Do Graco cribs suck?

bluegreen88 · July 2011

I see Graco here, there, and everywhere. Is this the cheapo brand that everyone buys to save money? I really like the looks of this crib here, but is it low quality? I want a safe and sturdy crib that doesn't break the bank but the price is SO much lower than the cribs I have seen at BRU. If you have a Graco crib, please share your review. Thanks!

iluvmylab · July 2011

They don't suck. Baby Bargains recommends them actually. There is no reason to spend hundreds of dollars on a crib IMO. Kids will chew on cribs no matter how much they cost. Graco cribs will be made of softer wood and can scratch more easily, but are still nice and safe. We got a convertible crib, but probably won't even convert it. Most toddlers can go straight to a twin bed and it's much cheaper to buy that than another crib if you plan on having a second child.

HeyJune · July 2011

We have that exact crib and love it. Ours is white.

My husband tested every crib at several stores by doing the thing a lot of guys do - pulling on the front and sides, pressing on the springs really hard, etc. He said it was the best one in terms of craftsmanship and durability. He didn't realize it was the least expensive crib. We paid $130 for it with a coupon.

After a year of use, we still love it. It has a very pretty classic look. We paired it with an antique white dresser to use as a changer. We put gummy teething strips along the top sides to protect the wood. Several people have commented on it and thought it was from Pottery Barn. I would never pay more than 200-300 for a crib. Kids are tough on furniture. We'll buy our kids more expensive items when they are mature enough to take care of them. Plus we'll be able to reuse the crib for each of our kids rather than buying a crib that converts to a big bed each time we have a child.

Hope this helps!

cndmexbaby · July 2011

We have that exact crib too and we love it! Not that LO sleeps in it, LOL.

Ya Graco isn't really seen as high end but they are a quality brand. Maybe you should get a Consumerist Reports subscription. They rate a lot Graco items high.

SLO2005 · July 2011

I have a graco and I like it enough. Mine is older one (my son is 2) and it had the drop side that I had to convert to a nonmoving side. So this made the sides really high, but they have changed that since.

Tash2315 · July 2011

DH and I were looking at the same one in Cherry! He found a deal at Walmart for the crib, mattress, and changing table for $250. Not a bad deal!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Graco-Lauren-4-in-1-Convertible-Crib-and-Changer-Bundle-Cherry/14932049

mpstochlinski8 · July 2011

I did a lot of research on them before deciding on it and they got great reviews and also a lot of moms on here told me they loved theirs. We just got the same crib you are looking at in espresso, our babies arent here yet but DH just put one together and it seems sturdy and looks great. I think a good crib and good mattress are things you want to be sure to do the homework on. GL

jenn1981 · July 2011

that's the exact crib we plan to get

romigu · July 2011

i'm going to get either that one or the Graco Somerset. Baby Bargains gives those cribs an A so that makes me feel confident in them.

dragon_chica · July 2011

I love our Graco crib. It looks high-end but without the price tag. It even withstood DH standing in it while trying to apply some wall decals!

abell77 · July 2011

we have the graco lauren with no complaints. so much so that we bought a second one for lo on the way.

CarlaAndJames · July 2011

We have a graco sarah and it's very safe and we love it!

GirlWithTheMostCake · July 2011

If it's on the market for sale, then it was deemed safe. So I don't think that's something you have to worry about. As for quality...it's to be expected that something with a significantly lower price point is going to be lesser quality. The materials they use will be cheaper so it's affordable to the masses. If you like it and you're happy with the quality then go for it. I would disagree though with checking out Consumer Reports or Baby Bargains - both are useless in my opinion. They're for profit and they have an agenda so their "reviews" aren't really anything I'd put stock into. Just do what you want / like.

Matt Dvorak · July 2011

We bought the Graco - we're pretty frugal, but safety is a top priority and I feel confident that this crib is safe for a couple of reasons - it has very good reviews on all websites and the current safety standards for cribs are strict enough that all cribs on the market have to be of pretty good quality, so you can probably buy anything and at least be fine safety wise!

ContactDanielle · July 2011

Can a couple people do a test for me on this crib. I have not seen it in any stores and I would like to know if you have yours set up. If you grab the front middle and shake it what happens?

kthappy76 · July 2011

GirlWithTheMostCake:

If you like it and you're happy with the quality then go for it. I would disagree though with checking out Consumer Reports or Baby Bargains - both are useless in my opinion. They're for profit and they have an agenda so their "reviews" aren't really anything I'd put stock into. Just do what you want / like.

Consumer Reports is an independent non-profit consumer advocacy organization, hence the www.consumerreports.org and requests for donation on the site. I agree Baby Bargains is kinda meh. They lost me when they went on a on about how the chemicals in conventional mattresses have not been shown to have any health effects, which means they are making their recommendations based on not doing their homework. Just liking something and not doing any research is not really a reliable way of making safe decisions IMO.

OP: We plan on using two Graco Lauren cribs in natural FWIW, though we have not yet assembled them. Graco is otherwise known for making mostly plastic products for mass consumption. We have a pack and play of theirs, which is great, but I personally am not a huge fan on their strollers, but others like them.