Side by Side Comparison of: Graco vs North States Industries

We purchased this play yard for our grandson to have a safe place to play when he visits. Setup is a breeze, and it is very sturdy. We feel good knowing he has his own space to "hang out" in. It looks good, folds up into a very manageable size with its cover. We anticipate many more grandchildren will use this as we have 6 children of our own! Highly recommend this product!

Really easy to set up. It fits perfect at my sitters house. My baby is 7 months and she really enjoys being in it. At first I wanted to buy a mattress because the pad that comes with play yards are pretty hard but surprisingly this one isn't that bad. I did buy a quilted cover and it helped give a little more cusion. So far she naps fine at the sitters.

Purchased for first grandchild overnight visits. Read all reviews and chose this one. Very happy with sturdiness, well made product. Easy to assemble and disassemble. Also purchased Dream On Me 3" Rounded Corner Playyard Mattress--perfect combo.

This is a great deal on a great playard.For experienced users: Graco has added cushioning to the bottom making it much more comfortable than the ones made over the last few years. It's just as easy to set up and take apart. It is a great price without all the extras.For new parents: Graco makes the best playpens out there, and I've tried many brands. This very basic playpen is great for a trip out of town or overnight with the grandparents. The padding is great and you can always purchase waterproof mats & sheets to keep it clean longer. If you aren't sure whether you want this or one with the bassinets or changing tables, keep in mind that those attachments don't fit into the carrying cases. So you're always carrying them around or storing them. This one folds up and fits fine in the case.

I ordered this to have for when our granddaughter came to visit. It was easy to set up, easy to take down, and worked well. I'm not sure how it would stand up if used every day, but for occasional use it works.

We have a pack and play at home for our 15 month old. This is perfect for traveling because we only need the playyard to act as a crib when he sleeps! I had it shipped to my mom and dad so we would not have to check it three times on our vacation and now they have one at their house for our future trips!

I got this for my eight month old grandson. It is huge and gives him a large play area, with room for his toys. His parents put a puzzle mat rug down inside it, set it up in a square, and he can play and watch television and see and interact with his mother as she works at her computer. And his mother (who is a writer) can work at her computer without worrying about him getting into books and electrical cords and taking off down the hall to the other rooms! There is enough room for crawling and pulling up and walking; it is great.

Bought 2, one for our house as grandparents, and one for my grandson's house. Nice fit, easy to set up, and portable.

Excellent product for our little soon to be crawler. This helps keep him in a safe play are so the dogs aren't all over him also keeps them safe from him. Product is very sturdy and provides a large play area. What’s also great is the ability to add on. The product also folds down easily for storage or transport. I would highly recommend this product to any new parent with toddlers and would even recommend to pet owners with small dogs. I would absolutely purchase again and am considering purchasing the extension for a bigger play area.

These gates are a life saver in our house! We have 2 toddlers and they insist on going all over the yard. We got 4 sets of these and put them together to create safe play spaces. We use them to block the driveway to keep them where they should be when using ride on toys, and to keep cars or delivery trucks from coming too far up the driveway and risk them not seeing the children. We have also been able to use 2 sets to create 2 large play areas for when the toddlers need some separate time when they aren't getting along so well. Will they physically hold a child in place? No, they aren't that strong. But they are perfect for creating a visual boundary, that along with rules and teaching can help contain little ones. Once you get the hang of how they snap together and come apart, it is quick and easy to manipulate them to do what you want them to do. We even use them as the boundaries in our baseball games with the older children! These are some of our most versatile pieces of "child" gear we own.

I was worried like most things you can't really tell what size something is on the internet. I've been fooled like that before the picture "looks" like something would be decent size and you realize it's not even big enough for a tiny dog let alone children! I was very pleased when this arrived the size was great. I actually used it in a different way than most would. I have a huge living room that over looks my kitchen and while it's great for watching my kids and cooking meals at the same time I always worry about the accidental run ins through the kitchen. So I went looking for all types of gates most were very expensive with very little length so on my hunt I saw this and thought possibly six pieces would do the job. Well fully extended it's quite HUGE! It completely blocked the space I needed it too and it still had plenty of length room. I love it, it works great for just about anything you want to use it for. I plan on buying more in the future for other rooms in the house!I've been using this for about a week now and I really like it. I am not using it in the hexagon/octogon shape (I have 8 panels). Instead I have it going across my living room and bending behind furniture to make it stable. So far it has kept my 10 month old twin boys in their contained safe play area. They pull up to standing on the panels and everything is stable. I used the rubber pieces on the bottom of the panels and so far they seem to be working well.This is a must have and i am so happy with this purchase! Please dont hesitate, you will happy just like i was! Thank you so much for an amaizng product! Enjoy

I have the 8 panel play yard. Overall, this is a great play yard. I chose to put mine in a perfect square instead of an Octagon. You lose a little square feet this way, but it works better for our room setup. It also fits perfectly on a 6x6 foam floor tiles:(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HS5BYVO/ref=od_aui_detailpages02?ie=UTF8&psc=1)The 8 panel square measures 65" x 65" I think the octagon measures 80" x 80" but again the square just worked better for our room.HEIGHT:I was torn between this play yard and the Summer Infant Play Yard, and did a lot of research before going with the North States. They were the exact same size and price so I could not decide. I went with this one because it is a little shorter at 26" inches high verses the Summer Infant which is 30" high. I am very petite so stepping over the 26" is even a little challenging for me! The Summer Infant play yard has a door which was appealing, but everyone kept reviewing that the door was difficult to open, so they would just step over it. I don't think there's anyway I could step over the 30" height. In my opinion, the 26" is the perfect height.FOLDING/PORTABILITY:I wanted this to be portable because I knew I would be using it at a few different locations, it is definitely portable, but takes up a fair amour of space when traveling which is expected. I just kept the box that it came in and always transport it in the box. It took me about 15 minutes to set it up initially, and 6 minutes to fold down. After my second, third, times setting up and folding down I could easily setup in under 1 minute and easily fold down in under 1 minute. I did read a lot of reviews that theirs broke when folding, which you do have to be careful to fold the correct way. After you inspect the gates, you'll be able to see which way it needs to fold. So just observe and make sure that nobody tries to fold it up quickly without understanding the correct way to fold. If you're going on a weekend trip or visiting family I would easily pack this along to bring. If you're going on a quick picnic at the park, I wouldn't mess with it. I would want something more portable such as the Summer Infant pop up portable play pen. It folds up like a lawn chair. I have used that one as well at a friend's home, it is much smaller probably half the size but I think it would also be a nice purchase.COLOR:I was slightly disappointed in the "sand" color. I was hoping it would be more ivory/beige but it has more of an orange tint. Not a deal breaker because either way the cage isn't a very pretty sight, but it is what it is.STURDYNESS:They are lightweight plastic gates, so for the people that said they were "flimsy" weren't exactly lying. But when it's all setup and connected it's as sturdy enough as it needs to be for any baby or toddler. There's no way it would tip over or cave in.I would give it 4.5stars because as much as I love it, my daughter isn't as thrilled. I definitely purchased this too late, she is already 9 months, crawling, and standing up on everything and was used to exploring the entire house before and now she's "confined" in this pen. I think she would enjoy it more if she would have had this since birth. But it's our first baby so we'll be able to keep this for all future kiddos! I purchased it more for traveling to grandparents and to our lake house that is not as baby proof as our home is. It will be somewhat bulky to travel with, but will work great. I was also considering the Summer Infant collapsible play yard but I think the square footage is way too small to be enjoyable. I'm happy with this size!

We bought this because we were traveling and needed something for my little one to sleep in. We also didn't want to pay a lot of money for something he will only sleep in a couple of times. I wish we got this one for our house instead of the expensive one he never uses. Easy to put together and take a part. I recommend a mattress to go along with it (obv) My little one slept great in it and its super cheap. I'm a happy mommy.

It was really easy to open and close. It is very light to move around and very beautiful. The padding is a little hard so if you want comfort, you should purchase a mattress also.

Very nice, and perfect for travel, but a bit on the small side for home.

I bought this to take as a travel crib for my 15 month old - it is very easy to set up and take down and folds up in a smart and reasonably compact way. The mattress is practical (not plush) which my wee one didn't seem to mind for few days at a time she has used it. It felt very sturdy and safe and is very affordable. I would purchase again.

Of course this isn't the best of the best as far as pack n plays are concerned but this is nice and small as a travel pack n play. It fits thru most doorways so we found that helpful since we could easily move it from room to room without having to break it down over and over. If you plan to use this as a full time pack n play or for baby naps, I would recommend buying the mattress pad for it as well. The bottom is not very cushioned.

it was delivered late but the product is exactly what i expected and works great and sturdy also i find that it has a thicker padded matt for the bottom which is very nice and cushy for comfort :) recomend to anyone who dosnt need the three level part only because it dosnt come with the accessories for different levels but for an awesome traveler crib its fantastic and safe :)

It is great, but as our daughter got older we did have to get the expansion panels for it. It does have to be weighted down though or she would push it all around the room. We brace ours against the couch, with heavy boxes all around. Now that I have to start using the contents of the boxes I am planning on rapping towels around cinder blocks and replacing the boxes with the blocks.

Very flimsy plastic. We have to stagger it so it won't flop back and forth( can't use it in a square/ rectangle for fear of it flopping over if my son attempts to pull up). Works for what we needed and came in 2 days

I got the multi colored 8 panel enclosure. I have used this for a month so far everyday. Contrary to a couple reviews is quite sturdy when moving and adjusting. Let's be clear. ..this is not a play pen to leave baby unattended extended periods of time. It does move if the child leans or pushes on it but it holds up will and won't collapse. It is most sturdy in the octagon or hexagon (6 panel) configuration as instructed in the package insert. My baby is 18 months 30 lbs and it holds up. It's a great solution if you need to get things done without having to worry about the baby getting into anything. If there were more anti skid pads included I'd give it 5 stars. Overall a great product.

This gate is a really good size and is stable enough that my baby can stand up using the sides without too much concern that she will hurt herself. It did come with a few pieces of the plastic already broken, but it was only a cosmetic problem so I didn't return it but for the price it should be in better condition. Also, the 'gate' part that you should use to get in and out is very rigid and doesn't swing like a gate so that it seems that it is designed for parents to climb over the sides to get in and out. But that really isn't safe at all, especially carrying the baby, so we use the gate but it could have been better designed for sure.All in all I like that it offers a big space for my baby to play that is safe, and the sides also allow you to clip on toys which is great.

We got this pen for our new puppy. I like that I can take the pieces apart to use as multiple make-shift baby/ puppy gates when I'm giving him more free reign of certain areas - or convert it back to a pen when I need him more confined. I convert it back & forth a few times a day. As for reconfiguring - it is not as easy as I would like - requires two hands and a little bit of precision (too much force will bend it too far). My husband doesn't struggle with it as much as I do - but agrees with me that the resistance in reconfiguring is a bit much. (I assume that resistance helps with the stability of the product.) It does seem nice and stable- and would work equally well for toddlers and puppies (I had a similar set up when my kids were younger and it was a life-saver.) So overall - I would recommend this product. If you are planning on using this for a puppy - please realize that this item does NOT replace a crate/kennel - and puppy should not be left unsupervised for long periods of time in this (if your puppy is prone to chewing - as most puppies are - he could chew this pen and damage himself as well as the pen.) I primarily use this pen for when we are home but can't give puppy our undivided attention (cooking, eating dinner, folding laundry, working on computer, etc.) Overall - I do recommend this product for puppy or baby.

I have twins and they are crawling all over the house, so I bought the 8 panel version to keep them contained and safe. It wasn't big enough for them. They didn't have enough room to crawl and have their toys in the same space. I ordered 2 extensions which added 4 more panels to the existing 8. With 12 panels now, we have a pretty large space where their toys are in there, and they don't feel contained. They now like playing in the play yard, and I can easily sit or lay down with them in there too. It is sturdy enough but nothing can be too sturdy unless bolted to the ground. One of my twins can hold on to the walls, stand and cruise around, and for the most part, he is fine doing it. Once in a while, the walls can move which make him lose his balance. I bought this because we have book cases around and a TV stand that has glass and the DVD and DVR players, and the boys liked playing with the buttons or pulling books off the bottom shelf, and I didn't feel comfortable with that, but I had no other way of taking those away from their reach. I plan on using this play yard in the backyard too. I am using 2 floor mats since mine is big now, but if you get the 8 panel version, 1 floor mat should be enough.

After using it for may be one month the pad tthe baby laying on it became not flat as it was .And it's so so thin you have to buy mattress for it if your baby will take naps on it.

Beware the smelly outgassing. Really bad odor when unpacking this. I know it's a great value, but it makes me want to put my kid in it for the shortest amount of time possible. Just smells really bad. I bought this for travel and for safety (to put him in when I go to the bathroom, etc). But, really, it stinks. Pros: It's functional, easy to set up and has a fairly small footprint.

Not the best quality, first one had to be returned because it wouldn't stay assembled. Fortunately this is our spare playpen and we keep it outside, when working in the yard, or take it to the stables so my daughter can stay safe when we are around the horses

Good for the price, but the "mattress" is not comfortable. Needs an insert. Our baby has a difficult time sleeping in it.

Rating this 3 stars because, while it served it's purpose, cleaning it seems impossible. Our old play pen had a zipper along the edge of the bottom pad so you could take out the boards and actually wash the cushion. This play pen offers no option to wash the bottom cushion. Anyone with a baby knows, spit-up happens! And it stinks! Once any spit-up soaks into the bottom pad, good luck getting that smell out! Having purchased this for our 2nd child, I had enough experience to put a waterproof cover/encasement over the bottom pad. Only problem with that is, now I cannot attach the straps under the pad to the bars that support the bottom of the play pen. Could be a potential safety issue. If I use a regular waterproof play pen cover that is open on the bottom, this will likely not be an issue, however, those are about $20 a piece... half the cost of the entire play pen itself.Pros: - easy to set up and take down - light enough to move on the wheels when open - comfortable cushion on bottom for sleeping or playingCons: - a bit heavy when folded up, would not travel with this on an airplane - difficult to clean

i was very unsatisfied with the product at first the bars wouldnt unjam and one wouldnt even lock but my husband who i pretty handy was able to fix it. It pretty stable and my little man seems to like it

Maybe we waited too long to get one, or maybe our baby just won't be contained, but we got this at age 8 months and he screams and cries if you set him down in it. The idea was that my wife could work in the garden and let our little one hang out near her, but in this yard - no go he screams bloody murder the moment he's set down... It's not really a complaint against this unit which seems well-made - it's just not going to work for our family.

It works great. I bought two sets, one from Amazon and the other from babies r us. I was hoping to combine them to make a bigger area. The two sets' pieces don't fit with each other well. A few pieces orientation is opposite of most of the pieces.

It should have been a 5 stars but it came cracked and missing a peice of plastic. I bought it from warehouse deals and I understand the fact that it could be scratched or discolored but not sharply broken as a baby gate. I contacted Amazon.

This is very sturdy, we use it for our 8 week old puppy. However it is definitely NOT easily portable and NOT easy to assemble, reshape or disassemble. You need brute strength to squeeze or push the accordion type connection down in order insert another panel. My husband is pretty strong, and it was challenging for him. So if you don't have strong hands or a strong upper body, this fence is not for you. It is also quite heavy, and the thought of trying to disassemble and reassemble the pieces is very daunting - we won't be bringing it with us on trips as I had hoped.

I have bought this if I'd realized my baby would be standing up so soon after I bought it. The plastic is very flimsy and wobbles wheb he pulls himself up on it. Also, you have to step one it to get in it so if you're short or uncoordinated, you will have a problem because it's a pain to open it the other way

Based on some reviews, I assumed that this product could be used in a square configuration. However it wobbles way too much when use this way, we called the company and a representative explained that the item was not designed to be used as a square (I believe they sell a 4 panel corral which is used as a square) but in a octagon for maximum stability. Also, some of the panels were a little bent (heat, storage, transport?), I cannot tell if they would have straightened out over time and if other customer had the same experience. We decided to return the item as the octagon configuration will not work in the room (too big). I give a 3 stars because the customer service was good and this product seem good IF used as recommended, in octagon.

The pad inside the mattress seems to be too big so it gets "air" in it and is really puffy on one end. Putting a sheet on it makes it worse. Which to me isn't safe as babies are supposed to be on a flat tight fitted surface. I wish I would have returned it. Maybe the one I got was a fluke and they aren't all like this.

We're not very happy with this Pack 'n Play crib. We have used it less than a dozen times for our granddaughter since we got it 4 months ago, and already one of the upper horizontal struts on the end will not engage and lock together. So now that end sags like a "V", and we have to push that end against a wall so she doesn't hurt herself.Shoddy construction. Very disappointing.

Not a great sleep for my baby. I bought this Pack n Play for my moms house. Followed all the directions, snapped the mattress to the frame as directed, but it still bends under my infants weight and sags in the middle.We have another one at our home by a different manufacturer and it's totally solid. I wouldn't recommend this and definitely would not purchase again.

Very difficult to unsnap on the bottom. Strap should be longer so you can grasp it more easily. Should have four wheels with locks instead of two. The push buttons on the sides stick. It does the job, but I'm not particularly happy with it. You'd think a big company like Graco would put a little more effort in the design.

I was disappointed in this cause after just a little over 3 months it was kind of raggedy. my 16 month old granddaughter is pretty rough but this still shouldn't be looking as bad as it does this soon. I wished I would've paid a little more and bought a sturdier one. This is only good for and inactive child or infant.

The bottom is only a card board. It's not safe if your baby is learning to stand. It's easy to open/close. Good for short trip but bad for daily use.

This thing is definitely not meant to be folded and unfolded often. It doesn't fold too easily. In fact, I generally have to kick it at the joints for it to move at all. It's meant to be sturdy, I'm sure, but it just tries my patience.It's also a bit misleading in saying that it can be re-configured, etc, since for some bizarre reason they've made two types of panel, so that you can only have an even number of panels or they won't connect. It's also very difficult to remove a panel, or to open/close. I have to push really hard, and when my baby is pulling at my shirt at the same time, this becomes nearly impossible.Finally, this thing actually broke after using it 3 times, when I was trying to fold it (should've stuck to the kicking method). Folding is difficult enough that the panels bend a lot before they will fold at the joints, and this time one of them just snapped. Worst of all, when it did, a piece of plastic shattered into a whole lot of tiny pieces that I had to painstakingly recover to make sure my baby won't put them in his mouth (I hope I got them all).The reason I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is that if someone were to set it up and just leave it there, this would be fine. Like I said, it's study enough...

Only had this for a few weeks with minimal use and it's already broken. For the same amount of money you can find something with plastic that's more sturdy. Very disappointed

It appears to be well built, but something is wrong with mine. The unit locks by clicking two sections together; but I can't get the top parts to engage for one section. As soon as my post-surgical dog started getting friskier, he could get out! I've looked and looked but can't find anyplace for customer support, which isn't good.

My kids would hold it and stand up, she was rocking on the panel. It seems like she would fall down on any second. It was very hard to set in up.

My 12 month old can climb it and he's not even walking yet. He pulls up and puts his little toes through the little diamond shapes on the fence. I don't think he would ever get over the whole thing (although eventually maybe), but he starts screaming because he gets stuck and doesn't know how to get down and it clearly hurts his toes. Yes, it is sturdy and I brought it for the great reviews, but for whatever reason this information was left out. Kids can in fact try to climb it. We will be returning unfortunately.

I like the idea of a play yard because we have annoying dogs but this is so loud to set up! Each click to adjust the shape is super loud andstiff. Pretty hard to use of your watching a baby alone.

So I thought this thing was pretty cool at first, but not so much now. The first time I set it up, it was easy, but then the buttons seemed stuck when I tried to take it down. The Last time I set it up was about a month ago and it's still up because I CANNOT get the buttons to depress at all. Of course, it did give me some satisfaction as my husband made fun of me, saying I had weak little girl hands. Then he couldn't take it down either so I got to make fun of his weak little boy hands. Overall, a pack and play is supposed to be convenient but this one is not. I don't know if I just got a defective one or something but I wish I had bought a different brand because it's been nothing but a pain.

Returned it because I found the same GRACO Pack'n'Play (different colors, but still neutral) for cheaper and it had a mobil and bassinet. Shop around. Otherwise, a good pack'n'play.

Flimsy and it sucks compared to the other graco one we own

Bad flimsy bottom

Mattress smells extremely musty. Having to return because of the smell.

The bottom is horribly flimsy compared to my other pack n play by Graco...very cheap model!

Arrived broken! One piece is cracked all the way through. Can't hold weight and has long, sharp, jagged splinters. Not safe for baby!

Horrible.. broke a panel after two days... Not worth 90!

Not sturdy at all. Baby could move it easily and really difficult to assemble and disassemble.

One of the panels broke the first time I used it. I was folding the panels and one snapped near the connection point, it is now razor sharp and useless.

I tried closing it up and it broke. Hard to maneuver.

This is item is not worth your money. Looks like cheap plastic. Mine came full of dust without any cover.Really cheap plastic. Blurry colors not happy at all.