OK for a Temporary Solution

We purchased an Angel Line Saf-Crib when we realized our second son was outgrowing his bassinet but our older son was not quite ready to move up to a toddler bed. We wanted something that was safe and inexpensive, just for a few months until my older son was ready to pass down his much nicer crib to his younger brother. We saw the Angel Line Saf-Crib online and felt it would fit our needs, and to a great extent, it did. I would not recommend this crib, however, to parents who are looking for a more permanent sleep solution for their young child.

Features

The Angel Line Saf-Crib measures 54.5 inches by 30 inches by 45 inches, and it weighs 50 pounds. It is a standard size crib and most standard crib mattresses should fit very well in this crib. It has a very nice natural wood finish, which has not chipped or scratched yet, and we have been using this crib for almost a year now (which is quite a few months longer than we intended!). There are four mattress height positions, so you can lower the mattress height as your child grows to prevent the child from climbing out of the crib. It also has a plastic teething rail on top of the side rails, to prevent your child from biting the rails.

Please note that the one thing this crib does NOT have is a dropping side rail. The crib is a stationary, meaning you cannot lower one or both sides to transport your child in and out of the crib more easily. I knew this when I bought the crib, and it was not a significant concern as I knew this was only a temporary solution. When my child was much younger and we had the crib on a higher mattress setting, I could easily move him in and out of the crib without waking him, and I probably would not have moved the side rail even if it did have that feature. As he became older and we lowered the mattress, however, I found it more difficult to lay my son down into his crib without waking him, and I could not lift him out of his crib unless he was sitting or standing. Granted, I am only 5 feet tall, and taller parents might be able to do this, but I suspect even if you can it will not be as easy as it would if you could have lowered a side rail.

Set Up

This crib came with easy to follow instructions, and set up was a breeze. Total time to finish the installation was about a half hour. One tip (which could apply to any crib and not just to the Saf-Crib, make sure you assemble the crib in the room you intend to actually use it in, instead of in a separate room. We assembled ours in a spare room because our two children were napping in their bedroom at the time. We then found out the crib was about 2 inches too wide to fit through our doorways, so we had to partially take it apart to get it through the door of the bedroom!

Overall Impressions

My younger son is very tall for his age, and at one year old he was able to hurl himself over the rail of this crib and he fortunately landed safely on the floor. We realized that even at this crib’s lowest mattress setting, it was not as low as my older son’s crib. It was at that point that we realized that we had to move our son into a toddler bed so our younger one could finally have the “good” (i.e. much more expensive!) crib.

However, even with our little scare, I would say this crib is a good quality item for people on a budget and/or people with just a temporary crib need. It might be a great crib for a grandmother or babysitter’s house, or to use for just a few months (especially before your baby is old enough to pull to standing) until a more permanent solution is found. I would not recommend this crib as “THE” crib, intended to last from infancy through toddlerhood. You might miss the bells and whistles that the more expensive cribs feature, such as a drop rail, underneath storage drawer, or ability to convert into a toddler bed. However, for the price, I found the quality to be very good. It is sturdy and a very attractive crib (it does not look cheap). I was pleasantly surprised by the Angel Line Saf-Crib, but at one year old, it is time to move on.