59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For the price, this is excellent!, August 19, 2010
This review is from: Graco Sarah Classic 4 in 1 Convertible Crib, Cherry (Baby Product)
Very nervous about ordering my daughters crib on-line, very very nervous. But after checking out the local shops and looking at almost every crib here on Amazon I felt a bit more confident and ordered this one.
Wow.
So far both the grandparents have commented on how pretty it is. It's solid once assembled. It's nice looking, meets all the new safety standards, no drop side so no worries and it has an adjustable height on the mattress to make up for the change in safety standards regarding drop sides.
We got the cherry finish and my wife was worried, but it's a classic victorian cherry so you're getting a dark red stain, very nice.
Standard mattress fits nicely inside, no gaps, and the mattress support is a steel frame with steel mesh and springs.
So why the 4 stars?
Well, because it's a typical self assembly, allen wrench, thumb blister kit. I swear it's been a week and the side of my thumb still hurts from tightening all of the screws.
I still don't understand to this day why they stopped using Phillips screws for these kits and it really wouldn't be so bad accept for the fact that my daughter learned how to pull herself up about 5 minutes after we finished the crib and put her in it. We had built it at the top height so we could get her out easier. We thought it'd save us some back pain and it would be fine since she couldn't stand up without help. Well OF COURSE she stood up right after that, that's what kids do.... sigh. So I had to unscrew the most difficult screws in the bed and re-screw them in new slots using that annoyingly thin little allen wrench.
But that's really my only gripe. The packaging was fine, no damage to the crib, lots of Styrofoam, cardboard supports and separators. I'm a big guy so I could actually lift the package myself, though it does say "Team Lift" on the side and if I wasn't 6'5" I couldn't have carried it alone, to long and awkward. But the weight was very manageable, not like most solid hardwood cribs that weigh a ton.
For the price I really couldn't be happier with this purchase. And knowing that it converts into a day bed and then a head and foot board when she's ready just makes it feel like that much more of a bargain. If you're worried about the side coming off prematurely, don't, it's bolted on just like the other sides. To convert it to a day bed you have to remove the bolts.
We'll see how well it withstands the test of time. I'll write an update if anything happens.
So here's a tip for anyone who hasn't done many of these "DIY furniture" kits. Once you've got it put together, go back through every screw from the beginning and try tightening them again. Lots of screws will loosen as you tighten others. Read the warning for the mattress height, If your child can pull themselves up on their own, the mattress goes at the lowest setting, trust me, you don't want to have to re-set this thing anytime soon, the mattress screws are painted ends so they kind of glue in, very difficult to get them back out.
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35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Far So Good!, January 18, 2010
This review is from: Graco Sarah Classic 4 in 1 Convertible Crib, Cherry (Baby Product)
My husband and I put this together in less then 20 mins! Arrived as expected, beautiful color (doesn't look cheap,) structurely sound, and JPMA certified. My main concern was it not having a drop-side, however, the height is PERFECT. With the ADJUSTABLE mattress spring board (metal) at it's highest level and a 5-6 inch thick mattress, the baby is within a safe and not to deep reach (about 2 feet.)
GREAT deal! Crib @ $127.00 and mattress @ $45.00 = New crib set for under $200.00. This is if you can find the items with free shipping.
Currently, I cannot find any problems and am VERY satisfied with this product. I will come back and comment when the crib has had more use.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great product for a great price, April 4, 2010
Needed a crib in a pinch. The price was right but of course at $130 it made me worry. Got it and assembled within an hour and that's with a 2 year old being "helpful". I don't understand why some people had trouble with assembly. It's quite easy but I would suggest having a helper. It can be tricky to try and thread some of the allen screws while holding different sides of the crib together. Took no more tools than the allen wrench that it came with. Quality looks decent and seems quite secure to me. No complaints about cost or quality. I've posted a couple of images. Hope they help.
I don't understand some of the previous negative reviews. One is talking about a drop side... This crib doesn't have a drop side. someone is definitely confused and is reviewing the wrong product.
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