The Cloud Castle Foldable Playpen

I was attracted to this play pen over others specifically due to the compact storage capability because let’s face it, as a mom you know there’s enough bulky baby stuff around! I also liked the option for neutral colors, as it is this is going in my living room, and I wanted it to look as nice as possible. I was not interested in having any bright colors like the red blue and yellow ones I’ve seen. I also like that I had the option to buy extension pieces so I could make it bigger. I waited a little bit for the package to arrive. The shipping estimate was accurate but it came in the last day if the shipping window. No biggie. So, right out the box it was assembled, it’s light weight, I set it up by myself and it was very easy to maneuver. You arrange it to the desired shape then tighten the bolts with the provided “bolt” tightener. The inside wall with the toys is very cute. The little one seems to enjoy playing with the built in toys. The whiteboard is not a true whiteboard but instead, a sticker. I didn’t even put it up. We did opt to order the extra pieces as well as we didn’t want the little one to be confined to a small play area. I wanted him to explore. Attaching the extension panels were very easy. The extension option comes with 4 panels, alternating gray and white. In regards to the sturdiness of the pen, I feel that the pen without extensions was very sturdy especially with the rubberized bottoms. Having added 4 pieces, two to a side, I do feel the stability was compromised slightly by the larger size. I would not say it’s compromised to the point where it is unsafe. I am assuming our floors are not perfectly level, because there were some panels where the rubber feet didn’t touch the floor, this obviously is not the manufacturers fault. To resolve, all we had to do was put some rubber furniture stops underneath the panel feet that weren’t flush and it was perfect. It is definitely still strong enough, but the floors are definitely something to consider when purchasing this or ANY pen. The open design with the cloud and slits allow your little one to see you and vice versa, but it also is screaming to our little guy “climb me” so he is using these openings to learn to stand up. I wish the door would have a better device to open the pen, it is a button. If it was a latch style I think it would be a little more user friendly than a small button which, at least on mine requires 2 hands, one to hold the gate door and one to push the button. Overall, so far I am quite pleased with the product. Nothing was broken or damaged. It is a quality product and well made. It is a good size as is and it’s a great size with the extension panels. Update 6/3/2020: We had to do some further modifications to our play area to ensure complete stability. With the extension kit added to the regular pen, the middle section ended up giving too much. When our 8 month only used this area to climb to a standing position he actually fell quite hard even though he was being supervised. The feet were not touching the floor in all spot, we had used rubberized furniture stoppers to help. This did work, but with the added weight of an 8 month old it was still not as strong as I wanted it to be, especially after seeing the spill he took before. So we ended up moving a runner carpet from elsewhere and putting the pen on the play mat that is in the pic and the runner so basically the entire contraption is elevated on the mat and rug and is no longer on the hardwood floor. I wouldn’t change my review stars it’s still a great product. As mentioned this doesn’t seem to be a manufacturer defect in my opinion.

The longer I have this set, the happier I am with my choice. It is so well made, and thoughtfully designed. You can reshape it however you want, baby cannot push through it or knock it down. It is expandable (extra pieces available for purchase). You can fold and store it very easily and quickly. It is indoor/outdoor. The built in activities are nice. I fit into it comfortably w/my grandson. It is easy to step over (I'm 5'8") so I don't miss having a gate, which could be a weak point. I have some extra thick rubber flooring tiles underneath, so no worries about spills and bumps or baby-made "juices". Wish I had one of these when mine were babies. I was worried about the bulkiness, but it is not bulky, it is incredibly versatile. Highly recommend!

Absolutely love this little gem of a play yard. I needed a place where my precious grandson could safely play and not have to worry about what he could get into or how to keep the dog away from his toys. This is my grandson's play area where I can get on the floor with him and play. It's sturdy and easy to clean, folds up conveniently and doesn't take up alot of room. Already ordered the 4 piece extension for a bigger configuration. Lots of room to play, spread out and keep him safe. Not limited to conventional playpen dimensions. Assembly was super easy. Seconds to assemble, seconds to fold away. Great purchase. Will last a long time.

Easy to set up and take down

I’m a little mixed on my feelings for this playpen. The good is that it feels sturdy when the bolts are locked down, it looks nice when up, and it does store away relatively small. It will be really easy to bring with us on our trips this summer and will give baby a safe space to play. It’s also going to be so helpful when my infant starts moving around and I need to keep her away from all of her older brothers toys. The cons: While it does stow away small, it takes a little bit of time and effort to unscrew all the bolts that will then allow it to store. With the significant blueprint that this takes up I kind of wish it were faster to put away. Word of caution, it arrived COVERED in dog and human hair (I stopped to take pictures when I was already half way through cleaning). I really should have returned it and bought a replacement because I spent a solid 30 minutes cleaning it. It was also very obviously used as the sticker that should have covered the white board had been removed. While that is not the fault of Fortellas craftsmanship, it really is sad/disgusting that Amazon would allow this to be resold without being cleaned. Had I not had to spend so much time cleaning I would say that this is worth the money, but I kinda feel like I got a second hand item for the original price.

I LOVE THIS!! I got this for my home gym area, to safely contain my 14 month old baby girl while I work out. It is very sturdy, it’s cute, and she loves how it has the interactive wall. Definitely a must have!!!!

Worth to buy

Game changer. We got this because we had two dogs and we wanted to have a dog free area to keep toys away from dogs and so our girl had a safe place to roll around and learn to crawl and explore . It worked Great! This is a huge help starting from when your baby starts rolling over. And also has been helpful as she learned to sit, pull up and cruise around. So it's helping her learn to walk but on her own terms and timeline. There's enough room with the normal set to sit in there with baby and play. But we wanted a little more space so we can lay down in there when we are lower energy. This had an unexpected benefit that when she is having a hard time with independent sleep and we are so tired. We can lay in here with her and she is safe if we fall asleep. And after she falls to sleep we can quietly leave the playpen and she's safe in there. We have a memory foam play mat in there so it's safe and comfy for her! We make sure nothing in there is a hazard. So a total baby safety zone! Game changer and by far my most valued baby gear so far!

Absolutely brilliant. Good quality and very easy to install. My son has learnt how to pull himself up using these.

I have been researching options for my baby for ages as I wanted something safe, spacious & that would last her from when she was born to at least 3 years. We have pets & I wanted to be able to put her in the playpen in her bouncer chair, have a dedicated space for tummy time & toys, and then have somewhere she could safely be as she becomes mobile. This one was perfect as it is very easy to assemble (took me 5 minutes from unboxing to complete set up), it is sturdy and a good amount of space to have lots of toys or room to crawl etc, or for a parent to sit in with baby / a couple of siblings to use. I had my 4 year old niece test it out and she couldn’t knock it over by falling against the edges, and my 14 month old niece used the walls to support her to walk and it was perfectly stable. Some reviews stated the white board was hard to apply neatly but I found it went on fine - perhaps the company has improved it? The assembly is easily done by one person although two would be easier as it’s bulky. I chose this one as it is foldable, however this feature wouldn’t be useful daily as you’d have to go and loosen screws each time, but if you occasionally needed to pack it away to make space it’s a handy feature versus having to disassemble the whole thing. I’d also worry the screws could wear out as they are plastic, so you’d still want to use this playpen as a more permanent set up, it’s quite big and heavy for using for travel. Would still 100% get this one over one that doesn’t fold. You’ll need to factor in postage costs but I found it worth it as I plan to get at least 3 years use from it, then use it in the garden or for my pets once baby outgrows regular need inside. The activity station is really good, and it’s easy to attach other toys to the panels, which are all smooth edged and plenty of space to tie things. Couldn’t be happier with it, and it looks and works great with a foam mat / foam tiles under it, but would work just as well on carpet or a rug. Easy to wipe clean, an all-round well thought out play pen. *Note pictured is the standard size item, no extra panels. The whiteboard sticker is on the reverse side of the door.