Making Sense of Baby Furniture and Crib Brands
Purchasing baby furniture can be a daunting task because there are so many things to consider. The fact is that when you start looking at furniture for the baby's nursery you have no idea where to begin, what features to look for, which brands are good or what all the safety concerns are to worry about. When consulting new parents, we say that all of these considerations are valid but a good place to start is with your budget and with what brands you should consider in your price range. We have created the Baby Furniture Brand Pyramid to give new parents a quick view into most of the baby brands out there and based on the cost of their furniture and their brand reputation. Some brands will span more than one level but we have pulled this together to give you a good starting point for your nursery furniture search.
There are three tiers to the Brand Pyramid that spans from the high end baby brands to the value priced cribs. We placed the brands in the various levels based on the brand's pricing on their selection of baby cribs. Here is the brand breakdown:
Luxury Baby Furniture Brands
The luxury baby furniture brands at the top of the pyramid are mostly boutique suppliers that create trendy, stylish baby furniture with solid wood construction and high end finishes. Cribs from these brands run in the $700 range with a three piece nursery set upwards of $2,000. These brands have cribs that are solid and sturdy and of heirloom quality so that they will last and last. Cribs will also have lots of features. They will have a metal or very sturdy mattress base and three or four mattress levels to let it grow with your baby. Most will come with a toddler safety conversion rail included so the crib will be useful for three to five years. With the purchase of an additional full conversion kit, you can use the front and back of the crib as a headboard and footboard for a double bed and it will look great. Many of these brands also have additional certifications, like GREENGUARD which assures that the materials and finishes used are safe in the nursery. Other brands may use sustainable woods or naturally based finishes to give them an eco-friendly stamp. Dressers mostly have dovetail joints and solid wood drawers and come fully assembled so they don't have to be built. These brands tend to have a made to order process and shipping may take up to two months.
These brands are perfect for the well to do new parents who like a high end modern look, want solid woods and extra features. Much of this furniture is very high quality and will last your child through their teens.
Quality Baby Furniture Brands
Here is where you get most of the popular brands today and the largest choice of cribs. Mid-priced cribs run $200 - $400 and offer less than the luxury brands but more than the economy brands. Cribs in this range are heavier, sturdier and have lots of the same features of the luxury brands. You will find many different colors and finishes like white, espresso, gray, black and light and medium woods. Some brands even have GREENGUARD certification for added safety. The crib hardware and mattress support will be stronger than lower end cribs and Cribs may also have a storage drawer under the crib as an added bonus. Cribs will have conversion options and are sometimes called 3-in-1, 4-in-1 or lifetime or even Crib to College because they convert multiple ways. Typically mid-tier brand 4-in-1 cribs come with a toddler safety rail to use it for your child when they are from 2 - 4 years old. Then you can remove the safety rail for older toddlers and have an open sided daybed. Once they are ready for a "big kid bed" you can use the full conversion kit that will be sold separately to create a double bed. Dressers from this level are RTA (ready to assemble) or KD (knock down). What this means is that you will be assembling this yourself and it will take a bit of time. The bonus is that these items can be shipped with ground shipping versus truckline, therefore saving you hundreds of dollars. The quality will range within this group but the dressers will function well and last for several years. Look for metal glides for the smoothest drawer movement.
Furniture from these mid-tier brands is great for parents wanting quality but not wanting to breaking the bank. This is also where there is the most selection available giving you the choice to create a unique and quality nursery.
Value Baby Furniture Brands
Here are your lower price-point brands which offer product that is affordable and basic. Prices on these cribs are $200 and less and they have basic styling, thinner slats and use less expensive woods and hardware. They also will be lighter weight and have fewer features than the higher end. A crib from these brands will probably have two mattress levels and may convert to a toddler bed or daybed. Although some may convert to a full bed, they are not really suited to long term use. White, gray and black cribs at this price may use manufactured woods to give the paint a uniform base. If the finish is a wood color, like espresso or chestnut, they crib will have a wood frame but you may notice some minor cosmetic flaws in the finish.
These brands are good for new parents on a tight budget or for people having twins who can't afford two cribs. If you want a budget priced crib, don't need lots of features, and don't plan on using the crib as a full bed, these economy cribs are worth looking at. Just so you know, these less expensive cribs meet all the same safety requirements of the high end cribs so you shouldn't be worried about your baby's safety.
March 5, 2016