The All Stars DUO is one of the UK's best selling playpens and has a great pedigree with it's multiple awards during it's time on the market. However as with any Venture products we are always looking for new and exciting ways to make our products even better value and better quality. The New All Stars DUO now looks much more recognisable than the previous version, to start we now have a new and exciting door panel, a new game panel which no longer requires you to apply stickers and some fantastic new mats!
We spoke to these real parent testers to get their review...
How did this product make your life easier?
Jessica: This playpen has made my life so much easier. It's a fantastic size and safely contains my baby. It was super easy to assemble which is a plus when you are juggling children. Knowing my baby can play in there with all their toys and room to spare is brilliant. It's been a fantastic playpen to have in the garden on nicer days too, ensuring my baby is within a safe space outside as well as in.
Sophie: This playpen really does allow me to get on with those essential tasks knowing that my baby is safe. Now he's getting more mobile it's fantastic, especially when it's just the two of us. The colours are great as blends in with our kitchen so doesn't look as garish as other ones. It now means I can get on with cooking without either worrying or making him sit in the bouncer which is too small for him now. Far less crying and more jobs are now getting done in this house!
Amelia: I really wish I had received this product a little earlier on, as it would have been an absolute life saver when my daughter (14 months) was a little younger (not walking). However, I was still able to make use of it. I had set it up in the living room, and would put her in it when I would cook, hoover etc. I would have her toys in there for her to play. She has just started imaginative play, and has been using it almost as a little toy house. It does give me peace of mind that she’s in there with her toys, whilst I’m cooking/cleaning, and that she’s not up to some sort of mischief.
Would you recommend this product to other parents?
Roseanne: It's quite a large product but if a relatively large play pen that is good quality is what you are looking for then I would recommend it. A good feature is that you do not have to use all of it and can have a smaller play pen if you like. The mats and balls are soft and overall the product provides good stimulation. You could also fit plenty of other toys in there if you wanted to set up different sections for your baby.
Hannah: The playpen was a comfortable space for my baby to be in she enjoyed exploring the balls and the floor mats were nice and soft.If I’m being completely honest though I wouldn’t recommend the duo playpen to other mums. This is due to how difficult we found putting the playpen together and the fact baby can’t see out of the playpen and that the parent can’t see in.
Jessica: I would definitely recommend this playpen to any parent/carer. It's a great addition to any household whether they want somewhere for their baby to be safely contained or an area that can have all their toys and they can come and go as they please. My baby automatically goes in as he recognises it as his safe, playing space.
Would you choose this product above all others on the market?
Poonam: 100% without a second doubt. I have had 2 different play pens in the past. One metal "jail" style playpen and the second was a 2 in one travel cot/play pen and they have both ended up being stored in the loft as they are useless! This is big enough so the child does not feel restricted. It has a lovely modern design which is gender neutral so it can be reused if you plan on haing more children or don't want something stereotypical. In my expereince a lot of baby items are extremely colourful but for something so large I personally think something colourful would be an eye sore.
Sophie: Yes I would choose this playpen over others as it is adaptable to the size you want and the colours are better for our decor. We have lots of brightly coloured toys so nice to have something that blends in more especially as it is huge! All playpens are large and so if you choose to have one this is a good compromise. I think from a safety aspect it is very good as I know he’s safe in there especially when the older kids have their lego out! No safety concerns yet but my little one isn’t actually crawling yet so time will tell!
Amelia: After looking online at other play pens, I would have one hundred percent, without a shadow of a doubt bought this one. I mean, they say don’t judge a book (playpen) by its cover, but design is very important to me, especially being very into my home decor. This playpen looks incredible in the living room, and does not look like you’re in a rainbow playground.
What changes would you make to this product?
Roseanne: The wall around the play pen is quite bulky which makes it sturdy but if this could be slimmed down it would feel like it was a bit more portable. A downside is that once the playpen has been put up in your home it feels as though it dominates the room and is quite a permanent structure, which I suppose would be a negative for some people.
Hannah: If I could change one thing about the duo venture playpen to improve it , I think it would be how it fits together and clearer instructions, possibly a way of collapsing it down , rather than having to unclip each panel as well. This would mean it wouldn’t take so long to set the play pen up and much more straightforward for the parents putting it together.
Poonam: The only thing I could change is the ease to put it together. The playpen isn't as straightforward to put together and when you clip in one side I found the other side came undone so it required 2 of us to put it together. The other thing is once put together it isn't completely secure. If I try to lift the playpen to reposition it or move it the panels start to unclip. This makes me wary of its stability and security. Apart from this, it is an absolutely FANTASTIC product and I would purchase it again in a heartbeat.