Last week a coworker of mine introduced me to this book
called ‘Baby Bargains’. She raved about how this book helped her make a lot of
decisions when picking out items for her son, so I thought it might be worth
reading! Basically this book reviews and rates numerous baby products based off
of what parents have experienced with the company or the product itself. They
do not favor one company over the other nor do they work for any of the
companies. Each product/company gets rated on a Good, Better, Best scale with
an overall A-F rating.
I just finished chapter 1 which just discusses CRIBS. Yes, this whole blurb is all about cribs! Within
this chapter, close to 200 different brands and types of cribs are evaluated. Most
brands are listed with a little description on whether the company has been
around for a long time, how their customer service skills are, and what people
are saying about the brand itself or any recalls the company has had, and if
you are just paying for a brand name such as Eddie Bauer. Different types of cribs are also compared
such as a regular crib vs convertible cribs. (A Convertible crib is a crib that
can transform into a toddler bed, day bed, and eventually a full size bed).
They discuss the different types of woods that are used for making cribs and
which wood is the most recommended to get. They state that “hard wood” like
maple is the sturdiest and best option for cribs, and “soft wood” such as pine,
is not the best quality but it is the most common wood used in cribs that are
bought from Target or Babies R Us. What’s
the difference? Hard wood” has a better
chance of standing up to toddlers who like to gnaw on the wood or are a little rough
with banging toys on the crib, and “soft wood” will typically dent and scratch
easily. WHO KNEW! …well maybe CJ because he works with wood
all day! Another thing to consider is where the best place to purchase a
crib is going to be. Of course if you go to a specialty store like American or Steinhaufels,
etc the price is definitely going to be higher and potentially better quality
wood than those purchased from Target or Babies R Us.
This is where the book really comes in handy and puts
everything into perspective. As a parent your number one concern is safety and
if a product will be safe for your child. As I am processing all of this information
about cribs I am trying to keep in mind that I want my child safe but I also do
not have all the money in the world to purchase a fancy crib, so how can I
still get a nice crib that will last for a long time but is still safe and
reasonably priced? Knowing that I definitely want a convertible crib due to its
many functions, and wood to me is not a major concern, I can now think about my
other options. The book is very good about stating: 1, if you have a lot of
money, then these are the cribs we recommend; 2. If you do not need the highest
quality but would still like to have nice durable and safe crib, then this is
what we recommend; 3. If you are on a budget then here are your options; and 4,
stay away from these products regardless!
So for me, my thought process on cribs would be equivalent to a 2. I do
not need the highest quality, but still would like something nice.
Seriously, who knew that there was so much thinking that
would go into picking out products! It’s more time consuming than shopping for
a new car, and I’ve only just begun to research baby items!!! When shopping for
a car you may consider safety ratings, color of exterior/ interior, features, or
even which level of car you get! I
always thought you just went to the store and picked out the pattern that you
liked! Maybe that’s naïve of me, but that’s what I always thought. Turns out
there is a lot of thought processing that goes into picking out baby products!
