"Forever" vs. regular crib?

VegasGal1978

FTM looking for some experienced advice.  Hubby and I have been leaning toward a forever crib (aka lifetime, convertible).  What are your thoughts?  We want good furniture that will last a while so the convert to a toddler then full/queen is appealing, but will the goods last until we get to conversion stage?  I would hate to spend a small fortune just to have to buy a new bed when LO is 5yo.

All advice is much appreciated! 

mlamping

I got a forever crib for my dd, but now I wish I did not. Second time around I am getting a cheap regular crib. Toddler beds are not needed, you can just put a mattress on the floor or go straight to a twin or full bed. It will be cheaper and easier. My now 2.4 year old does not like her toddler bed and we ended up buying her a new one with princesses. Save your money for something else like diapers and food. This is just my opinion. Forever cribs are overrated and not worth the cash

LyndseylovesHugh

Not all convertible cribs cost a small fortune, we got the Graco Sarah crib and it was less than $200 but is still very good quality.  If we use it until she is much older, great, but if we decide to get her a new bed down the road it is not a big deal because we did not spend a ton.  

headgear03

We bought a convertible crib for our oldest because we wanted something that would last her pretty much forever which is a great idea If you only plan on having one child or have the space for every child you do have to have there own full size bed. When we got pregnant with our second our oldest was only in the toddler bed so we had to get another crib then later when we were expecting our third we had to get our older two bunk beds . We should have just gotten a cheeper crib to be honest . Like others have said you can go from a crib to a mattress on the ground or a twin . Spend the money later on when you know how many kids you want and how your going to room them that way the money goes to the right place.

lcriordan

Only buy a forever crib if you don't mind having tiny teeth marks all over it.

Katie829

We did not get a forever crib either. We wanted white for her room now but in the future we might change it. Also I got the dresser/changing table and tall dresser that matched. They are not very big-- made for babies clothing. I think when we have another (2-3+ years) we will use our current set for a new baby and buy our daughter a more quality set that she grow through into her high school days.

And as PP stated, we have bite marks on our crib. 

LittleFish1

I didnt worry about my LOs crib converting past a toddler bed since we have zero need for her to be in a full or queen. There is no space ... she will have a twin mattress when the time is right since that is what will fit in her room.

babymama619

I bought on off of Craigslist that is way more expensive that I could afford, but it is in awesome condition and the family decide not to convert it. I like having the option.although this one does not have teeth marks on it, I don't think they would be a big deal on a 5 year old's bed, besides there are tons of things that prevent teeth marks on cribs.

bonniebrownhair

We did buy a forever crib, just because that's most of what was available in the stores we shopped at.  I honestly don't think we'll ever convert it, especially since you have to buy the pieces to convert to a toddler bed and then buy the rails to convert to a full size bed.

Once my son outgrew his crib, he moved into a twin bed (my husband's old bed from his childhood).  We're now expecting another baby, and she'll use his old crib.  When she outgrows it, she'll be getting a new twin bed (in white) and she'll use my old white dresser and desk from my childhood.  

Most forever cribs convert to full-size beds, and I'm not sure it's the most practical size for a child's room.  Also, while our crib doesn't have bit marks on it, it does have cat claw marks from the cats trying to balance on the edges of the crib. 

If you think you'll only have one child, then a forever crib might make sense for you.  Also, if you think you'll have room for a full-size bed in your child's room, a forever crib might make sense.  If you're planning to have multiple children, it probably makes sense to get just a regular crib -- use it for each child, and then once the child outgrows his or her crib, he or she can pass it on to the new sibling and get a brand new bedroom set

MrsJetSet

Babies and kids are hard on furniture. I know many who invested in an expensive convertible only to have bite marks and or permanent merker or other damage done. It isn't very realistic to think the convertible crib will last as long as marketers want you to believe. We bought a crib from ikea for a hundred bucks and it works as well as any of the fancy cribs out there.  If you go convertible buy all the conversion stuff now. Crib styles change frequently and the conversion kits may not be available when you want them.

VegasGal1978

Thanks for all of the great information!!