Ok, here it is. The much anticipated crib post. First we have to talk about how giddy we are to have a mini-me mattress going on. Let me explain. Remember back when John and I talked about saving our pennies for an organic mattress (after sleeping on a sketchy old hand me down for far to long) back in June of last year? Yeah, we actually had a “mattress fund” going until we could take that baby home. And pretty much ever since the day that we sprung for our own Organic Serenity Natural Dunlop Latex Mattress By Savvy Rest we dreamed of someday getting a mini version for our offspring in the form of a totally organic crib mattress (p.s. don’t you like my mattress pageantry below?).
After all, if John and I didn’t want to go to bed with just anything (my obsession with all things eco made me yearn for a pure and organic mattress free of fireproofing chemicals and made from 100% natural materials that are just as good for the planet as they are for people) we certainly wanted the same thing for the beanette. So imagine our sheer delight and amazement when the thoughtful and generous people at Savvy Rest contacted us and offered to send over an organic crib mattresses for our big nursery makeover. Yeah, it was enough excitement to make my bladder almost burst (this reaction might also have something to do with all the kicks I’ve been getting lately- we have a little can-can dancer in there
What makes it so covetable? Well it’s totally free of any chemicals and made from five inches of firm all-natural latex. The top and bottom of the mattress are also covered with flame-retardant quilting made of organic wool fiber and organic cotton fabric (it meets all the fire-proofing standards here in the US without being sprayed or dipped in any chemicals). Plus wool is naturally repellent to dust mites and keeps the mattress’s inner environment dry so baby P will sleep cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
Doesn’t it sound like the Ferrari of crib comfort? Seriously we were thrilled and we can’t thank the sweet folks at Savvy Rest enough for their amazing gift. Of course we haven’t taken it for a spin since it’s a bit too short for us, but we can definitely vouch for the comfort-factor and durability of our own personal Savvy Rest mattress which we’ve enjoyed for almost a year now (check out an update on how we like it right here). And we haven’t mentioned that Savvy Rest is based right here in Virginia so it’s sort of a “local” company too. Gotta love that it didn’t need to travel far to arrive right at our door.
So that’s the rainbows and unicorns (read: happy-go-lucky) part of the story. Then it was time to figure out where we’d be putting our lovely new mattress… as in, locate a crib. This is easier said than done my friends. It was a major challenge to straddle the line between “we’d like it to be reasonably green and non-toxic since that’s the way we live” (we compost, have a rain barrel, use non-toxic cleaning products, etc) and “our budget isn’t in the $700-1500 range so all those entirely eco crib options sadly aren’t within reach for us” (with things like strollers, car seats, cloth diapers and other big ticket items still on our must-buy list we unfortunately had to set a crib budget and stick to it).
We quickly realized that we’d be happy to find a crib that was somewhat of a compromise (a bit more eco than most super cheap cribs with a few great non-toxic features but obviously nothing in the sadly-unattainable-for-us $700+ price range of those amazing industry leading green crib makers like Oeuf, Cariboo, Pacific Rim, DucDuc, Spot on Square, Argington, and Q Collection Junior). So after a bit of research and soul searching we arrived at a decent little “must-have list” that we thought would work best for us in order to narrow down all the contenders and hopefully leave us with something perfect for Baby P. Here was our required criteria:
- A crib that was constructed entirely out of solid wood (since pressed wood and MDF can be held together with off-gassing glue and formaldehyde)
- Something with a non-toxic finish (since babies are known to inexplicably gnaw on their cribs)
- A price tag under $400 if at all heavenly possibly (our initial budget was actually in the $200 range but we scored such a good deal on a secondhand nursery chair that we had a bit more to put towards the crib).
- A crib that meets or exceeds all of the established US safety standards
- Something modern-ish with clean lines and a white finish (to work with the rest of the room and feel gender neutral enough to reuse for future bambinos)
- A solid well rated stationary crib (we wanted to avoid anything with a drop side since there have been so many recent recalls)
We also had a bonus list of “it would be nice” characteristics that weren’t necessary but were definitely welcome:
- A crib with some sort of pull out storage underneath it (we’re all about maximizing our stash-it space)
- Something that can be converted to a toddler bed or daybed (we’d like to work with what we have for as long as possible)
- A splash of darker wood to balance the clean bright white finish on the rest of the crib (we actually found ourselves loving the dual-toned look but it wasn’t that easy to hunt down)
- Free shipping (because that’s always a nice bonus when purchasing such a big ticket item)
Our minds swirled with a ton of possibilities that we carefully considered as we went…
Idea #1: Could we make our own crib to meet every prerequisite? After a bit of deliberation we realized that with all the safety features, testing and industry standards we’d better leave crib-making to the experts.
Idea #2: Could we grab an unfinished solid wood one (made from birch, maple, oak?) and use a no-VOC stain or paint to finish it ourselves? Well, after hunting down very few totally unfinished solid wood options (many were already stained or sealed so we wouldn’t be able to easily alter the finish) we realized that unfinished cribs were generally in the $500-1200 range (a bit to a lot out of our budget) and usually had country-ish lines due to their raw and unfinished nature (we were interested in something a bit sleeker and more clean-lined).
Idea #3: Could we hunt down a used one? After all, that would be the greenest thing to do. But a bit more consideration had us thinking about those ever-changing safety standards and a slew of recent recalls so it seemed like getting something new that meets all the current safety standards was the right choice for fearful first time parents like us. Especially since my mother generously offered to foot the bill and kept mentioning that we should get something new that we could use again and again and again (somehow she thinks we’ll end up with seven babies since she herself is one of seven). The good news is that we’ve actually purchased an awesome thrift store nursery chair so we were as green as it gets in that category… stay tuned for those details.
Anyway, with all of that pre-hunt brainstorming out of the way, we dove headfirst into active “crib shopping” mode armed with our handy little list of boxes to check off and all the confidence of a nervous eight pound chihuahua (we have to be honest, it was quite intimidating and we were super worried that we wouldn’t find anything at all). But we did manage to dig up this good-looking crib made with solid wood and non-toxic finishes. The only downside: it doesn’t outright say there’s no MDF or pressed wood so there probably is. Plus the $379 price is very close to the top of our range (as in scraping right up against it) so we were hoping to find something that checked off all of our boxes and not just most of them for that price point. Back to the drawing board.
Then we came across this chic looking $419 crib, which was also made with solid wood and non-toxic finishes. But again it doesn’t outright say that there’s no MDF or pressed wood (something that cribs with this feature like to shout from the rooftops) so it also fell a bit short of checking off that last box (and was also a bit over our max budget). That’s ok… maybe the third time is the charm?
Spoiler alert: nope. We then stumbled upon this crib by DaVinci. We actually heard through a few online reviews that DaVinci cribs were usually made from solid wood, finished with non-toxic paint/stain and even came with BPA free crib guards- but there was hardly any information for this particular model except for the super vague “made from Asian hardwood” line (which could also be true if the thing was riddled with MDF) so we’re not really sure it met much of our criteria at all. The styling was also a bit less clean-lined than we wanted, although there was definitely something charming and undeniably “classic” looking about it. On the upside, it did come in white (our desired color) and was priced extremely well at $267… but it just didn’t do everything we hoped that our future crib would do. Moving on.
We began to wonder if we were (pardon my language) being hard-asses. Was our wish list akin to J-Lo asking for nothing but white candles in her dressing room? Were we tirelessly trolling for something that just didn’t exist? We allowed ourselves just two minutes to wallow in self pity before deciding that we had work to do. Back to the search.
Next we came across two potential Ikea cribs, but the first one wasn’t the white color that we hoped for (although it did seem to be made mostly from sustainable solid wood). Sadly it also didn’t boast keywords like “non-toxic” or “low-VOC” when it came to the clear acrylic lacquer finish, and we learned along our little researching tirade that any crib with these features likes to highlight them in bold (so we always assume that if it doesn’t say something is: no-VOC, non-toxic, sustainable, completely comprised of solid wood and nothing else, etc- then it probably isn’t). Too bad because the price was pretty fantastic at $159. But that’s ok, there was another affordable Ikea option to evaluate.
Our second Swedish find (priced at just $99) also mentioned some nice solid wood & plywood materials (no word of pressed wood or MDF) but again neglected to describe that the “tinted clear amino resin lacquer” finish was anything especially non-toxic or low-VOC. (Insert the womp-womp sound effect here).
Admittedly they were both amazingly priced and we actually know of at least three happy babies with these affordable and stylish Ikea cribs so by no means are we saying there’s a thing wrong with them (or the other cribs that we found along the way)! They just didn’t quite check off all the little boxes that we established going into our big crib hunt. We quickly learned that selecting a crib is definitely a subjective and surprisingly personal decision. What’s right for one person might not be right for the next mom and dad to come along so we definitely believe that ironing out what’s most important to you (and acknowledging that it won’t always be as important to the next person) will help you locate something perfect for your family. To each his own, right? But back to our search…
Next we found this crib. At $490 the maple finish was the only one that we could *almost* afford (it was still nearly $100 over budget). Since the tone of the maple is a bit shy of the deep chocolate color that we lean towards, the white finish would have been our preference… but at $700 that option was out of our price range. And although the maple coloring didn’t really work with our ever-evolving nursery scheme, there was something intensely charming about this guy. He’s actually the cream of the eco crop (Argington is one of those fancy top-of-the-line green companies) and is made entirely of solid wood, touted as one of the most eco-friendly options out there, and constructed with all materials (glues, stains, and finishes) that are 100% non-toxic. Too bad it wasn’t the color we were looking for and the price was ultimately still a bit cost prohibitive for two savers like us. Oh well, back to the drawing board.
This crib was also super appealing thanks to the eco-advantages that it boasted (made entirely from sustainably grown wood with non toxic finishes). But the $700 price tag was just too steep for us, and the rounded corners wouldn’t fit our lovely new mattress. So we gave it one last look and clicked that window closed as a single tear slipped silently down my cheek (ok so I’m exaggerating, but this entire exercise was kind of an ooh-this-might-be-it-nope-keep-looking roller coaster ride).
Then we found this write-up which honestly helped A TON (update: we’ve since unlinked to the write-up because the site was hacked and then removed so it was a dead link). It reinforced that affordable eco cribs were few and far between (especially in the white coloring and clean-lined styling that we were looking for) but there were a few non-budget-breaking options that were still a bit “greener” than the average crib in that price range.
Ahhhhhhhhmmmmmmm.
Yes, that’s the sound of us breathing a long, deep sigh of relief. The affordable reasonably-green-crib-roundup that we had tracked down was insanely helpful! And the last crib they featured not only met all of our initial criteria but also checked off all of our bonus “would be nice” boxes too. And at $299 it was definitely within our budget. Were pigs flying? Could it really be? Oh sweet victory. It was described as “made from New Zealand pinewood with a non-toxic finish” and “the solid wood and wood veneer construction means no toxic VOCs or formaldehyde associated with pressed wood.” It also met or exceeded all US safety standards and received one of the highest user ratings we’d seen (over 85 people had weighed in after purchasing it and it earned almost five full stars out of five). Plus the $299 price tag even includes the rail to convert it to a toddler bed or daybed, there was free to-the-store shipping, it came in white and had a splash of darker wood, it was clean-lined and sleek looking and it even had a handy little storage drawer (talk about a few nice little bonuses).
It really was one of those miracle moments. Perhaps it’ll be up there with actually meeting our baby girl for the first time in May. Ok so that’s probably pushing it, but after hours (literally at least four solid ones) spent looking for something that consistently eluded us it seriously felt like a major coup to click the “buy” button and exchange a few nerdy high fives that we save for special occasions like these.
We could hardly wait to get it home, put it together, add our awesome new mattress, and test it all out with The Burgette. And about a week later we found ourselves doing just that. Nice, right?
Oh, maybe we should stop to explain who Burgette is. She got her name because she’s sort of a hybrid between Burger + The Beanette (we whipped her up thanks to this Burger zoonie and a recently gifted newborn sleeper… just so someone could take our new nursery addition for a spin). Look… she likes it!
And although we luckily were able to assemble things pretty quickly, we sped things up even more for your viewing pleasure (watch it below or over here on YouTube):
So there you have it. The mind-numbingly exhaustive play by play of how we ended up with an amazing organic mattress and a solid clean-lined white wood crib without any pressed wood or MDF and a non-toxic finish. Of course we realize that one comes from a small Virginia based company and the other comes from a giant big box store (and yes, that it could be even greener if we had twice to three times as much to spend on it). But one thing we’ve already learned about impending parenthood is that it’s all about balance. And we love that we were able to add a thrift store nursery chair to the mix (stay tuned for those details). Balance really feels like it’s the key. We won’t be able to keep our little one away from certain things (like boys for instance) or feed her a completely organic diet until she’s 25, so we did the best we could and set out with a few simple “goals” for the bean’s sleeping situation. And we lived to tell the tale. Whew. Now there are only 579,088,989 more dire decisions that we’ll have to make before she graduates college. This should be interesting…
Psst- Wanna see our nursery progress from the very beginning? Here’s our painting post and here are a bunch of accessory-hunting details.
Tanja says
So I was totally freaking out since I ordered my crib prior to reading this post (I was actually looking for your mattress selection and read the crib part as well) and hadn’t checked to see about the material it was made of and what sort of paint it it used. Luckily I keep look at the website and the crib is crafted from durable solid pine wood and protected with any of several popular non-toxic finish. Phew.
Right now I’m just getting used the price tag of an organic mattress.
liz cannon says
i love you for doing all the research for me!!! i also was looking at the ikea cribs thinking… what kind of paint/stain do they use. thank you thank you thank you!
Isabelle says
Anyone still looking for a crib might want to check this out! design/story is giving away an Offi nursery set (crib, table and chair set, and kid rocker) through Baby Center.
To be entered for a chance to win, click the link and follow the directions!
http://blogs.babycenter.com/products_and_prizes/win-an-offi-nursery-from-designstory-2300-value/
Christy says
Hey! Do you happen to have the write-up of the affordable green-ish cribs? Coincidentally, we’ve had Savvy Rest on the list of things to buy. Tried one out in a store and loved it! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Sadly that site was corrupt and kept giving people viruses so we unlinked to it and have no memory of the site url. Maybe try googling for “affordable green cribs” to see what comes up? Good luck!
xo,
s
Michelle says
Are you still extremely pleased with the Savvy Baby mattress? We are looking to buy a mattress for our son and I did tons of research today. DOH! I should have checked here first. I could have saved myself two hours of clicking around the internet. Lesson learned.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’re still very happy with it. Clara has always been a great sleeper and she’s been in her crib from the day we came home from the hospital (maybe it’s so comfy she sleeps better, haha).
xo,
s
SY says
Hi Sherry and John,
love your site! I’ve been inspired by you two to go green and am looking to change things up, as we are moving across the country for 2 years and didn’t think of lugging all our furniture back and forth with us.
I was wondering if you could share with me any other green mattresses you’ve explored? I was trying to find cheaper green crib (around $200 ish) and adult mattresses but the cheaper ones all come with soy-based foam, which I read, isn’t really eco friendly. At this point, I’m wondering if it’s better to buy a regular mattress and splurge on an organic topper without all the fire retardants etc or a “semi-green” mattress. would appreciate your opinion on this.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! That’s exactly what I would recommend. And if you want to be super careful about air quality in the house, you can set the mattress out in the yard on a sunny day (on a flat sheet) and let it offgas out there instead of inside (heat speeds up offgassing so whatever you can get rid of outside by airing it out is great). Then just bring it in and add your organic topper. Good luck with everything!
xo,
s
AFW says
As I was reading your blog I was getting deja vous because your requirements exactly matched mine. I was about ready to buy something I didn’t love at Ikea as a compromise and am ever so grateful to have alternative options! I actually found something at Walmart from the same line that I love. (BTW, I too am shocked at where I am finding my eco option! I thought it was a mistake when the Walmart site came up at first.) Thanks for sharing and making the decisions making process easier!
SY says
Great! Thanks for the advice Sherry!
amy says
Just wondering if you could repost the site that helped you choose your crib…or email it to me. I’m expecting my first and shew….my head’s about to explode trying to find the right one for us:(
Thanks!
amy says
Oh…sorry….you just responded to that earlier. My bad!
amy says
Oh…so excited….I contacted the Babyletto company and they said that the beds they have with the trundle drawers underneath have MDF in them. Boo! BUT the others are 100% sustainable pine! Yipee….so the Harlow Crib and Modo convertible cribs WITH toddler rails are in! Yeah! And they are both around $350 on Amazon. I’m so excited!!!! This crib hunting has taken some work! Sooo worth it though :)
Kristy says
OH THANK YOU! Why I didn’t just think to come to your page immediately when I found out I was pregnant is beyond me. I have spent my entire first trimester crying over cribs – too expensive, yucky materials, ugly, etc. Your wish list is almost identical to mine and so is our budget! I’m totally copying you (because ya’ll are that cool!) :) THANK YOU!
Essie says
Hi there – where did you end up getting your wool/organic mattress pad and fitted sheet from?
YoungHouseLove says
The wool organic mattress pad was from BuyBuyBaby and the fitted organic sheet was from diapers.com (they had a ton of colors).
xo,
s
Jeanne says
Love the nursery and the whole post on cribs. We will be needing one before December and I love who you take us through the whole process. I see that the link to the list that helped you choose your crib is not posted due to virus/spam. Would you be able to mail me the link or let me know what website it was featured on?
Many thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry – that site looks like it was taken down because it got hacked. Sadly it no longer seems to exist.
xo,
s
michelle says
were you able to find out what the “non toxic” finish on your crib was actually made of?
YoungHouseLove says
Not specifically, but a company called SafeCoat makes water based non-toxic sealant so maybe something along those lines? It’s called SafeCoat Acrylacq. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Margaux says
Hi there!
Again, I want to say that my husband and I LOVE your blog. I ordered the same crib and matching change table for our little boy we’re expecting in November. I would like to copy and paste something I read recently about another customer (and mom) who posted something on the store site:
(and I quote):
“This dresser / changing table is well designed, and is a great price compared to the other modern furniture lines we were considering.
The drawback is that there is a very strong smell of off-gassing formaldehyde. Our nursery shares a room with our office. My work desk is right next to the dresser and the smell is very strong, and I’m exposed to it all day long as I work. We’ve had it in place for a few weeks and it has not let up. I’m concerned about our coming baby breathing this in.
This is an example of “you get what you pay for.” Other furniture brands may be more expensive, but if they’re made out of hardwood only, we wouldn’t have to worry about this off-gassing.” This is the same brand as our crib (and yours). What do you think? I feel really guilty because I should have looked into this further. I am going to call the store to find out more. I will let you know how I make out. Thanks again for all your very informative posts. And keep them coming! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man- that stinks! I would definitely try to call them or check out the website to see if the changing table is made of something different. We loved that the crib said “hardwood only” and didn’t have any scent when it arrived or we put it together- so I would definitely cancel the changing table if it said it had MDF of treated wood going on, just because it might stink up the whole nursery! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jessica says
Hi there, I am shopping for a crib for my baby now. I was very interested in buying the same crib you got, but I noticed that on walmart’s website, and also on your blog mentioned that wood veneers are used. Isn’t wood veneer also engineered wood? My questions is wood veneers is not toxic like MDF?
YoungHouseLove says
Our understanding is no, that’s still wood- albeit it very thin wood. But it can be stained and sanded so it’s not engineered like MDF (which can’t). I think you want to try to avoid MDF and other things labeled as engineered wood! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Erin says
you know what’s nice about this crib is that it doesn’t look like you’re locking your kid up in a cage. I went through a phase where every crib just seemed like prison bars and not something sweet and tender (like its supposed to be).
Briana says
Love the crib!! Are you able to put the link back to the write-up that helped you decide on that crib? Or tell us what the other cribs that were featured are? We are struggling to stay under $300 and find a crib that is non-toxic finish, no particle/pressed board, etc., and we would purchase this crib, but the white doesn’t fit our nursey/house decor.
Thanks so much!!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry- that site has since been removed (I think it got hacked and had virus issues). Don’t remember the other cribs (other than that this one was the most affordable one). Good luck!
xo,
s
Tara T says
Have you guys noticed any nicks or scratches in the pine? I really like the baby mod modena, but I’m wondering if I’d regret the pine rather than a harder wood. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s actually holding up really well! It’s very solid actually (Clara smacks her wooden toys into it and it still looks great!).
xo,
s
Meri says
I came across your blog after a frustrating search for a “healthy” crib for our first baby on the way. We’re considering the same crib and I was curious regarding your feedback on it after using it for awhile.
YoungHouseLove says
Still loving it! No complaints!
xo,
s
Beth says
Wow! Great research! I’m just starting this process and I was so excited to find this post!
Looking at the Baby Mod on the Walmart website I couldn’t find anything indicating that the finish is non-toxic. How were you able to confirm that? The solid New Zealand pinewood construction sounds great, but couldn’t the drawer made of pine and “engineered wood products” be made of MDF and contain added urea formaldehyde? Maybe that’s less of a concern because it is under the crib.
I’m definitely going to consider this one when selecting a crib. Thanks again for such a helpful post.
YoungHouseLove says
I wonder if things have changed about the crib/manufacturing/description since almost two years ago when we got it? Ours said it was a non-toxic finish I believe, and the drawer is all pine on ours. So strange!
xo,
s
Liz says
Hi–thanks for this post! We will hopefully be needing a crib in the near future and I really enjoyed the read. One question, with the drawer underneath, do you find yourself kicking into it when you reach in to get Clara? I am a toe-stubber and I was just curious if it is something we should consider when buying. Thanks so much and love the kitchen!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, I don’t! You’d think I would because I’m clutzy but I don’t seem to do that. Maybe you just put your feet in front of it but not under it like dressers or cabinets that go to the floor?
xo,
s
Leah says
This post is great. After two years of living with this crib did it turn out to be as great as you had hoped?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, still love it!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
Love this website! I’m only disappointed that I found this article now after all the hours I’ve spent researching non-toxic cribs. It’s funny but you pretty much went through every crib I’ve found as well. I felt like I just read a play by play account of my research. So I’m wondering, how did the Baby Mod crib hold up? Considering purchasing one myself. Would you still recommend it?
Stephanie says
I’m so sorry! I just read that someone else asked the same question. Got the answer. Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
So glad!
xo,
s
Kelsey says
Thank You! Just found out the crib I have was recalled a while ago but since I wasn’t using it then I didn’t look. Now that I need a new crib I had a lot of the same criteria you did so again, Thank You for saving me the work.
Kelly says
Have you found that she got too tall for the crib, even with it at the lowest setting? Did you worry about her potentially climbing over the sides? Just read that the height was of concern to other people who purchased this item. Thanks, and love your site
YoungHouseLove says
Hmmm, it hasn’t been a issue for us. Maybe she’s not as tall yet as these other people are mentioning (she’s about 60-70% for height)? But unless she engineered a pile of stuffed animals or something, I really think it’d take her a lot of effort to get out of it. Hope that helps!
-John
Dominika says
I saw in the reviews for your crib that a 54′ mattress would not fit in this crib. Do you know what the measurements are inside? How big is your mattress?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s just a standard mattress, whatever that size is (tried to measure mine and it looks like it’s 52″?).
xo,
s
Kara says
I bookmarked this post when you first wrote know I would need the info someday. Now it’s someday. Are you still happy with your crib choice? Did it last?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! Still going strong!
xo,
s
Liz says
Fantastic info!
I’ve been pulling my hair out to find the right one for us and this was really helpful – Thanks!
Question, when you wrote “made from New Zealand pinewood with a non-toxic finish” and “the solid wood and wood veneer construction means no toxic VOCs or formaldehyde associated with pressed wood.”, does that mean they actually responded to your specific question about it during your research, or this is just what was stated on their website?
I’m curious because I’ve been reading so much about it and people say to not believe what they say until they’ve answered your specific questions…
Thanks again!! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s what it said in the listing on their site and was also quoted in an Eco crib article we read. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Barb says
Do you guys use some sort of mattress protector under the fitted sheet in case of blowouts/leaks? I want to buy an organic mattress but it seems silly to then put some sort of non-organic/potentially off gassing plastic over the mattress.
YoungHouseLove says
We just have an organic mattress pad. I think it was $29 from BuyBuyBaby?
xo,
s
KK says
Hi,
Thankyou very much for this post, helped me a lot to narrowdown my crib choices. I researched further on BabyMod and Babyletto and DaVinci. Turns out the Million Dollar Baby is the manufacturer for all of these cribs, they are different models.
Their website now shows non-toxic finish and shows undetectable formaldehyde levels in their cribs!! yay!! I have contacted them and they replied very promptly stating their chemical levels are meeting CARB/Federal laws and are very safe!
For all the moms out there, IKEA Gulliver cribs are also non-toxic, formaldehyde levels meeting European standards and lead free!
Thanks again for the post!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad! Thanks for sharing the info!
xo,
s
Diana says
Now that the young lady is over two I’m wondering if you’re starting to think of ‘big girl’ beds? My son is four days older and I’m definately hanging out to see what you guys do first! Hope it’s not too far off. And yes, it’s so I can copy :) tehe
YoungHouseLove says
Sort of, but she’s so happy in her crib still we’re not in a rush at this point. But when the time comes you’ll definitely know. We actually thinking of using one of our daybeds and turning the open side towards the wall so it’s got built-in sides to keep her from rolling off at first.
-John
Diana says
Hey John,
Thanks for your reply. I’ll continue stalking you guys and will eagerly await any future bed designs :)
Using a day bed is such a good idea. We only have one and it’s got solid sides, so sadly not an option (airflow). Our little man is very tall for his age but thankfully his cot is huge so it’ll last a while longer. Lots of friends are starting to move their wee ones into big beds – though I’d originally contemplated leaving him in there until he’s three (though with his length that won’t ultimately be an option!).
Decisions, decisions!
Keep up the great work XXX
Kate says
Crib hunting is turning out to be so hard! I’m also looking for a white crib with simple lines (though I’d like a convertible because I like the style of the higher back) with a slightly budget ($300 at the absolute max) and it’s turning out to be very difficult. I found one at Babies R Us that I love, but it’s been out of stock for about a month and I’m not hopefully it will be back in stock. There are a couple other options that are okay but I don’t love as much. I had thought of the one you got, but it’s now also out of stock. I don’t have anything helpful to add, just wanted to say that I’m so glad you guys found a crib that you really like – I think I’m going to have to settle!
Angela says
Hi, I was just wondering if you still like Clara’s crib and would you recommend it?? My husband and I are expecting our first baby in March and are looking for a safe, affordable, good quality crib, which seems to be what you guys got with this crib. Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, still very happy with it!
xo
s
Jenny @ DIY Newlyweds says
Hi, we’ve been crib shopping and we’ve narrowed it down to this crib or 2 others. My only concern is that the height of the crib is lower than some other cribs. Now that Clara is a big girl and I’m sure she’s sleeping on the lowest setting, do you think the crib is too low? My concern is that the baby would be too close to the floor where it would be chilly. Also, have you had any trouble with her climbing out of the crib? What do you think? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
YoungHouseLove says
Her crib certainly doesn’t feel too low to us. My guess is that you’re not going to find the difference in heights of cribs aren’t gonna be enough to put the child in drastically different air temperatures. And while she hasn’t gotten brave enough to crawl out, I’m thankful that it’s not any higher for that reason – since it would only increase the fall for her if she chose to. She has learned how to crawl INTO her crib but realized that’s not much fun so she doesn’t do it very often. But as with the crib height thing, I don’t think you’ll find one crib much easier or harder for a child to climb in and out of. If your kid becomes determined to do it, they’ll probably figure out a way! :)
-John
Jenny @ DIY Newlyweds says
Thanks so much for the advice. I really like the crib, but was reconsidering it because of the height- thanks for reassuring this worried mamma! If Clara likes it so much that she’s trying to climb into it, I’ll take that as her vote of approval!
nicole says
so thankful to have found this post – i’ve been using clara’s room as inspiration for the room we’re creating for our own little bean (boy!) coming in April and have had a tough time looking for a crib. Definitely did not have the pressed wood and off-gassing effects in mind. on the list now!!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad Nicole! Congrats for your little guy on the way!
xo
s
Amanda says
Did this crib convert into a toddler bed nicely? When you look back, are you overall happy with how it worked out for your daughter? Thinking of buying one for our little one.
YoungHouseLove says
It doesn’t convert, but Clara still sleeps in it to this day! We’re waiting for her to transition into a daybed but she’s comfy and doesn’t climb out (and still prefers her crib) so we’re taking her lead :)
xo
s
security cameras says
I need to to thank you for this wonderful read!! I
certainly loved every bit of it. I’ve got you bookmarked to look at new stuff you post…
klu says
Hi,
I’ve just spent all day trying to find an affordable eco friendly crib! I was willing to spend the $700 for the argington but the reviews are really horrible! For the crib you ended up getting- how did the crib smell when it came out of the box? Were there any chemical smells? i just find it so hard to believe that walmart would have anything eco friendly…
thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I unfortunately don’t really remember the smell of it when it came out of the box. I think if anything it may have smelled like the styrofoam and cardboard it was packaged in.
-John
Melissa says
Hi there,
great video! what song is in it?
YoungHouseLove says
You can see the music credit at the end of the video – it was by someone named Mel’s and this still appears to be her website: https://myspace.com/melssmusic/music/songs
-John
Michelle says
Thank you for sharing about this wonderful crib find! You saved me a lot of hassle!
Lisa says
When it was said and done, were you happy with the Baby Mod crib? We’re trying to find a new crib for our baby girl and wondering how you felt about your overall experience!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! We’d buy it again!
xo
s
Carol says
I love the crib ya’ll chose. I especially love the storage drawer underneath and the crib’s corners look like they flow smoothly and the baby can’t get hurt on them. I am a big dog person ( I have 3) and Burger is just so cute. I had a chihuahua when I was a kid and he was one of the best dogs I have had. Thumbs up to being patient and finding the right crib for y’all.
Joanna says
Is this the crib you still use and love?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup!
xo
s
Meredith says
Great info! We are expecting our second baby and with our first having so many allergies we really want to go the non toxic route. I want to create a traditional, super girly nursery and was wondering if this crib, also by the same company, was a good one? I didn’t see the no pressed boards in the description so I wanted to get your weigh in on it since you are the expert! Thanks so much for the advice!!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Baby-Mod-Modena-3-in-1-Fixed-Side-Convertible-Crib-White/15529737
YoungHouseLove says
It seems like a good one (new zealand pine, non-toxic, etc) but sometimes they don’t mentioned things like pressed wood, glues, etc – maybe try calling or googling around. We’re hardly experts, we just googled for write-ups that had more info than we could dig up ourselves!
xo
s
Furniture Sri Lanka says
lovely crib! So sleek and modern. The room is already pulling together
Jillian says
I know this what written a long time ago, but I’ve seen this post linked to in several locations about non-toxic crib options. I just wanted to weigh in that I’ve been communicating with the company that makes the Baby Mod/Babyletto cribs and while they have a non-toxic finish, it is oil-based and their cribs are not lead-free or phthalate-free. That being said, they claim to have very low levels of these substances, but many people are under the misconception that it is free of these toxic chemicals. Just an FYI for anyone reading.