The Best Baby Cribs for All Styles and Budgets

The baby crib: It’s the focal point of your little love’s room, and the spot where your child will—fingers crossed—clock in hours of uninterrupted sleep (we can dream, right?). It’s no wonder then that parents spend weeks, if not months, taking measurements, reviewing safety guidelines, browsing scores of options and poring over customer reviews to find the best baby cribs. It’s enough to make you want to take a nap! Don’t worry, we’re here to help take the tedium out of this task. Below, expert tips to help you create a safe sleep environment for baby, plus our picks of the best cribs on the market to suit every style and budget.

What To Consider When Buying a Baby Crib

There’s a lot to consider when investing in a baby crib. To streamline the decision-making process, keep the following factors in mind:

• Safety. The safest baby cribs are the newest baby cribs. Options on the market today adhere to more rigorous federal safety standards than in years past, offering durable wooden slats and stronger crib hardware to prevent loose parts. Look for baby cribs that meet CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) requirements or have the JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) seal of approval. If you’re using a hand-me-down from an older sibling, check to make sure it hasn’t been recalled.

• Convenience. Consider baby crib brands or retailers that make sense for you, whether that means being able to drive up and load the bed into your car or having it delivered to your door. Most importantly, when researching the best cribs, be sure that the one you have your eye on doesn’t have to be special-ordered or have a long waiting period (unless you’re absolutely certain you have that luxury of time).

• Budget. It’s not just about the cost of the baby crib. You’ll also need to budget for a crib mattress as well, which can run about $100 to $500.

• Add-ons. Purchase the accompanying toddler rail or conversion kit now if you know you plan on converting your baby crib to a toddler bed in a few years. It’s better to have it on hand than to find out down the line that the model you have has been discontinued.

• Bedding. You don’t need anything beyond a fitted crib sheet for baby cribs. While a matching crib skirt is optional as a decorative touch, skip the bumpers, quilts and pillows, which pose safety hazards.

Baby Crib Safety Tips

Finding a baby crib that aligns with your unique needs is only half of the process—you’ll then want to make sure it’s set up and used safely. This way, you can create a sleeping spot for baby, that’s comfy, dreamy and secure. Below, find safety tips to keep top of mind:

• Age. Depending on your preferences, baby can use a crib from the time they come home from the hospital. If you start off with a bassinet, be sure to transition your infant to a crib when they physically outgrow the space, show signs of rolling over or sitting up or are around the three-month mark, advises Jillian Thistel, a certified pediatric sleep consultant and founder of Twinkling Stars Pediatric Sleep Consulting in Ontario, Canada. As your tot approaches the age of 3, they’ll probably be ready for a toddler bed. Keep in mind: Each child develops at a different pace, so make the decision when it feels right for you and your little one, or when they physically outgrow their crib to avoid safety risks.

• Setup. First and foremost, follow the instructions given by the manufacturer to ensure the crib is assembled correctly (without any loose screws or bolts!), says Thistel. If you lose any parts, such as screws and washers (because pregnancy brain!), don’t improvise. Instead, call the company and ask for replacements; the customer rep should be happy to provide them. Most importantly, remember to assemble your baby crib in the room you plan to use it in—you don’t want to learn the hard way that it won’t fit through the door!

• Placement. Avoid placing their child’s crib near any outlets; furniture that could be a potential safety hazard; windows with blinds, cords or strings or walls with frames or hanging decor that could fall—the same goes for mobiles that attach to or hang over the bed. For baby’s comfort, the crib also shouldn’t be placed where direct sunlight hits, notes Thistel.

• Bedding. Make sure you’re up to date on all safe sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). For starters, when making your infant’s bed, use a fitted sheet only—nothing else should be in the crib with baby. Moreover, there shouldn’t be any gaps between the mattress and the bed. Once baby reaches their first birthday, you can introduce a small lovey, says Thistel, but the bed remain free of bumpers, pillows, loose bedding and anything else that could pose a suffocation risk.

• Mattress height. Most modern cribs feature adjustable mattress height settings that adapt to your child’s changing needs. Thistle advises parents to lower the crib’s mattress height when baby shows signs of sitting up independently, rolling over or getting up onto their hands and knees.

Best Baby Cribs To Buy

The best baby cribs not only look good, but also grow with your child and offer a host of features to meet their changing needs. Ready to shop the options? Just try not to get sleep envy as you take a look at our picks for the best cribs below.

Specs at a glance:

• Holds up to 50 pounds
• Measures 34.88” x 29.62” x 53.62”
• Weighs 54 lbs.
• Made from sustainable pine wood

Specs at a glance:

• Holds up to 50 pounds
• Measures 39” x 28” x 37”
• Weighs 40 lbs.
• Made from solid pinewood

Specs at a glance:

• Holds up to 50 pounds
• Measures 53.5” x 29.75” x 35”
• Weighs 55.1 lbs.
• Made from sustainable pine wood

Specs at a glance:

• No upper weight limit
• Measures 44" x 25" x 32"
• Weighs 13 lbs.
• Made from polyester and steel

Specs at a glance:

• Holds up to 50 pounds
• Measures 44” x 55” x 30.5”
• Weighs 44 lbs.
• Made from sustainable pine wood

Specs at a glance:

• Holds up to 50 pounds
• Mini crib measures 24.5” x 31” x 31.5”; full crib measures 31” x 53.5” x 31.5”; toddler bed measures 31” x 53.5” x 29”
• Made from sustainable pine wood

Specs at a glance:

• Holds up to 50 pounds (as a crib and toddler bed)
• Measures 71.77" x 29.53" x 35.94"
• Weighs 105 lbs.
• Made from pine wood

Specs at a glance:

• Holds up to 33 pounds
• Measures 40” x 25” x 42”
• Weighs 88.2 lbs.

Specs at a glance:

• Measures 54.5” x 30” x 34”
• Made from solid European Ash wood

Specs at a glance:

• Holds up to 120 pounds
• Measures 55.5” x 29.1” x 34.3”
• Weighs 43.7 lbs.
• Made from beech wood

Specs at a glance:

• Holds up to 50 pounds
• Measures 54.5” x 30.25” x 34”
• Weighs 76 lbs.
• Made from sustainable pine wood and acrylic

Specs at a glance:

• Holds up to 50 pounds
• Measures 30.71” x 54.73” x 34”
• Weighs 41.2 lbs.
• Made from pine wood

About the experts:

Jillian Thistel is a certified pediatric sleep consultant based in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants and the founder of Twinkling Stars Pediatric Sleep Consulting.