Stork Craft Chelsea 4-in-1 Crib with Drawer in Cherry

I am very picky, but really like this crib a lot. Its not the fanciest crib out there, but looks nice. I have not encountered any bad smell. I like the fact that it has the solid platform, so we could put our angelcare pad from the monitor system. I did give it 4 stars , because we only had it 2 months, so not sure about durablility. Al in all
good crib for the money. Do the research and see for yourself: Amazon has the best price and free shipping.
There are a lot of purchases we would not make for the baby, looking back. This crib is not one of them.

At $159.99, I knew we weren't getting the best crib out there. Frankly, I'm appalled they even allow this thing on the market.

The description says solid wood and wood products, but I couldn't find one piece that was made of anything but pressed sawdust and glue. Note, I'm not just talking your typical particle board here - this is some all-new funky material, likely developed in China, where the crib is manufactured. As everyone knows, many China-made baby and children's products have been recalled for lead, asbestos and GHB. What new and toxic shortcut could have been used in the manufacturing of this crib?

It's not just the appearance of this "wood product" that is disturbing. The smell is atrocious. I began unpacking this crib indoors, but quickly had to move it to the outdoors. It has an acrid smell, like one of those nail salons in the mall, and it quickly engulfs an entire room. Even outdoors, you don't have to be right next to the thing to be blown away by it. We tried wiping it with a vinegar solution. We tried airing it out for a day - just to give the thing the benefit of the doubt. Then we packed it up neatly and looked into Amazon's return policy: It's awesome by the way. UPS picked this piece of junk up the next day and we breathed a sigh of relief.

As an aside - the finish is ugly. It looks like someone tried airbrush a wood-like appearance onto it, but they were too cheap to get it right. It's patchy looking, kinda like a mangy dog. (How were any of these reviewers fooled by this?) In the lighter spots it's really obvious that the thing is indeed pressed sawdust, and the bars of the crib are flimsy and rubber-like.

If you think you're too poor to afford better, I'd suggest going for used. Our first daughter's crib was a used 7-year old piece that was originally in this price range. It's solid wood. It doesn't stink. It has a real honest polyurethane-style finish that wasn't airbrushed onto it. It's made in a third-world country that is NOT China.

If you can afford better, there are options in the 400+ range. One reviewer mentioned Baby's Dream - who claims their cribs are USA manufactured. While that's a fallacy - Baby's Dream cribs are manufactured in Chile - it is true that Baby's Dream uses 100% SOLID WOOD, no particle board, and their finish doesn't just say non-toxic, it smells non-toxic. And they are gorgeous, quality cribs that turn into toddler beds, then either full or twin sized beds depending on the model.

In the 600+ range you can go one better and buy an Amish crib that IS made in the USA, and is either unfinished or is finished with Tung oil, and is made of sustainable woods.

Either way, put your foot down and tell these manufacturers that you won't put your baby to sleep in their toxic crib. Our children deserve better, and until we DEMAND better, we will continue to get products that are substandard and dangerous.

this is a really nice crib, better than i thought for the price. it is well made, i dont know what that one reviewer received but it wasnt this crib!! is has no smell at all unless your nose is pressed against it which then it smells like wood, no chemical smell that they stated. the only part that isnt full wood is part of the drawer and the thing that holds the mattress, BUT it is made of wood parts and the mattress holder is very sturdy! i am VERY pleased with this purchase not just b/c of the quality but also for the price and the fact that it transforms from crib to toddler bed to day bed to full size bed. amazon has once again has made me very happy!!!! and you gotta love the free shipping!!!! i HIGHLY recommend this crib, not just for people who has a smaller budget but for EVERYONE!!!!

We had barely gotten this crib out of the box before being knocked over by its awful smell. As we pulled it out, piece by piece, the entire room began to fill up with the stench of...what? Was it the finish? Was it some chemical they spray on it to keep rats from munching on it, as it wends it way in a container ship over to the US? Whatever it is, I didn't want my baby sleeping in those fumes.

Could we have let it air out? Could we have washed it down somehow, to get the chemical stench off? Well, maybe, except for one little problem: This crib that was advertised as being "made of solid wood and wood products" was pretty much all particle board. We never managed to figure out which piece was solid wood. Instead, we saw lots of particle board, with nails poking through, evidence of cheap, cheap construction throughout.

The CEO of Stork Craft was recently named "Entrepreneur of the Year" for turning the failing company around. It's easy to see how he did it: Take a reputable company, send nearly all the production overseas, turn out a shoddy, inadequate, possibly dangerous product, and charge full price for it.

Infants deserve the highest quality. They deserve safety--not stinking chemicals and pointy nails. Needless to say, we boxed this crib up and sent it right back. (We ended up going with a crib from Baby's Dream, which came out of the box smelling like--wood! And being made almost entirely of--wood!)

We purchased this crib for our most precious treasure...our first grandchild. It was fairly easy to put together (the drawer took the longest), it's attractive and sturdy. And, since we got it from Amazon at an awesome price ($115 Free Shipping!!!), we couldn't ask for more!