Last Updated on 29 March 2019 by Colette
When Ben was small we had a separate kitchen and living room – I was able to shut the door to the kitchen to keep Ben in a safe space or keep Thomas out of the way. I used to keep the travel cot in the living room with a play mat in the bottom so I had somewhere to pop Ben and know he wasn’t going to get himself into any trouble while I got some jobs done.
I wasn’t able to use the travel cot in the same way when Chloe was small as Ben used to try and climb in with her which always made me worried it would tip over. Â If anything I probably needed it even more then as we had had our kitchen extended and we now had a much more open living space. Â I think I relied on the Jumperoo quite a lot to keep her in one place and out of harm’s way.
This time round all my problems have been solved with the arrival of a Lindam Safe & Secure Metal Play Pen – aside from trying to keep Amy safe from her two older siblings charging around the place (and leaving small toys on the floor no matter how many times they are told!) there is the added complication of some rather major building work going on  . . . building work which means there are things in my living room which wouldn’t normally be there (the dining room table and a circular saw to name but two!)
You might be able to spot one of Grandad’s big tools hiding in the top left of the picture!
The Lindam Safe & Secure Metal Play Pen gives Amy her own space, somewhere I know I can pop her down to play confident in the knowledge she won’t come to any harm while I put the washing on (unless of course Ben and Chloe have decided to get in there with her which they seem to find thoroughly entertaining!)
When I first put the playpen together I wasn’t convinced I had done it properly as it didn’t seem to be quite the right shape but once I’d fastened the playmat into position it was much better and it added to the stability.
I had worried Amy might feel a bit trapped in the playpen but she loves it and will happily sit in there entertaining herself for quite a while. Â She has recently discovered that she can pull herself up on the bars adding to the “baby jail” effect!
Amy tested out the washable mat the first time I put her in there by being sick on it – although its machine washable it’s quite bulky so tricky to get properly clean. Â I’ve since started to put a second play mat over the top for protection, it also adds extra interest for the little lady when she’s playing.
* It can be used as a playpen or room divider<
* The gate is easy to open with one hand (though at the moment I tend to lift Amy in and out over the top)
* The play pen comes with a fabulous padded mat to create a comfortable space for baby to play and explore
* The bars mean that Amy can still see out and feel like she’s part of what’s going on in the room – she likes to try and reach for things as well!
* At less than £100 it’s great value
* The mat is tricky to wash – it’s quite big & not overly flexible so it can be quite hard to get clean in the machine (not ideal when your baby is a bit of a puker)
* The gate can be a bit tricky to fasten – you need to make sure you give it a bit of a wiggle to make sure it’s shut properly – it should just push to fasten but for some reason ours will open in and out.
I love the Lindam Safe & Secure Metal Play Pen and honestly don’t know how I’d have got through the last couple of months without it! Â It will be a firm fixture in our living room for many months to come.
*Disclaimer -We were sent the Lindam Safe & Secure Metal Play Pen free of charge for the purposes of review however all thoughts and opinions are my own*
We loved our Lindam playpen – and LP got in it too quite often! It kept me sane when Little Man started moving and I had to go to the loo, answer the door etc x
This looks great. We had a different larger pen, but I definitely wouldn't have survived without it. Baby likes to try and stick her fingers in plug sockets! x
That looks great – wish I had room for something like that. Have to just keep my living room child-proofed and have a gate on the door so the entire room is effectively the play pen!
We've lived in much the same way until now! x
Such a useful item with little ones you need to keep safe but it would have been just too big for us! We too used a travel cot like you did! Amy sure looks happy in it. #TriedTested
Yes we are lucky to have quite a big space to put it in!
This is a must have for those times when you need your hands free for 5 minutes to cook dinner etc. I love Lindam, everything is always good quality. #TriedTested
I wish we had explored this option before as I got a wooden static one and we have barely used it. A room divider one would have been really handy :/
We never had a playpen but it would've been a godsend. I agree a mat you can easily shove in the washing machine is a must.
I've been thinking of getting one of these for the twins as they are into everything, I'm just not sure it would fit in our living room! This looks like a great solution though to stop them getting into mischief and Amy looks very happy in there, at least you know they are safe when you need to nip out the room #triedtested
It's definitely worth looking at Hayley – she really does play so happily in there.
I wish i had bought ones of these when Amelia was younger we made do with the magic bed as a play pen but this would have been so much better. Definitely buying one for little man when he starts crawling x
I wish I had had one of these when the boys were younger #triedandtested
This looks fab! I've always thought of these as baby jails but Amy looks so happy in it, a great size and so practical being multi use!
I've always been wary of play pens but since the age gaps between eldest and youngest widens in our family,I can see how they are handy. Also now there will soon be 4 of them, it helps to have things a little more contained when you need to sort something! Thanks for sharing 🙂 x x
I never had one of these but always thought how useful it would be – definitely when you're cooking hot stuff in the kitchen or ironing!
I think, cage-like look aside, these things are fab. We may want to be super-Mum and be with our child 24/7 but we all know that's not possible and it's great to have somewhere to keep them safe. We had a travel cot but nowhere to put it up so Ethan spent far more time in his high chair than I'd have liked. If we have another we'll have to make space for a travel cot, at very least, because… lego lego lego!
I've always thought these looked like a great idea. If there was a version for a devilish two year old (that they couldn't open/climb out of…) I'd get one now 🙂
This looks fab, we have an old play pen we're currently using but this looks like it gives more space! xx
It looks like a great idea if you have the space and need to make sure they are safe while you are out of the room. #TriedTested
If i had a bigger house i would so buy one of these as i have a one year old and a newborn and i cant leave them alone so when im home alone with them its a nightmare and this looks great and the perfect solution for when i need pop to the loo or make a coffee #TriedTested
It looks really good and roomy too, I wish I had bought one when my two were younger as it gives them freedom yet helps you out as a parent too 🙂
oooo what a great idea. I always found it hard keeping the dog and Boo apart (I still never leave them) so will be even harder with two. Maybe I could even put the dog in it haha. Will defo think about this 🙂
I never bothered with a playpen with my two….This looks like it could be very handy though x
Yay we had one of these with Joshua (red mat instead) and it was amazing to put him in .. no more having a wee in 30 seconds incase someone escaped the made up barriers!
x
A playpen was something I found essential when my boys were that age. And this looks a good one #TriedTested
I wish we'd had something similar to this when Eli was small, as I was forever finding him buried underneath Meg who was lovingly cuddling him!! Looks great value too.
We have one like this as a room divider, it's brilliant! Not sure if its a Lindam one though x
I love that it has dual purpose, I had twins and I needed a temporary pen now and then. Looks brilliant
I could do with one of these one, although not sure O would be happy go be confined. Might mean I can have a cup of tea in peace though! x
We bought one of these for Lydia when she was born and it was so useful, she could play and nap safely in it, and without the worry of Georgie waking her up or messing with her when she was small. As she got bigger and started to move around it was ideal for keeping her contained when need be – especially when we were moving house and it was definitely not a baby safe environment!
We eventually sold it for not a lot less than we bought it for too; I always think it's good when you have something like this and even though it's a bit pricey to start with you can recoup a lot when you sell it on.