Christy'sBlogs™
DREAM ON ME CONVERTIBLE MINI CRIB REVIEW
Here's the crib I purchased for my beautiful g-baby! There was an extensive thought process that went into buying a crib for her so I thought I would tell you why I decided on this one!
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The first thing I would like to say is what could be more important than buying something you know your baby (or g-baby) will be sleeping in? I put a lot of thought and research into buying the Dream On Me Aden 4-in-1 Convertible Mini Crib. If you want to check it out before you continue with my blog, you can Click Here to see it on Amazon.
So, here are a few things I kept in mind while I was shopping for a crib:
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Will it fit in the small area she has reserved for a crib?
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Does the mattress base move down for when she begins pulling herself up?
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Do the bars meet safety regulations?
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Are the materials used to make the crib safe?
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How long will she be able to use a "convertible mini" crib?
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Does it come with a mattress and is it a quality mattress?
Let's start with number 1: Will it fit in the small area she has reserved for a crib? I found that it was absolutely the perfect size for what she needed. At the time, she was living with me and her "living space" was rather small. I was thinking she would end up with a bassinet and while there are some SUPER CUTE BASSINETS out there, she also has a VERY curious bulldog. The possibility of her knocking the bassinet over was a definite concern. Buying the mini crib was probably a good ideas considering...
As difficult as this is to believe, she got in ALL of those spaces herself! She thinks she's this tiny little thing and while it's usually harmless, having something super sturdy was important. Even the bassinets that have the wider base and the bassinets that slide under the bed (I think they're called Bedside Sleeper Bassinets) weren't going to stand up to Letty's antics! She has ALWAYS had this thing with getting into places not suitable OR MEANT for a chunky little bulldog! Okay... Moving back to the crib. Sorry! I can get a bit carried away talking about Letty!
As mentioned, the size of the mini crib was perfect! It was literally made for the area she had set aside for it. The dimensions are 39 x 23 x 36 inches:
Let's move onto number 2: Does the mattress base move down for when she begins pulling herself up?
The short answer is yes. It has three different positions to move the mattress up or down. Now... My daughter is tall so the next point wouldn't really pertain to her but I'm only 5' tall. Being an "Ohmie" (my grandma name), of course I'm going to want to scoop her out of the crib every chance I get! So, I really liked the fact that the Dream On Me Mini Crib wasn't tall. I can remember when mine were babies, getting them out of the crib wasn't an easy task if they were lying down. If I moved the side down, I would always pinch my fingers or I was afraid I would pinch THEIR fingers. So, bending over a taller crib was NOT a good time! So, I really liked that this crib was shorter. Again, that wasn't a main concern because she was taller but there may be some of you out there with that same concern so I thought I would mention it.
Moving on to #3 - Do the bars meet safety regulations? I wasn't sure if this was a question that is on new mommy's minds when they are looking for a crib. It used to be a MAJOR concern when my 2 were born which is why I thought to put this in here. I'm glad I did because not only did my research answer my #3 question, it also answered my #4 question which was "Are the materials used to make the crib safe?" Both of these questions brought me to a site called JPMA. Within the Dream On Me Crib description on Amazon, they made a claim that it was JPMA certified. While many moms may know what that is, I didn't. So, it prompted a bit more research. I found out that JPMA stands for Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. Not only does JPMA check for safety government standards, they go beyond! I was a bit surprised to find out that a crib does NOT have to be JPMA certified. It's completely optional. So, to think that this crib manufacturer submitted their product to a third party for certification is pretty awesome. AND it was optional! They didn't HAVE to do that! That definitely put my mind at ease.
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Number 5 on my list of things to look for was: How long will she be able to use a "convertible mini" crib? My beautiful g-baby was premature so I knew the size of the crib wouldn't be an issue. She was so tiny, she could literally get lost in it! At times, I thought to myself... Will she EVER outgrow this crib? As you can see in the photos below, she has definitely grown INTO her Dream On Me Crib but she hasn't yet grown OUT of it! With that said, it makes ME a bit nervous that she will be 6 months old in less than 2 weeks and she's beginning to "get around" a bit more. She's turning over on her belly now and moving quite a bit within the crib but it seems to still be perfect for her. The Amazon description states that the Dream On Me Convertible Mini Crib is good for babies up to 40 pounds and / or 37" in height.
Number 6 on my list of things to look for was: Does it come with a mattress and is it a quality mattress? I have to admit when I originally looked at this crib on Amazon, I didn't even check to see if it came with a mattress. It seems as though some of the Dream On Me Cribs do come with mattresses. I do not believe this one did. I had no intentions of using a mattress that came with a crib in the first place. I had gone through entirely too many reviews by that point stating the mattresses that come with cribs are very poor quality. Almost all reviews I saw on different cribs claimed they had to buy a mattress separately. So, my plan was to always buy a mattress. Ultimately, I ended up buying the Dream On Me, Holly 3” Fiber Portable Crib Mattress I Waterproof I Greenguard Gold Certified:
The Greenguard Gold Certification means that the mattress was tested for thousands of chemicals to make sure it's safe and healthy for our babies. It also passed all flammability tests and lead and toxicity tests. They also offer a 10 year manufacturer warranty. Want more? It's made in the USA and just like the Dream On Me Convertible Mini Crib, it's JPMA certified. I don't think it gets any better than that!
I put the links below if you want to check out the mattress or the crib on Amazon. If you want to check out other items by this awesome company called Dream On Me, Click Here. Have a beautiful day!
Dream On Me Crib:Click Here
Dream On Me Mattress: Click Here