This “Goldilocks” Baby Crib Had Everything I Was Looking For

What do you think of when you think of a nursery? For many of us, it’s a crib. I knew that the style and colors I chose would set the tone for the whole rest of the room, so I wanted to be sure about my decision. It was easy to get overwhelmed with crib options. You can pay top dollar for heirloom-quality pieces, but because I didn’t plan to hand down my crib that wasn’t my style. Still, I didn’t want something too basic, or with a design I didn’t want to look at every day. 

Babyletto as a brand felt like Goldilocks to me — everything I was looking for, attractive, and, when it came to price, just right. This is undoubtedly why it was one of the parent-picked winners of Cubby’s 2024 Nursery Awards. All that was left was to choose the style I liked. For me, it was the Lolly Convertible Crib. Here’s my review. 

Let me walk you through my thought process. 

• I want to love the look. I knew I’d be looking at the crib a lot — especially early in my daughter’s life. Her room was where I planned to keep a lot of her toys and I thought (correctly) that the crib would end up in the background of a lot of pictures. Being in an aesthetically pleasing space is helpful to my mood, so I wanted to choose something I loved to look at.
• It needed to convert to a toddler bed. With many of my baby purchases, I tried to find items that would last through more than one stage or transition for further use. I liked the idea of purchasing one bed that had the potential to last for several years, rather than having to purchase a toddler bed later on, or transition to a twin before I felt she was ready.
• It needed to be designed for safety. I wanted to feel good about the sturdiness of the construction as well as the safety standards of the materials used to build and decorate it. While I’m a huge fan of thoughtful vintage pieces, I didn’t want my child breaking through rotted wood or chewing on lead paint. I was looking for a modern brand with high standards and a lot of transparency.
• It needed to be standard size. This is a personal preference, of course. It’s not that I don’t think the mini cribs are adorable, but I wanted the flexibility to purchase whatever mattress and bedding I thought was best instead of being tied to one brand because of a bespoke size.
• It needed to be affordable. I imagined (correctly) that the crib would be the most expensive item in the nursery, but I wanted to choose something I felt was worth the price. As with so much baby stuff, I found that while there’s a wide range of price points, there is often a sweet middle spot that allows you to find something with excellent design and function without blowing your whole nursery budget on one piece.

• Name: Lolly 3-in-1 Convertible Crib with Toddler Bed Conversion Kit
• Current Price: $499 from Newton Baby

We received the Lolly crib before our daughter was born and put it together (which turned out to be a good thing, as she completely rejected sleeping in the bassinet). She slept in it from her first few days until she was about four, going through all stages of the conversions.

Spoiler alert: I loved everything about this crib and I’m so glad I chose it. My version was the white and natural color combination, but you can choose from nine colorways. Here are a few of the reasons why. 

• It’s attractive. I originally fell in love with this crib because it was featured in nurseries I liked, and even product photos for crib sheets and blankets. I was drawn to the natural wood and bright white, although I found many of the other colors beautiful, too. The mid-century modern feel was a plus for my 1940s-era home. I’m still glad I followed my instincts, as it was just as beautiful in person.
• It was straightforward to assemble. The instructions were clear and everything was well-labeled. It came together fairly easily, although we took extra time to make sure everything was tight, for obvious reasons. Once it was together, it was easy to move around, even for one person, to make the bed or vacuum underneath.
• It converted for my growing child. A convertible crib was a non-negotiable for me, and with so many cribs offering that option, I knew I could find one. We used this for the newborn stage with the mattress at the higher level, then lowered it as she started cruising and standing up in bed. Eventually we took off one side and used the toddler rail before taking it off and leaving it as a sort of daybed look. Each conversion was well-explained and simple to execute with basic tools. I loved that it lasted for the first four years of her life. Honestly, we could have kept her in it longer, but I was starting to feel ready for a change.
• It felt solid and used safe materials. There was nothing about this that felt ill-fitting or loose. The base that supports the mattress is strong (and withstood a fair amount of jumping). It felt well-crafted, with smooth wood and clean seams. I liked that it was GREENGUARD Gold certified, exceeded both U.S. and international safety standards, and had gone through lots of testing. I also appreciated that the wood came from a sustainable source.
• It came in a standard size. I loved that I could choose any mattress in a standard size and accessorize with whatever sheets I wanted.
• It is part of a coordinating collection. Although I didn’t end up buying any other pieces from the Lolly collection, I liked that there was an option to choose from dresser options (including one with a changing station), or a nightstand. I found that a lot of the other furniture also coordinated well, as it often shared a similar aesthetic.
• It’s a good value. I found this crib to be exactly what I wanted for a fair price. It was also durable and held up beautifully with very little cosmetic damage (my daughter did chew on it a little, thank goodness for safety standards). In spite of those teeth marks, I was able to sell it secondhand and it kept a significant percentage of its value.

Although I loved the 3-in-1 convertible, I did see a few options in my crib search that converted to a twin, or even a full-sized bed after a toddler bed, which was tempting. Because I loved the look of the Lolly, I went that direction instead. Now there is a Lolly mini crib that converts into a twin bed, but I still stand by my choice of a full-sized standard crib. I do wish that version had been able to convert into a twin bed, though. 

My only other very minor quibble is that there was one unsightly sticker right on the outside wood. I was able to remove it, but it took some elbow grease. Maybe there are laws about where they have to put these things, but it seemed like something that could have gone somewhere less noticeable.