This Mesh Baby Crib Totally Took Me by Surprise
After my baby’s limbs kept getting stuck between our crib’s bars, I gave this mesh crib a try. I was completely shocked and here's why.
Courtesy of Jen Glantz
As a first-time mom, I found myself overwhelmed trying to figure out all of the different items I needed to get before my baby was born. I scoured lists on the internet, asked mom friends, and spent so much time browsing the aisles of baby stores. In an effort to not overspend, my partner and I only bought the essential items. One of those items was a crib. After doing some research, it seemed like the only options out there were cribs that had bars.
For the first few months, the crib we picked did a fine job. My baby was able to sleep safely in it and she didn’t move around very much. But once she grew a little bigger and started to roll around, she would get her hands and feet stuck in the crib bars. Every few hours, she’d wake up crying. Since we live in a one bedroom apartment and the crib is so close to our bed, it felt like we had no choice but to get out of bed and help her maneuver her limbs back into the crib. When I mentioned this problem to friend’s of mine with older kids, they laughed and shared that this would be a problem we’d have until she was a toddler. While that might not be true, it was enough for us to research and look into other sleeping options.
That’s when we came across this BreathableBaby Mesh Crib and decided to give it a try. After using the crib for two months, here’s what we love about it and here’s what we miss about the standard crib.
The Crib is Well-Built and Breathable
Unlike our old crib, which was made from two wooden panels and wooden bars, this crib is designed differently. It has two solid wood panels on the ends and breathable mesh material that wraps both sides of the cribs. There are no bars at all.
At first, I was nervous about the safety of the mesh material. I wondered if it would trap in heat and be uncomfortable. But when I set up the crib and felt the mesh material, it wasn’t as heavy or thick as I thought it would be. The material felt cool and breathable. When I put my hand in the crib and touched the mesh, I could feel how the fabric offered unrestricted ventilation. After a few nights of my baby sleeping in the crib, I also didn’t notice any change in her body temperature.
Courtesy of Jen Glantz
My Baby Sleeps Better Without Getting Stuck
The best part of ditching a crib with bars was that my baby didn’t have any middle-of-the-night wake ups because her limbs were stuck. When I watched her sleeping on the monitor, her hands or feet would press into the mesh. It was impossible for them to get stuck. She slept better in this crib because of that.
Of course, a crib isn’t magic and my baby still woke up in the middle of the night, but it was always for other reasons — a wet diaper or just lack of self-soothing options. But her limbs touching the mesh never woke her up.
Courtesy of Jen Glantz
The Crib is Quite Heavy and Isn’t on Wheels
One of the biggest things we loved about our original crib was that it was lightweight (around 40 pounds) and had lockable wheels. It was easy for us to move the crib around our apartment if we needed to, and clean underneath it. However, the mesh crib we got was almost double the weight (around 72 pounds) and didn’t have wheels. Once we built it, we realized we would not be able to move it around so easily. While we appreciated how sturdy it was, the crib not being on wheels was a downside we didn’t even realize would matter so much to us. In the future, when we want to move the crib or even shift it to clean underneath it, we would have to ask a neighbor or family member for help.
You Have to Buy Additional Pieces as Your Baby Gets Older
Both our old crib and this mesh crib were 3-in-1 convertible cribs. We liked that because for the price, you get a bassinet, a crib, and a toddler bed. However, our original crib came with a converter kit and the separate pieces needed to shift the crib into a toddler bed. For the same price, the mesh 3-in-1 crib did not come with a conversion kit. This is sold separately and costs an additional $100. While we won’t need this for a few years, it’s something we will have to purchase down the road.
Courtesy of Jen Glantz
It Makes It Harder to See Her During the Night
Since the crib is only a few feet away from my bed, I like being able to check on my baby in the middle of the night. When the crib had wooden bars, I could easily peek through and see how she was doing. But now that it’s the mesh material, it’s not as easy to see through it or see her in the middle of the night when it’s so dark in the room. To fix this, we set up a baby camera with a portable monitor that I can put beside me in bed. In the middle of the night, when I want to check on her, instead of getting out of bed and going over to the crib, I just pick up the monitor and take a look.
While I was skeptical at first about using a mesh crib, I am very happy with our decision to switch and don’t miss having crib bars waking up the baby in the middle of the night. I feel like she sleeps better in this crib because it feels more like a private and secure environment, that’s completely safe. As a first-time mom, it helps me sleep better too knowing that.
Check out the BreathableBaby Mesh Crib HERE!
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