For first-time parents, no matter how much advice they get, there are always a few details that end up being overlooked. Sure, they'll be told about the sleepless nights and how to cope. They might even be drowned in numerous bits of wisdom from their own parents about how to adapt to having a wonderful little baby in the house. Very few couples, however, really get any advice on little practical details like designer cribs and how to pick out a good one. Most just buy one that looks sturdy or use a hand-me-down, which may not always be the best choice. Here are a few guidelines on how to pick out the best designer cribs.When it comes to anything that a baby is going to touch or end up using frequently, safety ought to be a parent's first concern. Designer cribs are no different. In fact, safety is of such important that some countries actually enact inspections and evaluations of how safe any given crib design is for the average baby. For countries that have a consumer products safety commission or equivalent organizations, parents should check whether or not any given designer cribs they like have been approved. If not, then there's a safety issue there that they don't want to risk.A couple of general rules for determining how safe designer cribs are can be followed, in case the area doesn't have any governing authorities on the matter. The slats must be no wider than six centimeters (or two and three-eighths inches) apart from one another. As much as possible, avoid designer cribs from before 1986, which was the first year that the new safety standards were implemented within the US.Ideally, designer cribs should have drop rails on both sides. This allows parents to have a lot more flexibility in how and where they position the crib in the child's new room. Of course, when picking out just the right spot to place designer cribs, remember to keep away from windows. Babies can be surprisingly ingenious at times and placing a crib near a window is just asking for tragedy.Speaking of babies and their unexpected ingenuity, a crib will always have a drop-side that poses a bit of a risk. Babies can sometimes figure out how to get those to drop, allowing them to get out of the crib without anyone knowing. Good designer cribs will be designed to require two distinct and separate actions before becoming unlatched, positioned away from where a baby might accidentally get at it. If the crib only has one, make sure it requires at least ten pounds of force to be used - easy enough for a teenager or adult, but impossible for a baby.Designer cribs should have noiseless bearings, so the baby doesn't wake up in the middle of the parents moving the crib around. Sometimes, it helps to check if the railing on the side can be removed easily, in case the parents want to keep the baby close while sleeping. Think of it as putting the crib in a "sidecar" position next to the bed. The best designer cribs have steel bars to add stability, even if the railing's been taken out.Teething is also something to think about when picking out designer cribs. Babies will eventually learn to stand up, so the side rails are a good place to help the teething process along once they reach it. Check if the crib has plastic teething strips in those places. This is both for safety reasons - nobody wants their baby nibbling on wood - and for practicality - plastic is much easier to clean.When looking at designer cribs, it might be tempting to look into ones with decorative cutouts and similar knick-knacks. Avoid them. These can end up being strangulation or choking hazards. Even the ones that hang from above can turn into problems once the baby manages to stand up. Designer cribs may look great, but safety should never be compromised in the name of aesthetics.Comfort is good, but a mattress that's too soft is a suffocation risk. When testing how firm the mattresses of designer cribs are, press the whole hand on it, rather than just the fingertips. This includes checking along the edges and corners. More often than not, the mattress also needs to provide the baby's back with a bit of support, so a spring mattress would be better than a foam one. If a foam one is the only option, make sure it is at least four inches thick, so it can lend proper support to the baby's weight. If the designer cribs come with spring mattresses, make sure the hands don't feel the springs when testing for firmness.
