The time has finally come for Juliana to start sleeping in her own bed. Well, the time actually came two months ago. I waited 2 months for a crib that I ordered on Amazon.fr to arrive, only to be contacted by them after it was late that I would need to wait another two months. I ordered a mattress at the same time and it had already arrived. Desperate for Juliana to have her own bed now, I canceled the order and began searching for a crib all over again. Tomorrow, I will give you a list of websites and tips for buying a crib in France. I broke this topic into two posts – it was getting too long.
A typical crib and portable bed are 60 cm x 120 cm. Some women purchase a portable bed instead of a crib and place a standard mattress inside it. This is a great way to save money, and you can conveniently bring it with you when you travel. This was what we were originally going to do. Somehow, our portable bed broke during our move and I realized that I really wanted a crib. After my order from Amazon did not show up, I also realized that I did not want a flimsy one. I want one that will last a long time.
You can find two types of cribs in France: lit bébé (standard crib) and lit bébé evolutif (convertible crib). A standard crib usually allows you to adjust the height of the bed to two or three positions, so you do not need a bassinet. A convertible crib also allows you to adjust the height, but also converts into a toddler bed. This type of bed is a little more expensive than a standard bed, but it should last until the baby is 5 or 6 years old. We decided to shop for a convertible bed because we like the idea of not having to shop for a toddler bed later. The original bed I ordered was a convertible bed, so I already had the mattress for this sized bed.
After spending days scouring the web for good deals, I finally found two used ones that I loved from leboncoin.fr. I really wanted a new crib, but the ones in my budget seemed cheap or flimsy. I really wanted a quality bed that would last years. I just did not want to spend over 500 euros for it. It seemed like all the really high quality beds were at the very least 500 euros.
My husband called the first choice, but the seller said that a buyer was coming that afternoon. This crib sells for 800 euros new and was being sold for only 150 euros. I asked my husband to call her again, I really loved this bed and my heart was broken that I could not have it. He offered her 50 euros more if she would sell it to us. The woman hesitated, but agreed. However, an hour later she said that she could not reach the buyer and would have to sell it to her if she arrives. That was understandable, and that is exactly what happened. My husband called the second choice seller and arranged for me to pick it up the next day. He had to work and I was scared that if we would wait for the weekend, it would be sold by then. This bed was selling for 210 euros and goes for about 500 euros new.
I drove two hours to Marseille to pick up the bed. The brand is Theo et Ines, and I loved the bed much more in person. It is absolutely adorable and you can tell it is high quality. It had a few scratches that I did not notice in the photos, but she was going to throw in the mattress, mattress cover, and railing guard. The mattress cover and railing guard were in excellent condition, but the mattress was looking like it has seen better days. Luckily, we already had a very good new mattress at home. We disassembled the bed and I brought it into the car. As soon as I pulled away, my husband called. The buyer of my first choice bed does not want it anymore. She thought it was a 60 cm x 120 cm bed, and her mattress and crib set did not fit it. The seller gave us her information and I decided to get this bed and sell the bed I just purchased back on leboncoin.fr.
I drove 45 minutes to get the other bed only to be disappointed. I pictured the wood being thicker, more stable. It also had a lot of scratches and imperfections. Maybe the bed would have looked better assembled than in the woman’s car, but I was exhausted and wanted to go home. I ended up not getting this bed and holding onto the one that I had already purchased. I loved the teddy bear on the bed I purchased and found the crib absolutely adorable. I could picture my daughter in there with a cute old-fashioned quilt. Three hours later (darn rush hour traffic in Marseille and Aix-en-Provence), I was home again.
Mission completed.
Emilie says
When on a budget you can also get a good quality Ikea crib! This may not be the best quality ever but that’s what I bought for Leo, it was about 80€ (without mattress) and it looks strong enough to survive a few years with my baby and his future brother or sister!
Anna says
I agree with Emilie, the best budget cribs come from IKEA. Perhaps the cheapest one they have is not the best quality, but some of the other models are great and very durable. We have used an IKEA crib for two children and it still looks good, it also ‘evolves’ to suit a toddler. When we visit my parents we still use the IKEA crib I slept in as a baby 35 years ago, still going strong! Plus, you can order it online and have it delivered.
PigletinFrance - Sharon says
Our crib comes from Vertbaudet, am really happy with it and it wasn’t very expensive either (they have frequent discounts if you have a Vertbaudet card). I was given a Stokke crib which I absolutely hated and got rid of, just goes to show that inexpensive can be better 🙂