This crib was a lifesaver for us! We live in a small condo and didn't have room for a full-size crib. This was the PERFECT solution. Because it's made of wood, it looks much classier than the other alternatives we considered (which were made of white plastic tubing or were pack-and-plays). It also conforms to all the safety standards for portable cribs.
It was simple to assemble, folds very flat, and can easily roll through doorways. The platform is easy to switch from the upper to the lower position (but this design makes it impossible to put a skirt on the crib unless you are able to sew your own with openings for the levers and the parts of the platform that protrude through the slats). Only one side goes up and down, and it does take two hands to do that... but at 5 feet 5 inches tall I can easily reach in and out without having to raise or lower the side.
It differs from a standard size crib mainly in that it is not as long, so I don't anticipate that our daughter will be able to climb out of it any earlier than she would a standard size crib. We also put my friends' two year old (who is at the 90th percentile for height) into this crib once, and he fit in it just fine.
Like other reviewers, we did buy a two inch portable crib mattress (38 x 24 inches) to replace the thinner mattress that came with the crib. We love the crib so much, however, that this extra expense was no big deal. Of note, two inches is the thickest mattress that is considered safe for this crib.
I don't think this crib would be practical for families looking for something to take in the car on trips, but it's great for those without room for the full-size version or who want something that can be set up and then stored away again quickly (i.e. at Grandma's house).
ADDENDUM 11/2008
At 18 months, our daughter is now 32 inches tall and weighs 27 lbs. She still sleeps just fine in this crib and hasn't climbed out once. Though it's starting to look a little cramped in there for her, she doesn't seem to mind a bit. We were able to hand a Fischer-Price aquarium on one of the short sides for her. We've also taken it to the babysitter's house in the back of our Subaru Outback. We've learned that you have to be careful with the little plastic hook in front because it can scratch the finish if you don't hold it away from the slat as you move it. Overall, we are still thrilled with this purchase and are hoping that it will last us until our daughter is ready for a regular bed.
ADDENDUM 1/2010
At 24 months, our daughter was 35 inches tall and weighed 30 lbs. She was starting to look a little cramped in this crib and graduated to a Delta big-girl toddler bed. Baby brother has taken over this crib, and we still love it. Apart from a few scratches, it has held up well.
ADDENDUM 12/2012
I am now using this same crib with my third child, even though we have since moved to a great big house where I would easily have room for a full sized crib. I love this little crib! My second child has always been >97th percentile in height and weight and he slept just fine in this crib up until about 20 months. Never climbed out once. At 20 months he moved to the toddler bed. One comment has asked why we didn't get a full sized crib if we had room for a toddler bed. The answer to that is that we got the toddler bed when we needed the crib for a new baby, and we definitely would not have had room for two full-sized cribs or a full-sized crib and a toddler bed. The flexibility this smaller crib affords is unbeatable in that it's easy to move from beside my bed, to the master closet, to a separate bedroom just by rolling it through the doorways. My mom even made a custom crib skirt that fits on the platform and looks darling.
First, the CONS:
This crib can be folded into a more compact, stow-away mode so you can store it in a closet or move it from home to home. I do not recommend doing this. The quality of this crib is not that great, and I believe that after about 6 months, the crib would be junk. I just leave it as it is in its normal operating mode and roll it from room to room, as I do not plan on storing it in a closet or moving it from house to house. So, if you plan on folding it up every day or plan on moving it often, I am afraid it will not last more than 6 months. Its just not that good of a crib.
Next, it is made out of particle board, not real wood. The finish looks good, but it can be easily worn off. Again, because of this, I do not recommend folding it into its compact mode. The finish will simply not last long.
Basically, when you put it together and put it in its normal operating mode, leave like that. At least you can roll it around easily.
Some have complained about the mattress pad being to thin for the baby's comfort. I thought that at first, but after my baby was on it a few nights, my fears have diminished greatly.
The PROS:
The price, for what you get, is excellent.
If you are looking for an AFFORDABLE secondary crib you can move around from room to room, this is the crib for you.
If you live in a small apartment, are limited on space (and budget) or simply want a smaller crib, this is the crib for you.
If you are looking for a "temporary" crib and are planning to upgrade later, this is the crib for you.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A HIGH QUALITY CRIB, THIS IS NOT---REPEAT NOT--THE CRIB FOR YOU. (If you want a real wood crib you can move, buy a $600-$1000 hand crafted crib.)
///////The front gate moves up and down well. It has one full up position and one full down position. (I don't think it has a middle position.) This is the best feature of the crib, for many reasons./////////// The next best feature is that it can be rolled through tight doorways, from room to room, again an excellent feature for many reasons.
I have the cherry wood finish, and I like the look, it looks very good.
Conclusion:
After two weeks with the crib, this is what I think.
I really like it. The overall quality of this crib is pretty good for the price. The overall functionality is only fair (read my CONS section). I think you could resell these at a garage sale if you kept them looking good, or at least give them to Habitat for Humanity or some other organization that helps the less fortunate if you want to get rid of it.
The crib's platform where the baby is placed has two levels, down low and up high. I have mine in the up high position and I have never changed it. I have a newborn.
It rolls easily on carpet.
I move it from room to room often. This is very helpful for many many reasons. I move the gate up and down often, this is very helpful when you sleep in bed with this crib next to you with the gate down. The gate is mostly in the down position, as I have a small newborn.
Final thoughts: An excellent secondary crib that rolls and has a sliding gate perfect for newborns or couples with limited space that are on a budget.
UPDATE...............UPDATE..................UPDATE.........FEB. 2011.....
THE DROP-SIDE FEATURE HAS BEEN BANNED BY THE U.S. GOV. BECAUSE IT HAS CAUSED INFANT DEATHS.
Buy Delta Children's Products Portable Mini Crib Now
Shortly after the birth of our second son, our cheap bassinet was recalled. At the same time, our son was ready to progress to a crib, but wasn't quite ready to share a room with his older brother. We wanted to continue to keep our baby in our room until he could sleep through the night, but needed an item with a small foot print.
This crib is compact, assembles, collapses and sets up easily (I, a 5'3" woman assembled it and then carried it up three floors by myself).
The crib bottom can be set at two heights, has a drop-side, collapses in half, and holds up to 45lbs. One thing to note, the crib does not have locking wheels and our 23 month old can easily pull his 7 month old brother around the room with ease.We're presently working on solution to this issue. Most likely we will remove wheels & cover leg ends with felt.
The crib is classical in styling and is sturdily built. We love this crib and kick ourselves for not registering for this instead of the bassinet.
Oh forgot to mention that when the crib is in its highest setting (bassinet), with the drop-side down, the crib can also be used as a changing table.
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We are grandparents who were looking for a crib or packnplay for a growing 4 month old. We have an older packnplay but we did not want to break our back lifting the baby out of it. Newer packnplays have two positions, on the ground level, and a second higher level, but it is rated for only 15 pounds and seems to be problematic. Our 4 month has already reached 15 pounds. We were looking for portability and something that could be used for guests and baby sitting a few days a week.
The design of this crib is very good. This crib is "smaller" than a regular crib, but is adequate for a baby 1 to 2 yrs old. Dimensions about 25 x 39 in.
It took about 15 min of time putting it together with 8 screws and 8 nuts. The flooring has 2 nuts used to attach the floor to the sides of the crib. The relatively narrow width of the crib makes it easy moving it through any doorway either fully opened or in a folded position.
The crib can be broken down or folded up within 15 seconds to a thin 5 inches width. This can easily be placed under a bed. The feature of the floor makes it easy to move and position it about 9 inches higher, so it won't kill your back pulling out an infant. The floor position can be changed in a matter of only a few seconds. As the baby begins to stand, the flooring can be moved to the lower position.
The sides of the crib seem to be made out of pressed wood. It may be a durablity problem with heavy use. The flooring is plywood: very strong and not a problem.
Over all this is a well designed crib that is easy to put together and has nice features of quickly modifying the floor position and breaking it down and moving or storing. I did not give it a 5 star since the sides are made out of this pressed "wood" and it may not hold up long time. However time will tell.
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I have been using Delta portable cribs, in my in-home daycare for the past 22 years. The first group I bought lasted 10 years, and the only reason I replaced them, was because I had grown tired of the dark wood, and just wanted a change. I then sold the older cribs at a garage sale. They were still very sturdy and safe, and everyone that bought one was very happy with their purchase. I then bought white Delta cribs and am getting ready to replace them, only because of the new safety regulations. I have children as young as 3 months to age 2 1/2 that sleep in them every day, and they have held up extremely well. No problems at all. I check them every now and then, and tighten the hardware, and that's it! My son was also in one until he was 2, and was transitioned to a twin bed. I have been more than pleased, and would highly recommend one if space or money is an issue.
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