Is buying a crib in a non-standard size a sucker bet?

September 17, 2006 4:10 PM

Is buying a crib in a non-standard size a sucker bet?

I'm considering buying a Stokke Sleepi crib. It seems perfect in many many ways, except that the sheets are a non-standard size and shape, so you're basically locked into buying their sheets for $25+ each instead of standard crib sheets that are two for $10. This may be an acceptable price to pay for otherwise good design. It's really the only crib that I've looked at where I've said "yes, I really like that" instead of "eh, that would be okay". As you might imagine, space in the apartment is is limited and I think the standard crib size takes up way too much room.

Do you have one of these? How is it? Does your baby have enough space? How many sheets did you end up buying? Is there a better source for sheets that fit this crib?

posted by Caviar to Home & Garden (21 answers total)

I do not have crib experience, but given that this is not a lifetime investment (depending on how many kids you want to have), it seems like a sucker's bet. After all, won't you have to make room for a kid's bed in there eventually?

Or you could make your own sheets.
posted by Anonymous at 4:28 PM on September 17, 2006

I don't have any kids so I can't speak to the crib/sheet issue. However, I did read that the Stokke is the crib that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie chose for their baby Shiloh. Don't know how you feel about that...I have some friends that would avoid anything they purchased like the plague.
posted by MeetMegan at 4:30 PM on September 17, 2006

And for the record, it wouldn't matter to me. I think that Stokke is the coolest crib ever.
posted by MeetMegan at 4:31 PM on September 17, 2006

I wouldn't let the sheet price stop me if I loved the design. And remember that two sheets will probably be all you need, the kid will outgrow the bed before the sheets wear out. But, you may regret not having a mattress pad, and I don't know if you can get that in a non-standard size.
posted by saffry at 4:36 PM on September 17, 2006

Also, if you're looking at the basinet size, I think the Moses Baskets are great. Used one for the first 2-3 months of both kids, and they are great for small spaces.
posted by saffry at 4:40 PM on September 17, 2006

This is a question rather than an answer, and not really for the original poster, but rather for people with kids. How vital are fitted sheets? I mean, do small children trash their beds so much that the sheets need to be fitted to stay on?

Otherwise it seems like you could just buy normal small flat sheets and tuck them under. Or if you, or anyone in your immediate family sews, making a fitted sheet out of a flat sheet is really simple if you just want a bagged / elasticized style, which seems like what this bed would take.
posted by jacquilynne at 4:50 PM on September 17, 2006

saffry writes "I wouldn't let the sheet price stop me if I loved the design."

Agree, even if you splurge and get four the lifetime difference in price is $80. And that is one cool looking crib.

Just spread the word around the people likely to come to your baby shower, sheets and blankets are common items.
posted by Mitheral at 4:58 PM on September 17, 2006

I never had fitted sheets in my babies' cots and i was forever changing them anyway, vomit, leaky diapers, all the fun things.
posted by b33j at 5:03 PM on September 17, 2006

I have a 1 year old and decided against the Stokke. I'm a SAHM, and there are enough things to do without figuring out how, when and where to get non-standard sheets, pads, etc. I believe the Sleepi transforms to a toddler bed. If you're thinking of really using it that long, then go for it. If not I recommend a standard size.

For jacquilynne, fitted sheets are considered a safety issue due to SIDS and general suffocation hazards. In fact, a child safety organization (JPMA? not remembering off hand), did a study on which sheets were "the most fitted". I don't remember the results but I'm sure another question to MeFi would turn that up. This is an issue from birth to about 1 year old, with a peak concern from when the child has some mobility (but not a lot) until around 6 months. For some reason, most SIDS cases occur within that timeframe.
posted by cocoagirl at 5:26 PM on September 17, 2006

Good design is never a sucker's bet. It does, however, cost money.
posted by trevyn at 5:34 PM on September 17, 2006

Yeah, cribs are generally awful looking and far too big, so I say go for the Stokke. Get as many sheets as you need to make sure you always have a clean one for spit-ups and leaks.
posted by Rock Steady at 5:40 PM on September 17, 2006

Don't let you emotions make you buy some fancy crib. They are tough to get rid off and a terrible investment.
posted by thilmony at 5:50 PM on September 17, 2006

geez, it looks pretty small to me. as a new parent, you will be changing sheets frequently--in some cases more then once per day. you need lots of 'em.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 5:59 PM on September 17, 2006

I agree that it looks small. I don't think the sheets are a big deal -- it's easy to make do with larger sheets or cut down some full-size sheets. But I think you might need another larger crib before when the kid outgrows this one.
posted by winston at 6:12 PM on September 17, 2006

Buy three sets of sheets. You need fitted sheets because of SIDS and because toddlers like to pull the sheets out.

I notice the bed goes to toddler age and beyond. Check to see what height this means. Also check to see how many times you can drop the height. I know several kids who've fallen out of cribs.

Check to see how high up the toddler bed is. You will likely need a side rail. Are you comfortable with your 18-month-old climbing out of a bed this high, or would you rather have something much closer to the floor? We have a convertible Storkcraft crib and now that my son is old enough for it to convert to a toddler bed, I think it is too high for him. So I am going to buy a toddler bed. Fortunately, I can use the same mattress -- you can't. However, you can always switch to a twin later.

When your child is 4 or 7, will you be happy using the same sheets or ordering from the same company? As long as you don't think you are going to want a special design or character, you're okay. (Personally, I opted for plain sheets that my mom made.)

Can you find this crib on Craigslist? Maybe buy one second-hand, so you offset some of the cost.

If you think you will have more than one child, you may want to use this crib for the second child before the first child is 7. So consider that the ability to grow with your child may be moot.
posted by acoutu at 6:30 PM on September 17, 2006

I should note that, with an infant, I tucked big baby sheets over the mattess, instead of using the fitted sheets -- for at least the first 4 months. When my child got big enough to pull them out, I switched to fitted.
posted by acoutu at 6:37 PM on September 17, 2006

How many sheets do you think you'll be buying for the crib, lifetime? Seems an extra 30/60/90 bucks is a small price to pay if you love the design (and no relflection on you, but the crib does cost close to $900).
posted by turducken at 7:52 PM on September 17, 2006

You will go through sheets pretty fast, got to tell you. If you only have three sets of sheets, you are going to have to wash at least one set each day. Of course, you are going to be doing a lot of laundry anyway so go for it.
posted by Foam Pants at 11:16 PM on September 17, 2006

Three sets of sheets? Ha. That is to laugh. Try four at a minimum. All it takes is one cold that comes with diarrhea.

We opted for a standard sized crib. It has served us well for three years and the crib mattress fits the hand-me-down toddler bed we got. Can't beat that.

Don't bother with sheet "sets" for newborns. You're not supposed to use bumpers, who cares about shams, etc. All you need is the bottom fitted sheet and in cool weather, really warm sleepers.
posted by plinth at 5:04 AM on September 18, 2006

I think we had a total of four fitted crib sheets, and got along fine. It helps if you have your own washer/dryer (in case of emergencies).

Also, check eBay, etc. for anyone offloading sheets.
posted by mikepop at 6:09 AM on September 18, 2006

Three sets of sheets worked for us because we put a small, thin blanket over them when our baby was tiny. And we did laundry every day. I assumed most people had to do a load of baby laundry every day. We never ran into problems, even though we also had cloth diapers (separate load), 2 adults (separate load) and a combo washer-dryer that takes 4.5 hours or more per load.
posted by acoutu at 2:15 PM on September 18, 2006