So we went over the reasons to get a travel crib and looked at the Phil & Ted’s T2.  Now let’s see what we think of the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light.

In a nutshell, we’ve got a positive review then a beef.

First the positive review:
In short, if you don’t plan on flying with it, the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib is a great option.  It’s sturdy, great design, light, small enough to fit in our tent.  But the kicker with this thing is how easy and fast it is to assemble.  Ridiculously easy and fast.  Let’s cut right to the chase:

• USE – Like the T2, if you travel and camp a good bit you’re going to get some use out of this crib.  With the Bjorn, even a trip to a friend’s place is no biggie.  It’s so fast to assemble you won’t think twice about bringing it with you.
• AFFORDABILITY – We’ve seen it anywhere from $230 to $300.  Not cheap.  Again, if you can find a second hand Bjorn in great shape jump at it.  If you have a friend that offers one jump faster.
• SIZE - At 45 x 31.5 x 23.5, the Bjorn’s assembled footprint is slightly smaller than the T2, but they’re both in the same ballpark, so that’s a non- issue for us.  Disassembled is where you see the biggest difference.  The Bjorn is so fast to set up in part because much of it stays assembled.  That translates to a bigger package when collapsed.  It’s still light and easily carried, but unlike the T2, not as feasible for air travel – probably too big to be a carry on (though these days is there such a thing), and I wouldn’t trust checking it.
• SIMPLE STYLING – The whole thing has clean design, both assembled and not. Simple, not overly babyish with animals, clowns, race cars, or whatever the hell else companies use to separate parents from their money.  It doesn’t feature a bug net on top, as the T2 does.  In California that’s not so much an issue.  If you’re traveling anywhere featuring mosquitoes though, may be something to keep in mind.
• SANITY – Not a necessity, but if you can get your hands on one at the right price, or if you don’t give a damn about spending money, it’s a great addition to your family’s travel gear.  Ask yourself what kind of travel you’ll be doing, and whether you’d like to be able to easily fly with the crib as well.

Now for the beef:
Baby Bjorn has a feature on their website called the baby Bjorn Travel Light Competition, which features a video with three different people putting the crib together while being timed.  You can see the video here.
-  First we have Adam, father of Emma, putting the crib together in a claimed 21 seconds flat.  Horseshit.
-  Then we have Ann, big sister of Sarah, putting the crib together in a claimed 32.2 seconds.  Slightly more palatable horseshit.
-  Lastly, we have Eva, grandmother of Eric, putting the crib together in an insulting 21.4 seconds.  Heh…..

That’s cute and all, but not one of those “competitors” would’ve qualified under BBRT (Baby Bjorn Rodeo Tour) Rules, which clearly state in section 12.2, subsection (a)(2) “The timer shall continue to run until, and only until, the competitor has placed the teammate child in the crib and let go with both hands”.

Not Adam, nor Ann, nor Eva placed their teammate in the crib, yet the timer stopped as soon as each of them placed the mattress in the crib.  Again, child not in the crib, but the timer stopped upon mattress placement.  Are you kidding me?  That may cut it in some bush league tours making their way around Tijuana and northern Mexico, but I’m in this game to win it, and by win it I mean the big boy prize, which means big boy tours, the only one of which worth mention is the BBRT.  So when I collect that BBRT World Champion Belt Buckle, and I will,  it’ll be with my legitimately blazing 26.15 second run.  Cowboy up!: