Graco Benton 5-in-1 Convertible Crib, Driftwood

Why it's worth it

The Benton converts all the way to a full-size bed with a headboard and optional footboard. It's built from pine and wood composites, carries GREENGUARD Gold certification, and Graco says two adults can assemble it in about half an hour.

Five-in-one sounds like marketing math, and mostly it is. But the last stage is the one that counts. The Benton goes crib, toddler bed, daybed, then full bed with a headboard and optional footboard. Reviewers who track long-term value point out that a crib which becomes a full bed can stay useful into the pre-teen years. That's the argument for spending on convertibility instead of on looks.

This is the pick if you hate assembly surprises. Graco lists the Benton as independently tested at an accredited lab, retested annually to current standards, and packaged to survive shipping. The listing puts assembly at about 30 minutes with two adults. Owner feedback is unusually consistent for a crib this widely stocked, which tells you the parts fit the way the instructions say they do.

From our review of 6 baby cribs

What we like

• +Five-in-one sounds like marketing math, and mostly it is
• +This is the pick if you hate assembly surprises
• +The driftwood color is the quiet kind of neutral that goes with almost any dresser, and the lines are plain enough that nobody…
• +It's a standard-footprint crib at roughly 55 by 30 inches, so measure once before you commit

What to know

• –It's pine and wood composites, not solid hardwood, and it looks it up close
• –Every conversion costs extra