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Exploring Crib Options

Over the past few months my head has been swimming with the amount of ‘stuff’ we will need to purchase for our first child.  Everyone has an opinion as to what is needed and what isn’t…but one thing cannot be denied – we will need to purchase a crib.

Recently I’ve been focusing a decent amount of effort on this single purchase because it seems like it’ll set the tone for the rest of the nursery.  That said, I’ve learned a few universal bits of wisdom by reading as much as I can online and in books:

  1. You should order your crib by or around your 20 week mark because most cribs are not in stock and this should give the furniture enough time to arrive before baby;
  2. Never purchase a used crib – it may have ben recalled in the past, etc.  This is the one piece of nursery furniture that should be completely new and current;
  3. All cribs sold in the US and Canada meet the same safety standards – no matter how much they may cost or where you buy them from;
  4. Conversion cribs may not be worth it if you plan to have another child in the next few years;
  5. Drop-side cribs can be dangerous if they are not well constructed (Chicago Tribune);
  6. Almost all cribs are made in China;
  7. Many cribs use varnishes and glues that contain pretty toxic chemicals.  Also, cribs made of MDF contain even more chemicals – so, the more real wood, the better (double check that the mattress support is not plywood or vinyl – the best option is to go with metal springs or a grid of wooden slats).


Now, as this is quite a new blog, I should explain that I try to purchase the most reasonable eco-friendly products I can when they make sense.  This interest has led me to focus on mostly the ‘green’ crib sets – which are also almost all made in Europe or the US and offer environmentally (and baby) friendly finishes.

Sadly, of course, this leaning also means the costs are higher.  But, as we all know, this is a blog about research – so we’ll see what we get in the end.  As of right now, my personal favorite is Romina Cribs.  Specifically the Karisma Stationary Crib in a beeswax finish, which can be seen on the Romina website.

Thankfully, living in New York City has its perks – so while Romina direct dealers seem to be far and few between, there are two places in Manhattan that carry this exact crib.  With luck, this weekend perhaps my husband and I can take a trip to Schneider’s Baby Store on West 25th.  They don’t list prices, so I’m pretty sure I may not want to know the cost!

But, for right now, I will dream that this can be affordable.  Since this is probably just going to be a first baby (and not our last) I’d like to make sure we purchase something we’re perfectly happy with and something that can last a number of years and lots of abuse.  So far, all signs point to Romina!


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  1. Pops #
    1

    Just chiming in with some additional resources that might be handy to have on hand.

    The JPMA (or Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association has a safety certification program for baby-stuff.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics also offers crib and bedding buying advice and what to look for as part of TIPP (The Injury Prevention Program).

    After a decent amount of searching, I was able to find some resources that provide crib manufacturers that still produce their cribs in the United States.

    StillMadeInUSA.com has this list. Buying local (in a global sense) helps when making a decision on a crib, there are certain bumps that I’ve read about others encountering.

    Price
    RoomAndBoard.com and LandOfNod.com (both with offerings from the US) are useful when gauging how much a non MDF, American made crib will cost you. For reference, check out the Moda Crib and the Nest Crib from RoomAndBoard and the Mission Style crib (in either espresso or natural) from Land Of Nod.