Shopping for a convertible baby bed? be prepared to assemble that bed after it is delivered to your home. At first, buying a convertible crib can be an expensive investment. However, when you use that bed for your child’s first four or five years, it is a wise investment. That is because you can transform that bed into a toddler bed and a full day bed as your child grows.

Why Assemble a Convertible Baby Bed?
If you are purchasing a bed online or in a retail store, you won’t get the fully assembled bed sent to your home. The crib will be sent in a box, “knocked down” – that is packed in parts. This format saves you money in shipping, since a compact box is much cheaper to ship than a full-size crib.

The shipping box is easier to handle and move into your baby’s nursery. You can keep the bedroom door on its hinges as you move the bed into the nursery Understand that assembling a crib saves you money in shipping and handling. How do you prepare to assemble the crib when you receive it?
The Important Three Things for Assembling Your Baby’s Bed
To recap, you will assemble your baby’s new crib right in the baby’s bedroom, not in the living room.. For a quick and easy assembly – the very first time, be sure to have these three resources at your fingertips.

Instructions
- Illustrated, step by step instructions
- Videos that come from the dealer, store or manufacturer
- A visual of assembled crib

Space
- A relatively empty bedroom so that you have enough space to maneuver the bed when it is fully assembled
- Place to lay out all of the parts including the sides, foot, and head of the bed, the mattress frame
- Count the parts to make sure you have everything. Compare your list of hardware parts to the list in the instructions.
- Use Post It Notes to mark each part with the same labels in the instructions.

Tools
- Recommended tools by the manufacturer, including screwdrivers, an allen wrench, pliers or wrench to tighten the nuts and bolts
- A rubber mallet to tap the parts into place. If you use a steel hammer on wood parts, you’ll mar the finish and dent the wood.

Putting it All Together
Read each step of the instruction guide before you begin. Then, before you fasten any bolts or screws, fit the parts together, so you know how they go together. Do each step in order. Most instructions number all of the steps, so do Step One before Step Two.

Most convertible cribs have different mattress positions, like low, middle and high. Set the mattress position to fit the age and size of your child. The instructions will tell you which mattress height is best for the height of your child. Typically, the younger the child, the higher the mattress setting.

Make sure that all bolts, screws and nuts are tightened so that the crib is strong and sturdy.

Now it’s time to test the crib for being sturdy for your baby. Does it wobble? Do any parts feel loose? Do you feel confident that your baby wil be safe in the crib? Remove any gaps between the sides, mattress, and rails that could trap your baby’s head or body.

You can assemble a convertible baby bed very quickly when you follow these steps. It’s not rocket science. Remember, read the instructions, provide enough space and use the right tools. Your baby’s first bed will become a safe place to sleep soundly while growing up into a healthy child.