Crib that converts to a bed - worth it?

aimeeintx

We are crib shopping and while the bed conversion models seem like a good idea, I just thought I'd ask the board if you think this option is...

1.a must,

2.nice to have, or

3.don't worry about it just get the crib you like

CrazyToast

Get what you want.

We got the Ikea Gulliver because of price, design and ratings. We like that it will be a toddler bed when we need it soon.  We knew we wouldn't convert to a full size bed but would get DD a twin.  

sarahbeth827

I guess it depends on your "plan" for having kids. We bought a crib that converts but since we plan on having another when LO is around 2 1/2 it makes more sense to by a toddler bed rather than a crib since toddler beds are cheaper...

Mrs.MLR04

It seemed like a great idea at first but looking back it really wasn't.  DS has chew marks on the front (turns into foot board for a full size bed).  We do have touch up paint which I have not used but right now it does not look good. 

I suggest you just get what you want and  don't worry about if it transitions or not.

dojo1

It's useful if you need furniture for your child as they grow.  If you have bedroom furniture that is not being used tans could reasonably become your child's bed then you don't have to have a convertible crib.  There is nothing to say that a toddler bed is necessary and you can certainly buy bed rails in expensively from bru anyway.  

Short story is: no, not a must, but depending on your current furniture /financial situation, it might be a good idea or a total waste. 

dojo1

Mrs.MLR04:

It seemed like a great idea at first but looking back it really wasn't.  DS has chew marks on the front (turns into foot board for a full size bed).  We do have touch up paint which I have not used but right now it does not look good. 

I suggest you just get what you want and  don't worry about if it transitions or not.

Just as a side note to this, convertible cribs don't have to be used totally as intended when they turn into beds, you can just put a normal bed frame up against the head board, rather that using the foot board and conversion kit as well. 

schnappycat

It's really preference, on whether you want to reuse the crib for another baby, etc. 

In our case, we bought DS a convertible because I figured it was just easier to get one bed and have it grow with him. Turns out it was a great decision for us. He was actually still in the crib close to when I had DD (he was out when she arrived, but I wasn't sure), and we opted to do a different color crib for DD anyhow. So now he's in the full-size bed and loves it. DD's crib also converts.

I figure that you have to invest in at least two beds (crib and other), so it's preference whether you get a more expensive one (with conversion kit) up front, or buy other beds along the way. Our decision was good for us because there was less shopping to do as well, which is always hard to do with a newborn and toddler in tow. LOL! 

Lina1030

Mrs.MLR04:

It seemed like a great idea at first but looking back it really wasn't.  DS has chew marks on the front (turns into foot board for a full size bed).  We do have touch up paint which I have not used but right now it does not look good. 

I suggest you just get what you want and  don't worry about if it transitions or not.

we did for DS2 and this is why we bought the Leacho crib teething protectors (look them up at Buy Buy Baby or Babies R Us).  For DS3 on the way we chose a crib to convert to a toddler bed only....figured they may want to share a room down the road...I wanted a different/classic look for the crib....This full size bed could be used for DD1 or a guest room.  It won't be wasted.

mybobble

We went w/ a convertible crib for ds since we knew he would be our only child (I wasn't supposed to have any more, med issues). To us it was totally worth it. He went through a teething phase but as soon as I saw that he started chewing on the front of his crib I asked my mil to make me some side and front teething "guards" (this was before you could buy them instores). That solved the problem.

NOW that we're having another baby (um yeah total shock) we'll get him a convertible crib as well.

We factored in all of the costs for a crib, crib mattress, toddler bed, twin/full bed, twin/full mattress and believe it or not this route was alot cheaper!

SuperCuteBenz

I say get what you want. I won't be using a convertible for these reasons....

A.) I don't like how a lot of cribs look once converted.

B.) Chances are your kid might be part beaver and chew the heck out of it.

C.) I think its wasteful. Once converted, you end up throwing a lot of pieces a way. I am sorry, but I am not spending $100+ on something that I am going to end up throwing half of it away. My neighbor got a crib that was around $500, and once she converted it to a bed, she ended up spending quite a chunk more on the mattress, conversion rails and bunky board. The sides were useless then, so they were thrown away.

** We didn't have a convertible crib for DD, she went straight to a twin bed at 2 years old, and she did fine. We then replaced her drop side crib with a Graco Charleston, which is a convertible crib. I paid less than $100 for it, so I couldn't pass it up. Regardless, DS will still move to a twin bed, instead of converting the crib.

caralck

Make sure you buy the kit to make it convert when you buy the crib if you intend on using it as the kid grows.  

As for us, we bought the ikea sundvik crib.  It can become a toddler bed by just taking off one of the side rails.  After that, we'll likely just get a twin size ikea mattress and put that on the floor for the kid's bed.  Hard to get hurt rolling out of that bed onto the floor.  Our friends did that and their 4 yr old is still sleeping on the mattress on the floor.  I think once we're done making babies, we'll go get some furniture for the mattresses.  

SweetHurricane

We got a convertible. When I looked at the regular cribs, they weren't any less money. Ours is a Graco, so we'll use it as a toddler day bed for a while and then we just need a metal frame ($50) to make it into a full size with the back of the crib as the headboard. No conversion rails/kit needed.

0ashley

SuperCuteBenz:

B.) Chances are your kid might be part beaver and chew the heck out of it.

 Ha! Thanks for the laugh! (Especially for a FTM mom- I didn't know about this yet!)

bobbs420

Everyone has different things in mind as far as what they want for their kids, and how much space they have in the room. We did a convertible crib for DS, and will again for this baby. They will be changed into toddler beds, and then we will buy the steel bed frames and full size mattresses to attach to the headboard, and just use those. We have the space for it though, alot of people don't. Or maybe they just don't want a full size bed for their LO. It's all in what you think you would want in the future too.

sabrina69barnes

I'd just get what you want and not spend too much. I've gotten a new crib for all 3 of my boys. They chewed the crap out of their cribs. Teething guards only cover a small part of the crib. There is no way I want to keep their cribs past them being used as a toddler bed. The cribs I've seen only convert to a full size bed. Our kids have to share rooms and use bunkbeds anyway so it wasn't worth it for us. Even if they didn't I wouldn't want to waste the floor space in their room for a full size bed unless the room was huge.

iluvmylab

We didn't go for this. We plan on having another child in a few years so it would be cheaper to just buy a bed for this LO than another crib.  Plus, most convert to full size beds and the room that we have now is too small for a child to have a full size bed in.  They will need more room to play.  A twin bed will suffice for several years.

MainelyFoolish

afowler09:

SuperCuteBenz:

B.) Chances are your kid might be part beaver and chew the heck out of it.

 Ha! Thanks for the laugh! (Especially for a FTM mom- I didn't know about this yet!)

Oh yeah! We put gummy rail covers on both long sides of DD's crib as soon as she started chewing them. So she moved on to chewing the short sides of the crib and the slats, too! She even chewed on the side rail of her toddler bed -- at the age of 3! Some kids really, really like to chew things.

Megan.10.06

We bought 2 convertibles - one for each boy.  Neither one has a single tooth mark on it - so you never know.  We have the Bonavita Peyton Lifestyle for both of them, one in white, one in espresso, and neither one has a mark on it - even after 2 1/2 years with Cole. 

It depends on what you want and what your budget is - it's not a must, but in my case, it's nice! 

mariejamison

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