The 5 Best Crib Alternatives of 2023
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- There are many reasons a traditional crib may not work for your family, like cost, size, and space.
- There are many crib alternatives to explore, but sleep safety has to be the priority.
- A crib alternative is safe if it complies with the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s standards for crib safety.
If a traditional crib is too expensive, too bulky, or too big, or if it just doesn’t suit your family’s lifestyle, are there safe crib alternatives?
The answer is yes, but proceed with caution. The most important thing about any sleep surface you use for your baby is its safety. There’s a lot of information out there for parents about reducing the suffocation risk for sleeping infants.
It’s important that any crib alternative you choose makes sense for your home and is also as safe as it can be for your baby.
We’ve put together a list of the best crib alternatives of 2023 that save space and money and keep your baby safe to give you peace of mind.
Our Choice: Dream on Me 2 in 1 Portable Stationary Side Crib
- CONVENIENCE MAX: A full-size crib that comes with a two-position mattress support to keep pace with your growing baby
- COMPACT & PORTABLE: When the crib is not needed, simply fold flat using the patented folding system and store, No disassembly required – unfold and use again when needed! Lightweight frame and wheels allow you to move it easily from room to room
- SAFETY MATTERS: The stationary (non-drop side) rail system (US Patented rail system, PATENT #6817046 / 8479328 B2) and wheels provide the utmost in product safety, It meets or exceeds applicable ASTM standards
- CLEAN DESIGN: The crib features a minimalist design, Choose from beautiful water based paints/non toxic finishes options and mix and match with any room theme and tools for easy assembly included
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If a big, traditional, bulky crib just doesn’t work for your space or budget, the Dream on Me 2 in 1 Portable Stationary Side Crib might be just the right fit.
Although this mini crib looks like a regular crib, this Dream on Me bed is collapsible, foldable, and can be moved around on wheels with a safety brake. You can move it from room to room, depending on your space. You can also travel with it easily. You’ll find this mini-crib useful if you’re doing shared child care or traveling a lot.
If space is an issue, you can fold it and put it away when you’re not using it. Parents are impressed with how easy it is to assemble and fold.
This mini-crib is also perfect for room sharing if you can’t fit a big crib in your bedroom.
Some parents find the included mattress too thin, so you may end up buying a thicker deluxe mattress or topper. However, this Dream on Me portable mini-crib is a good choice as a crib alternative.
Material: Pine Wood | Maximum Weight Recommendation: 35 pounds | Dimensions: 40″L x 38″W x 26″H
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Best Bassinet: Maxi-Cosi Iora Bedside Bassinet
- A PARENT’S DREAM COME TRUE The Iora Bedside Bassinet lets you rest more easily knowing your little one is close by. From late-night diaper changes to daytime naps, this baby bedside sleeper is designed for ease of use, keeps baby comfy, and is portable.
- IT’S ALL ABOUT COMFORT The bedside bassinet’s supportive mattress offers baby just the right amount of comfort whether it’s for a short snooze or a full night’s sleep. This also makes it a perfect baby travel bassinet when you’re away from home.
- A COZY SLEEPER IS A HAPPY SLEEPER This baby bassinet bedside sleeper has breathable mesh sides that let air flow and allow you to feel connected to your little one.
- COMPACT AND VERSATILE Iora’s 4 adjustable heights help you get the right fit in your space. 3 slide positions allow you to easily move baby closer to you in their bedside bassinet for those middle-of-the-night check-ins and diaper changes.
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When it comes to bassinets versus cribs, many parents like the closeness of room sharing with a bassinet. The Maxi-Cosi Iora Bedside Bassinet is a great crib alternative for young babies until they roll, push up, or reach 20 pounds.
Parents like this bassinet for newborns because the mesh sides guarantee excellent airflow and allow you to see your baby easily without getting out of bed. It also breaks down easily for convenient use as a travel bed.
However, this crib alternative will only work for the first few months for newborns and babies who aren’t mobile yet. You’ll need another bed sooner than you think, so keep that in mind when thinking about your baby bed budget.
Material: Mesh | Maximum Weight Recommendation: 20 pounds | Dimensions: 40.55″L x 22.44″W x 7.28″H
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Best Playard: Graco Pack ‘N Play Portable Playard
- Folding feet and wheels allow for a 20% more compact fold than the average playard, making it easy to store and to carry
- Mesh storage pouch for keeping baby’s essentials, including wipes and toys, right on playard
- Convenient carrying bag for no-fuss travel and storage
- Signature Graco push-button fold makes folding your playard quick and hassle-free
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The original Graco Pack ‘n Play is a parenting essential for a reason. This classic parenting must-have has multiple uses and a low price tag. In addition, it meets federal safety standards for safe sleeping, so whether you use this for travel, daytime naps, or as your crib, it’s a safe crib alternative.
The Pack N’ Play is easy to collapse and easy to transport. You can use it for babies through to toddlerhood. It’s great for putting your baby down to play during the day and can also be used for sleep.
If you’re using it frequently for sleep though, invest in a mattress topper or deluxe mattress to make it more comfortable. Pack ‘n Play mattresses are notoriously thin.
Remember, too, that its mattress height isn’t adjustable, so you’ll be bending down a lot if you’re using this for a young baby.
However, overall, when you compare pack ‘n plays to cribs, their versatility as baby gear can’t be beaten. Use it as a bed, travel crib, or play yard, and all for a great price!
Material: Polyester | Maximum Weight Recommendation: 15 pounds | Dimensions: 39.5″L x 28.25″W x 29″H
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Best Bedside Sleeper: Mika Micky Baby Bassinet Bedside Sleeper
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Many parents find a traditional crib too inconvenient for the newborn stage. The Mika Micky Baby Bassinet Bedside Sleeper is a bassinet that can be adjusted to fit next to your bed. It has a mesh wall that comes down for easy access to your baby.
This bedside sleeper is a great crib alternative for moms recovering from surgery or breastfeeding moms who are frequently feeding. You can reach for your baby without having to strain too much or get out of bed.
During the day, this portable bassinet can be moved from room to room on its sturdy wheels, so it’s more versatile than a crib.
Parents love the convenience of this bedside sleeper. However, keep in mind that it can only be used for newborn babies until they are mobile and able to pull up. So this is not a long-term sleeping option, and you’ll need to move your baby to a crib between three and six months.
Material: Mesh | Maximum Weight Recommendation: 33 pounds | Dimensions: 36″L x 22″W x 32.7″H
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Best Multi-Function Sleeper: Chicco Lullaby Playard
- ALL-IN-ONE CONVENIENCE – Lullaby offers years of comfortable sleep and play with a full-size baby bassinet, detachable changer and a large toddler playard,
- REMOVABLE INFANT BASSINET – Raised, easy-access newborn bassinet (for babies up to 15 lbs.) features zip-off, machine-washable mattress pad cover for easy cleanup and soft mesh siding on playard for ventilation and visibility.
- SNAP-ON CHANGER – Easy-clean changer (for use up to 25 lbs.) with wipeable cover attaches to side of playard when not in use and convenient parent organizer holds essentials for efficient diaper changes.
- LARGE PLAYARD – Transitions from infant bassinet to playpen for babies and toddlers (up to 30 lbs.) with a mattress that offers supportive play and sleep area as baby grows. Removable mattress floorboards allow for easy machine washing.
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Manufacturers are catching on to parents’ needs for multi-functional baby equipment. The Chicco Lullaby Playard is a great example.
The Chicco Lullaby has an adjustable mattress setting for use as a newborn bassinet. Use it as a stable changing station with the sturdy snap-on changer and detachable changing essentials organizer.
When your baby is older and mobile, it becomes a play yard for playtime, naptime, or as a travel bed.
This is not just a crib alternative but a bassinet and changing table alternative too. So if you’re short on space or on a budget, this is a really smart option that will last through a few of your baby’s stages.
Material: Mesh | Maximum Weight Recommendation: 30 pounds | Dimensions: 45″Lx 31″W x 28″H
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Recommended Accessories
Under safe sleep guidelines, your baby’s bed should not have any loose blankets, pillows, soft toys, or other bedding. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be a comfortable and cozy space.
Sheets
The sheets you use could make a real difference to your baby’s comfort. Always use fitted sheets that are the correct size and shape for your mattress. Loose sheets or ones that come off easily can be dangerous.
- Pure Organic Comfort: Our 100% organic baby crib sheets offer soft, breathable cotton for long-lasting softness and durability.
- Breathable and Hypoallergenic: Our gender-neutral crib sheets and toddler bed sheets provide a cozy, irritation-free sleep.
- Perfect Fit for Crib & Toddler Beds: Our essentials, including standard crib sheets, ensure a snug fit for peace of mind.
- Easy Care & Long-Lasting Durability: These fitted crib sheets are machine washable, maintaining their softness after countless washes.
If you’re looking for organic sheets, try these soft Burt’s Bees Baby Fitted Sheets. Or, try these comfy Marlowe & Co Organic Muslin Crib Sheets for a lovely feel and beautiful natural colors.
Of course, you need to change baby bedding quite often. For a great multi-pack buy in fun colors and patterns, try The Peanutshell Fitted Crib Sheet Set in nautical, animal print, and floral.
- Nautical Sheets: This sleepy whales and calming wave prints on crisp white grounds 4 pack crib sheet set in navy and a solid medium blue sheet, all inspired by the colors of the ocean is the optimal start for your baby girl or boy.
- Soft & Cozy Comfort: Made from ultra-soft breathable material, to be soft, comfortable, and breathable. These fitted crib sheets provide a smooth and gentle surface for your baby to rest on, ensuring cozy naps and peaceful nights.
- Universal Fit: Designed with a snug elastic band, these infant crib sheets securely fit 52″x28″ crib mattresses, staying in place without slipping or bunching for added safety.
- Durable & Easy Care: These fitted baby crib sheets are machine washable and built to last, holding their softness and vibrant patterns even after frequent washes, making them practical for everyday use.
Sleep Sacks
Whether you go with a traditional crib or a crib alternative, keep in mind that sleep sacks are a safe way to keep your baby warm and cozy.
- Product received may be manufactured in Cambodia.
Carter’s, a trusted baby brand, makes the cute and affordable Simple Joys by Carter’s Unisex Sleepbag in handy packs of two.
If you’re looking for organic sleep sacks, check out the HonestBaby Organic Cotton Mattelasse Wearable Blanket in a variety of modern colors.
- 100% ORGANIC COTTON: Certified by GOTS: GOTS is the leading world-wide standard for products made in sustainable manufacturing facilities without the use of synthetic pesticides, are non-toxic, PVC free and made without heavy metal phthalate dyes
- STYLE: Wearable Blankets are not only the safest form of bedding for your baby to wear in their crib, they are super comfy too
- SPECIAL FEATURES: Ensuring there is no risk of slipping off, the fitted neck and armholes allow baby’s legs to kick freely
- FABRIC: Crafted from a unique 100% organic cotton knit, our signature material keeps baby at the perfect temperature no matter the season.
What Can You Use Instead of a Baby Crib?
There may be many reasons that a traditional crib doesn’t work for your family:
- Your living space is small.
- They’re too expensive, along with all the other expenses of having a new baby.
- You feel too far away from your baby at night.
- You don’t like the idea of your baby being confined to a crib.
While these are all valid concerns, sleep safety, especially for babies under a year old, should be your top priority, no matter what crib alternative you choose.
Sleeping conditions which may seem safe and comfortable could put your child at risk of sudden infant death syndrome if the products you use are not purposely made and approved for infant sleep.
Crib Alternatives
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), any crib alternative must meet the same Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) federal safety standards for cribs, bassinets, portable cribs, and playards.
If a product marketed for infant sleep does not meet those standards, it should not be used.
There are no products which are proven to eliminate the risk of SIDS. So be wary of infant sleep products that make that claim.
Safe alternatives to large traditional cribs which are likely to meet CPSC standards include:
- Mini cribs: smaller versions of conventional cribs.
- Bassinets: for use with babies under six months.
- Bedside sleepers: kept next to the parents’ bed but remain separate from it.
- Travel cribs
- Pack ’n plays or playards.
The AAP states that in an emergency, babies can temporarily sleep in a dresser drawer, box, basket, or similar, with thin, firm padding. However, they should be moved to a CPSC-approved sleeping space as soon as possible.
Are baby boxes safe crib alternatives?
You may have heard that Finland and several states give parents free baby boxes after birth. A baby box is a cardboard box with stiff sides large enough for a young infant to sleep in.
The baby box idea is attractive because it is sustainable, takes up little space, and is portable. The concept also originated in Finland, which has the world’s lowest infant mortality rate.
However, the AAP does not recommend using baby boxes as more than a temporary measure in an emergency. They are not a safe option as a crib alternative for several reasons.
The box should not be kept on a raised surface such as a table or chair because it is unstable and could be knocked over. However, keeping the box on the floor, where it is stable, leaves the box and the baby inside vulnerable to pets, other young children, or adults tripping over it or falling on it.
In addition, the boxes are not proven to reduce the risk of SIDS. The solid sides of the box do not permit easy airflow around the baby, which is actually a risk factor for SIDS.
While a cardboard box might seem practical, its safety as a crib alternative is debatable at best.
Are floor beds safe crib alternatives?
A floor bed is a firm mattress kept on the floor as the baby’s sleeping space. You can buy a floor bed with a frame or just keep a mattress on the floor.
Some parents feel that cribs with bars are too restrictive and keep their babies isolated from them and the world. That’s why floor beds are advocated in Montessori parenting.
No loose bedding, blankets, pillows, or soft toys should be left on a baby’s floor bed under the age of one. In addition, the mattress should be firm, and your baby should not be able to roll off it easily.
You should consider, however, that as your child grows and becomes mobile, they can leave the floor bed whenever they choose to. Or, before they are fully mobile, they may try to leave the floor bed and hurt themselves in the process if you’re not aware of what they’re doing.
For these reasons, parents have to ensure that the entire child accessible space around the bed is baby proofed and that the floor bed is not vulnerable to adults falling over it or to pets exploring it.
Again, the best crib alternatives for babies are those that meet CPSC guidelines to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. The safety of a bed should always be the top priority.
Are snuggle nests safe crib alternatives?
The FDA advises against using baby sleep positioners, nests, and bolsters. While these products claim to keep babies under six months old in safe sleep positions, they cause a suffocation risk that can lead to SIDS.
Can’t we just co-sleep with our baby?
The public has varying opinions on co-sleeping, a practice that has existed for many generations.
However, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against co-sleeping in all circumstances because of the risk of accidental death and suffocation.
Instead, they advise room-sharing rather than bed-sharing because it is safer than co-sleeping and reduces the risk of SIDS by 50%.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Crib Alternative
Here are a few criteria to consider to help you decide whether a crib alternative will work for you:
| Child’s age | Newborns and infants that aren’t rolling yet can sleep in bassinets, bedside sleepers, or other similar smaller beds with firm mattresses and fitted sheets. Once a child is mobile and rolling, they will need more space to stay safe. |
| Space in your home | Conventional cribs can be big and heavy. If you’re short on space, a mini crib or portable crib may be safe options. Foldable and collapsible cribs that you can put away may also help save space. |
| Parents’ and caregivers’ needs | If mom is recovering from birth or c-section, look for beds at a height that she can reach without too much bending over and lifting. If any caregiver has a physical issue that makes bending down and lifting difficult, you’ll need an infant bed with a raised mattress that they can manage. |
| CPSC certified | Cribs, bassinets, bedside sleepers, portable cribs, and crib mattresses have to have a Children’s Product Certificate which certifies that they meet the safe sleep standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Crib alternatives also have to meet this standard. |
| Convertible beds | If you’re trying to save money, look for cribs and beds that grow with your child, for example, a crib that turns into a twin bed when your child is ready to transition. Nursery furniture that adapts saves money in the long run. |
| Accessibility to pets and other risks | If you’re thinking about a crib alternative, have you considered how accessible it may be to your pets? Have you thought about where it will be kept and whether that area is entirely baby-proofed and safe? If you have doubt in your mind about the safety of a crib alternative, don’t use it. |
| Affordability | If a large crib is just too expensive, remember that Pack N’ Plays and travel beds all have to meet the same safety standards as cribs, and can cost a lot less. |
If you can’t afford a safe infant bed right now, organizations like Cribs for Kids provide free baby beds for qualifying families across the US.
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