Standard cribs hard to find...

[redrice]

I'm new here~ My baby is due mid-December, and I just started shopping for a crib. After doing some research, it seems that standard cribs might be a better choice than convertible cribs. The problem is, the selection for standard cribs seems to be limited either online or in stores... Many places carry mostly convertible cribs. Am I not looking in the right places?

Also, one argument against convertible cribs is their higher price. However, I found some that are in reasonable price range (~$250). So I figure that if I can't find a standard crib, I'd be OK with a reasonably priced convertible crib too. I finally found one that seems to fit my needs and preferences - Sorelle Rita Bella Crib. I like that it's made of birch wood (I am trying to avoid pine). However, after doing more reading, I found out that dropside cribs might be unsafe... :O

If anyone could give me some recommendation on cribs, I'd appreciate it! Here is what i'm looking for in a crib:

- hardwood (not pine)
- under $300
- preferably non-convertible (or only up to toddler bed... i think the full-size bed feature would not be very useful for us).
- preferably static side

Thanks in advance!

[C99]

I used a Sorelle Toscana crib through 3 children. It is a fine crib, and a good value for the money. One thing you want to check is what the base of the crib is made of on the Sorelle. When I bought mine in 2002, the base was metal w/ springs, but I've heard from others who bought them later that they were wood slats. With my 2nd and 3rd children, we stopped using the drop side altogether and just left it down all the time (the crib was so far off the ground and the sides were so tall that it really wasn't a safety issue for us - we also had a vid monitor, so we could see what was going on). That said, we sold our Sorelle about a year ago when we stopped needing two cribs and kept our IKEA SNIGLAR $89 non-convertible, stationary-side crib for our 2-y/o to sleep in instead.

[larig]

we've got a sniglar as well. I like it a lot. I'm not sure what it is made of, birch, maybe?

ETA: the sniglar (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60091931) is convertible, though--one side can be removed. And it is made of beech.

[redrice]

Thanks ladies!

We went to IKEA yesterday and hoped to find an inexpensive crib... but we didn't like the ones we saw there (we didn't see SNIGLAR in the showroom). I was not paying too much attention at that time because that was before I read your recommendations.

I finally decided to get a Delta Jenny Lind from BRU, but after we returned home, I started reading reviews and got scared by Delta's recall history! :p The Jenny Lind they are selling now is a newer model, I suppose, since the once-deadly dropside is now a static side. However, we still feel uncomfortable about the reputation of the company so decided to return it... Arrghhhh.... who knew crib shopping would've been such a tedious task?! Or is it just me? I'm way too indecisive. :p

[mom2beofboy/girltwins]

You could try looking at Baby's Dream cribs. They have some with stationary sides and others with hinged tops. I didn't think I would like the hinged ones until I saw them. The cribs are really nice and very sturdy. The second website has a video that shows the hinged side in action.

http://www.babysdream.com/

http://www.crib4life.com/

[redrice]

Just an update. We ended up getting an "Olivia" crib from JCPenney. It's a convertible crib, but at very reasonable price ($239). We found a coupon online so the shipping was free. We picked up the item from the store a week after we placed the order. Very easy to assemble... it took my husband 30 minutes to put it together. Sturdy construction and beautiful finish. I don't know what kind of wood it is made of (some type of hardwood)... it's harder than pine for sure. Overall, we're very pleased with it, even though we haven't had the chance to use it yet. :) I think, so far, this crib has everything we were looking for!