Small Space Must Have: The Mini Crib

Living in a NYC studio apartment, we knew that every and any purchasing decision we made had to be smart — aesthetically pleasing AND functional!

Now, I will say, it was a pretty spacious and very well laid out apartment, but a studio is a studio is a studio; coupled with the fact that it was a studio in NYC and, well, you could imagine our dilemma.

When deciding on what our baby would need, we knew a crib was going to be a challenge, but that lead to a major question — where’s our baby going to sleep?!

We didn’t want a bassinet that we’d have to shortly replace, but also knew that we didn’t have the space to spare on a full sized crib.

Enter the mini crib!

It was amazing to me how not a single one of my family members, friends, acquaintances, or even co workers had ever heard of it. Admittedly, I can’t even remember how I stumbled upon this wonderfulness (you google enough, I guess you’ll find anything) but I’m glad I did.

So…

what is the mini crib?

It’s exactly what its name says...

A small crib, measuring about a foot (give or take) shorter than a standard size crib, making a great long term alternative to a bassinet and space saving alternative to a standard size crib!

When we decided that this would be the best option for us, everyone swore it would be a waste of money. Here’s what I have to say about that:

Like it or not, we were in a studio, so short of getting rid of our own bed, a standard crib wasn’t a feasible option.
These “standard” cribs for us Americans are extended cribs in Europe. Our mini crib is actually the European standard & their babies are just fine. I hereby declare that we rename the “mini” crib to the Euro crib!
In addition to a smaller footprint, the Euro crib also comes with a smaller price tag. I’m all about saving money where I can and when it makes sense.
All cribs have a height restriction — c. 35″ or when they can climb out. My Euro crib was 38.75″ long. So even if my child did outgrow the Euro crib, suddenly being able to touch it from head to toe, in that same moment she also outgrew cribs altogether, which is EXACTLY what happened with our extra long daughter well before her 2nd birthday.

We decided to get the DaVinci Alpha Mini Rocking Crib and we have no regrets.

Ultimately you know what works best for you, but if you are limited on space (and funds) I suggest getting a Euro crib.

If nothing else, you’ll be buying yourself some time until you move into that 6 bed, 4.5 bath home you’ve been dreaming of.

Many 'Euro cribs' are now available in a portable and/or convertible option so your baby gets to enjoy their crib until they’re ready for a regular bed and you get your money’s worth.