Good choice - the portacot works well as a quick dumping station (like if you're off to the loo and just have to put bub down somewhere safely) but we never used ours for that as we didn't like to have it up all the time. Instead we bought a modular playpen (plastic squares that hook together to make a hexagonal playpen) and it was fantastic. We only ever penned him in if we were outside at a BBQ or somewhere wehre there were lots of people. At home we penned OFF the things we didn't want him to touch so penned around the TV cabinet, or the computer etc. and gave him free run of the room knowing he couldn't touch the things we didn't want him to. This time I think we may use it more as a pen as I can't pen off DS who would be the hazard if I were to leave the room! We'd be worried he might step on the baby as he runs around, or leave little toys for bub to pick up anbd it's a bit harder to confine those hazards, so we will instead have to confine the baby. The pen is good though as we can change the shape and size to suit and it packs up into a box to take out to other people's houses.