Childcraft Contemporary Natural Crib Products and Promotions

1 stars

Reviewer:  CJW  (Washington DC)  See all my reviews

Pros: baby is still alive after 2 years

Cons: The first time I tried to drop the side with my hand, the panel's crossbeams cracked right down the middle. Luckily the factory was courteous. They didn't ask any questions (perhaps because it didn't surprise them?) and said, "We send replacement!"

2 stars

Reviewer:  Rachel W  (Fairfax, VA)  See all my reviews

I bought this crib at the recommendation of Baby Bargains for our daughter 2 years ago, and we've never been impressed. We assembled it correctly, and the very first time my husband used the drop side (with his hand, not even with his knee), the wood broke in half. It is very, very soft wood. We did call the manufacturer and they shipped a new drop side for free. The crib wabbles, even though the screws are tight. It is an ok looking crib, but nothing fancy (I like simple), but I feel like for the price it should be much sturdier. Now that my daughter is almost 2, I realize that even the lowest mattress setting is way too high to be used as a daybed, which I would swear was part of the description when I bought it. Basically, I like the metal grid the mattress sits on, but other than that, I think you could find a comparable crib for way less money.

2 stars

Reviewer:  Casey  (NY)  See all my reviews

We purchased without seeing an actual model (based upon high safetu ratings for Childcraft cribs). Upon receipt and assembly the crib is not the best of quality and seemed somehwat flimsy - but it meets safety standards - so we kept it as our primary crib. We have had a hard time with the drop rail - the components for the drop side are plastic. We stopped using the drop rail at one point b/c we were convinced that we would break the crib.

This might be an ok - secondary crib at grandmas or sitter's house.

At 15 months my son (who is still within the acceptable measurements for using the crib) kicked and broke two slats and we now have to use his pack and play until the replacement part arrives. It's not as if he is a black belt - he is just your avergae active toddler. Inititially the Company said we had to pay for the replacement part as the "wood" components were only under warranty for one year - but after pushing and point out the safety issue - they agreed to replace for free. That being said we were supposed to receive it within a week and three weeks later still no new part and calls to the company go unanswered.

5 stars

Reviewer:  kat  See all my reviews

I really like this crib and am glad I bought it. My friends are all buying convertable cribs but I would rather my child have a regular bed when they graduate the crib. I think the convertibles are a waste of money!

The crib seems sturdy to me. I think that the folks who say it is wobbly or doesn't latch well probably didn't do a very good job putting it together. If you are not handy you should probably get some help assembling this, you don't want to risk your child's safety!

3 stars

Reviewer:  Petit Singe  (Mercer Island, WA)  See all my reviews

The crib itself looks good, but it's hard to dropdown the drop side. I need to unlatch each side separately, and drop it down. This process is very inconvenient, especially when the baby is crying for our attention. Besides, the screw of the drop rail is easily to pop off. I already screwed it back many times. This makes me feel the crib is not safe enough.

2 stars

Reviewer:  D. Tran  (California)  See all my reviews

This crib got great reviews in Consumer Reports and Baby Bargains, but we were very disappointed. First of all, the overall sturdiness of the crib is not that great. The wood is very poor quality. It's cheaper and softer than pine, and chips/knicks very easily. The worst part is that the dropside is almost impossible to lower using one knee/hand. The wood is so cheap and soft, that when you push in to unlock the dropside, the wood simply bends without unlatching the dropside locks. The result is a difficult operation of having to use your knee to unlock each side independently (if you're even able to do that), and then lower the drop side. The whole process ends up shaking the crib and making a lot of noise. Finally, all the hardware is plastic and cheap. If we hadn't had it shipped (and paid for shippnig) and spent the time assemblying it, we would definately return it. For the same amount of money (or a little more), I think you can get a better quality crib

2 stars

Reviewer:  perturbed  (Palm Springs, CA)  See all my reviews

My daughter has used this crib for nine months. As she grows older, I realize how unsafe this crib actually is. It wobbles, even though it is on carpet. The drop side frequently does not hook into the full upright position, creating a very unsafe situation. I bought this on the recommendation of "Baby Bargains", but this is not the first item recommended by them that I wish I had not purchased.

5 stars

Reviewer:  Amy  (Worcester, MA)  See all my reviews

Very easy to put together and looks like a much more expensive crib. We bought a childcraft dresser in natural maple at another retailer and it is a great match!

5 stars

Reviewer:  M  (New York City)  See all my reviews

My husband and I chose this crib based on the excellent review in "Baby Bargains". We're very pleased with the appearance and construction. It took us about 30 minutes to assemble the crib. One thing to remember: this crib must be placed against a wall in order to work the single-drop side with one hand; it needs the resistance in order to work.