Graco Pack 'n Play Element Playard

This was our first pack n play purchased for our 3 month old after much research and deliberation. We intended to use it as a crib when traveling. I picked the Graco Pack'N'Play Element with Stages because of the 'stages' which I hoped would mean that our daughter could sleep higher for longer this pack and play offers three levels, the first supports up to 15lb, the second up to 20lb, once your child weighs more than 20lb you have to use the lowest level.

PROS:

Overall impression is of a very nice and sturdy item.

It was relatively straightforward to assemble and dismantle.

CONS:

BEWARE SAFETY ISSUE I carefully checked all weight bearing seams holding the bassinet together after reading another reviewer's comments that their Graco pack n play had torn at the seams. I found a seam which had not been effectively sewn and as a result was coming undone. This seam was one of the main weight bearing seams that formed the fabric channel for one of the metal rods which held up the bassinet meaning that if this seam continued to come undone (which it did with the slightest pressure) the bassinet and your child could fall. This fault is clearly a manufacturing defect and I am in the process of getting a refund from amazon.

IF YOU BUY THIS ITEM, CHECK ALL SEAMS CAREFULLY!

Aside from that, it was not clear to me why one bassinet level could support 15lb and the other 20lb as the 20lb stage is merely an extension of the 15lb setting, it is not further reinforced in any way. The only thing I could think was that a larger child may be more able to climb out of the first stage, rather than the bassinet not being able to support their weight. Although since mine was already falling apart before we used it, who knows what weight can actually be supported.

I like this graco play pen it's sturdy enough for my energetic 7month baby. My only problem with it is folding it up to take it on the go. Its great for keeping open at home, when he falls he doesn't hurt himself, when sleeping or playing he can see everything and everyone around him. The mattress it came with is very thin and hard so I bought the Dream on me MAttress, it fits perfect in the Graco play pen. He doesn't like to sleep in the crib anymore he mainly sleeps in the playpen especially after buying the Dream on me mattress, he mainly likes being able to see around when he wakes up he will start to look and cry for someone and a bottle.

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Very nice and comfortable. Junior is three months using the second stage bassinet and loves it. The padded mat is comfy and nicely quilted. It was easy for me to put together (im pretty savvy when it comes to that). The colors are pretty nice, wished there were more options, but hey, I'm very content, and happy with my purchase. :-)

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This pack and play is perfect for what we need it for. Our baby is four months old and almost 16 pounds. We wanted her to sleep in our room still. We are using the second phase setting and she seems to like it. The mattress is hard so we put a more padded sheet over it.

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We enjoy this Pack 'N Play...very easy to put together and transition from each "stage". Everything fits together perfectly and it is easy to put it all away and get it back into the carry bag. I just wish there was a way to store the mobile in the travel bag/case. The changing table is sturdy and makes it easy to have more than one changing area set up. We also like the gender neutral pattern!

Review update (June 2013): After lots of use, this Pack 'N Play is holding up nicely. I keep a play yard mattress pad and sheet on it to protect the mat from drooling babies. It continues to be easy to change between the stages and to pack up and travel.

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Air-O-Swiss AOS 7531 Demineralization Cartridge

Do not pay more for to replace the full cartridge every time. One comes with your Air-O-Swiss (AOS), buy 1 more CARTRIDGE here and you are set. AOS sells demineralization GRANULES without the cartridge. Once you have two CARTRIDGES, just buy the GRANULES. It cuts down on plastic waste and will save you a ton on the refills. This is something AOS condones and it does not void your machine's warranty.

Every 2-3 months (depending on use), you remove the cartridge, take the top off (it should unscrew), and pour used granules in the trash. Follow the instructions that AOS provides to refill the new granules (its very straightforward).

I always have 1 spare cartridge on hand because you must soak the newly refilled cartridge for 24 hours. If you are fine going a day without your humidifier every 2-3 months then you just need the one cartridge that comes with your AOS.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review, and I hope you found it helpful in making a purchase decision.

Buy this item and not the beads separate. It is almost impossible to pack the beads yourself,

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This product works very well. It is much needed if you have hard water. To spend a pretty hefty price on the humidifier and then not use the support product would not be wise.

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I am extremely happy with the Air-O-Swiss humidifer. It is easy to clean, humidifies well and the water demineralization filter is a big plus. I've seen no signs of white mineral dust I have seen with other humidifiers. I haven't used it for it's projected 3 month life span yet, but so far so good after 3 weeks.

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We considered using RO filtered water or even distilled water, but this turns out to be by far the easiest and most economical way to purify the water we're using in our Air-o-Swiss humidifier (which we just love!). The original one that came with the humidifier lasted a lot longer than we expected two months of nightly use so we're glad we didn't choose to lug a bunch of water jugs of distilled water. We just fill up the tank once every two nights at the faucet and we're set. We haven't see any issues with white dust from the minerals in the water, and we have hard city water.

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Honeywell HM506H8908 Truesteam Humidifier, 6-Gallon

Contractor warned me that he was having issues with the Honeywell steam humidifier. Claimed I would be lucky if it lasted 3 years. Thinking I could live with 3 years, I had him install it. I really wanted a steam humidifier. Well, it last a little longer than 3 weeks. Contractor brought me a new one, and same thing. I am now in process of installing an Aprilaire which cost a few hundred more. Honeywell, you should pull this product from the market.

I had no option but to buy this product. My new furnace was in such a tight space that they could not install a conventional humidifier unless it voided it's warranty.

SOooo it's Truesteam or nothing. Let me say that it humidifies better than any other humidifier but it is NOT a set it and forget it product. First, it has to be installed correctly (esp.the wiring). If you have the chops do it fine , but otherwise get an HVAC dealer to do it for you. Second, get a Honeywell Reverse Osmosis Filter System (about $200 & easy to install)to go with it. This will save you time and $$ down the line. I went 2yrs without one and the scaling and cleaning and replacement of the water sensor unit ($60) each year was a pain...and my softened water is not that bad. Third, an probably most important, get to know your troubleshooting manual (Honeywell has a video that's pretty good as well [Google: Truesteam Tuneup]). If you don't you will have endless service calls because the warning lights go on and the unit stops working 2-4 times a season and you have to diagnose the problem. The blinking warning light system will tell you 95% of the time what the issue is by the # of blinks. Since I'm now an expert it's easy to get it going again.

Bottom line..I love the way it humidifies. Very even and efficient since my fan is on all the time. Better than Aprilaires I've owned. BUT.. you have to get to know the unit. If you don't you WILL get frustrated. I don't look forward to selling my house and explaining this to the new buyer.

UPDATE: I inquired about the APRILAIRE 800 Steam Humidifier (Hey..if it works better I'll try it) and was told by their #1 dealer in the area that the Aprilaire rep has told them to stay away from the unit...too many unresolved problems. Translation: endless service calls. Like with Truesteam the fixes are probably not difficult but the average homeowner doesn't want all the maintenance issues.

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This is the worst purchase I have ever made. Neve has worked right. Have replace the entire unit and it still doesn't work right. If you don't have a good water source the boiling water will leave deposits from the boiloff. These deposits will cause the solenoid to malfunction and have to be replaced. I have done so several times. This is a hunk of junk.

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I bought this unit on the advice of my HVAC man in 2008. To be fair, and this is the only good thing I will say about this unit, it does a good job of humidifying the house WHEN IT WORKS! The damn thing is made of plastic and is CONSTANTLY splitting (water tank) and or cracking (senders) after every heating season. Something is always broken on this piece of s _ _ t. I have had 2 brand new units replace successive faulty units but they all end up falling apart again. What the hell was Honeywell thinking of when they made this thing out of plastic?

It is November and time to start humidifying in the house and the unit water sender is once again cracked and broken. So I have a truesteam unit mounted on the ducting doing nothing. My HVAC man is bringing another water sender which will likely be junk at the end of the season.

My advice to anyone thinking about buying the Honeywell Truesteam STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM IT! Save your money and look for something that is NOT made of plastic. I don't know about the Aprilaire units, but I think it's time to look at them. Honeywell should be ashamed of building this kind of garbage. I hope this review prevents at least one person from wasting their money on this product.

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Read the other reviews for this humidifier and you'll understand why it's a bad product. I'm on year 4 with mine. Its horrible to clean. The tank and seal already had to be replaced. Now, I get a water sensor error code that will require a call to the dealer. The parts warranty is 5 years which is good. The bad thing is it doesn't cover labor. I bought this to save water over the traditional water wasting type. What a horrible choice I made!

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