Affordable Non-Toxic Wood Cribs Good Questions

Q: We are expecting out third child in our 3 bedroom home, and I have been so inspired by Ohdeedoh's shared room features. Now, our latest challenge is the purchase of a new crib, since we no longer have the crib used by our other children. I want a solid wood crib with natural non-toxic finish. However, it seems that the cribs that fit this criteria are not affordable for our family. I would love any of your suggestions or imput from readers. Should I end my search or are there affordable options out there?

Sent by Angela

Editor: We're betting many of you have or are in Angela's position - what quality cribs have you found that meet her criteria without breaking the bank? Leave a comment for her below.

• Got a question? Email yours with pic attachments here (those with pics get answered first)

(crib pictured is Da Vinci's Emily crib, $250)

Comments (10)

the ikea gulliver crib is made from sustainable wood with a non toxic finish. It's $99. We are getting 2 for our twins.

we got the cube crib from baby's dream. http://www.babysdream.com/Products/Cube/Default.htm

lead free, formaldehyde free

it was around $600, which was higher than i expected to pay, but grandma and grandpa chipped in. if it had not been for that, would have went for ikea. crib was most expensive piece of furniture in the room. everything else was bought from ikea or craigslist. i'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions here!

There seem to be a lot of options around the $700 price point but not much for under that. This "Affordable European Crib" is $520, which I don't find that affordable, especially since an organic mattress (a must for me) is also expensive. That said, I like that it is available unfinished/unpainted
http://goodnightroomnyc.com/inc/sdetail/4662

I love these items (cribs and more) from Amish owned manufacturer http://anaturalhome.com. They don't have all the prices listed yet, but hopefully things won't be too crazy.

Friends also swear by their organic moses baskets, which are much easier to find and suitable for younger babies.

Good luck!

I've seen some affordable--between $100-250--options on craigslist.org. Would replace the mattress (around $80).

Buy used.

Find a good value and you will be able to sell it for what you paid for it. What you can't "afford" is to buy new.

Considering you cannot often find a full size headboard/footboard combo for less than $500, we felt the Baby's Dream "Serenity" convertible cribs that we bought for our boys (18 mos apart) were well worth the $ spent. Crib, toddler bed and eventually, full size headboard/footboard. We figure they can take them along to college :)

They are incredibly sturdy and I like the way they look. They also rated fairly well in the "Baby Bargains" book, which I found to be a helpful cross-reference with things like Consumer Reports, input from friends/relatives, etc.

Sorry, I guess my long-winded point is that I would second the previous comment on Baby's Dream products, although I can't speak to your non-toxic question specifically!

Be careful with used--cribs can be unsafe if they've been put together/taken apart incorrectly, if screws or screw holes are stripped, and you won't know the crib's early history when you buy it from craigslist. The sellers may not even remember that they had to jerryrig part of the crib to make it fit together when they assembled it two years before. If money is tight, I think you'd be better off buying an Ikea Gulliver crib. They're attractive, safe, and inexpensive.

Pacific Rim makes a solid maple crib with non-toxic finish. While these cribs have been expensive, I just got one at Goodnight Room NYC for $756 and that included shipping. Since this crib is so well made I figure I can sell it eventually and recoupe some of the cost.