Warm Scandi design for every stage
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] When you hit the big box stores looking for baby cribs, and especially expandable, 3-in-1, 4-in-1, type cribs, you'll see a lot of the same kind of stuff. Boxy, giant, American traditional cribs. They work great if you have a giant primary bedroom, and perhaps colonial decor everywhere, but they're very dull to me. When I first saw this Stokke Sleepi crib, I was super impressed. I love Scandi-style furniture, and this crib is a great example of why I love this style - it looks slick and modern, but the natural wood tones and soft shapes keep it warm and inviting. My husband, a veteran flat-pack furniture builder (even professionally for a number of years) was eager to rip into the box and build this little nest for our littlest loved one. He remarked on the overall quality of the product, which is constructed from a mix of solid wood and high-quality plywood, with a smooth satin finish that enhances the natural character of the wood, and makes for easy cleaning. Even the assembly instructions were top quality, with a glossy cover, and clear and bold pictogram step-by-step instructions. Two nit-picks did arise here. Despite literally hundreds of furniture assembles under his belt, my husband was stumped early on by the labelling of the four side pieces in the manual. These pieces are "handed" and so there are two of one kind and two of another, but the parts themselves are not physically labelled with stickers. What my husband determined was that the labels in the manual swap from one step to another, in an apparent misprint. That said, the assembly is easy overall, but one should follow the manual for a baby product! The second nit-pick was how well some pieces joined together. As can be seen in the closeup photo, when two of the sides are butted up together to be joined, because of the tolerances in the top bar, the two sides form a gap and get "pinched" together by the bolts. This is a minor cosmetic issue, but is surprising given the price point of the crib and the attention to detail that is evident else where in the product. Functionality wise, this is a super cozy crib. Our little one really loved both sleeping in this crib and just hanging out in it. Speaking of hanging out, this crib's super power is the caster wheels. They were slick and let us bring the crib around the house, and even out on our deck. This is only possible because the crib has such a compact footprint. This is a bonus if you have a smaller bedroom and need to squeeze a crib in there to be near to mom. A final feature I love is the expandability. Even though the newborn crib is very compact, Stokke has an expansion kit to turn it first into a standard size crib and then into a toddler bed. This is a cool twist on an old concept where some bonus side pieces get inserted between the curved side sections that I mentioned before. So with this, my little one can get years of use from this bed, and we can keep the beautiful curves and glowing natural wood tones. This is a great crib, that with a few small improvements, could be a phenomenal crib. It's ideal for a smaller home, or for those who love a clean, calm, minimalist vibe. Without being too crunchy, in a world of MDF and sprayed painted finishes, it's refreshing to see a product celebrating natural wood's beauty. [ I received this product for review as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel ]