Find the Right Small Crib for Your Small Space

At CityBaby Living, I bring you options to optimize living in a small space with your child(ren).  One of the first things that I’m sure we all thought when we found out we were having a baby was, “where is this kid going to sleep?”  Ok, that was probably more like the 327th thought, but it still probably made the top 500 if you are living in a small space like I do and it may have been higher up on the list if it is your 2nd (or even 3rd) child.  Once you got to a place in  your pregnancy that you had figured out where the child will sleep, you probably started to look around for cribs that could fit into this space.  This is where the CityBaby Living story began for me.

My first daughter Peep, sleeps in a small room (82.5 sq feet) right off of our bedroom.  I knew that a traditional big crib would not fit and I also really didn’t like the look of them.  We fell in love with the Stokke Sleepi bed at a local store in Boston and never looked back.  It is small, stylish and grows with the child so we’d only have to buy one bed.  Fast forward 4 years and I’m in a Manhattan baby store looking at cribs with my sister who is trying to find something to fit inside her 650 sq foot Brooklyn apartment.  Besides the Stokke option, all they had were GIGANTIC cribs for sale.  Surely they must have a small crib section right?  Surely they must know their clientele don’t have gobs of space.  Surely they must have other options than this?  But no, the answer was a resounding no.  How was this possible? What did people do who don’t have room for enormous cribs that convert into full size double beds?

The answer is that they have to do a lot of research to find smaller beds.  As I worked with my sister on finding these, I realized there is no place where people can look at multiple small options all in one place.  So since I was in the middle of a “mid-life adjustment” and had left my full time job (outside the house) to stay home with Peep for the year before kindergarten, I decided to start a blog dedicated to small space living with kids.

The reality is that since I had Peep, 5 years ago, there are MANY more options for small cribs.  There are three main small crib options or categories to choose from: Co-Sleepers, Mini Cribs, or Small Footprint Cribs.

Co-Sleepers:

Co-Sleepers are more and more popular with all people (even those with tons of space) because the baby is so close to you for night-time feedings.  There basic features are that they sit right up next to your bed and allow easy access.  One side goes down so it’s really like an extension of your bed.  They are generally pretty small, and parents transfer them out after a few months.  But we have friends who kept their son in it for 2.5 years because it worked for them as a family.  Really depends on how you want to use it.  A popular one is the Arm’s Reach Original seen here.

Mini Cribs:

Mini cribs are just what they sound like – they’re mini!  They are often portable in some way – either they fold, are on wheels or both.  These are great options when space is VERY limited.  They can easily hold a child for quite some time.  The only drawback is that if you have a child that likes to roll around or is extremely active (like my sister) your child will outgrow it quickly.  One of the most popular options is the Bloom Alma Mini Crib - it is so sweet and comes in great colors.

Small FootPrint Cribs:

This last category is the one I like the most and the one I write most about.  It’s really a category that I’ve made up since this is not how retailers promote them (see earlier reasons for starting CityBaby Living!).  These are small, not tiny, cribs that fit into small rooms.  My favorite and most often recommended cribs will grow with your child from infancy into toddler-hood.  These are not beds that will convert to double beds, but many/most will convert into toddler years and beyond.  They are usually more modern in style (lots of European influence), and can come with high price tags.  This category is growing though, and even Walmart offers stylish smaller beds.  Our choice as stated above wast he Stokke Sleepi, seen here.

So welcome to the world of small cribs!  These recommendations are mine alone.  If I have personal experience with a crib, I always state it.  Mostly my opinions come from research.  I hope that having these all in one place is helpful to you in your search for small cribs.

Mini Cribs – A Great Option

Mini Cribs are just that…mini.  They are a great option for new babies because they really can fit all over the house.  You can have your baby sleep in your room for the first few months, without investing in a separate co-sleeper.  You can put them in a nook (or a closet) if you don’t have a separate nursery space.  They can easily fit into an existing child’s bedroom.  They are narrow enough to even move from room to room if needed. They are versatile and should last through the first year of your child’s life (depending on the size of your baby). … Continue reading

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Quality Baby Products Last

When Peep was born (5.5 years ago), my husband and I decided that we would purchase fewer things, and instead invest in well designed, high quality baby staples that we loved – you know, the whole quality over quantity thing.  Our two big ticket items was the Stokke crib and the Bugaboo Cameleon stroller.  Peep used both for 3+ years, and we remained very pleased with our decision. With the arrival of Teapot, both are back in our lives and used daily.     When we moved Peep out of her Stokke, she started sleeping in the best example of “they … Continue reading

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Kalon Caravan Crib

The Kalon Caravan Crib has been showing up all over the Internet lately, and with good reason.  On their site, Kalon says that it meets parent’s needs because it’s safe, green, practical and has great design.  I agree with all of this although I suspect that the great design is the reason they’re winning so many accolades (like Babble’s Best Crib 2011 – Reader’s Choice).   The Caravan Crib is a rather small crib 54.5 ” x 30 ” x 34″ (WxDxH) while fitting a standard size crib mattress.  One of the things I like best about it is that it turns into … Continue reading

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Small Nursery Design – Bold Wallpaper

Small nursery design can be daunting.  You want it to look and feel bigger, and often the thought is to go with subtle, calm colors to make it feel airy and bright.  This is one way to go…but you can also do the opposite.  Bright, bold wallpaper can make a small nursery feel larger.  It creates focus and dimension.  Here are a couple of great examples from Pinterest.   Source: houzz.com via Emily on Pinterest   Source: lillemaison.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest   Source: thebooandtheboy.com via Emily on Pinterest   Source: blogs.babble.com via Emily on Pinterest   Source: stilinspiration.blogspot.com via Emily … Continue reading

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Babyhome Dream Cot Review

I was introduced to the company Babyhome at Magic Bean’s Drool Expo a few months back.  Started in 2005, they aim to bring baby products to parents with a fresh and functional design.  And they do.  They make a variety of products (stroller, high chair, seat, etc) but I particularly liked their Dream cot. It’s compact – 28.13 x 32.75 x 21.13 (HxWxL) and only 13.2lbs and can be folded to be put away. But the best feature is the innovative adjustable leg system which with a simple click can make it go from being stationary to be a rocker … Continue reading

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Save Space – Put your Crib in a Closet

We live in a fairly old house so we were not blessed with very many closets. But, if I lived in a newer construction that had maybe just one closet to spare, I’d definitely choose to do something like this.  Or, if I was not blessed with a 2nd bedroom and needed to be super creative with where my child slept. From beds, to nooks, to changing stations, there is no limit to what you can do these days. Cribs Source: blogs.babble.com via Emily on Pinterest Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Emily on Pinterest   Other Uses Source: bhg.com via Emily on … Continue reading

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Peep’s Travel Tent – phil & teds traveller™

I haven’t written about some of my own choices in products in awhile, so I thought I’d share one of my favorites – the phil & teds traveller.  My mom & I saw this at our local, upscale kid’s store when I was pregnant and she insisted that she purchase it for us. (Aren’t mom’s the best! Full disclosure, I know she had an ulterior motive – we’d need something to bring to her house for visits.)  What we like about it was that it had the convenience of a pack n’ play, but was smaller, lighter and frankly, more stylish. … Continue reading

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Room Within a Room

If you have very little space, it is possible to create a mini room within a room just for your baby or your growing child.  These two options combine a bed, a dresser and more! Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Emily on Pinterest As Peep is 4.5, this larger bed is very appealing.  At 5′ x 8′ in size, it seems like a potentially magic place. Source: rosenberryrooms.com via Emily on Pinterest Recommend on Facebook Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post Bookmark in Browser Tell a friend

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Creative Nightlight Option

No room for a nightlight in that small room/nook/corner your child sleeps in?  How about a glow in the dark decal?  I’m really not kidding (Peep’s favorite saying).  My Sweet Muffin carries this very creative option for keeping the monsters in the closet.  During the day, it is a very modern yellow decal, but at night it shows its phosphorescent properties.  It’s a bit on the splurge side at $48, but hey,  it is coming all the way from France.  The text in the bulbs says “bonne nuit” or “good night” in French.     I think they’re kind of … Continue reading

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P’Kolino Toddler Bed & Chair

If you’re a reader, you know I love a convertible bed (from infant through toddler) because you only have to purchase one and it lasts for so long. But, if you used a co-sleeper or mini crib for your infant, you may like this option for when they get a bit bigger.  The P’Kolino Toddler Bed & Chair is a very small, and very stylish toddler bed.  And, it does turn into a chair when they out-grow it!   As with everything on CityBaby Living, this has a small footprint – 30″ x 52″ x 20″ (WxLxH).  In fact, it … Continue reading

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