt have to be closed but could be extended to close off a very large doorway, but then could be closed if we needed it to be. This seemed to fit the bill.

Taking it out of the box, it was preassembled, which was nice, and very lightweight. I opened it up and, without reading the directions, realized how to tighten and loosen it. So, it was very easy. But it is flimsy. As I sat it up, my mother-in-law and I shook our heads and lamented that it probably wouldnt work. But in came my monkeys and, once the realized the gate was there, they used it to stand up on, but that was it. They didnt try to climb it and, when it teetered, they backed away. All in all, I'd give it a 7-8 out of 10.

Afterwards, I tried closing it and it is SMALL! I was hoping to let them both play in it, but it is just too tiny. It's no bigger than a playpen, although the walls are higher. So, instead of ordering the extension, I'm just ordering a second one. They are made such that you can link them together. So, that will give us a decent size play area that is fully contained. In size, it gets a 4 out of 10, but in flexibility with sizing, a 9 out of 10.

Finally, we selected this one because it can be staked to the ground outside and can function as an indoor/outdoor playyard. While we havent used this feature yet (and hence I can't rate our experience thus far), it was one of the things that led us to selecting this item.

Summer Infant Secure Surround Play Safe Play Yard
Review by R. Bullock : Okay, but definitely not great.

The good thing about this play yard is that it easily folds up and is a cinch to travel with or put into storage.

The bad things about it are that mainly that my daughter was able to move the play yard around the ENTIRE living room. In order to stop that foolishness, I had to tie the gate to a sofa leg and a bookshelf leg. That was the only way it was stabilized enough so that she couldn't move it. Also - the knobs that are supposed to tighten up and make the desired shape more stable? Well, they don't really tighten that well. I'm a strong woman, and I gave it every ounce of strength I had, and let me tell you - that thing folded up first chance it got. No matter how tight you think you've go tit, it isn't tight enough.

Overall, it's an alright gate. It certainly wasn't what we hoped it would be [...]. It was a step up from the Pack 'n Play, and it did allow my daughter to gain more confidence with the way she walked.

Summer Infant Secure Surround Play Safe Play Yard
Review by Twin Mom : Flimsy but serves its purpose...

Pros:
1. It is taller than others, making it harder to be climbed over.
2. It serves its purpose; we couldn't live without it with twins crawling in 2 different directions.
3. Compared to others that aren't as flimsy, the price is right. The other option is metal and it's 2 times the price for half the size.
4. We added the extension and it's the perfect size for both our twins. They both have plenty of space to crawl around and all their toys.
5. Door.
6. Does fold up well to take with you
7. It does provide a safe place to put non-walking infants while you shower, pee, make dinner, etc. We use it everyday. I recommend the Step2 blue mat to go under it to avoid bumps.
8. It is easy to transport since it is light-weight.

Cons:
1. It is a little bit flimsy. You have to keep the door closed and latched or the whole thing will fall over when baby climbs on it.
2. Holes are perfect size for baby to stick hands/feet in and climb. By 9 months, my twins were able to climb half way up.
3. Only one door, others I've seen have a door on every other section, but this isn't a big issue and would probably make it even more unstable.
4. The biggest downer is that when my twins were only 8 months old, they could already move the entire thing around, including off the mat. I can only imagine how they will move the thing around when they can walk. It will defeat its purpose then since they'll be able to take off with gate in hand and get to what they want. It's too light-weight.
5. I only recommend it for babies not walking yet. Unless you tether it down to a piece of furniture or hooks on a wall, it's not useable for very long since they can slide it around when they start walking (see # 4). I would like to get more use out of it.
6. The "handle" is useless to carry it with. It's just a strap that you snap around it. The minute I picked up the gate with it, it came unsnapped. It needs something permanent.
7. It does look like a cage. I wish the slats were vertical...it would make it harder for them to climb and take away the cage-look. Who wants to "cage" their children like animals??

Overall, for the price, I would recommend it since it does serve its purpose. I've done my research, and for a plastic gate, this is the best one out there since it is taller and can be made larger with the extension. A metal one I've seen wouldn't be as flimsy, but then it would be too heavy to make it portable like this one. I guess there isn't such a thing as the "perfect play yard" all around.



**UPDATE**
My twins are now 15 months old and we are still using this play yard everyday. They are walking now and can move it around but because all the toys are in the way, etc., it keeps it somewhat in place so they never go far with it. They just move it off the mat a foot or so which still keeps them refined to one area for safety's sake. They don't like staying in there by themselves as they prefer their freedom now, so I have to get in with them while they play or they cry. There is plenty of room for me, the two of them, and TONS and TONS of toys! My biggest complaint now would have to be the holes - they are the perfect size for little feet to climb. My kids can get all the way to the top so we can't leave them unattended at all. Since my kids prefer their freedom now, I think we will be packing it away soon (or using it as a large single gate across an entire room instead of an enclosed play yard), but it has been a life saver and I got more/longer use out of it then I ever thought I would.