Product Spotlight: Cribs

lyse01

Sleep safe, everyone, part 2.

Give us the pros and cons of what you have, or ask about what you want. Was it worth buying the one that converted to a toddler bed? What features do you look for? Are the expensive ones worth the $$?  What had storage, or not? What accessories were worth it? Is there other relevant info?

FTMs: when you look at cribs, what’s overwhelming or confusing? Ask away!

Want to discuss something else? Recommend it here, or second some recs by loving someone’s post (I’ll try to prioritize): https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12734953/product-spotlights-upcoming-or-requests

All product spotlights can be resurrected at any time for further discussion - type “Product Spotlight” into the search bar at the bottom of the page to find previous threads.

lyse01

We don’t have a crib so nothing to add here except that if you are getting a hand me down crib, check for safety:
https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/cribs/crib-safety-tips

thatbaintforbetty

We had an Ikea crib. The sniglar, I think. It was $70-80, and converted to a toddler bed. Since we hardly used it, and it got destroyed in our storage we will have to by another one if we want it. Honestly it’s was a perfectly fine crib. I used to sell baby furniture and there isn’t a ton of difference between a $100 crib and a $500 crib. Most don’t make drop side cribs anymore for safety reasons and they all will lower at least one position. It’s all about style and if it converts to a headboard/footboard for a full size bed. I like simple and clean lines so the Ikea crib was great. We knew we would have more kids so we didn’t want one that converted to a full size bed. It was a bit annoying to convert to a toddler bed but I think it’s because a hole wasn’t drilled quite in the right spot, which isnt common and can be an easy fix if you are handy or call the company.

The only thing I suggest is to google the model number and look for recalls regardless of if it’s new or used. 

blueberrymomma

I recommend getting the toddler conversion kit when you purchase a crib. We used it for both kids. We did covert it all the way to a full size bed for DS also. I think the dressers and changing tables that match the cribs are the biggest rip off, some are more $$$ than the crib! We got a dresser that matched our black crib that was waaay more affordable and doubles as a changing table. I think if you’re planning to have more kids investing in a good quality crib that lasts is great. Ours still looks new for baby #3

saraleigh2

We got a beautiful expensive pottery barn crib as a gift for DS 1 it converts to a toddler bed and can use as a full size headboard too. It is certainly beautiful and makes my nursery look adorable but I don’t consider cribs a necessity a pack and play with mattress works just as well! If you’re planning to bedshare/co-sleep I would skip this purchase. That being said my crib looks like new and will last thru as many children as we decided to have. Our last child will get to keep it as a headboard! 

ashtuesday

We have a pretty standard-but-expensive crib from Babies R Us.  Like other people said, we plan on using it for multiple kids, and we're happy to have something that is so strong and beautiful.  Does our daughter need it?  No, any regular old crib would've done just as well.  Our daughter's slept in her crib (in our room) since birth - I never saw the point of a bassinet when she'd outgrow it so quickly, and she's never had any problems with it.

Our crib has bars on three sides and the back is basically solid (that's the part that would convert to a headboard for a full bed).  When purchasing a new crib for this LO (having kids so close in age means some things we thought we'd just hand down have to be purchased fresh), we plan on going with bars all the way around.  One product I loved when my daughter was little was Sheet Savers.  Basically, it's a pad that ties to the bars on either side.  When you lay the baby down to sleep, her head goes on that pad, and if she spits up, you only have to change the Sheet Saver, not the sheets themselves.  My daughter spit up often when she was very little, so this was really useful for us.  Because the back of the crib didn't have bars, we had to just tuck in the ties on that side - which worked out fine, but I always worried about her somehow pulling it loose and then it being dangerous.  It also feels like just changing the sheets in general will be easier with bars all around.

kaitykins

We have a crib that’s not technically “acceptable” although it’s only because it’s a dropside which is illegal to give away or sell in the USA. 

We have permanently fixed the side up however, and my hubby is a handy guy, so I’m not concerned. Anyway, things I love:
it was a un-used handmedown gift and originally some fancy $600 from Italy. They have a zero recall history. (Aside from dropsides)

its taller and has a drawer in the bottom. The tallness made it easier to reach and pat a fussy kid to calm them and easier to pick up. She also was wary of climbing out because it was higher so that was nice. 

It is adjustable so the mattress could be 2 or 3 different heights which was nice to. 

It it is white so it goes with everything. 

mrstmoose

We purchased a Graco crib from BRU (along with the matching dresser). It converts to a toddler bed, a day bed, and a full size bed. It's been good to us, as we just transitioned DD from the toddler conversion to a "big girl bed" (a twin bed) and have put the crib in the soon to be nursery. We will use the same crib. 

I think my biggest advice with cribs is not to go crazy and get something super pricey. But I have that same mentality about most things related to babies. *shrug*

kosmo86

We have the sundvik ikea crib and I love it. its was around 140 and works great. been pretty durable and will reuse it again.  It converts to a toddler bed easily. 

Like Car seat cribs have strict safety standards so there is not much difference between a cheap and expensive one. 

gollygeeitsamy

@ashtuesday I googled those sheet savers you mentioned and felt so stupid. I had gotten some as a hand-me-down from my SIL but I had no idea what they were! I could have used those. I feel kinda of silly now for not asking her about it. Oh well I blame new mom fog brain.

MRDCle

We had a Babi Italia crib we bought off a BST site for DS. Worked fine...a crib is a crib IMO - as long as it's not recalled it should be good to go. SIL just got another secondhand crib from her boss a couple weeks ago so we should be set for the twins. 

eli_belle

Just a warning. Both of my kids gnawed the paint off the rails of our crib. I like the idea of the crib that converts to a full size bed in theory, but I'm glad we got the dedicated crib. I doubt they would have liked having a gnawed headboard later. Plus I can't commit to decorating styles that far in advance, lol.

Piccola1988

We got a DaVinci crib/changer combo from Buy Buy Baby (this one: https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/davinci-autumn-4-in-1-crib-changer-combo-in-slate/3317330?keyword=da-vinci-4-in-1).  I have no issues with it and I really love having the extra drawers and the changing table attached.  My son is only 10 months so he's still sleeping in there (when he's not in our bed).  It has 4 mattress positions - we are needing to drop it much lower because DS is a climber now.  It was about $375 which I thought was really reasonable for a nice piece of furniture.  Some paint did chip off of a knob but the company sent over a new one plus a touch up pen so I can't complain much about that.

We did also get the 2 available conversion kits - one for a toddler bed and one for a full bed.  Our kids will be  very close in age, so I'm planning to leave the nursery in tact and just move the new baby into it when he's ready.  We'll keep passing the crib down and whenever we have our last kid, they'll get it converted to a toddler bed and then eventually a full.

We did get the matching dresser/hutch combo and I think it was worthwhile as well.  I like having a matching set and it all definitely gets used!

distraction

I can't remember the brand from DD1 -- it was 8 years ago, from BRU & what I remember was on the pricier side..  we held on to it.. so it will be resurrected from the garage at some point.. 

kristenhk

We got ours from Target on sale a few weeks ago and I absolutely love it... the only thing I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed about is buying the mattress. I feel like there's 1000 different ones and have no idea if one is as good as the next.  I saw the article on the bump main page discussing this year's top 10 and prices so that's an option.  Anyone have any recommendations? 

saraleigh2

@kristenhk just be sure it’s firm and easy to clean, you will be cleaning spit up, vomit, poop and many other things off of it lol. 

kristenhk

@saraleigh2 lol good point!