Best Baby Play Fence

If you’re in a hurry and just want to find out what the best baby play fence is, I’d recommend the Regalo Adjustable And Affixable Baby Fence.

Adding a baby to a household is a joyous time. Unfortunately, you’ll likely discover that making your space entirely baby-safe is quite difficult. You may find you’re better off creating a designated area you can easily control and regulate—the best baby play fences can do just that.

Below, we’ll chat about some key features you’ll want to look for in a playard and why. Finally, I’ll share with you some of the best baby play fences on the market. 

Here are the play fences I will be reviewing:

• Regalo Adjustable and Affixable Baby Fence
• Ashtonbee Playpen Activity Center
• North States Superyard
• Regalo Portable Playard
• Evenflo Versatile Play Space
• Teeker Folding Fireplace Gate
• North States Toddleroo 3-in-1 Metal Superyard
• Costzon Baby Safety Gate
• Summer Custom-Fit Gate
• Garden Bean Fireplace & Baby Fence

What Is A Baby Play Fence?

Baby play fences are used to define a single place where your baby can be kept while he or she plays. These spaces provide safety for your child and come in a variety of sizes and shapes. You can even find models that will allow you to safely attach multiple sets together for a greater play area.

You may also see baby play fences referred to as playards or baby pens. These are usually constructed out of heavy-duty plastic that won’t be tipped over by an overzealous toddler. They can be dismantled and moved to new locations as needed.

Some play fences may offer a functional door. These are great for areas where you will need to be in and out of the play space frequently. They’re also helpful if you have older children who want to spend time with your youngest family member.

When To Use A Baby Play Fence?

There are no wrong times to use a baby play fence, but there are some great times when you should:

• When traveling: Even if your home is well baby-proofed, traveling may bring you to homes that aren’t. Instead of asking your still-single roommate from college, or your grandmother, to baby-proof their home, simply bring along your play fence.
• With pets: Pets can be amazing family members. They should, however, always be watched when they’re with your children. If you can’t be there to monitor them every moment, a playard can help.
• When outside: Even if you have a fully-fenced yard, you may not want your baby at large while outside. A play fence can give them the outside experience without compromising their safety.
• When your baby is newly mobile: You’ve waited for your baby to become mobile—and now there’s no stopping them. They’re climbing on your sofas and chairs and heading for the stairs. A playard can help keep them confined and prevent accidents.
• With other children around: Siblings are great, but they aren’t always careful. Putting your baby in a safe place to play can help you protect them from being injured accidentally.
• While doing regular household chores: Moving a pot of spaghetti to the sink to drain or unloading the dishwasher? Preheating the oven or doing a load of laundry? These are prime opportunities for a toddler to get into trouble—a play fence can keep them safe.

What To Consider When Purchasing A Play Fence

Before you leap into your shopping venture, there are a few things to factor in:

• Your budget: Play fences can be quite costly. Know exactly what you want to spend so you can plan your purchase wisely.
• Where you’ll plan to use it: The kind of play fence you want in your playroom may be vastly different from what you’d want in the backyard. Some play fences won’t be sturdy enough to use outside continuously, while others will be able to withstand even rough weather.
• How many children will be using it: This will give you an idea of the size you need. If you need a door: Not every play fence comes with a functional door. Determine whether or not you need a door, to narrow down your options.
• How tall the play fence needs to be: If you need to secure older children (or keep more athletic family pets out), you may want to opt for a taller play fence. This will likely impact your budget, so know what you need before you shop.

Tips For Bringing Home Your New Play Fence

When shopping for the best baby play fence, you’ll want to keep the following in mind:

• Consider a previously owned play fence: Playards are indispensable when you need them, but they do become outgrown. Families are frequently willing to sell them at reasonable prices when no longer needed. Shopping used may mean you can afford multiple playards or ones with more expensive features.
• Look for safety ratings for your product and the materials it’s made from: It’s likely your child will touch your play fence frequently. They may even experiment with gnawing on it. Make sure it passes your safety standards before bringing it home.
• Keep an eye out for warranties: Warranties can cover unexpected damage or product failure. Finding a baby fence with a warranty may help prevent you from losing your investment.
• Adjustability: You may want to consider a play fence system that allows you to customize to your needs of the day. This can be especially helpful if you have a fluctuating number of children in your home.

My Top Baby Play Fence Reviews

Now that you have a better idea of what you need in a play fence, here are some of my favorites. You may find one here that’s perfect for your needs!

Regalo Adjustable And Affixable Baby Fence

The Regalo baby fence can be used in multiple ways. While it can be converted into an 8-panel playard, it could also be used to define a particular area for long-term use. If you live in an open-floor plan kind of space, you’ll find this extremely beneficial.

When using this fence in a semi-permanent way, you can choose to affix the fence to the wall with the included wall mounts. When fully extended, it’s 192 inches long. When used as a fully-enclosed playpen, the resulting play area is 19 square feet. If you find you need more space or length, it’s possible to attach another set.

The fence is 28 inches tall and the individual panels are 24 inches wide. They are detachable and you can remove panels if you need to use fewer. The gate folds easily into itself to make transporting and storing it less of a hassle.

This baby fence is built to last, made out of durable steel. It’s entirely PVC-free and meets current US safety standards. An included gate makes navigating your separate playspace hassle-free. The locking mechanism is designed for easy one-hand use, which is great when your arms are full of baby belongings.

Ashtonbee Playpen Activity Center

This playard has 16 different panels and a functioning door. If you need your playpen in a smaller space, you have the option to remove panels.

All of the different-colored panels are embossed with fun shapes. The shapes and colors offer your child the opportunity to engage and learn while they’re in their playpen. The largest panel includes a small abacus and a basketball hoop.

The baby play fence is made from high-quality materials. The individual panels snap easily into one another and can be stored accordion-style when not in use, saving space. Each panel is equipped with rubber feet to prevent any damage to the floor.

A generous size and suitable for two or more children, the playpen is sturdy enough for new toddlers to pull themselves up on without tipping over. This product comes with a 100 percent lifetime warranty and discounts are available for multiple purchases.

Each panel of this playard is just under 2 feet tall and about 16 inches wide. Both the door and the abacus panel are wider, at almost 32 inches. The entire play area, at its largest, can provide 34.5 square feet of fun.

Easy to assemble, but difficult for a small child to pull apart, this activity center can be a great choice for your child care needs.

North States Superyard

This baby play fence is a heavy-duty option that can be used indoors or outdoors. It’s freestanding and folds easily for traveling or storing. It also comes with a handy carrying strap to make relocation easy.

Each panel is equipped with non-slip pads on the bottom. This helps keep your playard where you want it, while also offering protection for your floors. The playard is made out of eight separate brightly colored panels.

These panels offer a self-locking safety option. You’ll know your playard is properly locked when you hear the audible click. Assembly is easy, with the panels snapping together. The hinges are very strong and the play area can be shaped to suit your child’s needs and your particular space.

This unit is great for outdoor use as well. The materials are weather resistant and are easy to clean with a soap and water solution.

The total play area provided is 34.5 square feet, with each panel measuring 26 inches tall. There is no gate to this playard. However, the panels are low enough to step over. The diamond-shaped pattern on the panels discourages young children from trying to climb on it.

This product is made in the United States to current safety standards and the plastic is BPA-free.

Regalo Portable Playard

This baby fence is a great option for true traveling. When you need to pack it up, it folds into itself, much like a pack ‘n play. The playard comes with a carry case that has a convenient arm strap to make travel even easier.

What’s great about this baby playard is that it comes with its own elevated bottom. Out and about at a park or a neighbor’s? You don’t need to be concerned with finding suitable ground for your kids to play on.

Each panel is made out of breathable, ventilating mesh. It won’t obscure your view of your child, or your child’s view of their surroundings.

The base is made from sturdy-canvas material and is water-resistant. There are 8 panels in this playard. When open, it measures 62 inches across and the panels are 26 inches tall. It comes with a safety locking mechanism that prevents the playard from changing positions once set up. Simply press down on the foot lock to activate.

This item is approved for use with children ages 6–24 months old. It meets the current safety standards and comes with a 90-day limited warranty from the manufacturer. To clean, simply wipe it down with a soap and water solution.

Evenflo Versatile Play Space

The Evenflo Play Space is one of the largest baby fences around, especially since it’s very spacious at 18.5 square feet. This is the fence’s biggest stand-out feature and is why I’m mentioning it right off the bat. Even better, you have the option of an extension—sold separately—to add even more space.

It’s also 28 inches tall, so your infant will have some jumping room, too. With lower models, you may worry about them jumping over/getting caught on the top and falling over the fence. 

Evenflo, which is a pretty old name in the children’s product market, is very much design-focused when it comes to fences. The fence doesn’t need any tools for setting up, and it was also created with portability in mind, with a foldable molded handle. 

The set up itself is simply a matter of unfolding and connecting the panels. If you’re like me and have no handyperson instinct whatsoever, it’s this stuff that’s most appreciated. 

Another benefit of this fence is that it can be used both indoors and outdoors. Indoors, the fence uses floor pads to prevent movement and scratching on your nice floors. Outdoors, it stays in place with outdoor stakes. 

Evenflo has put a lot of consideration into this fence. The panels are weather and UV-resistant, and the edges are smooth, so you won’t cut up your hands when you move it around. Nor will your baby suffer for being naturally grabby—which baby isn’t? 

This is a fantastic option if you need everything. It’s easy to carry around, offers both a solution indoors and out, and is easy to throw together without unneeded stress.

Teeker Folding Fireplace Gate

As well as being a safety guard for your baby, this Teeker gate can also be used as a pet playpen, Christmas tree fence, or a fireplace gate. It’s very much in the ‘guard’ sector in the world of children’s fences.

You should see this gate as being more of a divider or separator. Rather than creating its own circled enclosed space, it’s more a way to create a separate chunk of room in a larger one. For example, you could divide off a section of your child’s room and turn that section into a special play area. This is done through mounting brackets that attach to the wall.

The gate can be placed on both carpet and hardwood and is both easy to set up and open/close. Teeker has improved the setup of this gate based on feedback from an older version. The joints and connections have been strengthened to avoid breakage and to improve stability. 

As for opening/closing, the gate has a small door to let your infant in and out, so you could leave the gate up permanently and simply utilize this door when needed. It depends on your preference. 

The gate is foldable and can be straight, L-shaped, U-shaped, or Z-shaped. This means you won’t have to worry about the shape of your room, and you can also experiment with the shape of your baby’s play space. 

I would recommend this gate to parents looking for a more permanent option—a gate they can just place and leave for the foreseeable future. It’s also a solid option for people who like to get multiple uses out of one gate.

North States Toddleroo 3-in-1 Metal Superyard

The North States Toddleroo works as a 3-in-1 since it’s a portable playpen, baby gate, and safety barrier.

These multiple options mean that you can form your own baby playpen by creating an enclosed space, if you’d prefer. You can also create a gate between rooms or use it to create a barrier between baby and dangerous features of your home, such as a fireplace or somewhere that’s enticing to mess with. 

One of the biggest advantages of this barrier/gate is how wide it is. It comes with a hardware kit that allows you to extend the fence to 12 feet, so you don’t need to be concerned about extra-large rooms. For even more length, there’s a two-panel extension sold separately. You can also remove panels to decrease it.

For extra convenience, the fence can also be attached to angled walls. I would say one of the biggest benefits of this fence in particular, though, is how secure it is. It opens/closes via a swinging walk-thru door but has a child-proof double-locking system. This means that your baby won’t learn to open it themselves, which can be the case with some other options. 

A single door is also a nice option when you want to keep the fence in a single place for a long period. In addition, Toddleroo is safe for children aged 6–24 months. It’s also anti-scratch, so you won’t be ruining your hardwood floors or tiles in exchange for security.

Costzon Baby Safety Gate

Costzon’s safety gate goes a step further than the North States option on our list by being a 5-in-1 product. These are: 

• Free-standing baby play yard
• Fireplace guard
• Extra-wide barrier
• Door gate
• Pet gate

I feel like splitting these into five purposes is a little misleading. Other products will simply describe themselves as a ‘gate’ and consider, for example, a door and pet gate as being the same thing. But hey, Costzon is making it clear just how many options you have. 

As a baby play yard, the gate can be set up in a hexagon shape to create an enclosed space. The gate comes with either six or eight panels, but individual panels can be added or removed to increase/decrease the length. 

Like some other fences we’ve reviewed, the gate opens and closes via a single door panel. This fence, however, has two further benefits: a double-locking system and the option to open the door in two directions with just one hand. 

This fence is super easy to shape. Not only can individual panels be removed/added, but the joints are also adjustable and can rotate for easy positioning. Also, the L-shaped parts can be directly fixed to the wall. 

You also get an easy-to-store option with this fence, as it folds down easily. This also makes it extra portable, so you can take it traveling with you or move it between rooms with virtually no trouble. 

It’s rather spacious, too—it covers 12.5 feet when extended to its full width and is 29 inches tall. 

This is the most versatile option on our list. As well as having multiple uses, it’s also extremely easy to shape and move around.

Summer Custom-Fit Gate

Summer’s gate is primarily designed for use as a divider/separator between rooms or to split a room. It can also be used as a free-standing playpen area. However, it’s far smaller than other options for this purpose, and to create a sizeable area, you’d need to purchase a second gate.

The gate comes with three panels and fits openings of 87–143 inches with all three panels in use. It’s also ever so slightly taller than our other options, at 30 inches in height.

Unlike other options the market, which tend to be primarily metal or plastic, this gate uses mesh and fabric. Although mesh may not come across as the toughest and most durable of materials, it certainly is a more attractive option for the home. It certainly has a less ‘prison-like’ quality to it. Even at full expansion, the material still looks pretty good. 

The gate comes with a door that can move in both directions, and it comes with a locking system, although an older infant is likely to figure the lock out, given time. This won’t be an issue for a smaller baby, though. 

One downside of this gate is that the attachment points won’t work if you have tall baseboards on your wall. Make sure to check this before purchasing this fence. 

This is quite a stylish-looking fence—it comes in gray and white—and is a stronger option for those who want something a bit more on the basic side. As a gate between rooms and for smaller babies, it does its job and looks good doing it.

Garden Bean Fireplace & Baby Fence

Primarily sold as a safety guard for areas such as fireplaces, that doesn’t mean that this fence isn’t perfect for keeping your baby contained.

The fence is made from durable tubular steel, and each panel can be easily adjusted to slot into any space you need it in.

As a convenience, the gate comes with the hardware you need to mount it to your wall. You can also connect it to create a free-standing playpen area, although it won’t provide the space that other options do. There are separate extensions available if you’d like to create more space, though.

The gate’s joints rotate easily and securely lock in place, so not only is adjusting and shaping it simple, once placed, it’ll stay in place without trouble. It also folds flat for no-sweat storage. 

The gate widens to 122 inches, has a solid height of 30 inches, and provides 2.25-inch spaces between the bars.

A door with a handle means the gate is simple to access, too, although this is still one of the more basic baby fences on the market. I would recommend this mostly as a gate to keep your baby away from a fireplace, stove, or anything else dangerous. For this purpose, it won’t let you down.

Choosing The Best Baby Play Fence For Your Family’s Needs

Keeping your child safe is always of utmost importance. Having a baby play fence at your disposal can make that one less thing you need to worry about. Hopefully, you’ve found some options here that you think will suit your needs.

While these are all excellent options when it comes to providing your child with a safe place to play, I personally love the Regalo Adjustable And Affixable Baby Fence. I really appreciate its versatility and sturdiness. It can even have a real purpose after my kids no longer need it, by keeping pets confined to a specific area.