Customer Reviews

Summer Infant Secure Surround Play Safe Play Yard

5 star:		(86)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Pros:
1. It is taller than others, making it harder to be climbed over.
2. It serves its purpose; we couldn't live without it with twins crawling in 2 different directions.
3. Compared to others that aren't as flimsy, the price is right. The other option is metal and it's 2 times the price for half the size.
4. We added the extension and it's the perfect size for both our twins. They both have plenty of space to crawl around and all their toys.
5. Door.
6. Does fold up well to take with you
7. It does provide a safe place to put non-walking infants while you shower, pee, make dinner, etc. We use it everyday. I recommend the Step2 blue mat to go under it to avoid bumps.
8. It is easy to transport since it is light-weight.

Cons:
1. It is a little bit flimsy. You have to keep the door closed and latched or the whole thing will fall over when baby climbs on it.
2. Holes are perfect size for baby to stick hands/feet in and climb. By 9 months, my twins were able to climb half way up.
3. Only one door, others I've seen have a door on every other section, but this isn't a big issue and would probably make it even more unstable.
4. The biggest downer is that when my twins were only 8 months old, they could already move the entire thing around, including off the mat. I can only imagine how they will move the thing around when they can walk. It will defeat its purpose then since they'll be able to take off with gate in hand and get to what they want. It's too light-weight.
5. I only recommend it for babies not walking yet. Unless you tether it down to a piece of furniture or hooks on a wall, it's not useable for very long since they can slide it around when they start walking (see # 4). I would like to get more use out of it.
6. The "handle" is useless to carry it with. It's just a strap that you snap around it. The minute I picked up the gate with it, it came unsnapped. It needs something permanent.
7. It does look like a cage. I wish the slats were vertical...it would make it harder for them to climb and take away the cage-look. Who wants to "cage" their children like animals??

Overall, for the price, I would recommend it since it does serve its purpose. I've done my research, and for a plastic gate, this is the best one out there since it is taller and can be made larger with the extension. A metal one I've seen wouldn't be as flimsy, but then it would be too heavy to make it portable like this one. I guess there isn't such a thing as the "perfect play yard" all around.



**UPDATE**
My twins are now 15 months old and we are still using this play yard everyday. They are walking now and can move it around but because all the toys are in the way, etc., it keeps it somewhat in place so they never go far with it. They just move it off the mat a foot or so which still keeps them refined to one area for safety's sake. They don't like staying in there by themselves as they prefer their freedom now, so I have to get in with them while they play or they cry. There is plenty of room for me, the two of them, and TONS and TONS of toys! My biggest complaint now would have to be the holes - they are the perfect size for little feet to climb. My kids can get all the way to the top so we can't leave them unattended at all. Since my kids prefer their freedom now, I think we will be packing it away soon (or using it as a large single gate across an entire room instead of an enclosed play yard), but it has been a life saver and I got more/longer use out of it then I ever thought I would.

Works well to temporarily house an infant/toddler and toys when I need to disappear to the loo or remove something hot from the oven. The folding process takes a bit to get used to and the knobs you are supposed to tighten in place and loosen to fold don't really do anything. It is only stable in the hexagon configuration. It comes in handy, especially while caring for two, and I am glad we have it.

My twins learned to sit up, crawl, pull to stand and cruise within a 2 week period when they were 8 months old. It was sooo hard to keep them out of trouble and from climbing on furniture. We got the Surround Play Safe Play Yard and it has been a lot easier for us. They play in there and can still see me when I'm in the kitchen. Then, when company comes over, it is easy to put away.

Our 10 month old daughter is very active and very tall (30"). We thought this play yard would help contain her mischievous ways while mom and dad caught their breath.

Here are a few things we LIKE about it:

1. It's tall and the spacing of the holes is tiny. Too tiny for little toes and fingers to figure out how to climb.

2. It's relatively easy to put together. Yes, a little elbow grease is involved, but nothing that mom can't handle herself. No advanced degrees or sweaty handymen required. (Well, unless that's your thing.)

3. The pieces can be taken apart and used to block off other areas. I've used them as guards to keep her from going behind the entertainment center, couch, floor-length windows, etc.

NOW A WORD OF WARNING:

4. This product can be flimsy. If your child is into "extreme sports" or you feel has a career in stunt-doubling, this is not the product for you.

5. When completely joined, the play area is too small to be enjoyable. The extension is almost a necessity. It's quite obvious to our daughter when she is being "trapped" inside the play yard to play.

6. It says "gate with handle" and, yes, it has one. But it is extremely difficult to latch and unlatch. I would call it more "one of the panels has a plastic piece that you can attempt to unsnap, if you dare."

I got this for my son because the walker wouldn't contain him. I have to honestly say this has been the best purchase I've ever made regarding my kids. I bought the extension to make it larger and I use it with the 24" blue foam pads from Toys R' Us. I made little slits in the pads and used zip-ties to secure it to the play yard. This is the best way that I found to KEEP my child from moving the play yard around the house.

I would definitely recommend this to any mom out there that needs a few hours of peace!

I highly recommend this product to any parents with babies that are on the move! I recently purchased this surround gate for my 7 month old little boy - and it is wonderful. It is large enough (I also bought the extention kit) that he doesn't feel confined. I love the fact that I can fold a load of laundry, read the mail, empty the dishwasher, etc. without worrying where my little one is and what he is doing. I also love the fact that I can easily fold it up and take it outside or on trips. It brings great peace of mind! This is the best $100 I've spent! I only wish I would have bought it sooner!

I ordered this item on Amazon for my little Maltese. We had already purchased the Superyard XT, but we wanted something similar but with a gate so our Maltese can go in and out freely when he pleases especially for bathroom purposes. We ordered the Summer Infant Secure Surround Safe Play with extension thinking it would be just like the Superyard XT (also with extension) but with a gate.

The Summer Infant Secure Surround wasn't as sturdy as the Superyard XT and the gate was hard to open (we made our pen into a square). Sure enough, that night while our dog was jumping on the flimsy pen wall the two wall panels somehow bent inward and caught my dog's leg. This never happened with the Superyard XT. I was really upset that that had happened so I definitely don't recommend this product for an infant or a dog.

I'm so glad that Amazon made the return process so easy, otherwise I would be even more upset if I couldn't return this item.

This play yard is unsafe do not leave your children or pets unattended in it. Between the gates is a space that kids can get there foot or hand stuck into. if you have a puppy they will get though it or get there head stuck. I returned this and bought the North States Superyard XT as they do not have that space in between the gates.

We bought the Superyard XT and used it at the in laws. Worked great.... we wanted one for home but wanted a taller one with a gate. This brought us to the Summer play yard. Not so good.... too lightweight and flimsy. The connections were hard to get right and the gate did not work so well.

Amazon is always upstanding and the return process is easy.

When my husband picked this out for our 13.5 month old twins, I was skeptical, especially after some of the reviews, but we opted to give it a try. We wanted something that didnt have to be closed but could be extended to close off a very large doorway, but then could be closed if we needed it to be. This seemed to fit the bill.

Taking it out of the box, it was preassembled, which was nice, and very lightweight. I opened it up and, without reading the directions, realized how to tighten and loosen it. So, it was very easy. But it is flimsy. As I sat it up, my mother-in-law and I shook our heads and lamented that it probably wouldnt work. But in came my monkeys and, once the realized the gate was there, they used it to stand up on, but that was it. They didnt try to climb it and, when it teetered, they backed away. All in all, I'd give it a 7-8 out of 10.

Afterwards, I tried closing it and it is SMALL! I was hoping to let them both play in it, but it is just too tiny. It's no bigger than a playpen, although the walls are higher. So, instead of ordering the extension, I'm just ordering a second one. They are made such that you can link them together. So, that will give us a decent size play area that is fully contained. In size, it gets a 4 out of 10, but in flexibility with sizing, a 9 out of 10.

Finally, we selected this one because it can be staked to the ground outside and can function as an indoor/outdoor playyard. While we havent used this feature yet (and hence I can't rate our experience thus far), it was one of the things that led us to selecting this item.