I have a great passion for writing – I am a freelance writer after all – and when I have a spare hour or two I love nothing more than writing product reviews, therefore in this review I’ve decided to check out the Graco Victoria Non Drop Side 5 in 1 Convertible Crib. Why am I reviewing a crib? Well, having three kids myself who are near the age of giving me grandchildren, I thought it a great opportunity to compare today’s cribs for babies with the cribs that were available when my kids were babies. It’s been fascinating and more than a little eye opening! Read on for this comprehensive review of the Graco Victoria Non Drop Side 5 in 1 Convertible Crib.
Graco Victoria Non Drop Side 5 In 1 Convertible Crib – A Brief Description
The very first thing parents have to concern themselves about when making a crib purchase is safety. After all, we’ve all heard about the spate of drop-side crib recalls (yes, Graco was included) a couple of years back. Well, rest assured that this Graco Victoria convertible crib comes out if not top, then very close to it for baby safety and security. It is a non-drop side crib, so no issues on that count. I found out in the course of some of my research for this review that drop side cribs will actually be banned from manufacture and sale (in the United States, at least) from June 2011. Not a moment too soon if you ask me (considering some of the horror stories I read when researching this).
It’s all well and good me saying the crib is extremely safe and secure. After all, you may be thinking that I could be making anything up and just sticking it down on the page just to “fluff” up my review a bit! Well, checking out some of the reviews online (in this particular case from the product page on Amazon), you’ll find dozens of positive reviews that, among other things, sing the praises of the safety and sturdiness of this product. And don’t forget – these are from people who have actually bought and used the crib for their own babies. Here is just a few that I’ve picked out (as I said, you can easily check these out for yourself by visiting the product page for the Graco Victoria at Amazon):
- It’s very sturdy and I feel comfortable that my baby will be safe in it…
- They were very pleased to see how sturdy it is. He had a different brand for his first daughter and said this one is 100% safer…
- Finally, a crib that is beautifully designed, sturdy and solidly made and for a truly reasonable price…
- I should mention that my father was also impressed with it – he’s a retired engineer who also makes solid furniture as a hobby and has for years…
- It’s sturdy and the wood looks great (not cheap/plastic-y like other cribs)…
- Its great quality materials and very sturdy…
- It is furniture quality as far as the wood, it feels solid and well put together, and VERY sturdy- everything I wanted in out next crib…
- WOW…it is the sturdiest crib I have ever seen and looks as though we spent a ton…
- It’s beautiful, sturdy (and safe) and my granddaughter will be able to use it as a “big girl bed” when she grows older…
- The thing I am most impressed with is the solid feeling of the crib…
- It is very sturdy, easy to assemble and seems like a much more expensive crib…
And these are just some of the comments I found!
It’s not just about safety though. The Graco Victoria Non Drop Side 5 in 1 Convertible Crib has an elegant stylishness to it which complements almost any décor you may have in your nursery. Another great plus point is the fact that this a non-gender specific crib. That has to be perfect for most parents, doesn’t it? Buy a gender specific crib and then if the next baby that comes along is the opposite gender…well, you get my drift!
It Grows With Your Baby
The mattress platform can be raised (three height levels) as your baby gets a little bigger and, on top of this, another great point about this crib is that it can gradually convert into a bed as your baby gets older. It can basically go from being a crib to a toddler bed to a day bed to a proper bed with a headboard and footboard, although at this point it has to be said that the bed frame and mattress is not included for this proper bed conversion.
The Main Features of This Graco Convertible Crib
This crib is white in color (pretty obvious from all the photos on this page), but I wanted to find out the size of the thing. As I said; I’m waiting for those grandkids so there’s no harm in making sure the crib fits comfortably into the intended room! Anyway, I found it that it’s 56 inches in length, just over 30 inches in its width, and has a height of 47 inches.
Whilst finding out more about the size of the crib, I found out that a crib shouldn’t be used by infants over 35 inches in height (I think that’s about 90 cm). When the toddler reaches this height (I had to laugh at this juncture because I also came across the following: or is able to climb out of crib), it is time for the crib to be converted to a toddler bed.
I can’t emphasize enough how impressed I am with all this “convertible” lark – there was none of that when my kids were babies. It must be such a money saver not having to buy a new bed for each stage of your kid’s life!
Anyhow, here are some of the main features of the Graco Victoria Non Drop Side 5 in 1 Convertible Crib, listed in bullet points to make it easier to digest:
- It converts from a crib to a toddler bed to a daybed to a normal bed (the bed frame and the mattress are not included)
- There is a three position height adjustment for the mattress
- Durable, safe and extremely functional
- There is a five-year limited warranty against manufacturer’s defects
- JPMA, ASTM and CPSC safety certified*
- Assembly required **
- Mattress sold separately***
Just some points I’d like to make about the features with the asterisks (*) which I’m sure you’ll find handy. Amazing what a bit of research will do…
*
JPMA – Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, ASTM – ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, CPSC – Consumer Product Safety Commission.
** Judging by many comments online, the crib doesn’t take long at all to assemble. In fact I have seen numbers quoted from 30 minutes to two hours, but I suppose it all depends on how technically competent you are with your hands (I think I would fail this test by a long shot!).
Here are a couple of the comments I found on the Amazon product page for this item regarding assembly:
- My husband put it together in about an hour and it looks great!
- It went together easily and quickly…
- Not too difficult to put together…instructions are decent. It is a great buy for the price…
- Great value. Easy to put together. Highly recommend…
- My husband and I assembled this crib in less than 2 hours. It was very easy to follow the directions, however having assembled similar things definitely helped us to finish more quickly…
- I am 28 weeks pregnant and put this together by myself in about 40 minutes…
- Very easy to put together my husband didn’t have any problems…
Tip for Assembly
Here is a little tip I came across in relation to assembling this Graco Victoria non dropside convertible crib. When trying to assemble the back top, you’ll find a grove that both the top and bottom parts have to fit in to, and this can prove to be slightly tricky. When you reach this juncture, do the following:
1) With a wooden or rubber hammer end, place a thick piece of rug or something similar on the top end piece and tap the piece into the grove and then do the same on the other side.
2) Insert and tighten the screw into the last corner you tapped in
3) Lightly tap the other corner into place again and tighten the screws
*** When it comes to the mattress, here are a couple of tidbits from customer reviews I came across which should be of some help to you:
- I purchased the Colgate Classical I Foam Crib Mattress. It’s not round corner and it really goes with this (Graco) crib perfectly
- Ensure you buy a mattress that is at least 27¼ x 51½
Looking After the Graco Victoria Non Drop Side 5 in 1 Convertible Crib
You don’t want to be spending your hard earned cash on something and then not look after it, do you? Here are some tips from the manufacturer on how to take care of the Graco crib:
- Use a non-abrasive cleaner
- Water and soapy (dishwasher detergent) water will suffice
- Apply to crib with a soft cloth that has been only lightly dampened in the solution
- Afterwards dry completely with a soft cloth (dry, obviously)
- If polishing, do so only a couple of times a year as the polish can distort the crib’s finish over time
Where Can You Purchase the Graco Victoria Non Drop Side 5 in 1 Convertible Crib?
So there you have it, my (hopefully helpful) review of the Graco Victoria Non Drop Side 5 in 1 Convertible Crib. It is certainly one that I would very seriously consider when it’s time to think about getting one for potential grandchildren.
I’ve had a look at a few places this crib is sold online and it appears that Amazon currently offers the best deal. You can even get free super saving shipping if you purchase from them. You can check it out on the Amazon page by clicking here. At the same time you’ll be able to read some more very positive reviews from real customers about this product, or alternatively click here for those reviews of the Graco Victoria Non Drop Side 5 in 1 Convertible Crib.