Picking out a crib, how?

topaz7777 · January 2012

Ok, I'm having trouble picking out a crib. I have been to BRU but didn't find any that I liked. They were either too tall for me to be able to get a baby into, or they were way too expensive for me to even consider. I also looked at Walmart and Target, but they only have little sample pieces of crib that aren't built out into a full size crib. So how on earth do you pick a crib? I don't even know where to start now.

lpichach · January 2012

I just went through the same thing two weekends ago and was so frustrated afterwards! it seemed like there was nothing but expensive, cr@p out there..... For my DH and I, we knew that we wanted something that would eb of good quality, that would last. We don't have much furniture, so wanted the crib and dresser to be something our kid could use up to their teens. We went to BRU and we only found one that seem,ed like genuine hardwood, and that it was decently built (the mother hubbard brand). I like the styling of baby Cache Heritage but it just didn't feel as good for the price. In the end we went with Bonavita (la jobi) and couldn't be happier. We found it was by far the best value! The quality topped all taht we had seen and although a bit more expensive (only $100 - $300 or so), it was def worth while

I also found the "Baby bargains" book to be helpful in determining where you want to spend your money and what you get with each brand, etc

jen812 · January 2012

Do you have other options like Buy Buy Baby, Rooms 2 Go, other baby stores?
How tall are you? How short of a crib do you need?

topaz7777 · January 2012

Not anywhere close to a Buy Buy Baby or a Rooms 2 Go. I'm about 5'7" so definitely not short. But I could only reach about 50% of the cribs with the highest mattress setting at BRU comfortably.

Discordia1030 · January 2012

topaz7777:
Not anywhere close to a Buy Buy Baby or a Rooms 2 Go. I'm about 5'7" so definitely not short. But I could only reach about 50% of the cribs with the highest mattress setting at BRU comfortably.

Get a step stool. I'm 5' and have to get a step stool to reach my son in his crib on the lowest setting. Were the cribs on platforms? Not trying to be rude, but I can't imagine someone 5'7" not being able to reach the highest level of a crib unless the crib was somehow raised up from the floor entirely.

jen812 · January 2012

Discordia1030:
topaz7777:
Not anywhere close to a Buy Buy Baby or a Rooms 2 Go. I'm about 5'7" so definitely not short. But I could only reach about 50% of the cribs with the highest mattress setting at BRU comfortably.
Get a step stool. I'm 5' and have to get a step stool to reach my son in his crib on the lowest setting. Were the cribs on platforms? Not trying to be rude, but I can't imagine someone 5'7" not being able to reach the highest level of a crib unless the crib was somehow raised up from the floor entirely.

I agree. I'm 5'6 & had no trouble reaching in a crib, especially at the highest setting.

jesss10 · January 2012

All the cribs I like aren't found in stores, which is funny because they are very simple. It is frustrating to me, but I figure if I find something i like and it has good reviews there isn't much else i can do.

topaz7777 · January 2012

They weren't on platforms, but some of them had higher sides than others and I couldn't bend over them and reach the mattress. But regardless, I'd like to find somewhere that I can actually see the built out crib, and lean over the rail before spending several hundred dollars. I mean if I'm going to shell out the money, I'd like one that is comfortable for me, considering how many times I'll actually be putting a LO in it. Even the pottery barn in my area only has little models of cribs and not actual sizes.

seansgirl2006 · January 2012

jen812:
Discordia1030:

topaz7777:
Not anywhere close to a Buy Buy Baby or a Rooms 2 Go. I'm about 5'7" so definitely not short. But I could only reach about 50% of the cribs with the highest mattress setting at BRU comfortably.

Get a step stool. I'm 5' and have to get a step stool to reach my son in his crib on the lowest setting. Were the cribs on platforms? Not trying to be rude, but I can't imagine someone 5'7" not being able to reach the highest level of a crib unless the crib was somehow raised up from the floor entirely.

I agree. I'm 5'6 & had no trouble reaching in a crib, especially at the highest setting.

Ditto. I'm 5'4 and have never had trouble reaching in my crib or anyone else's. Also, when it's on the lowest setting, I don't think I ever had to reach in there when he wasn't already standing up and ready to get out of bed. I guess if he was sick or something and laying down but that never happened to me.

lbonfan · January 2012

I know this has been said time and time again, but get the Baby Bargins book. It is so helpful. I am going with the Graco Sarah crib...available at Target (online) and Amazon. It is really inexpensive and has received great reviews. The Graco Lauren crib is great too.

alifoote · January 2012

We got DD's at JCP... It's a really cute antique white finish for around $150!

topaz7777 · January 2012

Well I expect I'll be attempting to place a sleeping infant into the crib, and lifting it out. I don't have the room for a pack and play in my bedroom or a cosleeper. I'll definitely take a look at the baby bargins book and see if I can find some dimensions online, but they don't usually have that detailed information regarding how high the mattress can go in relation to the crib rail. I will also take a look at JCP. Thanks!

jen812 · January 2012

It was important to me to see a crib in person too. I didn't have any a hard time finding one at a good height. It was more of a quality issue I had trouble with.

COLobster · January 2012

We bought ours at JCP (picture in blog here: https://www.imperfectblog.com/2010/07/board-and-batten-nursery.html), and spent about $120 on sale. I'm 5'6" and never had any issue getting DS out of the crib at the top two levels, and now he stands to be removed and is on the bottom tier, but I can still pick him up from a lying position if I need to.

topaz7777 · January 2012

That is DH's issue with them. If it's not built out, how do we know if it's going to feel like it's cheaply constructed and unstable? For example, we did look at Ikea and felt like all of the cribs were just going to fall apart. I suppose I'll just end up having to trust reviews and the baby bargains book, though I'd prefer to see it the way BRU sets them out. I may end up with one of theirs just because we can actually feel and see it.

unaveragejane · January 2012

I am 5'2" and have been testing out the crib heights, too. One thing I noticed is that my bump is keeping me from wanting to lean over like I would have in the past, so hopefully they'll be a little easier to reach after birth. Another thing I noticed was at Baby Depot is that they had foam core in the beds instead of real mattresses, so I don't think the depth was truly accurate. But that gave me an idea...could you layer the mattress on top of a piece of foam until the baby is big enough for you to reach easily? This might pose a safety risk...I definitely don't know since I've never used a crib before. Thoughts?

amberlynnr7 · January 2012

If I were you, I would look on their websites. I know it's nice to see them in person, but sometimes you need more variety to choose from. GL!

topaz7777 · February 2012

Thank you all for your advice. I definitely looked up JC Penny and found one that I really liked and had great reviews. It also never occured to me that the mattresses in the beds I was looking at might not actually be mattresses!! I'm going to hope that this crib fits me just right, and if not, I guess I'll go looking for a thicker mattress. Thank you all a ton!

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