One of the big issues facing new parents is the one of baby sleep — namely, the where of baby sleep. Bedsharing can be daunting, but putting baby alone in a room at the end of a hallway (or on another floor, in some cases) doesn’t always sit well with new parents who know that night feedings are a part of everyone’s life for at least the first few months. A lot of new parents put a portable crib in their bedroom, or they opt for a dedicated co-sleeper. Both of these options could be the solution you’re looking for, but keep in mind that baby will outgrow them sooner rather than later, and once they do — that’s the end of the life of that product. Our solution was to buy a crib from IKEA (one with a toddler bed conversion, even though that part won’t ever get used by us) and construct is as if it were a co-sleeper. Commonly called “side-carring,” this was perfect for our situation. I will just say right now that one of my hot-button things to freak out about as a new parents was SIDS, and I heard over and over from my doctors that (while SIDS is rare) having the baby in the room with parents or siblings for the first months of life helps the baby learn to regulate their breathing and has been shown to prevent SIDS.
Our toddler happily sleeps in his “Big Boy Bed” in his own room now, but for the first year, he happily slept in the crib that was attached to our bed. When it was cold, he would burrow up next to me and we would snooze quite contentedly for hours and hours. (The bonus there is that we live in a drafty old house and he’s a little heater. So, what you’ll need to make this work for you is: A) A bed with a frame. (Ours is a standard queen sized bed and it works perfectly.) B) A crib, minus one long side. C) Hardware for assembling said crib. Life Tip: invest in an electric screwdriver and allen wrench bits. If you’ve ever assembled anything from IKEA, you will either already know to do this or you’ll be smacking your forehead wondering what took you so long to do this. A ratcheting screwdriver is an acceptable alternative (and good for helpers.) D) Bungees for securing the crib to the bed frame, also acceptable: rope, zip ties, etc. You just want to keep the frames from shifting away from each other so whichever method you choose should be as secure as possible.
E) Pool noodle(s) for filling the gap between mattresses. Step One: Assemble crib according to the instructions. Leave the 4th side off – it will remind you of a study carrel found in libraries. Make sure the sides are securely attached to each other and the mattress base and your crib will be sturdy. Step Two: Use the bungees to attach the crib frame to the bed frame. You will need a helper for this one, especially if you’re as pregnant as I am (38 weeks as I type.) You will likely need to shift the bed mattress out of the way for easiest access. Step Three: Replace bed mattress, situate crib mattress. Step Four: Add mattress protectors, linens, etc as you see fit. I added a towel because I know that the cats are going to claim the crib and we’ll have time to put clean sheets on it before it’s put to use by a human.Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. You’ll have your child in arm’s reach for as long as it works for both of you. If you find that it’s not working for your family at whatever point, it’s a piece of cake to detach the bungees and add the 4th rail.
Or take it apart completely and have a floor bed. Or whatever transition you feel works best. If you’re only going to buy one thing for your new kid, it should be a crib (although big-picture, you might want to reconsider your purchasing strategy). The crib is arguably the most important piece of gear you’ll get for your kid — and, if you choose correctly, their future siblings — since it’s where they’ll be spending the majority of their time not spent in your arms. Note the word “arguably,” as this assumes your kid figures out the whole sleeping thing before it’s time to transition to a race car bed. With that in mind, here are 8 of the best cribs on the market. Before you start shopping, take note of these important considerations: Hard wood like pine, beech, birch or poplar generally outlasts the medium-density fibreboard (MDF) many cribs use. There are cheaper options that look like wood, but unless you’re willing to sleep on a pile of sawdust and glue, don’t force your kid to.
They’ll gnaw right through that junk, anyway, little savages. Avoid finishes and materials that include VOCs and carcinogens like formaldehyde, which appear more frequently than they should. You’re trying to clean up the chemical shitstorm that is the average home, not add to it. Ideally, your crib will be strong enough to last through multiple kids. Generally, weightier = sturdier, though materials and design play a role. The crib is also unique in that it’s intended for use specifically without your supervision, so you’d better trust it’s safe. Double check the spaces between slats; any opening greater than 2 ⅜ inches wide is unsafe by industry standards. Drop-side cribs, where one or both side rails can be lowered for easier kid access, have been banned since 2011, so forget that you probably slept in one and buy something newer. In fact, when it comes to cribs, you probably want to buy something new, period. The crib will be the centerpiece of the nursery, so you’d better enjoy looking at it.
Fortunately, an unintended side effect of banning drop-sides has been that more handsome pieces of furniture designed with aesthetics in mind as much as function. You’re still encouraged to adorn it with dinosaur sheets. Bassinet, crib, toddler bed, full-size bed — ain’t nobody got time (or money) for that! Get something that can expand as your kid grows, especially if it comes with toddler rails, which keep them from rolling off the bed. Even if you have another kid soon after the first and the newborn gets the crib, one of them will eventually utilize all the features. Pros: The Night Light named this their top pick for its modern, sophisticated design and sturdy, eco-friendly construction. It’s made from locally sourced, solid birch and birch plywood with water-based, VOC-free stains in an FSC-certified facility. Said facility is in Europe, so you know it meets even stricter standards than ours. Cons: The toddler conversion kit is sold separately, and it doesn’t convert to a full-size bed, so you’ll eventually have to spring for the race car while baby bro or sis takes over the Rhea.
Not a bad hand-me-down, though. Price is also a consideration, since fully outfitting it with a mattress, pad, sheet, bumper, and conversion kit could easily push you over $1,000 total. Dimensions: 54 x 30.5 x 37 inches Material: Solid birch and Baltic birch plywood Warranty: 5 years for wooden frame and parts; 1 year for finish and hardware Oeuf Rhea Crib ($670) Pros: It’s Pottery Barn’s best-selling crib, and they’ve been at this furniture thing for a little bit. It’s also, as one Babylist reviewer noted, pretty much exactly how you’d imagine a crib looking. The side rails are slightly lower than average for easy reaching. It qualifies for Pottery Barn’s home delivery, which means they’ll haul away the packaging and assemble it for you — in less than 30 minutes, according to that same reviewer. All that adds up to 2 BabyCenter Moms’ Picks Awards for Best Quality and Ease Of Use. Cons: While the metal mattress platform adjusts to 3 levels, the crib itself doesn’t convert beyond a toddler bed — and you’ll need a separately sold kit to even get that far.
A reviewer on Babycenter also warns that you won’t be able to store as much underneath the Kendall as you might with other cribs. Dimensions: 57 x 32 x 44 inches Material: Solid poplar wood Pottery Barn Kids Kendall Convertible Crib ($400) Pros: The Night Light and Apartment Therapy said the Stokke Sleepi is worth the price for its solid European beech construction, convertibility up to a toddler bed thanks to a removable front panel, and included bassinet. The oval shape makes it unique, visually striking, and adaptable to a greater variety of spaces. Plus, it’s really, really, ridiculously good looking. And that 7-year warranty, though! Cons: Mattress sold separately, yet they require you to order one when you buy the crib. You’ll also need specific sheets on account of the bed’s unique shape. Both those things are kind of annoying, but you’ll need sheets and a mattress with any crib, and the price difference for Stokke isn’t so vast as to be prohibitive.
Conversion to a junior bed requires another kit. Apartment Therapy notes potentially long delivery times and IKEA-esque confusing instructions. Dimensions: 50 x 29 x 33.5 inches Material: Solid beech wood, beech laminate, beech plywood Pros: A consistent pick among experts for offering looks, versatility, and safety at an affordable price. Easy conversion from from crib to toddler bed to daybed to full-size means even more bang for relatively little buck. Reviewers at Pick My Baby Crib called it “one of the safest cribs on the planet;” it’s JPMA certified (chemical-free and safely constructed), meets ASTM international and US CPSC crib safety standards, and is GREENGUARD Gold Certified, meaning it’s been screened for more than 360 VOCs and 10,000 chemicals. The Night Light lauded its 100-percent sustainable New Zealand pine materials. Aesthetically, it’ll fit in with any nursery and comes in 7 finishes. Cons: Though the toddler rail is included, you will need to buy a separate $89 conversion kit to unlock the Kalani’s full(-size) potential.
According to The Night Light, the slightly higher than average sides and protruding rail can make it hard to reach in and out for smaller individuals … and carnies. Dimensions: 54.5 x 34.5 x 42 inches Material: 100-percent sustainable New Zealand pine wood DaVinci Kalani 4-in-1 Convertible Crib ($220) Pros: It exceeds all US and Canadian safety standards (CPSC and ASTM), is JPMA certified, uses only solid wood and wood products, has that beautiful, classic design, and is an absolute bargain. As the Pick My Baby Crib folks put it, “this is one of the best constructed and finely designed cribs on the market today – and it’s available at a fraction of the price you’d expect to spend for quality like this.” Cons: To convert to full-size, you’ll need to buy a separate metal bed frame. Some Amazon reviewers reported experiencing difficulties while assembling, so maybe have a beer handy. Dimensions: 54.2 x 33 x 43 inches Material: Solid Pine wood and wood products
Stork Craft Tuscany ($240) Pros: Slim profile, lockable casters, and the ability to fold up; ideal for parents clinging to big city dreams and one-bedroom rents. Many Amazon reviewers agree, like so: “We could move from space to space easily … move through doors with no problem … [and] fold and throw in the trunk if you need to spend the night elsewhere … My son always had a consistent space to sleep in, even if we were in a different location.” It’s also made with baby-safe, low-VOC finishes (including rad “Gala Green”) and is MDF- and formaldehyde-free. Cons: If and when you do head for the burbs (you know it’s happening), you’re gonna need a bigger boat. Not just because you’ll have more space for furniture, but because your kid could quickly outgrow this crib like this Amazon reviewer’s: “My daughter will be 4 months next week and her head and feet almost reach both ends.” Dimensions: 19.5 x 37.2 x 32.8 Material: Solid birch wood
Bloom Alma Mini ($340) Pros: You won’t find a better price for a lightweight, traditional crib that converts to a toddler bed. Cons: In this case, “converts to toddler bed” roughly translates to “the railing comes off of one side,” which means there’s nothing stopping your toddler from rolling off the bed like a poor, lost Swedish meatball. You’re also definitely going to have to anchor it to the wall to ensure it doesn’t accidentally tip over. Dimensions: 53.5 x 29.5 x 32.6 inches Material: Solid beech, tinted clear acrylic lacquer, fiberboard Pros: If MTV Cribs was about actual cribs, this would be the premiere and the finale. It’s made in the USA out of gorgeous, 100 percent solid Maple hardwood, features an Oeko-tex certified non-toxic mattress, and just looks incredible. You can bet none of your friends’ kids sleep surrounded by “slats which form an asymmetrical organic surface that explores continuous movement with no visual end” that “you must walk around to fully experience.”