Nursery Furniture Essentials

Crib
More expensive doesn’t mean better. All cribs sold in the United States must meet the same federal safety standards, so you can rest assured that there are plenty of safe ones out there that fit your price range. In fact, cost alone isn’t a fair way of assessing quality, says Alan Fields, co-author of Baby Bargains. “You can argue that some lower-priced cribs have been hit with more recalls,” he says. “But what that really means is that you have to consider a company’s safety track record instead.” And that’s true regardless of how much you plan to spend. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has just launched a new database, SaferProducts.gov, that allows consumers to both report potentially dangerous products and research safety info for those they want to buy. What’s great about this: You can find out about problems well before an official recall.

Plus: Check the safety of all baby products with our Recall Finder

Buying new is a better bet than used. Unless you know for certain that a used crib meets the following standards, get thee to a store:

• the mattress is firm and tight-fitting;
• there's no drop-side;
• the slats are no wider than a soda can (2 3/8” apart);
• corner posts are no higher than 1/16”
• there are no cutouts in the headboard or footboard

Convertibles won’t necessary save you a lot of cash. That’s because almost all require that you buy a separate conversion kit, says Fields. And given that most toddlers can move right into a twin once they’ve outgrown the crib, the toddler-bed convertibles are simply nice-to-haves. That said, if you have the space, love the way it looks ,and just want to be done with it, go for it.

Plus:
Where Should Baby Sleep?
26 Baby Sleep Solutions