What To Look for in a Crib and What to Avoid!

Maybe, by now, you’ve measured and laid out the nursery, chosen your colors, and have your design style locked in. Maybe you’re stuck between choices and looking for the information that will nudge you one way or another. Or maybe you’ve just found out you’re expecting and are beginning to get your first registry put together. 

Wherever you are on your parenting journey, you’ve arrived at this blog for one reason: you need to decide which crib is right for your family.

We’re here to help!

When choosing a crib, there are several key things to look for to ensure baby’s safety, comfort, and overall well-being. To help you navigate your decision making, we’ve put together a checklist of our most important things to consider before you commit to a crib.

But before we get to the checklist, let’s decide what kind of crib will be best for your nursery. Here are the most common options:

What To Look for in a Crib:

A full-size crib with a standard mattress size (typically 28 x 52 inches). Standard Cribs make up the vast majority of what you’ll find as you shop. Most standard cribs are useful from birth through the time baby starts standing and climbing - you’ll want to move them out of the crib once they start trying to escape. Standard cribs offer a good amount of sleeping space and room to grow, but they may take up a lot of square footage in a smaller nursery and typically aren’t useful beyond age 2.

Mini Crib:

Mini Cribs are miniature versions of a standard crib with a smaller mattress size (usually around 24 x 38 inches) that are designed for little nurseries and limited spaces. Sometimes round, oval, or other non-rectangle shaped, mini cribs are sweet, stylish space savers - but often provide less room for baby to grow, and stop being useful by the end of the first year.

Convertible Crib:

Convertible cribs are usually standard size, and adaptable, converting from crib to toddler bed, and sometimes into a daybed or floor bed. Because convertible cribs adapt and grow along with your child’s evolving needs, they’re useful throughout the early years of childhood. Being able to use one bed for many years can save you money in the long run, and helps keep limited-use furniture out of landfills. 

Portable Crib:

Portable cribs are a travel staple, lightweight, foldable, and designed to be used only occasionally. While they are a wonderful tool for vacations, trips to grandparent’s houses, or other sleep-away adventures, they typically aren’t recommended for everyday use and usually lack some of the safety features of standard cribs, like adjustable mattress heights. 

Once you’ve decided which crib is right for your baby, look for the following checklist for maximum value, safety, and style:

• Non-Toxic Materials:

Look for a crib with a GREENGUARD Gold certification. To be labeled as GREENGUARD Gold, cribs must meet or exceed strict chemical emission standards - which helps keep the air your baby will be breathing safe and healthy.  

Also look for assurance of baby-safe finishes, including paint or stains. It’s pretty likely your little one will wind up gumming or teething on crib surfaces at some point, so it’s best to make sure they’ll be doing so safely.

• Well-Fitting Mattress:

Whichever size crib you choose, make sure the crib mattress is the correct size, and fits snugly within the crib frame to prevent gaps and potential entrapment. 

Choose a firm, supportive mattress that meets safety standards, and avoid using pillows, blankets, or other soft items inside the crib.

• Safe and Sturdy Construction:

Look for cribs made from solid hardwoods, like birch or maple, for durability and longevity. Check for narrow slat spacing (no more than 2 3/8 inches apart), and avoid cribs with drop sides. 

All dadada Baby cribs are Made in Italy by furniture craftsmen who’ve been in the business for nearly a century - they’re designed to last safely for generations.

• Adjustable Mattress Height:

As your baby grows, the way you use your crib will change. Adjustable mattress heights allow you to have the mattress on the easy-to-reach high setting for your newborn, which is especially useful to protect your back as you lift baby in and out, with the option to lower the mattress as baby grows and learns to roll, sit, and eventually stand.

 

• Design and Style:

Nursery furniture can, and should, suit your personal style. There are a wide variety of cribs on the market in natural wood or colorful finishes, with unique shapes, modern lines, or ornate styling.

Choose a crib that celebrates your family’s unique personality and style - and bonus points if it’s timeless enough to blend in as your style shifts and changes.

• Space Considerations:

Don’t forget to measure! You won’t be able to see the crib in your space before
you bring it home, so make sure to take accurate measurements of the space
you want it to fit. You’ll want to make sure baby will be able to sleep safely
without being able to reach outlets, curtains, blinds, shelves, or electric cords
from inside the crib once they start sitting, standing and exploring. 

Here at dadada Baby, we believe in the magic of a well-made convertible crib - one that grows and adjusts with baby, holds stories and memories, and is safely built to look great and stay sturdy throughout your little one’s childhood. Browse our collection of convertible cribs that become toddler, day, and even floor beds here!

Found the dadada Baby crib that’s right for you? We’d love to see it at home in your nursery! Share by tagging @dadadababyusa wherever you post on social media!