Tameka Norris

Space Saving Cribs



Posted: Thursday, March 18, 2010

by Tameka Norris
Furniture for Small Spaces

When you consider how tiny your new baby is when you first bring the child home, the space that a cot takes up would seem rather extraneous. Apart from taking up a lot of space, of prime concern if your living space is rather compact, your tiny infant will look absolutely lost in the enormous cot-size. Far better, in fact, for you to provide one of the many space saving cribs that are now available on the market and wait until your baby is a bit bigger before having to find additional space for a full-size cot. Baby cradles tend to be referred to by a variety of names, usually generic terminology. So, whether you call it a crib, carrycot, Moses basket or cradle, they mostly full fill a similar function - that of providing a snug sleeping place for the smaller baby.

There are, however, some distinct differences between a bassinet, for instance, and a cradle: a bassinet is usually static and set on a frame whilst a cradle can also be rocked - albeit, cradles are also generally stood on a frame themselves. Many cradles can double up as bassinets as well, having a peg at each end of the cradle that can be inserted into the frame to prevent the cradle from rocking back and forth, or reinserted if the rocking function is required. Moses baskets usually come with handles attached to them to make it easier to transport when you want to move the baby around with you from room to room. They are also easier to take with you when travelling away from home.

When buying your first Moses basket you need to check that the handles are sturdy enough to hold the weight of the baby and all the bedding and that the handles are long enough to meet in the middle to make it easier to lift the crib. If you are purchasing a Moses basket you will probably find they are made from palm fronds or the more substantial ones are made from wicker. Cribs are manufactured in a range of designs but, overall, they are similar to a traditional cot with a drop side or with a mechanism to adjust the height of the mattress. Traditional cribs are generally quite economical to buy although different qualities offer various price options. If the crib belongs to one of the 'designer label' goods then the sky's the limit!

More recently the round crib has increased in popularity. It's price tag is much higher than that of the traditional crib but, if you can afford to pay the price, these round cribs do take up less space than the traditional crib does. Then we have the innovative designs that are based on story-book illustrations - the princess design, or fairytale theme, with a canopy over the crib to full fill the image. These cribs can be quite expensive, with many falling into the designer label category. I think, if we are talking 'space saving cribs', for my money I would consider one of the converter cribs which start off as a crib, convert to a toddler bed and, ultimately to a child's day bed. This option is not cheap, but if you consider buying each item individually, you will probably find that they compare quite favorably. For a new baby I would buy a bassinet or Moses basket because of the initial space saving options initially.

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