Customer Reviews

Graco Sarah Classic 4 in 1 Convertible Crib, Cherry

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

For the price you cant beat this crib. It has lasted 18 months and we are now converting it to the toddler bed. We expect it to keep going for quite some time....Would highly recommend!

I was very pleased with the crib's color, which didn't have nearly as much "red" stain as it appeard to in other user pictures. The shipping container arrived undamaged as did the crib components, but be forewarned that the wood is rather soft (it doesn't take bumps and falls too well)!

My hubby put the crib together. His major gripe was with the screws and pre-drilled screwholes...he nearly stripped one of the screws and struggled with different screws before finally getting one to work.

We should have measured the finished dimensions against our standard doorframe BEFORE deciding to put it together in the living room...yep, that's right- we had to disassemble in order to move it through the nursery door. Don't make the same mistake we did unless you have some extra time to kill. :)

I ordered a Colgate Classica I foam mattress, which works PERFECTLY with this crib...it fits snugly, eliminating the worry of baby's hands and feet getting stuck between it and the crib railing.

I noticed that Graco only makes a matching Sarah changing table. However, in doing a bit of research, it appears some stores sell the Graco Portland dresser (also available on Amazon) as part of a set with the crib.

This was a basic white crib, such a simple design, easy to put together. I did it alone in about an hour. It would have been easier with two people of course. We needed two and were on a budget so the price was perfect. The delivery was earlier than expected as well. Could not be happier with this purchase. There was one small problem, a metal insert opening was too small for the type of screw provided (by a millimeter) only in one place. Easy fix by taking the part to the hardware store where they were able to repair it for a $4.00 charge.

We've only used it as a crib so far, with a Safety First mattress from Wal-Mart. It's not complicated to assemble at all! It took my 11 year old and me about 45 minutes from start to finish. The crib looks expensive, and has held up great so far. The mobile we have doesn't sit quite right on the crib rail, but it stays secure anyway. I am so glad I didn't waste 100s of dollars on a more expensive crib for the same look. The cherry color is absolutely gorgeous, and matches my changing table exactly. Awesome purchase and price!!

I just put two of them together for my twins. The assembly was great. The only issue that I have with it is the uniformity of color. The left and right sides of both cribs were not very uniform in color. It was noticeable but not something I was going to stop the project to correct. If this is not important to you, and you are looking for a sturdy simple crib, pull the trigger.

We ordered this crib based on recommendations from several consumer organizations and we liked the price and how it looked. Now that we have it, and have resolved all the issues, we still like the crib... I just wish it didnt take so much effort to get to this point.

Our first shipment was not packaged correctly. Half the box wasn't taped, so when I brought it in the house I heard he lovely sound of wood pieces claking together. Not a good sign. I contacted Amazon customer service and they immediately took care of sending out a replacement.

Replacement shipment... looked good upon initial glance however once we put it together we saw some pretty significant scuffs on 2 pieces. So I contacted LaJobi customer service and they sent replacement pieces out. The replacement pieces took about 1.5 weeks to arrive. So we went to install the new pieces only to find out one of the pieces they sent as a replacement was in worst shape than the one we wanted to replace. So I emailed LaJobi again and they sent a replacement piece out. They did not mention that I needed to send the damaged piece back, so I was surprised by a phone call from FEDEX on my front porch to pick up the return package... but FEDEX came back the next day and picked the new piece up.

Then we got the second replacement piece, which was well wrapped and double boxed... and replaced the original damaged piece. And now we have a nice crib.

The crib looks nice... especially for $150ish. The wood is soft so I see it getting scuffed easily.

So I guess my bottom line is if you are looking for a nice looking crib at a reasonable price and you have the time and energy to be persistent.... this is a good option for you

Easy installation, very sturdy, feels safe, and really stunning. Very high end style, without the high end price tag. We also purchased the matching dressing table and it works great too!!

Update: 11/24/10 It is STILL beautiful and functional. We haven't even scratched the stain! I am still in love with it, and it's matching "dressing table". So happy we made this purchase.