Cover it up!

Let me preface this by saying I am NOT a slipcover kind of gal. The white canvas things on furniture give me shivers and the baggy things that germaphobe parents put on shopping carts and high chairs freak me out. Not that I don't see a need for shielding your precious little one from everyone else's ick, but, come on- who's going to tote around yet another bag of baby gear? Not me, sister. (Roo's only had two fevers in her almost four years, so I think her immune system might have actually benefited from all the extraneous bacteria.) Cute they may be, but I don't need them in my life.

Well, this naysayer finally found a slipcover that I actually find more than just slightly worthwhile. Coverplayard is exactly what it sounds like: a cover for your playard. When I was a kid I think they actually called these things playpens, but let's not quibble. Most families have a playard, taking up way too much space in already kid-dominated living rooms. Aside from their inherent ugliness (primary colors! teddy bears!), these contraptions are almost impossible to clean. By design, whatever spit-up, potty accident, etc. can only wiped off superficially. Often, playards are hand-me-downs, with unimaginable years of kid filth accumulated in their folds. And the ones you use at hotels or borrow from friends of friends of relatives while you're traveling… ooh, I don't even want to talk about them. Well, the Coverplayard can breathe new life into the sketchiest playard. Witness the adorable Olivia model, the one that might have made Roo actually use her playpen:



The Coverplayard is as easy as a traditional slipcover, maybe even easier because it eschews frou frou ties for sturdy velcro straps. It actually slips over the whole unit and secures to the floormat, providing a layer of fabric on the inside and the outside. It is not baggy at all, which I thought might make it difficult to install, but the slight stretch to the fabric means it pulls on easily and taut, like a second skin. The mesh panels allow breathability and more visibility than you can tell from the photos, which make them look semi-opaque. Here is a picture of the Charlie model on our playard:



It's a nice basic stripe and dot pattern, slightly more conservative than I would have gone with Roo, but Jasper is a less showy kid thus far and, strangely, doesn't go for the pink florals. Another very cool Coverplayard option for boys is the Joey camo print:



Coverplayard slipcovers are also available in a minky chenille dot fabric that certainly looks luxurious although I think the nine styles in cotton/lycra fabrics might be easier to clean. There are five colors available in the plush fabric. ( Warning! I don't know if your baby will ever want to leave the playard with these snuggly soft liners…)



At only $50 for cotton and $60 for chenille, Coverplayard is a veritable baby gear bargain. During the month of December, they are offering free shipping on all online orders.


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