If you’re looking for more than a playpen the All Stars HEX is for you. It’s innovative design means it can be become so much more than a playpen. You need a safety gate? Simply remove the gate panel and used the provided fixings to secure it to the wall when you need it. Need to divide a room? Simply unattach one side of one of the panels, unfold the playpen to suit your space and fix to the wall. The play mat is the most likely element to become dirty, but again this is easy to wipe down with a damp cloth when necessary. Usage: If you're investing in a playpen, think about how often you'll use it and if it's a product you want to last you years to come. Many playpens today grow with your baby, starting out as bassinets to see them through the sleepy newborn stage before transforming into a play area for toddlers. Yes! It’s made of plastic, so the panels are easy to wipe down with a cloth, although I’ve found it hasn’t actually attracted much dirt since first use other than some dust on top of the panels.

While the playpen has been designed with holes in the panels, some of which allow the panels to be lifted easily for storage, these are too big for fingers to get caught in but too small for curious babies to escape from. The tops of the panels, which are around 25 inches in height, are rounded for extra safety and the hinges are well protected. Baby playpens certainly divide opinion. Some parents rate them as being a safe place for babies to play for short bursts of time once they are rolling or crawling. Others think they are unnecessary and restrictive.I find it most helpful to put my baby in it first thing in the morning when I’m preparing breakfast or need to clean the house or do some laundry. But she’s only a fan of the playpen for short amounts of time. I don’t like to keep her in it for too long either (I restrict use to half an hour maximum each day), so it’s ended up functioning as a toy storage box as well as an indoor play space.

When your baby gets to that stage where they want to be here there and everywhere and their crawling speed would give Usain Bolt a run for his money, then a safe place to pop them while you're cooking dinner or working is essential. Our mum testers loved the Venture All Stars JOY Baby Playpen for this, and they found they used this playpen on a daily basis. Generally speaking, as toddlers get older playpens become less useful as they may be able to open them or try to climb over the sides. They may also feel frustrated that they aren’t allowed to explore further.'

When testing playpens we look at value for money, size, ability to fold and ease of assembly as well as the material the playpen is made out of.

Perfect Size For Little Ones: Measuring approximately 136cm in width and standing at 75cm tall, it's perfectly sized for children aged 6-36 months. We understand that parenting is a whirlwind of activity. That's why the All Stars DUO Baby Playpen has been designed with easy maintenance in mind. Most surfaces are wipe-clean, allowing you to swiftly clean up spills and messes, giving you more quality time to spend with your little one. Read next: The best baby walkers to encourage those first steps What do babies think of the Venture All Stars Duo Baby Playpen?As Mum to a one-year-old, I wasn’t sure which camp I sat in when I was given the Venture All Stars Duo Baby Playpen to try when my daughter was eight months old.