Why We Chose It: 

Most playpens are basically a giant wall of plastic or synthetic mesh, so we loved finding one made primarily from solid pinewood instead. The Grovi gives baby a contained place to play without adding another huge plastic item to the middle of the house, and the natural wood actually looks nice enough to leave out.

You can choose from several sizes, adjust the shape to fit your space and even connect multiple sets if you want a larger play area. The construction is nearly glue-free, with no varnish or excess glue, which makes it the best lower-tox playpen options we found.

Highlights

• Made from responsibly sourced New Zealand pinewood with no varnish & nearly glue-free construction
• GREENGUARD Gold certified for low chemical emissions
• ASTM and CPC tested to meet U.S. safety standards
• 24-inch-high panels with a childproof locking gate
• Non-slip suction feet help keep it in place
• Foldable for storage once the connectors are removed

Real Talk:

My baby uses his mouth on the wood to help pull himself up, because of course he does, so I appreciate that it feels very bare and natural. HARPPA does not officially say the wood is unfinished or untreated, but it certainly felt about as minimal as we could find without making one ourselves.