9 Best Crib Styles for Your Baby Nursery in 2024

Babyletto's popular Hudson crib includes the toddler bed conversion kit, so you don't have to buy anything extra to keep using the unit through preschool. We named it the best overall convertible crib. In testing, we found the Hudson easy to build and adjust. The mattress can be set to any of four levels; you'll want to start with the highest level for your newborn and then lower the mattress as your baby grows and begins to try to pull to a stand. The mid-century style fits into a variety of nursery themes from modern to vintage.

The Hudson is also a great value. The price reflects its sturdy construction, yet it's not a premium-priced crib, and there are a variety of neutral color choices. You can get a matching changing table dresser, too.

This is too short for a crib skirt, so you can save yourself money in that department — the legs are decorative enough to show off. Finally, about 90 percent of its Amazon ratings are five-star. Reviewers write things like, "I am so in love with this crib!"

You'll spend more on diapers for your newborn than you would on this very affordable IKEA crib. It's a little more compact than most full-size cribs, just by a tad, but that can make a difference if you have a small space. Note that because of its slightly pared-down size, you have to use a 27.5" x 52" crib mattress, which likely means buying one from IKEA. There's an IKEA foam crib mattress and an IKEA pocket spring crib mattress to chose from.

"Our nursery was tiny so I appreciated this being unobtrusive," one tester said, adding that she could store things underneath. "Then we had our second baby sleep next to our adult bed in this, so I was grateful for how easy it was to move from room to room."

It assembles more quickly than many pieces by IKEA. There are just four sides and the mattress support, which is made with wooden slats (not the usual metal, so you can't let an older, heavy child jump on this). It only has two possible heights. When you're ready for your child to climb in and out of their own bed, just take off the front side and it's a toddler bed.

This winner of one of our Good Housekeeping Parenting Awards looks majorly high-end without approaching the $1,000 mark of designer cribs. We love the vintage, faux-antique look and agree with our testers who said its metal construction and weight (85 pounds) make it feel sturdy and secure.

This crib is super simple and can be built in under a half hour. You might just want another person on hand to help hold the weight of each side as you attach it to the front and back. The mattress can be placed at any of four different levels. The Winston can be turned into a toddler bed, a daybed or a full-size bed's headboard and footboard with add-on conversion kits that you buy separately. (Here's the rail for the toddler bed.)

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If you like farmhouse chic, and have a nursery wall that's just calling for a highback crib, this is a beautiful choice. The price reflects its grand size, carved back piece and the fact that it comes with a toddler rail so it can be used for years.

Like other cribs on our list, this one can convert to a toddler bed or a daybed, and the front and back pieces can bookend a full-size bed frame, sold separately. Tie your nursery together with its matching six-drawer Asher dresser with a changing-table top. The pieces of the Asher crib are larger and more intricate than many others, so do a quick inspection of the wood for any damage from shipping before you put the crib together. (It's rare, but it can happen with any crib.)

We have a tester parent on staff who told us, "I absolutely love this crib. Great material, fantastic look and it was pretty easy to assemble and set up." It is heavy at 95 pounds, so be sure to build it in the nursery so you don't have to move it far.

Whew, the nursery inspo over at Pottery Barn Kids is pretty irresistible. Two of the brand's best-selling cribs boast traditional craftsman-inspired designs, this robust Larkin crib along with the smaller Kendall. This Larkin is proving to be a favorite of reviewers and our Lab experts who have owned it for years and find it sturdy enough to last for a second child. It's made of poplar, a hardwood, which resists dents and damage more than less-expensive pine, a softwood.

The Larkin is convertible with the addition of the toddler bed conversion kit, sold separately. Because this is a large crib when fully assembled (and heavy at 122 pounds) you may want to splurge on the Pottery Barn's White Glove Delivery Service, where team members assemble the furniture in your nursery for you. If it's available in your area, it usually costs a couple hundred dollars. One of our testers took advantage of the service and found it worth it for the speed and peace of mind.

The classic design of this very affordable crib can transition from a crib into a toddler bed, day bed or full-sized headboard and footboard with the addition of two extra kits, sold separately. To make this a toddler bed, remove the front piece and add the Graco universal toddler guardrail. To make it a daybed, simply remove the front crib piece and add pillows. For a big-kid bed conversion, you'll mount the front and back of the crib to a metal bed frame. We always recommend that parents at least buy the toddler conversion kit when they buy a crib so they have it on hand when it comes time to transition.

This crib and some others on our list are made of pine, which is affordable but softer than poplar, for instance. We've built it and feel it's sturdy enough to sustain regular wear and tear, though online reviewers do occasionally complain about chips and dings in the soft wood over time.

In a sea of neutrals, it's a breath of fresh air to see the sweet blush pink or the striking navy of the Charlie crib, which also comes in white. Delta Children has been making cribs for decades but the brand's partnership with babyGap is new. The crib has a clean, modern silhouette and can convert to a toddler bed (the toddler guardrail is sold over on the babyGap site), a daybed or can become a fullsize bed's headboard and footboard.

The babyGap nursery line includes a dresser, like most brands, but also cute decorative touches like a coordinating wall shelf in the shape of that classic babyGap bear head and sweet fabric storage bins. It's surprising how quickly you need toy organization help, so those nursery touches are nice!

If you're short on space a mini crib is a huge help. Some reviewers also use one for each of their multiples since they can fit two or more mini cribs into a nursery more easily than several full-size cribs. The DaVinci Kalani has high sides, just like a full-size crib, though your child might start looking like they're filling out the length as they approach their second birthday.

We like that this is also a convertible crib, rare in the mini-crib world. That means you can turn this into a toddler mini crib with a mini crib rail. Or buy the twin bed conversion kit and the front and back panels become the headboard and footboard of your child's first twin bed. It could be a tiny daybed, too. Note that you'll need a mini crib mattress that's sized to fit this and must also use fitted mini crib sheets.

For parents looking to maximize storage, the Colby features a built-in trundle drawer. Expect assembly to take longer as you put that in place; it also makes the crib slightly heavier than a plain wooden crib. Testers who have used the under-crib storage say it's a great place to stash extra fitted sheets and pajamas for middle-of-the-night accidents. But some online reviewers warn that the drawer can get caught on high carpeting and sometimes slides off its rails.

Like others on this list, the Colby can be converted to a toddler bed, daybed and full-size bed with conversion kits that you purchase separately. (Here's the link to the toddler rail, which at less than $100 is cheaper than many.) The mattress can be set at any of four different levels so you can lower it as your baby grows.