Guava Lotus vs Newton Travel Crib
Both have a side zip door and a backpack now, and each brand publishes two different weights for its own crib. The mattress is what is left to decide on.
By Ryder M. · Published September 27, 2026 · Last reviewed
Disclosure: Wrap & Wander earns a commission on qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. It does not change which products we recommend or the order we rank them in — see how we pick and our full disclosure.
Quick picks
Ranked on the specs that decide it for a traveling parent — carried weight, packed size and fit. Tap a row to jump to the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  IllustrativeGuava Lotus Travel CribAn insulated mattress and an 8 in packed depth — the crib to buy when the floor is cold and the suitcase is already full. | Bare boards and tile, and sliding into a packed suitcase | 9.0 | |
| 2 |  Newton Baby Compact Travel Crib & Play YardCover AND core machine washable, on the thickest sleep surface of the two, at a $199.99 list price — the crib to buy for the night a trip goes wrong. | A mattress that goes in a washing machine, for $50 less | 9.2 | $199.99 · View on Amazon #ad we may earn a commission · price as of November 12, 2026 |
The verdict: the Newton Compact, for most people. It is the only one of the two whose mattress core goes in a washing machine, it has the thicker sleep surface, and it lists for $50 less. Buy the Guava Lotus instead if you need an insulated mattress for a cold floor, or if the crib has to slide into an already-full suitcase — at 8 in packed depth it does that and the Newton does not.
This comparison used to turn on the Lotus having a side zip door and backpack straps that the Newton lacked. As of our 2026-10-01 read of newtonbaby.com, Newton publishes both, so that axis is gone. What follows is the comparison that is actually left.
Head to head
| Spec | Guava Lotus | Newton Compact |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 13 lb with backpack, or 15 lb with carry bag — Guava publishes both | 12 lb in the FAQ, or 13 lb in the key features — Newton publishes both |
| Packed | 24 x 12 x 8 in | 24 x 10 x 10 in |
| Set up | 45.5 x 31.5 x 25.5 in (also published as 45 x 32 x 25 in) | 47 x 34 x 27 in (also published as 37.75 x 24.5 x 27 in) |
| Mattress | 42 x 24 in, insulated and low-VOC | 38 x 24 x 1.5 in, Wovenaire breathe-thru core |
| Mattress washable | Fabric cover only — cold wash, tumble dry delicate | Cover AND core — cold, gentle cycle |
| Side access | Yes — zip door | Yes — zip door |
| Carry | Backpack straps | Carry handle, backpack straps and a luggage sleeve |
| Sheet included | Not published | Muslin cotton fitted sheet |
| Certification | 16 CFR 1221 / ASTM F406, GREENGUARD Gold | GREENGUARD Gold |
| Height limit | Under 35 in tall; no weight limit, mattress sits on the floor | Up to 35 in tall; no weight limit, mattress sits on the floor |
| Brand list price | $249.95 | $199.99 |
Every figure re-read from guavafamily.com and newtonbaby.com on 2026-10-01. Where a cell shows two numbers, the brand publishes both on the same page — we are not choosing between them. Guava's current page states the mattress as 42 x 24 in and no longer publishes the 1.4 in thickness we recorded on 2026-09-27. List prices are the brands' own figures on that date, not current prices.
Weight is no longer a tiebreaker
This comparison used to open with twelve pounds against fifteen. It cannot any more, because each brand now publishes two different weights for its own crib — on the same page, in different places.
Guava gives 13 lb (6 kg) “including backpack” in one spec block and 15 lb (6.8 kg) “including carry bag” in another, and its marketing copy uses 15 lb. Newton gives 12 lb in its FAQ and 13 lb in its key features, where the crib is described as the lightest in its class. Put the four figures together and the two ranges overlap at 13 lb.
We are not going to pretend to resolve that. If you are planning a checked bag around a weight limit, weigh the crib yourself when it arrives and keep the packaging until you have. For choosing between these two, treat the weight as a tie and decide on something that is only published once.
The mattress is the real differentiator
With the door and the straps on both cribs and the weight unusable, the mattress is what is left — and the two brands have built for opposite problems.
Newton is built to be cleaned. It publishes a Wovenaire core of 90% air and 10% food-grade polymer, and states that the cover and the core go in a machine on a cold, gentle cycle. Nothing else we have compared in this category publishes a washable core. Guava’s washing instructions are explicit and narrower: unzip the fabric cover, wash cold, tumble dry delicate. The cover. Not the mattress inside it.
Guava is built to insulate. Its mattress is specified as insulated and low-VOC, which is the spec that matters on tile, on a rental’s bare boards, or in a hotel room where the floor runs colder than the air. Newton makes no insulation claim; its core is engineered for airflow through the mattress, which is close to the opposite design goal.
So the question is which night you are buying for: a cold floor on every night of the trip, or the one night in three trips when something goes through the mattress. Our mattress specs comparison puts the whole category’s published figures side by side.
Choose the Guava Lotus if
- The floor will be cold — tile, bare boards, a winter rental
- The crib has to go inside an already-full suitcase: 8 in packed depth against the Newton's 10 in
- Floor space is tight, where 45.5 x 31.5 in beats 47 x 34 in
- You want both the federal standard and GREENGUARD Gold stated on one page
Choose the Newton Compact if
- You want a mattress you can put in a washing machine, core included
- You would rather have the thicker sleep surface at 1.5 in
- A fitted sheet in the box matters, and $50 less does too
- Airflow through the mattress is what you are optimizing for, not insulation
Full write-up of the Lotus: our Guava Lotus review. For a third option, our BabyBjörn versus Lotus comparison looks at the flattest-folding crib in the category.
Every pick in full
Guava Lotus Travel Crib
An insulated mattress and an 8 in packed depth — the crib to buy when the floor is cold and the suitcase is already full.
Best for: Bare boards and tile, and sliding into a packed suitcase
| Set up | 45.5 x 31.5 x 25.5 in (L x W x H) |
|---|---|
| Packed | 24 x 12 x 8 in |
| Weight | 15 lb (6.8 kg) including the carry bag |
| Mattress | 41.5 x 23.5 x 1.4 in, low-VOC and insulated |
| Carry | padded backpack straps — hands-free |
| Ages | newborn to three, or until the child can climb out |
| Standards | 16 CFR 1221 / ASTM F406; GREENGUARD Gold certified |
Specs from Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib product page, read 2026-09-27. Manufacturers revise specs without notice — check the listing before you buy.
Good at
- Insulated low-VOC mattress — the only one of the two specified as insulating from the floor
- Packs to 24 x 12 x 8 in: at 8 in deep it lies alongside clothes in a case rather than taking a corner
- 45.5 x 31.5 x 25.5 in set up — a smaller footprint than the Newton's 47 x 34 in
- Side zip door, backpack straps, and both 16 CFR 1221 / ASTM F406 and GREENGUARD Gold stated together
Bad at
Only the fabric cover is stated as washable — Guava says to unzip the cover, wash cold and tumble dry delicate, and says nothing about the core. It also lists for $249.95 against the Newton's $199.99, and publishes two weights and two set-up sizes for the same crib.
How it scores (out of 10)
Overall 9.0 — a research score against published specs, not a test result. See how we pick.
IllustrativeNewton Baby Compact Travel Crib & Play Yard
Cover AND core machine washable, on the thickest sleep surface of the two, at a $199.99 list price — the crib to buy for the night a trip goes wrong.
Best for: A mattress that goes in a washing machine, for $50 less
| Set up | 47 x 34 x 27 in (L x W x H) |
|---|---|
| Sleep surface | 38 x 24 x 1.5 in |
| Collapsed | 24 x 10 x 10 in (L x W x H) |
| Weight | Newton publishes two figures: 12 lb in its FAQ and 13 lb in its key features |
| Fits | babies and toddlers up to 35 in tall; no weight limit, as the mattress rests directly on the floor |
| Mattress | Wovenaire breathe-thru core, 90% air and 10% food-grade polymer; cover and core machine washable cold on a gentle cycle |
| Access | side zip door; mattress rests on the floor behind an easy-access side opening panel |
| Walls | breathable mesh sides |
| Carry | travel bag included, with a carry handle, hidden shoulder straps that convert it to a backpack, and a luggage sleeve |
| Included | muslin cotton fitted sheet |
| Certification | GREENGUARD Gold |
Specs from Newton Baby Compact Travel Crib product page, read 2026-10-01. Manufacturers revise specs without notice — check the listing before you buy.
Good at
- Cover and core both machine washable cold on a gentle cycle — no other travel crib we have compared publishes a washable core
- Wovenaire breathe-thru core, published as 90% air and 10% food-grade polymer
- 38 x 24 x 1.5 in sleep surface — thicker than anything else in the category
- Side zip door, backpack straps and a luggage sleeve, plus a muslin cotton fitted sheet included
- $199.99 list against the Lotus at $249.95
Bad at
47 x 34 in is the largest set-up footprint of the compact cribs, and it packs to a 10 x 10 in square tube rather than the Lotus's 8 in slab. Newton also publishes two weights and two set-up sizes for this crib, and does not state 16 CFR 1221 / ASTM F406 on its page.
How it scores (out of 10)
Overall 9.2 — a research score against published specs, not a test result. See how we pick.
#ad we may earn a commission · price as of November 12, 2026
Questions parents actually ask
Which is lighter, the Lotus or the Newton?
Neither brand lets you answer that cleanly any more, which is the honest reply. Guava publishes 13 lb (6 kg) including the backpack in one spec block and 15 lb (6.8 kg) including the carry bag in another. Newton publishes 12 lb in its FAQ and 13 lb in its key features. The two ranges overlap at 13 lb, so weight is no longer a reason to pick one.
Does the Newton have a side door too?
Yes. As of our 2026-10-01 read, Newton publishes a side zip door on the Compact Travel Crib and a travel bag with a carry handle, hidden shoulder straps that convert it to a backpack, and a luggage sleeve. It did not publish any of those a week earlier. The side door and the backpack used to be what separated these two cribs, and they no longer do.
Which has the better mattress?
This is now the whole decision, and it depends on which problem you have. Newton publishes a Wovenaire breathe-thru core — 90% air, 10% food-grade polymer — with the cover AND the core machine washable cold on a gentle cycle. Guava publishes an insulated low-VOC mattress and washing instructions that cover the fabric cover only. Buy Newton if you want to be able to wash it. Buy Guava if the floor is cold.
Which one is cheaper?
The Newton Compact, at a $199.99 brand list price against $249.95 for the Lotus — both read from the manufacturers' own pages on 2026-10-01. Those are list prices rather than what you would pay today; the buy buttons carry the current figure.
Do both meet the same standards?
Guava states 16 CFR 1221 / ASTM F406 compliance and GREENGUARD Gold certification. Newton states GREENGUARD Gold but does not name the federal structural rule on its page. Both are sold new in the US and so are subject to the mandatory play yard rule regardless of what their pages say — what differs is which brand lets you check.
Sources
- Guava Family — Lotus Travel Crib — read 2026-09-27
- Newton Baby — Compact Travel Crib & Play Yard — read 2026-10-01
- CPSC — play yards business guidance (16 CFR part 1221, ASTM F406) — read 2026-09-27
Every figure on this page traces to one of the sources above. Airline policies and manufacturer specs change without notice — check the primary source before you rely on a number.
Read next
- Best Travel Cribs
Six travel cribs ranked on packed dimensions, weight and setup — the two specs that decide whether it flies with you.
- Guava Lotus Travel Crib Review
15 lb, 24 x 12 x 8 in packed, backpack straps and a side zip door — plus the two cases where it is the wrong crib.
- BabyBjörn vs Guava Lotus Travel Crib
A 5.5-inch flat fold that packs inside a suitcase against a crib you wear as a backpack.
- Best Travel Cribs for Flying
Cribs realistic to fly with, ranked on weight, packed dimensions and whether you can carry them hands-free.
- Travel Crib vs Pack and Play
Same safety standard, different purpose: packed size and weight against floor space and price per square inch.
- Most Comfortable Travel Cribs
Five travel cribs compared on published mattress thickness, construction and sleep-surface size — the specs that decide comfort.
- Newton Travel Crib Review
The Newton Compact and Deluxe reviewed on published specs — washable Wovenaire mattress, a new side zip door, and two places Newton's own numbers disagree.
More in Travel Cribs & Pack-and-Plays, or start from the front page.