An Honest SlumberPod Review + Awesome Advice

A SlumberPod is a pretty new invention, and it’s awesome. It’s basically a tent/canopy that goes over a Pack n Play or other baby/toddler bed. There are Pros and Cons that I’ll talk about (mostly Pros, though). If you’re here, I’m assuming you are wondering if you should purchase one – if it’s worth it. My vote is YES, a SlumberPod is an excellent travel item when traveling with a baby or toddler, but I’ll go in-depth in this SlumberPod Review.

**While I do genuinely LOVE the SlumberPod and am only writing this post because of that, I will get a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase it through one of my links. Thanks for supporting my blog :)**

SlumberPod Review Jump To:

First, What is a SlumberPod?

A SlumberPod is a darkening tent/canopy that fits over a pack n play or baby/toddler sleep area. The bottom is open, so you fit it over the sleep area. It’s made of darkening, breathable fabric, and it blocks 95% of light.

It has ventilation panels on the sides that you can open or shut depending on the temperature of the room. It also has a pocket on the top for a baby monitor to fit in, and it has 2 pockets on the sides that can fit little fans (Buy with Fan).

It’s machine washable, though I have never needed to wash ours.

It folds up nicely and fits into a bag that it comes with; the bag is small enough to fit into carry-on luggage if need be.

It has thousands of 5 star reviews.

SlumberPod Review – Why You Can Trust Me 🙂

I’m a mom who used a SlumberPod with my kiddo since she was really little. We started traveling with her at 6 weeks old, and this was one of our early travel purchases. I am not someone who likes to spend a lot of money on things, nor do I promote things that I don’t actually use/like. We used this item dozens of times, so I have a lot of practice and advice in this SlumberPod Review.

Why Would You Need a SlumberPod?

A SlumberPod can be a game-changer if you travel a lot.

Babies/Toddlers don’t always do well if they wake up, look around, and are in a new environment. They also might sleep less if they wake up and see you sleeping in a bed next to them in a hotel room. *Hey, Mom!* Some hotel/airbnb rooms are really bright. SlumberPods also help with sleep while camping.

The Slumber Pod gives them a dark, consistent sleep area. It can definitely help to get your entire family more sleep while traveling. I don’t know about you, but I always need more sleep – and I especially need it while on trips and vacations.

Our kiddo always slept really well in her SlumberPod. We got stuck in a hotel room once without our luggage, and it took FOREVER to get her to go to sleep in a Pack n Play without the SlumberPod. She just kept looking around, whining for us, and she ended up in our bed for part of the night. It was awful, and this did not happen when we had the SlumberPod.

SlumberPod Review PROS:

• More sleep for everyone. I don’t need to explain why sleep is important 🙂
• Maintain your kiddo’s sleep environment. Less stress and more sleep for them.
• You can be in a hotel room/shared space after your kiddo goes to bed. You still can’t blare the TV, but you can move around, read, etc. It definitely helps with naptime in shared spaces too.
• It’s lightweight and easy to pack. Baby gear is heavy and bulky, but this is not a burden to bring.
• Everyone will have a more enjoyable trip if you get good sleep. 
• You can resell it for a decent amount of money when you’re done with it – or rent yours out! They have really high re-sale values, so you can make some of your money back when your kiddo grows out of it.

SlumberPod Review CONS:

• It’s expensive. Around $180. I do think this was fully worth it for us, but it’s one of the most expensive baby items I’ve ever bought. I understand the hesitation to spend this much. We got ours “refurbished,” so it was cheaper. You can also buy it used.
• Putting baby/toddler inside. It can take a bit of getting used to when putting your baby/toddler in. You have to lower them through the unzipped window, which gets harder as they grow/get heavier.
• Setting it up. It really only takes around 5 minutes to set it up, but the tent poles are LONG. It can be hard to maneuver in small spaces, which can feel frustrating. And you have to make sure you don’t scrape the ends of the tent poles on walls, furniture, etc.

Tips for Using a SlumberPod

• Let your kiddo try it out before your trip, so they’ll be more comfortable in it while traveling.
• Set it up before it’s time to go to bed; don’t wait until your toddler is having a sleep-deprived tantrum.
• Use a baby monitor in the top clear pocket. Bring a baby monitor that does not connect to wifi (you never know how good the wifi will be at your accommodations). You can’t easily see them in a SlumberPod unless you use a monitor. It’s dark! Which is the point.
• As your kiddo gets bigger, they may not like being zipped all the way in. Leave it a little unzipped, and it will still provide a darkened area.
• We never used fans with it, but if you’re traveling somewhere hot, be sure to bring a fan.

Who Might Not Benefit from a SlumberPod

I am writing this SlumberPod Review to help you decide if you should buy one.

I can honestly say that our SlumberPod was amazing for us. We have a bad sleeper, my husband and I both do poorly without sleep, and this thing saved us. We traveled to Iceland during their 24 hour sun summer, and our 2 year old slept GREAT.

Obviously, all kids are different. If your baby sleeps in your bed every night, they probably would not do well in a SlumberPod. If your toddler already shares a pretty bright room with you at home, you probably don’t need to own this; they won’t be thrown off by sleeping near you while traveling. And if your baby/toddler can fall asleep and stay asleep anywhere, don’t spend your money on one.

Also, if you’re not going to travel that often, it won’t be worth the cost.

I’ve read blogs about toddlers who can fall asleep anywhere – in canoes! on a blanket in the woods! anywhere the parent wants them to sleep! – I do not know this life, but I am assuming these kiddos don’t need SlumberPods. And those lucky parents probably aren’t reading this blog…. moving on….

Read all about Banff, Canada with a Toddler – an ideal travel destination with a kiddo.

Specifics & What the SlumberPod Fits Over

It only weighs 5 lbs, so it is seriously travel-friendly.

Once assembled, it’s 54″ long, 40″ wide, 53″ tall. Disassembled/In the Bag, it’s 17″ long, 5″ wide, 6″ tall.

We always use the SlumberPod over a regular Graco Pack n Play, and it works super well.

How to Buy a SlumberPod

I would LOVE if you’d buy one from my link because I will make a small commission at no cost to you. Here’s the Amazon Link.

You can also purchase one from their website.

You could also try renting a SlumberPod using babyquip.com – I have never tried this but have heard good things. I’ve also seen some parents renting their SlumberPods out on Facebook Marketplace, and I’ve seen posts in mom groups asking if they could borrow one for a weekend. If you’re not ready to commit to the $180 purchase, try one of these ways first.

How to Set Up a SlumberPod.

It’s basically like setting up a tent. It is 3 pieces – the actual SlumberPod + 2 tent poles. The gist is that you lay out the tent part, connect/straighten the poles, slide the poles through the slots in the pod, put the pole ends into their little pockets at the corners, then use the little clips to hold the poles in place.

It IS easier with 2 people, just like setting up a tent is easier with 2 people, but it’s also doable by yourself. I set it up by myself the majority of the time.

Sometimes it’s easier to set it up on a bed in the room and then put it on the sleep area.

If you’re trying to set it up in a small space (I’ve literally set it up in a 4 person tent before), don’t fully straighten the poles at the start. Assemble them as you insert them into the SlumberPod to save space. Do this with both poles and set up one side at a time.

You’ll figure it out 🙂 Even with how many times I set this thing up, I still sometimes messed it up somehow and got frustrated. I suggest eating a snack before attempting set-up in super small spaces.

Can You Use a SlumberPod Outside while Camping?

According to the SlumberPod website, the SlumberPod is only supposed to be used inside/in climate-controlled environments. It has been safety-tested, so I’m assuming they only tested it inside.

I did a weird amount of googling on this subject because I REALLY wanted to use our SlumberPod IN our tent while camping. The thought of the morning sun waking my kiddo at 5am sounded awful, and I wanted us to get as much sleep as we could.

While I could not find a definitive answer, I figured as long as I wasn’t dumb about this, I could use the SlumberPod inside a tent. You obviously can’t leave your kiddo in a hot tent or a freezing cold tent with (or without!) a SlumberPod. But I didn’t see how having it in there by us could be a bad thing.

We used it for quite a few nights of camping, and it definitely helped us get more sleep. We attempted one night without it, and it took our toddler ages to fall asleep. She, of course, was up at the crack of dawn. It was worth it to feel like crazy people for having a tent in a tent – we got much better sleep with the SlumberPod.

Pro Tip: If you’re camping with a baby or toddler, check out my posts for super helpful tips:

• How to Keep a Baby Warm while Camping in Cold Weather
• How to Camp with a 1 Year Old
• Camping with a Toddler – The Best Advice

SlumberPod Review

I hope this SlumberPod review helped! I write this blog to help people get outdoors and to help parents travel better with their kiddos. So I hope this helped you make an informed decision on whether or not you want to buy a SlumberPod for your family. Let me know in the comments!