Best cribs of 2021 – CNET [CNET]

When your baby is a newborn, they should sleep 14 to 17 hours a day. From four months to a year, they’ll sleep 12 to 14 hours a day. With so much of their early life spent in dreamland, the place your child sleeps is an important purchase. A crib needs to be safe, comfortable and convenient for the parents — and since you’ll undoubtedly be spending a good chunk of your own day (and night) around it, it might as well be nice to look at. 

The best crib for you and your baby will depend on a number of factors, like how much space you have to work with and how much you’re willing to spend, but these picks for every budget check a lot of different boxes. 

How to choose a crib

Your own criteria for a crib may vary, but in general you’re looking for something that fits your budget and specific needs. It also doesn’t hurt if it’s aesthetically pleasing. Here are a few other things to look for and be aware of on your crib-shopping journey.

• Any crib made after June 2011 must meet stringent federal crib standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and American Society for Testing and Materials. This means new cribs can’t have dangerous features such as drop sides and have to adhere to strict structural safety guidelines.
• A crib can be further certified by the Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association, which holds cribs to an even higher standard of safety. Though the JPMA’s seal of approval means you’re getting an exceedingly safe crib, many companies are choosing to forgo this certification to invest in others that consumers care more about, such as Greenguard Gold (more on that in a minute). 
• All cribs sold in the US must comply with ASTM standards regulating the use of harmful chemicals in glue, wood finish, and wood composites. A step further than that is Greenguard Gold certification, which ensures that a crib produces negligible levels of volatile organic compounds. This helps give peace of mind that your baby is breathing in chemical-free air.
• Most cribs fit standard-size mattresses, but not all mattresses fit the same. Before you buy, it’s a good idea to test-fit a mattress inside the crib you plan on pairing it with. The mattress should fit snugly, with no more than a two-finger gap between the edge of the mattress and the crib.
• A crib with multiple mattress positions will ensure you get the most mileage out of it. When your baby is little, it’s safe to place the mattress at the highest position so you can easily pick them up and put them down. As they grow and start to turn over and stand you’ll want to gradually lower the mattress to keep the top of the crib out of reach. The more positions you have between the top and bottom settings, the less you have to bend over and reach for your baby. 
• The CPSC recommends crib slats be no more than 2 3/8 inches (or about the width of a soda can) apart. This will prevent your baby from getting their arms or legs stuck.
• If you’re buying a convertible crib, consider purchasing the parts needed to convert it now. That way, if the model is discontinued years down the line, you won’t have to track down the pieces on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
• If you’re planning on buying a used crib or taking a hand-me-down, make sure it hasn’t been recalled. Tighten up all the bolts and see how the crib feels structurally. Lastly, check mattress fitment for gaps. You’ll probably want to buy a brand-new mattress, as used models wear unevenly and might be soiled.

Crib vs. bassinet: Do you need both?

When I first started shopping for baby gear, I asked myself this very question. The answer is maybe, depending on your living situation. One thing that’s certain is, you need a safe sleeping environment (either a bassinet or a crib) for your baby, ideally located in the same room where you sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a safe sleeping environment outside the parents’ bed to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and suffocation. 

With that said, a bassinet works great for this purpose. But if you have space in your room for a full-size crib, you could skip the bassinet all together. Alternatively, if you don’t have a lot of space, you could get a mini crib that rolls and folds. You’d get more use out of a mini crib than a bassinet, which you typically only use for the first six months, but you’d still need to upgrade to a full-size crib at some point.