What Should You Do With Drop-Side Cribs?

15 Responses for "What Should You Do With Drop-Side Cribs?"

1. Shannon April 4th, 2011 at 4:09 am 1

   We had registered our crib when we bought it in 2005 for our first child and when the first drop-side recalls began to happen, the company sent us the conversion kit to make it stationary. Ours was made by Graco. My younger son slept safely and now my nephew is snoozing in it too.

2. Sarah K. April 4th, 2011 at 5:03 am 2

   I purchased a Graco crib (one of the Simplicity cribs) in 2004 for our first child. It went through several rounds of recalls/fixes , me feeling more uncomfortable about the crib each time. Finally, they just recalled all models and said to take it back to the retailer (in 2010). So I took it back to Target and got the full price back!

   I do think we should do our best to get drop-side cribs off the (new or used) market. You never know where it will go after you hand it down. I think the main problem with many of these these cribs is that they are cheaply made and the hardware is not durable. So it is best to check it our carefully and make sure it has all the instructions before handing it down to another family.

3. Courtney April 4th, 2011 at 8:08 am 3

   I thought the ban was also on the selling side of the market, new or used.

4. Jennifer April 5th, 2011 at 6:35 am 4

   This kind os saddens me because I slept in a dropside, as did my brother, and so did most of my peers. We all survived. The problem is not drop side cribs – it is the severe decline in quality manufacturing. If my parents still had our crib, I would use it without qualms. But instead we had to spend a large amount of money for a crib that really isn’t all that well made anyway. Which is why we skipped the lifetime cribs. I figured if they didn’t even look all that great in the store, they probably wouldn’t hold up over a “lifetime”.

5. joy April 5th, 2011 at 9:34 am 5

   Jennifer,
   That’s exactly why I think we’ll pass our daughter’s drop side crib onto another family. It’s a solid maple Childcraft crib that’s extremely well built and sturdy. In our book we also recommend passing on the “lifetime” cribs because you also often have to buy lots of additional hardware to adapt it to the different stages of baby’s life.

   Courtney,
   It’s my understanding that consignment shops won’t sell dropside cribs, but I believe individuals can. We’ll probably just donate ours, but I’ll make sure that the next family knows about crib immobilizers.

6. Heather June 29th, 2011 at 12:35 pm 6

   We never used our second-hand drop side crib as intended…we removed the drop side entirely, and connected the frame to our bed as a co-sleeper/sidecar. If we were traditional crib users, I’d likely feel comfortable using the hardware to make the side stationary.

   Interesting to think about all the recalls and recommendations about cribs, bumpers, etc; wondering how the numbers compare to co-sleeping death and injuries?

7. lori June 29th, 2011 at 7:01 pm 7

   The bumper pads on that crib are probably far more dangerous than the dropsides on the crib. Go to the American Academy of Pediatrics for information on Safe Sleep. No bumper pads, no stuffed toys, no pillows, no quilts etc in the crib…all put babies at risk for SIDS!

8. Michele August 15th, 2011 at 11:10 pm 8

   I loved our drop-side crib, even recommended it to a friend. I could not imagine me (5′ 1″) being able to pick up my infant son out of his crib at nearly 10 lbs. without a drop-side. I passed it on to another family, duly warned about the “issues,” and they are very happy also. No matter what you put your baby in you have to be vigilant. I think drop-sides are getting a bad rap.

9. Sara October 13th, 2011 at 8:16 am 9

   I have 2 Pali drop side down cribs. Just beautiful & sturdy. Hate to throw them away. Will give them away for free. Please email me. I live in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

10. Sara October 13th, 2011 at 8:23 am 10

    I have to two Pali drop side down cribs that are just beautiful (no teeth marks) and very very sturdy. I hate to throw them away. Will give away for free. I live in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Please email me at rxhines@netzero.net if you are interested.

11. Stacey Stanley October 24th, 2011 at 7:10 am 11

    We live in North Grafton, MA, near boston, and have a great drop side crib to give away. Please email if interested: glissonagain@hotmail.com. If you live within 40 miles, I’ll deliver it to you.

12. Megan Donovan January 11th, 2012 at 6:02 pm 12

    So glad everyone is just giving away drop down cribs despite the ban. Way to think of others and their children.

13. Charlie January 23rd, 2012 at 5:38 am 13

    What will they ban next? If sleep deprived parent were not leaning on the drop side to begin with trying to get their babies to fall to sleep again there would not be this problem. Are the cribs dangerous or have lack of care for them made them dangerous. I know what it is like to try and get a baby back to sleep in the middle of the night. You just want to lean somewhere while your waiting for this little bundle of joy to fall back to sleep. So manufacturing problem? Doubt it. Parent problem, that my opinion. What is so wrong with turning the drop down side towards the wall? Common sense people. It’s not that hard.

    It makes me wonder how any of our past generations ever survived.

14. Iris February 8th, 2012 at 6:08 pm 14

    I bought my DROP SIDE CRIB 35 years ago when my first child was born. My youngest is 24. I am SO HAPPY that I did not get rid of this crib. I use it now with my grandson, who I babysit 2 days a week.

    The dropside cribs made 30+ years ago where much better made than the ones made about 20 years ago. The frame of my crib is very rigid and sturdy. No chance of the crib collapsing, and the mechanism for lowering the side is such that it will not accidently drop. Fortunately, both sides drop.

    My son and his wife are tall (I’m 5ft) so putting their boy in the crib is not much of an issue for them. Now that they had to lower the mattress to the lowest level, because grandson is standing, I now have to use a step stool to put him the crib. I had to build a wide and sturdy step stool, just so I could be assured of safety. NEVER have that concern with my DROP SIDE CRIB. I love it.

    I probably will NEVER get rid of my crib, and I am sure my children will be fighting over who will get to keep my drop side crib when I am done babysitting. My daughters-in-law all wish they could have this crib.

    The crime is that manufacturers began making a good product in a shoddy fashion that a great idea is now banned.

15. Iris February 8th, 2012 at 6:25 pm 15

    I shudder to think what would have happened to my sons IF I did not have a drop side crib when they were babies. My sons loved to jump and bounce and I am certain they would have catapulted themselves out of today’s cribs and been very badly hurt.

    My youngest brother is 52 years old (8 years younger than I). I remember my parents had a contraption that attached to the side rail to raise it, making it impossible for him to climb out of the crib. Fortunately for me, they were pack rats and did not throw it away. I did not need it with my two older sons, but needed it for my youngest.

    He was climbing out of the crib by the time he was 16 months old. Putting him in a bed was not an option. Yes, he had physical abilities, but not the understanding of limitations. He figured out how to pick every lock in the house and every safety latch before he was 2 years old. If I did not have that bed rail extender, I would never have gotten a minutes sleep. Before the rail extender was attached to his crib he would wake in the middle of the night and wander all over the house. One night he stacked up the entire encyclopedia and shimmied up the 7 foot wall unit in the living room. Fortunately for all of us, the wall unit was bolted to the wall studs and could not topple over. I am certain if crib rail extenders were made recently, they would be banned as well.

    BRING BACK THE DROP SIDE CRIB and make them SAFE!!