What to Look For When Choosing Baby Furniture

If you're a new parent, be aware that you baby will probably spend more time in the nursery than anywhere else. So you do need to make it absolutely safe and comfortable. Make it attractive and well organized too.

To get started, decide which furniture you need. These include: cribs, crib mattresses, bassinets, cradles, Moses baskets and changing tables.

Cribs

Your child will sleep in a crib until it's time to move into a real bed (typically between the ages of 2 and 3). So choose sturdy crib that you can use every day for at least two years. New cribs sold in the United States (including all cribs sold in our Store) comply with modern safety standards. The crib should have a railing that lowers, so you can pick up your baby easily; some models have railings that lower on both sides. You'll spend $200 to $400 for a safe, well-made crib. Spending more usually buys you finer woods and more intricate designs.

Crib Mattresses

To sleep soundly and safely, babies require firm support. Consider cost, comfort, and sturdiness, as your child will probably sleep in his crib for up to three years. The first choice you'll have to make is between a foam mattress and an innerspring mattress. Be prepared to pay $60 to $100 for a foam crib mattress, and up to $140 for an innerspring crib mattress.

Bassinets, Cradles and Moses Baskets

A bassinet, cradle, or Moses basket can be a convenient and comfortable sleeping place for your baby during the first few months. Your baby may feel more at ease in the smaller, cozier space than in a crib. Plus you can carry these small portable baby beds from room to room, letting you keep a close watch on your sleeping baby. Your bassinet should have a firm mattress that fits snugly without any space around the edges.

Changing Tables

To change baby's diapers conveniently, you'll definitely need a comfortable place to do it. A changing table is most suitable for this. If you decide to invest in a changing table, there are plenty of well-designed, practical, and attractive ones to choose from. And as your baby grows, a special table can offer more security, with railings and special straps to help hold your wriggling child in place. Make sure there are safety straps to help secure your baby. If your changing table doesn't have safety straps, you should add them.

Shopping for baby furniture can be challenging. With this guide, hopefully your task is now a little simpler!

About The Author

Need Some Advice on Parenting and Baby Care? Gary Hendricks has compiled the best articles on parenting, baby care and baby products => http://www.baby-product-guide.com; gary_hendricks@baby-product-guide.com

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

President-elect Barack Obama makes remarks on the nations economy, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009, at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)AP - President-elect Barack Obama's proposed tax cuts ran into opposition Thursday from senators in his own party who said they wouldn't do much to stimulate the economy or create jobs. Senators from both parties agreed that Congress should do something to stimulate the economy. But Democratic senators emerging from a private meeting of the Senate Finance Committee criticized business and individual tax cuts in Obama's stimulus plan.



Palestinian demonstrators use sling-shots to hurl stones at Israeli soldiers during a demonstration against Israel's military operation in Gaza, in the West Bank village of Bilin, near Ramallah,Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. Israel resumed its Gaza offensive Wednesday after a three-hour lull to allow delivery of humanitarian aid, bombing heavily around suspected smuggling tunnels near the border with Egypt. Despite the heavy fighting, strides appeared to be being made on the diplomatic front with the U.S. throwing its weight behind a deal being brokered by France and Egypt. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)AP - The U.N. Security Council called for an "immediate" and "durable" cease-fire in Gaza in a resolution Thursday night even as fighting between Israel and Hamas raged — with early morning airstrikes killing seven Palestinians and pushing the death toll to about 760 in the near two-week conflict.



Florida's Tim Tebow (15) throws a pass over Oklahoma's Auston English (33) during the third quarter of the BCS Championship NCAA college football game in Miami, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)AP - The game defied expectations. Tim Tebow fulfilled them. He rescued No. 1 Florida, running through and throwing over No. 2 Oklahoma for a 24-14 victory Thursday night that gave the Gators their second BCS championship in three years.



Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock) votes to recommend the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to the House during an Illinois House Impeachment Committee hearing Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009, in Springfield, Ill. The committee voted unanimously to recommend impeachment putting the matter before the full house.  (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)AP - A key panel unanimously recommended impeachment for Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday, setting up a vote that could make him the first governor to face such fate in Illinois' sordid political history. Blagojevich should lose his job for abusing power, mismanaging government and committing possible criminal acts, including federal allegations he tried to sell off a U.S. Senate seat, the special committee concluded.



A sign instructs job seekers at the California Employment Development Department in Sunnyvale, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. The country lost nearly 2 million jobs through November and more bad news is expected this week when the government releases data on weekly jobless claims and December unemployment. No matter how bad those numbers are, and economists expect at least another 500,000 jobs were lost last month, the pain is stretching into 2009.  (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)AP - Trying to survive a deepening recession, employers are cutting their work forces to the bone, leaving more Americans unemployed and with dim prospects of finding a new job any time soon.



Neel Kashkari, the assistant treasury secretary in charge of the bailout program, speaks at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)AP - Less than a month after its first report, a congressional panel overseeing the Treasury Department's $700 billion financial bailout is demanding more answers.



Freida Pinto backstage with the best picture award for 'Slumdog Millionaire' at the 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards on Thursday Jan. 8, 2009 in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)AP - The critics have spoken, and "Slumdog Millionaire" is their final answer.



Vice President Dick Cheney pauses during an interview with the Associated Press at the White House in Washington Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)AP - Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday that he sees no reason for President George W. Bush to pre-emptively pardon anyone at the CIA involved in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists. "I don't have any reason to believe that anybody in the agency did anything illegal," he said.



Recruiter Sgt. Mario Ashe (L) and Christopher Stevens talk in the tactical operations center area of the U.S. Army Experience center at the Franklin Mills mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 7, 2009. The U.S. Army, struggling to ensure it has enough manpower as it fights wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is wooing young Americans with video games, Google maps and simulated attacks on enemy positions from an Apache helicopter. Departing from the recruiting environment of metal tables and uniformed soldiers in a drab military building, the Army has invested $12 million in a facility that looks like a cross between a hotel lobby and a video arcade. Picture taken January 7, 2009. (Tim Shaffer/Reuters)AP - U.S. policy to win in Afghanistan must recognize the poor nation's limitations and its neighborhood, especially its intertwined relationship with U.S. terrorism-fighting ally Pakistan, the top U.S. military commander in the region said Thursday.



The east side apartment building where Bernard Madoff remains under house arrest is seen Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009, in New York. Prosecutors said Thursday that investigators found 100 signed checks worth $173 million in Bernard Madoff's office desk that he was ready to send out to his closest family and friends at the time of his arrest last month. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)AP - Prosecutors said Thursday that investigators found 100 signed checks worth $173 million in Bernard Madoff's office desk that he was ready to send out to his closest family and friends at the time of his arrest last month in what is alleged to be largest financial fraud in history.



Palestinian women mourn as they watch the funeral of Palestinians killed at a U.N. school, in Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip January 7, 2009. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)Reuters - Israel pushed ahead with its offensive in the Gaza Strip on Friday, ignoring a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire to the 14-day-old conflict.



Jaclyn Holt (R) fills out an application form at a job fair organized by the New Hampshire Employment Security agency in Salem, New Hampshire December 17, 2008. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)Reuters - U.S. employers probably cut the most jobs in at least 34 years last month as the global economic crisis gathered pace and moves by policy makers took time to filter through to struggling companies.



People taking the Long Island Foreclosure Tour arrive at a foreclosed home for sale in New Hyde Park, New York in this May 17, 2008 file photo. Citigroup could soon agree to principles that would let troubled borrowers save their homes through bankruptcy, sources familiar with the talks said on Thursday, while industry groups are easing their opposition to the plan. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)Reuters - Financial giant Citigroup Inc will support a proposal in Congress to rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said on Thursday.



Reuters - A report being released on Friday alleges that the U.S. Treasury has failed to reveal its strategy for stabilizing the financial system, not answered questions asked by a government watchdog, and has done nothing to help struggling homeowners, the Wall Street Journal said.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich gestures as he announces former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris as his choice to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama during a news conference in Chicago, Illinois December 30, 2008. (Frank Polich/Reuters)Reuters - A legislative committee on Thursday recommended the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing widespread abuse of power including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.



Timothy Geithner (R), pictured in Chicago, November 24, 2008. (Jeff Haynes/Reuters)Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is urgently overhauling the $700 billion financial rescue package to broaden its scope beyond Wall Street, The Washington Post reported on Friday.



Usama al-Kini, Al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan, is pictured in this undated FBI Most Wanted photograph. Al-Kini, also known as Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam, and a top aide are believed to be dead, a U.S. counterterrorism official said on January 8, 2009, in what appeared to be the latest results of a campaign targeting the militant group's leadership. Operations chief al-Kini was thought responsible for attacks, including the bombing of a Marriott hotel in Islamabad that killed 55 people in September, and an unsuccessful attempt to kill former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was later assassinated in a separate attack, the official said. (FBI/Handout/Reuters)Reuters - Al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan and a top aide are believed to be dead, a U.S. counterterrorism official said on Thursday, in what appeared to be the latest results of a campaign targeting the militant group's leadership.



Reuters - Some friends of accused swindler Bernard Madoff considered him a "warm and charming" man, and one of his alleged victims praised him just before his death in 2005, Fox Business Network reported on Thursday.

An Israeli army tank takes position on a hill at the border between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip on January 8, 2009. Israel was under intense pressure Friday to end its two-week-old offensive in the Gaza Strip after the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire as the death toll from the war rose past 760.(AFP/David Buimovitch)AFP - Israel carried out new deadly air raids on the Gaza Strip on Friday as the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire to end the two-week-old conflict in the Palestinian enclave.



A man carries firewood in the suburbs of Sofia, Bulgaria. Hopes for a quick resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe were rising Friday after Russia agreed on the terms for the deployment of monitors in Ukraine.(AFP/Dimitar Dilkoff)AFP - Hopes for a quick resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe were rising Friday after Russia agreed on the terms for the deployment of monitors in Ukraine.




Planning a Baby Shower? These Tips Make It Stress Free

One of the most pleasant parties to plan has to be the... Read More

Should Your Baby Sleep In Your Bed?

Should baby sleep in her own cot or in bed... Read More

The Personality Traits of an Aquarius Baby

Your Aquarius Baby..January 20 - February 18Your Aquarian baby will be outwardly... Read More

Planning the Perfect Baby Shower

One of the most exciting events an expecting mother looks forward to... Read More

Make Your Own Baby Food

Those little containers of baby food sure are expensive once you start... Read More

Baby Clipart for All Your Baby Shower Printing Needs

Baby clipart is the perfect accent to all of your baby shower... Read More

Freezing Homemade Baby Food

With our twin boys getting ready to start solid food, I have... Read More

Tips and Tricks for Introducing Solids to Your Baby

Helping your child move from breast breast milk or formula to solids... Read More

The Truth About Baby Bedding

Imagine your little baby in her nursery. So happy in the colorful... Read More

When To Start Teaching Your Baby (2)

With you or without you, your baby will be learning from the... Read More

Baby Showers To Remember

Every mother wants an enchanting baby shower for her new baby ranging... Read More

Solving Baby Sleep Problems - Its Time to Sleep

If you're a parent with a young child then here's a question... Read More

Is It Colic, Infant Reflux, Or GERD? Learn How To Tell The Difference

It can sometimes be difficult for a parent to understand whether the... Read More

Baby Girl Clip Art

The online baby girl clip art images help you to design attractive... Read More

Your Baby Nursery - Decorating a Fabulous and Functional Room

Decorating a baby nursery can be one of the most enjoyable tasks... Read More

Family Baby Showers

The addition of baby number 2, 3, or 10 is an occasion... Read More

When To Start Teaching Your Baby (1)

When is it that I should start teaching my baby? That is... Read More

Potty Training Resistance - Is Your Child Resisting Your Potty Training Efforts?

Potty Training ResistanceFrom your perspective, your child is resisting all your efforts... Read More

Potty Training Boys - How To Potty Train Boys - Do You Teach Them to Sit or Stand?

I am asked this question by many parents - they all want... Read More

How Much Water For Baby?

While drinking more water is a good idea for everyone, especially during... Read More

Mobiles For Babies Can Prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Mobiles are well known for its effectiveness in capturing and keeping baby's... Read More

Luxury Baby Bedding - What to Look For Before You Buy

When buying luxury baby bedding, perhaps first decide what style and fabric... Read More

Keeping Your New Baby Safe

After all the baby furniture is purchased, you'll have to start thinking... Read More

Baby Bedding Wants Vs. Bedding Baby Needs

If you walk into any baby store or online baby site you... Read More

Childrens Backpack Safety and Comfort

One of the easiest and safest ways to carry your child around... Read More

10 Items of the Well-Stocked Diaper Bag

Does your diaper bag have everything you need in it? Of course,... Read More

How Toddlers Can Benefit From Using Computers

It's a fact of life that we live in an electronic age... Read More

The Top Diaper Bags for Stylish and Savvy Moms

Forget bears and bunnies. Today's diaper bags are all about mom and... Read More

Learning Activities For Your Baby

Books and Babies - For babies from age 6 weeks to 1... Read More

To Invite or not to Invite the Dad to the Shower?

Do you invite dad to the baby shower? As per the old... Read More

Breastfeeding A Baby

Breastfeeding Your Baby..Everyone tells you that breastfeeding is best - but why?It... Read More

The Personality Traits of a Pisces Baby

Your Pisces Baby..February 19 - March 20Your baby will have the most... Read More

How Can I Teach My Toddler to Share?

Helping your child move from breast breast milk or formula to solids... Read More

Types of Baby Showers

There are different types of baby showers to cover just about any... Read More

Babies: How to Get Your Children Excited About the New Arrival

The sudden appearance of a new baby can be rough on the... Read More

Using Music To Calm Your Baby

Music is a wonderful way for you to calm and soothe your... Read More

Perfect Baby Shower Idea List for Necessity Type Baby Gifts

Perfect Baby shower idea lists for necessity type baby gifts. By necessity... Read More

Baby Gift Guide

Having a baby is one of the most amazing things than any... Read More

Better Health and Happiness for Your Baby

The design of your home has an amazing affect on the health... Read More

How to Save Money on Wedding and Baby Shower Favors

Planning on having a wedding or baby shower soon? Getting favors is... Read More

Baby Expense: What To Do When Baby

As you probably know, baby expense should be high on your list... Read More

How to Choose a Baby Bathtub

Choosing a baby bathtub is likely one of the easiest decisions you'll... Read More

Breast Feeding Basics For Your Newborn Baby

It is a myth that bottle-feeds and breast-feeding is equally good. Mother's... Read More

Baby Eating Habits ? Which Approach Do You Take

One of the first decisions we make is if we breast feed... Read More

On the Road Again

Just like Willy Nelson, I could not wait to get on the... Read More

How to Choose a Diaper Pail for Disposable Diapers

When you have already made the decision not to use cloth diapers,... Read More

Baby Shower Checklist for Planning a Baby Shower

Most shower checklists will suggest you start planning approximately four weeks before... Read More