Cribs are a big investment, especially when babies only sleep in them for one to two-and-a-half years. That’s why convertible cribs are the way to go for parents who want to be savvy with their shopping and invest in something that will last them a long time. A convertible crib has an adjustable floor and rails that can be lowered as your little one gets older and starts to make the transition to a toddler bed.
When vetting picks, we ranked lifespan as one of the top priorities on our must-have list. We’ve all heard the saying “kids grow up so fast,” and we want to ensure that you’ll be able to use a crib longer than just the 12 to 18 months—which go by in a flash!—between the baby’s bassinet period and when they are fully capable of climbing out of a crib on their own. With a convertible crib, your kid can sleep in it for up to five years, thanks to the assistance of a toddler bed conversion kit. Of course, not every option on the market is a convertible one, and you’ll usually need to purchase the relevant conversion kit from the retailer separately. Most of the kits arrive with bed rails, slats, and the necessary hardware to transform your baby’s convertible crib into a toddler bed.
As with so many baby gear purchases like baby monitors and high chairs, it’s easy to get decision fatigue given the overwhelming amount of options to choose from. Plus, it’s also time consuming to source solutions that both assure your baby’s safety and meet your own decor standards to complement rugs, dressers, and more nursery furniture. So we’ve put in the hours, done all the research, tested out the best convertible cribs we could get our hands on for your baby’s bedroom. Let’s get started to put one of the most important items on a baby shower shopping list to bed.
Our Top Picks for the Best Cribs:
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The Best Convertible Cribs, Overall
- Elegant design and sturdy materials
- It looks more expensive than it actually is
- Excellent packing job meant no damage to the parts
- Intuitive assembly could be completed by one person, though an extra set of hands made it much easier
- It’s Greenguard Gold certified, so your baby will breathe safe and healthy air in their crib
- This is super heavy, clocking in at 135 lbs
- Instructions were overly verbose and printed on poor-quality paper, making them hard to follow at times
- Conversion kit sold separately
- Colors Available: Natural walnut, honey, and warm white
- Materials: American Poplar hardwood and TSCA compliant engineered wood
- Warranty Policies: Replacement or repairs provided at no cost within a year of the date of purchase from an authorized Namesake retailer, with some notable restrictions
- Assembly Needed: Required full assembly and took one person about 30 minutes
Tester: Katy Olson, contributor
How was the delivery and setup? Expertly packed, there was no damage to any of the clearly high-quality parts, and the assembly was relatively hassle-free. It weighs 135 lbs., which means we required assistance hoisting it up a flight of stairs. We did this piece by heavy piece instead of hauling the large box it arrived in.
Why did you choose this crib? My parents live close by, so I ordered this crib for the room they’ve newly designated for their grandkids—a subtly tropical-themed space accented with palm-leaf printed fabrics and a vintage Hawaiian photograph on the wall. The standard size Marin crib is available in natural walnut, honey and warm white finishes (I went for the deep caramel color) with chic rattan-style paneling, rounded slats, and a super sturdy feel that fit right in with the room’s motif.
Buy this if…you’re looking to make a decorative statement with cane (set against your choice of walnut, honey or white) without sacrificing high-quality, Greenguard Gold-certified materials.
- The mini crib comes with a mini mattress that fits most standard bassinet sheets, so you don’t have to buy two mattresses or special sheets
- Mini crib has locking wheels so it easily goes from parents’ room to nursery
- The full size has three heights that can easily be adjusted as the baby grows
The parts that aren’t actively in use (toddler crib bars, regular crib mattress, and bars) take up valuable storage space, particularly in an apartment
- Colors Available: Mint, rose, black licorice, bluebell
- Materials: Crib base, legs, and top rail: sustainably harvested solid Brazilian pine. Steel spindles (for a subtle mid-century feel!) and the mattress support: eco-engineered wood.
- Warranty Policies: 60-day free trial, 18-year limited warranty
- Assembly Needed: Yes
Tester: Elaheh Nozari, contributor
How was the delivery and setup? Delivery was very easy—it shipped normally and didn’t require any scheduling, but note that it does take around a month to ship since it’s made to order in Brazil. It arrives in two boxes—one with everything for the mini crib and one with the parts for the full size and toddler bed. I only set up the mini crib and stored the regular crib and toddler crib parts for the future. The setup was very easy and the directions were easy to understand. The only thing I’d note is that the website says the average assembly time for the mini crib is 20 minutes but that seems very ambitious. In total it took me an hour, which included assembling the right parts.
Why did you choose this crib? I wanted a crib that would last a long time and grow with the baby. I like that I can use the mini crib as a bassinet, and it has wheels so it can easily move from my room to the nursery or from my side of the bed to my husband’s. I also liked the color options—I wanted a light green crib to go with the rest of the nursery, which has a pastel theme, and this fits the bill!
Buy this if…you want a wheeled three-in-one solution that seamlessly transitions from bassinet to crib to toddler bed (and also from room to room), but doesn’t cut corners on nursery-ready charm.
- Collapsible frame with convenient, removable wheels
- Easy to set up and break down, if needed
- Modern, sleek design and finishes
- Converts into a toddler bed with the included kit
- More affordable than other comparable cribs on the market
- Written instructions were limited, so it was somewhat difficult to interpret some of the steps
- Breaking it down requires some heavy lifting to remove and reinstall the baseboard
- Doesn’t have as many conversion options as other Babyletto products, such as the Yuzu
- Colors Available: White, washed natural, honey, light sage
- Materials: Sustainable New Zealand pine wood
- Warranty Policies: One-year limited warranty
- Assembly Needed: Yes
Tester: Blake Bakkila, contributor
How was the delivery and setup? The crib was delivered quickly and on time, and everything arrived in one large box. Assembly was also relatively straightforward, but you should probably have an extra set of hands to get the job done. Admittedly, my dad took on the bulk of the work while I supervised, and it only took about 20 minutes. We move and collapse it fairly often, which can be somewhat cumbersome because you need to remove the mattress and then the baseboard before folding the frame. There are two handy holes to put your fingers in to pull it up and out of the frame, and then you’ll need to place it back in when you need to set up the crib again.
Why did you choose this crib? As a freelance writer and mom, I rely on my mom and grandma to watch my 15-month-old son while I work. We call ourselves day campers at Cathy’s Boarding House, and her guest room has quickly become a de facto nursery—complete with the Babyletto Maki crib.
For a while we used a pack ’n play for my son’s daytime naps, but eventually my grandma suggested establishing a more semi-permanent sleeping space. After doing some research and reading countless reviews, we ultimately decided to order the Maki. It’s a full-size, portable crib that is the baby product equivalent to a Transformer. With a collapsible frame and removable wheels, it’s easy to move around her home and break down whenever she needs to free up some space for other guests.
I’ve written about baby products for more than six years, and I’ve never seen a full-size crib that’s quite this portable and high-quality. And while my son often refuses to nap at first (I blame it on an incurable case of FOMO), the Maki has been a comfortable and dependable crib that can move to accommodate both my grandma’s and son’s schedules. I can take it from room to room if the guest room is occupied, and then lock the wheels in place when it’s ready for my son’s next snooze session.
Buy this if…you need a space-saving crib for your home, or need one to keep at Grandma’s. Even though the Maki is our part-time crib of choice, I could also see this working as a permanent fixture in any nursery room or nook — just remove the wheels and it’ll look like a standard crib. At $399, it’s one of the lower-priced cribs from Babyletto, and the only full-size option on wheels. It has all of the benefits of a portable crib and the look and feel of a standard option, plus it can convert into a toddler bed.
- The delivery experience couldn’t have been easier
- It’s got a lovely design. Plus, there’s a matching dresser, changing table topper, and other accessories available if you’d like to coordinate the entire nursery’s decor
- There’s lots of versatility with this crib. Knowing we can use this crib with three adjustable mattress heights and even transition it into a toddler bed once our daughter is old enough is a game changer (The brand also sells it with accompanying toddler rail, for an additional cost.)
- It is eco-friendly This piece is FSC Certified, made with sustainable wood from forests that are responsibly managed and environmentally sound
I can’t think of any! We love this crib through and through!
- Colors Available: Light ash wood
- Materials: Ash wood, ash veneer, and engineered wood
- Warranty Policies: The brand’s 30-day return, replacement, and refund policy applies but, according to a customer service rep from the brand, there is no warranty
- Assembly Needed: Yes, but you can also purchase a white-glove service to assemble
Tester: Briana Feigon, contributor
How was the delivery and setup? Fantastic. The Crate and Barrel white-glove delivery was genuinely a godsend. I received this piece of furniture when I was nine months pregnant and I never would have been able to bring in the box inside, let alone set the crib up. The delivery team was punctual, friendly, set the entire crib up, and even cleared all of the boxes on their way out. 10/10!
Why did you choose this crib? I love the simplicity of the design and the light ash wood. It feels clean and fresh. I also appreciate that it is Greenguard Gold Certified, so I felt confident that it would keep my baby girl safe.
Buy this if…you want an easy-to-install (hello, white-glove delivery!) crib that complements virtually any decor, all while meeting Greenguard Gold standards. Its long life expectancy plus its use of FSC Certified wood can put your environmental concerns slightly more at ease too.
- The circular shape is all about creating a womb-like environment for your baby, and it definitely delivers on that front
- The wheels allow exhausted parents to gently rock their babies to sleep, and the add-on drape rod—which can also be used to hang a mobile—and canopy envelop them in a cozy atmosphere
- It’s easy to move around, and its unusually narrow width allows it to fit through a standard door frame, so you don’t have to disassemble it before moving it room to room
- It fits into corners on an angle rather than taking them all up like a traditional rectangular crib
- It’s conveniently available via Amazon, as well as via other retailers
- The shape means there aren’t a lot of options for mattresses and the Stokke mattress is on the thinner side. It also means finding sheets and coordinating them with your nursery decor is one step harder than normal
- It’s difficult to adjust the mattress positions, which you’ll need to do before your baby can pull to stand. Since the base that supports the mattress is three separate parts instead of one, adjusting it takes at least twice as long as other cribs
- Colors Available: Natural, white, and hazy gray
- Materials: Beech wood, curved elements: beech laminate. Plates: beech plywood. FSC-certified wood.
- Warranty Policies: Seven-year warranty
- Assembly Needed: Yes
Tester: Marissa G. Muller, contributor
How was the delivery and setup? Delivery was fast and easy—the setup, not so much.Putting together the Stokke Sleepi Bed is quite a chore. The instructions are not the most intuitive, the curved pieces are tricky to fit together and attach at the same time, and the whole experience really benefits from having two people instead of one.
Why did you choose this crib? The Stokke Sleepi Bed is one of the most flexible ones on the market: It can be set up as a bassinet, a crib, or a toddler bed, and the wheels and narrow width make it really easy to move around from room to room.
Buy this if…you appreciate a circular design, whether for the aesthetic or for the ease of use. This narrower-than-average crib is especially capable when it comes to rolling from place to place without requiring re-assembly when you decide on its final destination.
- It’s super easy to build
- All the parts are shipped together
- It’s an incredibly durable frame made of beautiful handcrafted wood
The full-size crib mattress ships separately
- Colors Available: Walnut, natural wood
- Materials: Crib base, legs and top rail, sustainably harvested solid Brazilian pine in a walnut stain. Steel spindles and the mattress support is made of eco-engineered wood
- Warranty Policies: 60-day free trial, 18-year limited warranty
- Assembly Needed: Yes
Tester: Malena Galloway-Rivas, contributor
How was the delivery and setup? Delivery was easy-breezy. We’ve received all three boxes for this 3-in-1 convertible crib (mini crib, full size crib and toddler bed) in one shipment, which was convenient. My husband and I put the crib together ourselves and it was easier than expected! All of the conversion kits are included as well, which makes it easy to transition the piece at every stage.
Why did you choose this crib? We wanted a crib that could not only grow with our child but was made with safe, non-toxic materials. There are so many options on the market (too many!) and after coming across Nestig, we knew that this would be the best for our baby.
Buy this if…you’re in it for the long-haul. This option comes with a toddler conversion kit (so there’s no need to track one down separately), and the brand’s generous policy includes an 18-year limited warranty.
How We Tested the Best Convertible Cribs
Our testers included a number of editors and contributors, all recently minted parents of infants. We asked them to choose their top convertible crib picks and rank each one based on a number of key shopping, safety, setup and decor factors. They were tasked with grading the delivery and setup, and evaluating the pros and cons of each item—assessing factors like assembly, ease of use, product design and overall aesthetic.
Our hunt for the best convertible cribs had our reviewers paying attention to these essential elements:
- Selection: Why did you choose this crib? Style, substance, and safety all count!
- Delivery and assembly: Were delivery and set-up a pain, a cinch, or something in between?
- Pros and cons: What did you like, and dislike, most about the crib—particularly now that it’s being used in your home? Were there any standout qualities?
Our editors and contributors experienced each aspect of the crib-buying process: they shopped for, organized delivery, and assembled them themselves. Most importantly, they used these convertible cribs with their families in their own homes—making for a reliable, parent-approved test, from the initial “add to cart” click to everyday use.
How to Choose the Best Convertible Crib
There are so many options out there, and it can be difficult to determine which is best for your baby and your own personal preferences for years of use. We chatted with a few experts on the factors you should consider, and also about the different types of cribs you might want to purchase.
Safety first
By six months, most babies are clocking up to 16 hours of sleep a day. Given that your little one is spending about two thirds of their time in their crib, you’re going to want to make sure that yours meets or exceeds all the safety standards that the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) target for preventing SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Refer to their sites to learn the nitty-gritty, but be sure to consider the following guidelines to start.
- Make sure that your baby’s crib has a crib mattress that fits tightly in the crib and is a firm, flat surface.
- Use a new crib and be sure you’ve read the manual. Ensure that no crib hardware is broken and that there are no loose bedding or loose objects in the crib. If you’re concerned about keeping the baby warm, dress your baby in layers or use a sleep sack or wearable baby blanket.
