Baby Stroller has been sleeping in the cradle that was mine as a baby since he was a few weeks old. At first he was in a bassinet in our room and then I put the bassinet inside the cradle when he was 2.5 weeks old; then at 12 weeks we retired our bassinet completely.
In a few short weeks baby S and I will go to my parents’ house for the summer, and he’ll be sleeping in his crib there. We’ll be packing up the cradle and taking it with us to return it to my parents’ attic. When we get home in September, we’ll need a crib waiting for us at home. So, we’re in search of the perfect crib!
We have a fairly straight-forward wish list for our perfect crib. We’d like something simple and modern-ish looking, probably in white and preferably something that doesn’t scream “I need a skirt.” It would be nice if it converts to a toddler bed and extra storage would be ideal. Made in the USA would be fabulous. Most of all, we want something affordable since we plan on buying a more expensive mattress made of organic materials.
After much searching and pinning I came up with the following options.
1. Pottery Barn’s Skylar – $800
This is the dream crib for our small nursery that’s tight on space. I love that it has three separate drawers for storage underneath, converts to a toddler bed and is very well made. However, the price is steep and the toddler conversion kit is sold separately.
2. Babyletto Modo 3-in-1 – $390
I love the two toned finish and the simplicity of the modern look of this crib. The price includes the toddler conversion kit. The only downside of this crib is that there is no extra storage and there’s very little space to slide anything underneath.
3. Spot on Square Eicho – $595
I love the super thick slats on this crib. It’s sturdy and modern, eco friendly and made in the USA. However the toddler conversion kit costs an extra $200.
4. Babyletto Mercer – $400
This crib is a great storage crib alternative to the Pottery Barn Skylar, plus it’s a bit more modern looking, is available in a two-tone finish or all white and comes with the toddler conversion kit. It’s not made in the USA, however, and I haven’t been able to find it available in a brick and mortar store so I can test out the quality of the drawer.
5. Babyletto Harlow – $410
I love, love, love the base on this crib. It screams, “I definitely don’t need a skirt!” However, in a small house and a tiny nursery, a solid base means giving up valuable storage space.
6. Babyletto Hudson – $370
I love the legs on this crib. They’re reminiscent of much more expensive brands. It has a timeless simplicity and the toddler bed conversion kit is included in the price.
7. Nurseryworks Twinkle 3-in-1 Billy – $300
The solid head and foot of this crib caught my eye – less distraction during nap time! The toddler conversion kit is included and it can stand alone without the guard rail like a little daybed.
8. Ikea Gulliver – $100
The price on this Ikea crib cannot be beat. It gets rave reviews from everyone I know who owns it and is timeless in its simplicity. It converts to a toddler bed, but the toddler style does not have a bed rail like some of the other cribs. There is no storage underneath, but we could add a skirt and put a box under it.
9. Child Craft London – $200
This option, which is also available in white, is a little more classic looking. It converts to a toddler bed, but a security rail is sold separately.
10. Baby Mod Modena 3-in-1 Navy – $200
A navy blue crib to match baby S’s nursery! I love the detail on the solid ends and the simplicity of the legs. It converts to a toddler bed and includes a safety rail. Navys are all very different so it could end up not matching baby S’s nursery at all, and it may limit nursery color choices in the future should we decide to go against everything we’ve ever said and have a second baby.
Our final option is to have a crib made to our specifications. We have a local furniture maker building two hutches for our dining room right now and if we like how they turn out, we might ask him to draw up plans for our dream crib while following the CPSC’s crib safety guidelines. It might end up being an economical option and we could definitely get everything on our wishlist. But of course there’s a time consideration with that option. Baby Stroller is growing like a little weed and before we know it he’s going to be too big for his cradle; I’m getting a tad concerned we might not make it ’til the end of June before we need to make the crib transition! Just look at the difference twenty weeks makes:
What are your favorite features in a crib? Any one crib you absolutely love or absolutely hate?
grapefruit / 4649 posts
Have you looked at any “mini crib” options? I like that they transition to a twin bed.
This one is expensive and probably wouldn’t match your nursery (it is a full sized crib though), but if you are considering having something made it could be an interesting idea to show your woodworker: http://www.rosenberryrooms.com/479-uptown-twin-bed-conversion-from-crib-cream-with-black-molding.html
The down side is obviously it would be hard to reuse the crib for another baby, but I have found that a lot of people wind up buying two cribs, two conversion kits and then two beds so it could wind up cheaper to convert to a bigger bed anyway.
pea / 12 posts
We have a crib similar to #4. It’s from Wal-Mart (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Baby-Mod-ParkLane-3-in-1-Baby-Convertible-Crib-Amber-and-White/5983290) so it’s only $250, but it’s made of real wood. The drawer on the bottom works without any problems – smooth sliding and great extra storage. We chose this crib after seeing it on YHL (http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/02/nursery-progress-crib-notes/) – they did all the research for us! Wal-Mart also offers a crib similar to #2.
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
Stroller, love your taste in cribs! I’m sure you know this, but as an FYI to anyone considering Babyletto, Baby Mod is made by the same company for Walmart and simply repackaged for them. Some cribs are practically identical. Nothing I’ve found indicates a quality difference beyond stain color and different legs on some models. But there is a price difference, to the tune of $100+. I totally respect that some may have ethical objections to shopping at WM, as it isn’t my favorite place either, but that’s a lot of diapers!
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
wow #6 really looks like the oeuf sparrow (what we have)!
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
A custom built crib would be pretty awesome.
blogger / pear / 1964 posts
Love all of these – some more options for us to consider! We also liked the looks, construction, and cost of the baby mod line at Walmart.
apricot / 275 posts
The crib is stumping me as well. We have a tiny space and I think a mini crib would be best – but how long can you use them? Also check out the Bam Bam crib.
guest
We have #6 and although baby hasn’t arrived yet its very solid and looks great in the room!
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
I was way less picky at picking out a crib than I thought. I wanted it to be pretty, white, and safe.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
We have the Gulliver and are so happy with the price and what we got for it. Yes, you need a skirt but you can find skirts pretty reasonable out there! That being said, I think #1 and #2 are pretty cool looking but GAH! So much for a crib!!
guest
I have crib #4 and I love it. I bought it in 2009 for baby #1 (a boy) and looked perfect in his orange and green room with dark wood. Now I am using it with baby #2 and it looks great in her pink and white room. Very versatile! Love the drawer. Perfect for diapers and wipes. However I do have a skirt on it (which I like) but if you didn’t you would be able to see into the drawer.) anyway… Just thought I’d give my input. Ps. I would not go too cheap on the crib because toddlers can be pretty hard in them with their jumping and climbing. Mine has held up well. It’s pretty solid. Only complaint- my kid chewed on the front so I have teeth marks where the white paint came off a little. But love it. Great price, great look, and I can’t complain about the quality.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
We’re in the same boat as you right now!! Our precious boy is 3 months and has been cosleeping, I’m ready for him to be on his own though.
I think we’ll be purchasing the Baby Mod Modena! Only in gray, instead of navy. Though I did consider the navy option because we have a lot of navy in his room. Ultimately though, gray would be more versatile if we have a girl next.
GOLD / olive / 69 posts
These are all great options! Searching for the perfect crib is a lot harder than I thought! We ended up going with the Oeuf Classic Crib. We loved the simplicity and modern feel of it. It’s also built with safety in mind, so it makes you feel a bit more at ease!
GOLD / apricot / 341 posts
I just went through the whole process of choosing a crib for our second baby. We have a Brio Sleep for our little boy. It is sleak and modern and converts into a full junior bed where you can remove all the sides. For Baby #2 we ended up buying an Ikea Sundvik (it’s new – similar to Gulliver but with solid sides). The more expensive cribs on our shortlist are perhaps nicer (I love the Oeuf Sparrow and have always wanted a Sebra Kili) but they’re just not ten times nicer which might justify the cost. We also have a Gulliver in the country and it really is a very good crib. Good luck!
guest
We have #9 and love it so far! I searched far and wide and this seemed like the best option balancing cost/material/design/reviews. Good luck!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I love our Ikea Gulliver. Can’t beat the price and once you lower the mattress, you won’t need or be able to use the skirt or storage under this crib anyway.