Baby cribs are not what they used to be. There are now models on the market which will turn into a variety of sleeping positions to accommodate a child through all stages of development. That means you have the opportunity to make one purchase right now and never have to shop for a child’s bed again.

There are some basic convertible cribs which only turn into toddler beds or which go from a toddler bed to a double bed, but for the best value look for one that will convert all the way into a full sized bed.

Cribs that have all of these options will either be called Lifetime, Stages, or 4-in-1 cribs.

If you are wondering what all of this might cost, it is more reasonable than you might think. There are some higher priced models selling around four to five hundred dollars, but there are also some great lower priced models that will last through the years.

The only thing you have to keep in mind is that some brands will deliver everything you need to make the conversions with the initial purchase of the crib, but others will require you to purchase separate rail sets.

For toddler and day bed conversion you shouldn’t have to purchase a rail kit. It is usually a matter of removing the front side rail panel to create easy access to the mattress. Some require you to purchase a safety rail kit for the side to create the toddler bed, but there are many companies now including that in the original purchase.

A day bed is simply the toddler bed minus the safety rail, so you can always choose not to purchase that if it doesn’t come with your crib of choice.

For full size conversion the actual crib forms a headboard and in some cases a footboard as well. You will either have to purchase a specific rail system designed for that bed or just any general full sized rail set. Of course, the better value is one in which any cheap rail set will complete the conversion.

Convertible baby cribs are an exceptional value in terms of time and money. They grow with your child from diapers to college so you never have to purchase another bed and never have to worry about finding something that fits the other bedroom furniture. Everything will always match!