A great crib for a small space -- Delta Luv Fold-a-Way Portable Crib
Written: Jan 10 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: fits in a small space, drop side, two mattress heights
Cons: comes with a very thin mattress; requires 2 hands to work drop side
The Bottom Line: A great crib for tight spaces. If using frequently, consider upgrading the mattress.
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| robynkoz's Full Review: Delta Luv Fold-a-Way 11 Portable Crib |
When I was expecting our last baby, we didn't have room for a full-sized crib, so I began looking into portable cribs as an alternative. I was hoping to find a portable crib with many of the features of full-sized cribs. In particular, I wanted a crib with a drop side and adjustable mattress height. I found what I was looking for in the Delta Luv Fold-a-Way Portable Crib.
Product Features
- 39" W x 25" D x 41.5" H
- 38x24 mattress (included)
- Single drop side
- 2 position mattress support
- Folds flat for traveling and storage
- JPMA certified
- Good up to 40 lbs.
The Delta Luv Fold-a-Way portable crib is a wooden crib that looks just like a full-sized crib, only smaller. It comes in three colors, cherry, natural and white.
The Mattress
This crib comes with a very thin (about 1" thick) vinyl-covered foam mattress. Because we were planning to use this crib full-time, we chose to upgrade so a thicker mattress. The crib's instructions recommended not using a mattress any thicker than 2", and that was the precise thickness of the replacement mattress we were able to purchase.
We do use the original mattress as a sleeping pad for our son while camping, and it seems to be comfortable enough, so I think it would be perfectly adequate for occasional use.
The Drop Side
This crib has only one side that can work as the drop side. (Many full-sized cribs have this feature on both sides.) That isn't a big deal; you just have to orient the crib the right way when you set it up.
Just like most full-sized cribs, the entire crib side slides up and down when you operate the drop side. I like this arrangement better than the alternative some portable (and a few full-sized cribs) use where the top of the crib side is hinged and folds down to lower the side.
The full-size crib we had for our first two children had a drop side that you could work with one hand and a foot. This was great for operating the side with a sleeping baby in hand. This crib's drop side requires two hands to operate. This works out fine as long as you always leave the side down after taking the baby out, so that it's ready and waiting if you show up with a sleeping baby you need to get back in. (If you have a tall spouse, this may be a matter of some dispute...)
Operating the side takes a little getting used to, but is then quite simple. You lift the side slightly while squeezing the two handles, and then lower (or raise) the side. I found that I could raise the side quietly enough to not wake a sleeping baby, when necessary. As with any crib, you should always push down on the side after raising it to make sure everything clicked into place -- occasaionally I will find that one side did not lock into place and need to give it a little extra tug to make sure everything clicks.
The Adjustable Mattress Heights
This crib has two mattress positions -- a newborn position and a position for older babies and toddlers. The newborn position can only be used until the baby is pushing up onto his or her hands and knees, but I found it extremely valuable for making it easier to move a floppy newborn in and out of the crib in those earliest days.
Unlike most full-sized cribs, adjusting the mattress height is a snap. It's difficult to describe, but you just unlatch it, swivel the base up toward the back side, then swing it up or down and swivel it back into position, latching it back into place.
The manufacturer suggests that you can use the crib as a changing table with the mattress in the high position and the drop side dropped. We never used it this way (preferring to just change the baby on a pad on our bed) and, simple though it is, I can't really see changing the mattress height several times a day, especially if you are using crib bumpers, which would have to be moved.
Folding for Storage or Travel
Since we use the crib full-time, we have never folded it up. This crib is not as easy to fold or move as a Graco-style playyard. To fold it, you need to remove the front (droppable) side, then swivel the mattress support up against the back side, and fold in the ends. This isn't something you want to do all the time, but between visits to Grandma's house or between children, it is certainly easier to manage than a full-size crib.
Safety
Since we were planning on using this crib full-time, I wanted to make sure it would be as safe as a traditional crib.
This crib is certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association as meeting the ASTM standards for non-full-size baby cribs. These differ slightly from the standards for full-sized baby cribs.
A summary of the standards for non-full-size cribs can be found at:
www.cpsc.gov/businfo/regsumcribnfs.pdf
A summary of the standards for full-size cribs can be found at:
www.cpsc.gov/businfo/regsumcrib.pdf
The main difference is that for non-full-sized cribs:
(1) the top of the crib side and/or end panel at its highest adjustable position must be at least 22 inches above the top of the mattress support at its lowest position;
(2) the top of the crib side and/or end panel at its lowest adjustable position must be at least 5 inches above the top of the mattress support at its highest position.
With the mattress installed and uncompressed, these measures must be 20" and 3" (thus the instruction not to use a mattress any thicker than 2" thick).
For a full-sized crib, the corresponding measurements (without a mattress) must be 26" and 9". The standards specify for a full-sized crib that the mattress must be no more than 6" thick, leaving the same distance between the top of the mattress and the top of the rails (20" and 3") as is specified for non-full-size cribs.
So, the only safety difference between non-full-sized cribs and their full-sized counterparts is that you are restricted to using a much thinner mattress. With this in mind, I have peace of mind that I am not sacrificing my child's safety when using this crib, and that the crib can be used as long as a full-sized crib could, with the exeption that the weight limit may be lower than most full-sized cribs. However, since my six-year-old is not yet quite 40 lbs, and my toddler seems to be following his growth pattern, I don't think this will be an issue for us!
Availability
We were able to find this crib locally at Toys 'R' Us. We ended up having to mail-order the replacement mattress, sheets and crib set (quilt, bumpers and matching sheet) as these were harder to find.
Bottom Line
I feel that this crib is an excellent product for a family that wants the most useful features of a full-sized crib in a more compact package. My son is now 21 months old and is still sleeping quite comfortably in his little Delta Luv crib.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99
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Epinions.com ID:
robynkoz
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Location: Vermont
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
Mom of three wonderful boys, and a computer scientist in my "spare time" :)
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