Whatever style you choose, you'll want a crib that's durable, safe and matches your taste and budget. Increasingly, you'll find crib styles that adapt as your child grows—from toddler bed to day bed to full-size bed. So making the right choice now means you may not have to shop for your child's bed later.
Recent recalls have raised concerns about the safety of cribs with drop sides. We recommend that you look first for a crib with stationary sides until more stringent and comprehensive safety standards are developed. CR's tests do not address the durability issues associated with recent recalls that could impact safety.
While you may consider a bassinet, cradle, or co-sleeper at first (some common alternatives for your baby's first four months or so), your child is safest in a crib. Cribs are the only beds for babies that are required to meet certain standards issued by the federal government. There are no federally mandated standards for bassinets, cradles, or co-sleepers.
Bassinet manufacturers can voluntarily comply with ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) standards for bassinets (indicated by a Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association or JPMA certification logo on the package), but they are not required to do so. JPMA certification on a bassinet can offer a layer of protection that uncertified models cannot, but a JPMA label in no guarantee of safety.
In the absence of any safety standards for co-sleepers, the ASTM International has recently agreed to develop co-sleeper or "bedside" sleeper standards after being lobbied by Consumers Union. In the meantime, co-sleepers on the market are not required to meet any standards. Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, recommends against the use and purchase of co-sleepers until an adequate safety standard is developed.
