Durable and heavy duty, but cosmetically inadequate.
This crib is what I would term, good bones on the inside with cosmetic work needed. A little background: My two daughters have each grown with this crib from about 6 weeks to 2 years old. We purchased the full-size bed rails but have yet to use them. Once our oldest daughter turned 2, we had our second daughter, and she moved into the nursery and into the crib. We decided to put our second daughter into this crib because our first daughter teethed the crud out of this crib and we were concerned the second would do the same. Instead of buying a new crib for the second and risking the same outcome, we put the new baby in the ruined crib and bought a new convertible crib for the older one (who was still in a crib at the time, but was no longer teething on the railings). At the time of the teething incidences, we tried to put blankets over the railing, but she'd pull them off shortly after waking and teeth on the front and side rails until we'd come get her. There are plastic coverings you can buy but only fit on the side rails, because the front is curved with a large diameter. I didn't buy the cover for the side rails because the sides are taken off once you convert to a full size bed. Although putting teeth on the finish will no doubt chip and scratch, it is still way to easy to scratch the finish, even with a slip of your fingernail. My other concern is that my daughter was able to get a decent gouge into the wood, (very soft wood) and more than likely consumed some of the finish/stain. I have no idea, but it is likely not healthy for a child to be consuming wood stain. I just wish the front of the crib didn't have the rounded edge so we could put a protective teething cover on it. I am satisfied with the construction of this crib. It was easy to put together and feels study. My older daughter was climbing in and out of this crib (and still does to visit sissy), and they both jump on the mattresses. The only things I noticed about the construction of this crib, is that I think the jumping caused some of the screws to become loose over time and fall out - although it never seemed un-sturdy, even without some of the screws. The other thing I should mention about construction is that I thought I had purchased a crib that didn't show the hardware. This is not true - at least not in my eyes. There are screws that show, and deep holes that the screws are offset in. The last thing worth mentioning is that we have put two sets of bumpers on this crib, and the front corner 'poles' do not easily allow for the tabs of the bumper to tie around because of the enlarged curve halfway down the poles. This does not matter which position the mattress is in, because at the highest position, the bottom tabs of the bumper become too short to tie easily, and the opposite is true for when the mattress is in the lowest position. It is possible, but annoying. So overall, the construction is great , but aesthetically and functionally it is lacking. I would more than likely not suggest this crib to a friend, nor would I buy this again.
noelle749
Stoughton, WI