A crib is one of the most important pieces of furniture for a newborn, who will spend most of the first year of life in the bed. The crib becomes not only a place for the baby to sleep, but also a play area where the baby gets to know a new world for him, so it is important to choose a safe and environmentally friendly model. The modern assortment of baby cots impresses with design and shapes, a set of additional functions, materials used, and it seems that the choice is difficult. Let's figure out the features of furniture for a newborn and talk about how to make the right choice.
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Equipment
Traditionally, a crib consists of a base, which is fenced on four sides with boards with slats or a solid element. Speaking of classic wooden models in the format of a rectangular or round, oval shape, it is worth noting that each of the models has a bottom (rack and pinion), four walls, one of which is removable and has a lifting and lowering mechanism. This is where the similarities end.
Differences in the configuration of a crib:
- The presence of a swing mechanism - a longitudinal or transverse pendulum. It is not found in all models, and its presence is determined by the choice of parents.
- Main material. Traditionally, wood is chosen, but there are combined models of wood + chipboard (such models are more budgetary in cost), wood + leather (eco-leather or natural) and others. There are plastic models.
- Drawers for storage.
- Bed color and design.
- The mechanism for raising and lowering the bottom is present in most modern models, but in the most budgetary versions it may not be available.
Popular materials
Wood is not always taken as the basis for a baby bed; there are also plastic models, chipboard products and combined options, depending on the preferences of the parents and the budget allocated for the purchase.
Wood
The most used material for the production of not only cribs, but also the rest of the furniture for newborns, preschoolers and adolescents. Hardwoods such as oak, beech or ash are often used with excellent consumer properties, environmental friendliness and a long service life, but solid pine is an inexpensive hypoallergenic material.
Classic rectangular or round cots are made of wood for children from birth to adolescence. Traditionally, young parents choose rectangular models with sides on each of the four sides of the product in a standard size 120 * 60 cm, since such a model will last up to three years or until the baby grows out of the crib.
The advantages of a wooden crib for a child can be called the fact that such models are hypoallergenic, provided that they do not have additional paint or varnish treatment, they are stable and durable in their design, familiar in design and diverse in appearance, in addition, the models differ from each other in the complete set - types of legs, mostly. Wooden cribs for children look laconic and expensive, among them there are models of a classic shape with smooth curves and products in the Art Nouveau style.
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Chipboard, MDF
Particleboard, MDF or combined models with wood: such beds will become a budget analogue and have their own advantages, among which their lightness and practicality are noted. For example, the crib frame can be completely wooden, and additional elements like slats will be made of high-quality plastic, chipboard, MDF. It is important that the materials used do not have any processing hazardous to the baby: sniff the product and beware of the unpleasant odor that comes from the crib.
Plastic
Plastic is also used in the manufacture of children's furniture, in particular, cribs for babies. High-quality material and its property of flexibility allows you to create products that are unique in shape and design. Often, plastic and other polymeric materials are used in the manufacture of baby cradles of various shapes from the usual rectangular to round and oval.
Plastic is used to make cribs, playpens, which are convenient for travel or a small apartment, since they have not only a sleeping place for a baby, but also a play area.
Standard sizes
There are different sizes of cribs depending on the type of product and the age of the child.
For newborns, the standard size is considered to be a product of 120 * 60 cm (this measure is taken in Russia, in Europe the standard is 125 * 65 cm) - a classic rectangular children's bed from 0 to 3 years old.
Transformer beds with a built-in curbstone and a changing table have standard dimensions 140 * 70 cm, the size of the berth is determined depending on the position: in its original form, it is 120 * 60 cm and increases in length up to 140 cm. By the way, the general parameters are length and the widths of the bed can differ upwards due to the finish and the materials used, since traditionally it is the size of the bed that is indicated, and not the total area of the product.
Cradle cots also have a standard - 90 * 50 cm, which means the size of a bed for a child.
Sizes of different types
A small cradle, which is used for sleeping a newborn, has a standard size of 97 * 55 cm, the height varies from model and is adjustable. Baby bassinets are neat in design and small in size, but six months later, a standard child grows out of a similar crib and requires a new one. The cradle will be appropriate for a small apartment and those parents who are ready to spend money on children's furniture and replace it in a timely manner. It is convenient to use a lullaby in the parent's bedroom in the first six months of a baby's life, when you want to keep the mother-baby bond as long as possible.
The attached model will be a continuation of the parent's bed, where the newborn can comfortably sit. The dimensions of the side bed are standard 90 * 50 cm, which is slightly smaller than the classic model. It is important that the attached model has the ability to adjust the bottom to "fit" in height with the parent's bed, but it is better to choose in advance the model that fits perfectly with the adult. Another fundamental point is the presence of elements for attaching a crib to an adult, which will guarantee the child's safety during sleep.
A classic bed for newborns has standard Russian dimensions 120 * 90 cm, in Europe these measurements are 5 cm larger - 125 * 95 cm. The classic among beds is distinguished by the presence of a swing mechanism - a pendulum (it can be longitudinal and transverse) or its absence, then the bed has legs and removable wheels or skids.
The classic model, as a rule, has two bottom positions, a slatted bottom, the ability to lower the front side, some models have an additional drawer at the bottom.
Transforming beds will be a good investment in the child's future: it will be useful for a newborn baby and will serve when they reach 7-8 years old (until the child grows out of the product). The transforming bed has a built-in chest of drawers and a changing table, its size is standard 140 * 70 cm, a sleeping place for a baby is 90 * 60 cm with the possibility of increasing. After the initial appearance of the product becomes small for the grown baby, the chest of drawers with the changing table are removed, the bed expands.
There are models of children's furniture for twins or twins, which are a product with parameters 130 * 125 cm. The bed will last about 3 years of the life of babies, then you will have to replace it with a spacious two-tier model or separate products for each child.
In addition, there are cribs-playpens with various sizes, which are a playpen at the bottom and a sleeping place at the top. The sleeping place is small and will be used by a child up to a year, after which the baby is unlikely to fit there.
Beds of non-standard sizes are unique in their design, for example, round and oval models with dimensions 78 * 76 * 81 cm (length * width * height), which “grows” in length up to 128 cm. Round transformers-lullabies for babies of non-standard sizes in most their increase in length, which allows you to use an expensive model for up to 5 years.
It is worth noting that the parameter 120 * 60 cm, used to indicate the size of a classic-shaped baby bed, indicates the dimensions of the bed, the bed itself can be 6-10 cm larger due to the presence of additional elements - sidewalls, sides. This applies not only to the mentioned model, but also to some other types of children's furniture.
We select textiles
The choice of a crib is not complete without the purchase of textile products for children's furniture. Often parents choose classic beds for a newborn with a standard size of linen, for example, 120 * 60 cm or 140 * 70 cm. Sheets in a crib are selected in accordance with the mattress and its dimensions, the most common is the measurement 120 * 60 cm or 125 * 65 cm, which means the size of the bed for the baby and the size of the sheet.
Cribs for small children of non-standard size require selection of smaller textiles that correspond to the measurements of the mattress, blanket and pillow, if available. The size of bed linen is determined strictly with those parameters that correspond to the size of the blanket and mattress, so it is advisable to select textile elements along with the bed, and to facilitate such work, you should choose the standard 120 * 60 cm or 125 * 65 cm.
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Safety first. Important nuances
The main criterion when choosing a baby bed for a child of any age is the safety of the product. Let's talk about important nuances that are worth noting even before buying furniture for a child and not to forget especially during the transaction.
- Smooth rounded corners will be the first signal of the right choice. Non-sharp angles will come in handy even for parents, who every now and then will come to the cradle of the child.
- The presence of boards on 4 sides; the exception is attached models of cribs, most of which have additional bumpers.
- The distance between the slats should not exceed 6 cm, otherwise the baby will be able to run his head between them.
- The stability of the bed is another important criterion when choosing children's furniture. If the bed has a pendulum mechanism, make sure that it can be securely fixed for a later time after the baby has learned to stand up in the crib by himself.
- It doesn't matter what kind of furniture material you choose as a base; is it worth sniffing the pieces of furniture and noting if there is an unpleasant or pungent smell? The presence of industrial aromas indicates the use of toxic dyes, in order to make sure that the product is safe, check with the seller for certificates for the product.
Another significant point: when buying a classic bed for a baby, it is important to choose a model with 2 bottom positions: the first high level is used until about six months or until the child learns to sit on his own and make attempts to get up. The second lower position is set for the safety of the baby - the baby will not be able to fall out of the crib even in a standing position, but remember that leaving the baby unattended even in the crib is dangerous.
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