The Best Baby Crib Sets for Your Nursery
Picking the baby’s crib is an important decision and one of the biggest investments you’ll make during your pregnancy.
The DaVinci Jayden is a top-rated Convertible Lifetime Crib.
Not only are you making a large purchase, but you’re investing in your child’s safety, their continued growth, lasting comfort, and your own precious sleep schedule.
With so many options and designs available to parents, it’s easy to select the crib that fits your vision for your nursery and baby’s needs.
Take a look at some of the most popular baby crib sets below to get a quick sense of the available options. Read on below the table for more help on choosing the best baby nursery crib for your home. We cover the basics of convertible, classic, portable, and combination cribs, then offer up our top staff picks for each category!
Comparing The Best Baby Crib Sets Of 2023
| Picture | Name | Style | Colors | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Graco Benton | Convertible, Lifetime | Espresso, Pebble Gray, White | $$ | 4.3 |
  | Delta Canton | Convertible, Lifetime | Black, Dark Chocolate, Espresso Cherry, Grey, White | $$ | 4.5 |
  | DaVinci Jayden | Convertible, Lifetime | Chestnut, Ebony, Espresso, Slate, White | $$$ | 4.4 |
  | Graco Ashland | Classic | Espresso | $$ | 4.7 |
  | babyletto Hudson | Classic | Espresso, Espresso/White, Gray, Gray/White, White, Natural | $$$$$ | 4.7 |
  | Union 3-in-1 | Classic | Espresso, Gray, Lagoon (Blue), Sunshine (Yellow), White | $ | 4.5 |
  | Storkcraft Portofino | Crib Changer | Cherry, Espresso, White | $$$$$ | 4.3 |
  | Storkcraft Calabria | Crib Changer | Espresso | $$$$$ | 4.2 |
  | Davinci Kalani | Mini | Cherry, Chestnut, Ebony, Espresso, Gray, White | $$ | 4.4 |
  | Delta Folding Mini Crib | Portable, Mini | Cherry, Natural, White | $ | 4.4 |
Choosing the Best Baby Crib Sets
Hopefully the comparison chart above is helpful in providing a quick overview of some top rated baby crib sets. Below, our guide will help you prioritize your needs, describe key attributes, and help you select the right crib for both your nursery space and your baby.
Size
The first step in choosing the right crib furniture set for your baby is to determine the size of the nursery. Will the baby be sleeping in your room for the first few weeks? Are you limited in space or do you have a larger floor plan? Are you having multiples? Will your children be sharing a bedroom? All of these questions are important to consider because available space plays a direct role in choosing the right type and size of crib to fit your needs.
Longevity
The second thing to consider is longevity. Are you looking for something temporary to use for the first few months of your baby’s life? Do grandma and grandpa need something simple for overnights? Are you interested in a crib that is able to grow as baby transitions into toddler and preschooler stages? There are so many crib styles and sets available on the market, it is easy to find one that fits your needs. While bassinets and co-sleepers are great temporary solutions for your room (or grandma’s house), standard and lifetime convertible cribs offer transitional options that will fit your growing baby.
Price
Price point is the final thing to consider when making a decision about your baby furniture crib sets. The price of a crib is almost synonymous with wood quality. Most cribs on the market are made of soft woods, like poplar, pine, cedar, and wood veneers, thus appealing to a lower price point. Softwoods are very susceptible to normal wear and tear. Hardwoods, however, are able to withstand more abuse such as teething marks, room rearrangements and inevitable relocations. Hardwoods include maple, cherry, ash, oak, walnut, and mahogany construction (not to be confused with the crib’s color description).
On To Finding Your Perfect Baby Crib Set!
Once you have determined these three factors in selecting the perfect crib, you can explore wood color, crib style, nursery themes, matching furniture sets, lighting, bedding and accessories, which will bring your dream baby nursery to life!
Keep in mind, and rest assured, all cribs have passed rigorous certification in the United States. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) regularly update these standards and issue recalls should any crib fall out of regulation.
Staff Picks For The Best Baby Crib Sets
1. Convertible or Lifetime Baby Crib Sets
One thing is guaranteed about baby; they rapidly grow through life’s stages. In no time, your precious newborn will be heading to kindergarten and ready for their Big Kid bed. Lifetime convertible cribs grow as baby grows which makes it the soundest investment you can make during your pregnancy.
These Lifetime Cribs convert to toddler beds with additional guardrail and hardware, day beds when the footboard is completely removed, and full sized beds with additional conversion kits. Each crib has multiple mattress positions to ensure baby doesn’t lift themselves or crawl out of the crib once they are able to stand. With a standard mattress size, the snug fit ensures baby’s arms and legs don’t get caught in the space between the mattress and the crib. Often, Convertible or Lifetime Cribs have a more robust, taller headboard. Headboards can either be plain in design or coordinated with matching furniture pieces. Though slats are the most common design type, solid headboards make for a beautiful full sized bed when your child is ready for their Big Kid transition.
Be aware that conversion kits are required to grow your crib from daybed to full-sized bed. Since models are discontinued every few years to stay current with changes in design, it is recommended and encouraged to buy the bed rails when you buy your crib. Though you will need to store these, you will avoid the headache and hassle of finding compatible bed rails in the future.
We just love the Davinci Jayden 4 in 1 Convertible Crib (pictured above). Not only does it offer all four of the lifetime stages, from crib to full sized bed, it also includes the toddler rail in the purchase price. Its sleek design is both masculine and feminine, and offers five different finishes, being the perfect match for any modern nursery. Take a look at the coordinated furniture pieces to this collection under our reviews of cheap nursery furniture sets.
2. Standard or Classic Cribs
We highly recommend the Graco Ashland Classic Crib in Espresso.
Standard (or classic) cribs are moderate in size which allows unique placement anywhere in baby’s nursery. Standard cribs are often in the low to midrange price point and are great space savers in comparison to bulkier lifetime cribs.
Most standard cribs have the ability to become toddler beds with additional accessories and, eventually, a day bed when one side is completely removed (classic cribs do not convert to full-sized beds due to the absence of a headboard). Some standard cribs may feature wheels or casters for increased movement and portability. They also have three or more adjustable mattress positions and fit a standard sized mattress.
3. Crib-N-Changer Combo
The Storkcraft Calabria looks great with any nursery theme!
These baby crib sets are some of our favorites because of their dual functionality. More and more often, dedicated space for a crib in the nursery is limited. The Crib-N-Changer not only saves room in the nursery, but it’s a great storage solution for all of your baby needs. The changing surface, paired with three shelves for storing diaper essentials and three drawers for sets of clothes, makes the transition from changing baby to bedtime easy and efficient. While most Crib-N-Changer baby furniture sets have a higher price point, you ultimately save by not having to buy additional furniture pieces for your nursery.
For a full-sized crib option, we love the StorkCraft Calabria (pictured right) or Portofino for your Crib-N-Changer Combo needs. Not only does it save space in your nursery, these combos offer three drawers and three storage shelves. The attached side unit becomes a nightstand when you finally convert the headboard to a full-size bed with additional bed rails. If you’re looking for a Mini Crib in this style, we also recommend the Jayden Mini Crib-N-Changer by Dream On Me.
4. Portable Cribs
With smaller living arrangements, such as apartments, space optimization is crucial when welcoming a new member to your family. That’s why portable cribs are a versatile option for your home and nursery. Not only are these smaller in size and come with the bonus of portability, but their price points are more desirable for budget-conscious moms and dads.
Portable cribs include the following categories: bassinets, co-sleepers, portable play yards, folding or collapsible cribs, and mini cribs. Be aware, though, there are height and weight restrictions when using these sleeping alternatives and baby often reaches these parameters in the first two years of rapid growth.
Our favorite collapsible crib is the Delta Portable Mini Crib (pictured below). It has wheel casters for portability, folds flat for easy storage, has two mattress positions for growing baby and the mattress pad is included in your purchase. Please note, the maximum weight recommendation is 35lbs which makes this a short-term sleeping solution.
If you’re looking for a Mini Crib, which can be converted to a twin bed with additional rails, may we recommend the Davinci Kalani 2-in-1 Mini Crib (pictured below). With six color options, two mattress positions, and a studier headboard, this crib saves space while offering a more long-term solution than the above portable crib.
