TTMA Cribs (and prices)

[teraiin]

I know it's a little early to be thinking about this, but I like to plan in advance and do research. I also like to get good sales (when I can).

As a ftm I know very little about cribs except that some are convertible and some aren't. I'm seeing a wide discrepancy in prices. Walmart currently has a bunch of 'mod' cribs on sale for $179 or less (normal price ~279). Those prices seem very low to me.

How much did you stm mom's spend on your cribs? Is it more about reviews than price?

Most of the ones on Babies R Us seem to run $399+ (This one from Babies R Us is down to 149 from 229)


I guess my real question is "why do crib prices vary so much and do I have to have an expensive crib?"

[fishbulb]

Generally, the more expensive cribs are solid wood and often convert to a toddler bed and/or a full size head board. We bought one similar to the one from BRU that you posted. It was being discontinued so we got it for $100. We also bought the toddler bed rail at the same time. It's nice and solid and should last a long time. The only issue I have with it is that it's kind of tall and I'm kind of short so as I get larger it will be harder to lower a sleeping toddler into it.

[mrssqueegy]

Ours is convertible (but you have to buy extra stuff to make a full size bed. It was around $200 I think. It's a Graco. It's very simple and white which is what I wanted. I'll use it again for this baby.

[ivedonethisb4]

This is the convertible we got with DD. It's currently in toddler bed form and will be transitioned back when DD gets her BGB for Christmas. We didn't see a point in buying a second crib even though this one converts to a full.

We've liked it overall...ours is in the color cognac though which I no longer see listed at Walmart.

Also as a side note...we were gifted the crib but I want to say it was on sale for 179 at the time of purchase. I probably won't convert it with baby 2 either..I don't think it's quality enough for that but as a crib/toddler bed works fine.

I thought about trying to see if I could sand and paint it white if we have a boy because I'd like a different color crib to go with what I'm thinking in the nursery.

[annarose]

We went the expensive route and have no regrets. We got the Pottery Barn Kids Madison crib

www.potterybarnkids.com/m/products/madison-fixed-gate-3-in-1-crib/?pkey=bcribs&isx=0.1151

I didn't mind spending the money because I was fairly sure bed sharing would not be for us and DD slept in her crib since day one. I also knew that we wanted a second baby who would use the same furniture. We bought the toddler rail and even though DD will not use it for very long, with this baby we won't rush them into a twin bed.

[starfishy]

Ours is a crib that is convertible but we never converted. It's sitting waiting for a new occupant. I know that it said once converted do not convert back to a crib- so just watch for that if converting is something you want to do.

We ended up going to a local furniture warehouse to get all the nursery furniture (and the. Again to get the "big boy bed"). Much cheaper than the baby stores, so look around for a place like that.

[babycaps]

I think the correlation of "EBF" = no crib use is overkill. I breastfed for a full 13 months and did not bed share. LO was in his crib the first night home from the hospital (BEST decision EVER). We actually slept in HIS room for the first 10 weeks (doulbed as guest room for a while and had queen size bed in it) and then we moved out to our room. Also GREAT because we never had to worry about any sort of transition.
We spent $399 on our crib. It was a bit more than we wanted to spend, but I wanted solid wood and storage drawer (we live in a condo, storage is good!).
We got the babyletto Mercer and LOVE it. LO is still in it and will remain until probably age 3-3.5 when we will convert it to a toddler bed. Which means we are buying another crib for this little one. He also still sleeps in a sleepsack, so he can't really climb out (bonus).

I think IKEA actually has great options and they now have a crib w/ storage which is probably what we will get this time (Stuva crib). And same thing, baby in crib from night one!

[babycaps]

teraiin, also keep a look out on amazon and BRU because they both have a BIG crib sell-out sale at least once a year!

[annarose]

I agree babycaps! I EBF for 13 months as well and DD slept in her room and in her crib from day one. It worked well for us. I hope to do the same for this one but the idea of a newborn crying in the next room makes me nervous that my toddler will be waking up as well. We have a sitting room off our master and are considering setting up the crib in there at first - we'll see

[babycaps]

annarose, yes, we are also going to have the crib set up in our room (actually in our closet) for the first months, probably until sleep training time.
We have two bedrooms but ours is big enough to fit the crib in our closet area (walk through closet to bathroom). This way DS isn't disturbed and baby is still close enough for those MOTN feedings.

[fishbulb]

Oct 10, 2015 11:52:51 GMT -5 starfishy said:

Ours is a crib that is convertible but we never converted. It's sitting waiting for a new occupant. I know that it said once converted do not convert back to a crib- so just watch for that if converting is something you want to do.

We ended up going to a local furniture warehouse to get all the nursery furniture (and the. Again to get the "big boy bed"). Much cheaper than the baby stores, so look around for a place like that.

I will have to check to see if our crib can go from crib to bed to crib again. Thanks for the tip!

[Ruca]

My grandma bought us the crib, dresser and changing table combo from Target for a few hundred. I don't remember the exact price. It worked great for us and the crib converts into a toddler bed as well. Baby #2 will be getting this set...

[twocents6708]

I think we spent about 500 on the crib including all of the rails for conversion for DD but it was a good investment in my opinion as it is solid and converts to a full size head and footboard that will last a kid up to young adulthood. It also converts to a toddler daybed. We just bought a set of bunk beds recently that are going in DDs room since we just got licensed as respite foster parents and have the crib converted to a full size bed in our spare room. We will probably convert it back to a crib after this baby is a year or so old and not nursing as much at night. Our newborn plans are for the baby to be in our room in the cosleeper.

ETA: the brand is Westwood Jonesport that we purchased at a local furniture store.

[Sammich_Cat]

I think ours was around $200. I looked on amazon, searching by reviews, and found one of the cheaper ones that had really good reviews(4.5 stars).

We're going to be moving next year and don't plan on taking it with us. If it was going to go through all four of our intended kids, I may have been willing to spend more.

I'd be cautious about Ikea. I feel like they're always having some recall or another.

[birch113]

Have you checked out Baby Bargains? I found it to be superhero helpful. It does most of the legwork for you and explains quality, safety, etc ratings in each price class. If you get it, make sure you get the most recent version. It was my bible, and I've been really happy with all of the items I selected using it. I used Lucie's List and consumer reports as cross references.

Back to cribs. We got the Babyletto Hudson for about $379 (free shipping with Prime if you buy from Amazon!) and I love it. Most cribs are NMS, and I I love this one is pretty simple and modern. It's sturdy and concerts to a toddler bed.

www.babyletto.com/hudson-3-in-1-convertible-crib

[starfishy]

Oct 11, 2015 6:46:14 GMT -5 birch113 said:

Have you checked out Baby Bargains? I found it to be superhero helpful. It does most of the legwork for you and explains quality, safety, etc ratings in each price class. If you get it, make sure you get the most recent version. It was my bible, and I've been really happy with all of the items I selected using it. I used Lucie's List and consumer reports as cross references.

Back to cribs. We got the Babyletto Hudson for about $379 (free shipping with Prime if you buy from Amazon!) and I love it. Most cribs are NMS, and I I love this one is pretty simple and modern. It's sturdy and concerts to a toddler bed.

www.babyletto.com/hudson-3-in-1-convertible-crib

I used both those things too! Very helpful. I also second the suggestion. I found it helpful because it proved to me that the most expensive is not always the absolute best, or the most necessary. Sometimes you're paying for bells and whistles that you could really do without.

[k3am]

We bought one of the more expensive convertibles for DD. it's currently a toddler bed, and while we like it, it's annoying to have to store all the parts - the toddler rail and full size frame while it's a crib, the front of the crib while it's a toddler bed, and once it's a full size bed, I'm not sure what we do with the sides of the crib.

We haven't discussed what we'll do for LO2 yet.

[k3am]

Also, pretty much any crib you buy new is going to be safe. You really only need to worry about it if you're buying used or getting a hand me down.

[k3am]

And lastly, in terms of price.. A crib is like any other price of furniture you buy. Something from Walmart or IKEA is going to be entirely functional and at a lower price point. If you want something different, you can find it at any price/quality point.

[mels823]

Mine was Delta brand, around $250 from Target. It's a convertible and really like it so far. Granted, we have only been using it for 9 months now, but spending $250 (plus the cost of the railings which I'm not sure how much they will be) doesn't seem like much considering it will be used for the next 16 or 17 years!

[shadesofgold]

Some great suggestions - I am bookmarking!

Did anyone start with a bassinet or co-sleeper? I have read good things about this Arm's Reach cosleeper and this Halo Bassinet. These are pretty appealing since we don't want to bed share, but will room share in the early months. They seem so convenient for late night BF.

[Sammich_Cat]

Oct 11, 2015 19:46:49 GMT -5 shadesofgold said:

Some great suggestions - I am bookmarking!

Did anyone start with a bassinet or co-sleeper? I have read good things about this Arm's Reach cosleeper and this Halo Bassinet. These are pretty appealing since we don't want to bed share, but will room share in the early months. They seem so convenient for late night BF.

We kept our son in the bassinet part of our Graco pack n play for 4-ish months while he slept in our room. We had an under-mattress-type breathing monitor under it and it worked great. My doctor scoffs at the breathing monitor, but it helped me sleep.

ETA: I'm cautious of the rock n plays which are highly rated. My son developed a flat spot on one side of his head while napping in the rock n play. I baby carried and he was only on his back for sleeping, naps and short (1/2 hour) trips in the car. Some babies get it, some don't. But, I suspect the rock n play as it didn't allow multiple head positionings while he slept(it's more v-shaped). I have no proof, but I threw that thing out.

[helloerrbody]

Oct 11, 2015 19:46:49 GMT -5 shadesofgold said:

Some great suggestions - I am bookmarking!

Did anyone start with a bassinet or co-sleeper? I have read good things about this Arm's Reach cosleeper and this Halo Bassinet. These are pretty appealing since we don't want to bed share, but will room share in the early months. They seem so convenient for late night BF.

I have that Arm's Reach one on the Amazon registry I started.  Using it to mainly just keep track of things I read about or see that look promising.  It has awesome reviews on Amazon!

[mrssqueegy]

Oct 11, 2015 21:48:55 GMT -5 Sammich_Cat said:

Oct 11, 2015 19:46:49 GMT -5 shadesofgold said:

Some great suggestions - I am bookmarking!

Did anyone start with a bassinet or co-sleeper? I have read good things about this Arm's Reach cosleeper and this Halo Bassinet. These are pretty appealing since we don't want to bed share, but will room share in the early months. They seem so convenient for late night BF.

We kept our son in the bassinet part of our Graco pack n play for 4-ish months while he slept in our room. We had an under-mattress-type breathing monitor under it and it worked great. My doctor scoffs at the breathing monitor, but it helped me sleep.

ETA: I'm cautious of the rock n plays which are highly rated. My son developed a flat spot on one side of his head while napping in the rock n play. I baby carried and he was only on his back for sleeping, naps and short (1/2 hour) trips in the car. Some babies get it, some don't. But, I suspect the rock n play as it didn't allow multiple head positionings while he slept(it's more v-shaped). I have no proof, but I threw that thing out.

Rock n plays are actually not sold in Canada for this reason and increased risk for torticollis.

[starfishy]

I'm a rock and play groupie and love mine. We only used it for night sleeping - or on occasion when my mom would watching him. I know some people have issues, but it worked for is. DS would not sleep flat in the bassinet and I wasn't lugging the swing up the stairs every night.

[snoris]

Oct 11, 2015 19:46:49 GMT -5 shadesofgold said:

Some great suggestions - I am bookmarking!

Did anyone start with a bassinet or co-sleeper? I have read good things about this Arm's Reach cosleeper and this Halo Bassinet. These are pretty appealing since we don't want to bed share, but will room share in the early months. They seem so convenient for late night BF.

This is what I am planning on doing too. Then a Montessori style mattress on the floor. There seem to be loads of great cosleepers from other countries, but arms reach is the only one I've found to be safety approved in the U.S. I haven't looked into halo yet.

[k3am]

We had planned on room sharing for at least 6 months with DD.. She got kicked out pretty fast. LO2 will be in our room for a week or so at most.

[teraiin]

Wow guys, I just want to thank you all for your great insights and input. You've given me sooo much information and things to consider. I really appreciate it.

We are leaning toward a 'middle' range price convertible crib, but you definitely inspired me to have some talks with my husband about whether it is the most sensible choice.
Also, thank you sooo much for providing links and explanations about your choices. You've made me feel so much better informed. /sappy

Also the talk bassinets had me thinking. We were tentatively planning on having the baby sleep in the bassinet portion of a pack n play in our room and we were also planning on putting a rock n play on our registry. So I appreciated all your STMs weighing in.

I'm sure I'll have many more questions in the coming weeks.

[babycaps]

Oct 11, 2015 21:48:55 GMT -5 Sammich_Cat said:

Oct 11, 2015 19:46:49 GMT -5 shadesofgold said:

Some great suggestions - I am bookmarking!

Did anyone start with a bassinet or co-sleeper? I have read good things about this Arm's Reach cosleeper and this Halo Bassinet. These are pretty appealing since we don't want to bed share, but will room share in the early months. They seem so convenient for late night BF.

We kept our son in the bassinet part of our Graco pack n play for 4-ish months while he slept in our room. We had an under-mattress-type breathing monitor under it and it worked great. My doctor scoffs at the breathing monitor, but it helped me sleep.

ETA: I'm cautious of the rock n plays which are highly rated. My son developed a flat spot on one side of his head while napping in the rock n play. I baby carried and he was only on his back for sleeping, naps and short (1/2 hour) trips in the car. Some babies get it, some don't. But, I suspect the rock n play as it didn't allow multiple head positionings while he slept(it's more v-shaped). I have no proof, but I threw that thing out.

I'm cautious of the freakin' RnP due to other reasons. like the TWO near death accidents that have come through my hospital alone. One at my friend's hospital in another state. It's REALLY not meant for overnight or unattended sleep. Also, the position of sleeping on an incline WEAKENS the lower esophageal sphincter which actually makes reflux worse. THIS is my soap box. If there is ONE thing I could forbid families from having, it would be the damn rock N play.
Edit bc I was stuck in the box.

[mels823]

Loved our rnp for night sleeping. One of my favorite baby purchases. My doc said stick with newer models to avoid flat head. Honestly, with back is best, flat head seems nearly unavoidable these days, crib or rnp.