I shopped online for cribs for a long time before deciding on this one. My choices were somewhat limited, as I knew I wanted a 4-in-1 convertible crib in espresso. Because this crib had no user reviews, I was hesitant to purchase, but the price was reasonable and from the pictures, it seemed to be what I was looking for, so I went ahead and took a chance. Now have it assembled, and I am pleased so far! Baby is not due until a few months down the road, which will be the REAL test, but for now, I can give the following info about it:The color is an espresso, but it is not the darkest color out there -- just a slight hint of a cherry in there as well -- but it is a nice color nevertheless and will still match with a dresser I've purchased, which IS darker in color. Once assembled, the crib appears VERY sturdy and the wood/construction seems to be of good quality. Also, the paint does not seem to chip off, as with some of the other brands of cribs I did manage to see in stores. The downside, at least for us, was the assembly. Now, the entire process was not a problem and mostly went pretty quick and according to the instruction. The one hold-up was when you have to screw something in diagonal (most are straight, so when you get to this point, it's like the 2nd or 3rd step, you'll know what I'm talking about). The screws go into a "peanut" type thing(forget what they're actually called) , but if the pre-drilled holes are too deep, the screw will end up just hitting the top half of the hole on the "peanut" and strip it. So, first, as for all of the time when you're putting in the screws, be sure that you are holding the peanut in place with a screwdriver so that the hole does not move around (works best w/2 people). Another solution we did when the pre-drilled hole was too deep was to fill it with a few bits of scrap paper to make it sit higher. And don't worry -- if you strip a few of these "peanuts" (maybe they are called bolt-carriers?), you can buy extras at [...]or probably any other hardware store -- as the crib does not come with extra hardware. Other than that assembly difficulty, I have no complaints so far. [...] So at this point (and I have not tried it with an infant or tried to convert to a toddler bed, etc.) I would definitely recommend!"..." Read more
- Anifan in St. Louis, MO