Crib Bumper Reader Poll

With over 60 nursery and kids’ room designs to our credit, we think it’s safe to say that we’re asked about crib bumpers a lot.  For some parents, the crib bumper is an absolute must.  For others it’s a resounding no-no.  And for many, it’s a hazy gray area of uncertainty.  Today, we wanted to share our thoughts, and more importantly get yours.  Please let us know where you stand on crib bumpers by commenting on this post.

As a mother of two young children, I admit that I used crib bumpers.  The charm of a beautiful bumper is appealing to both my sense of style, and my desire to keep my babies cozy.  From the very first time I put my infant son into his big huge crib, I was happy that I’d opted for a bumper.  However…

On the flip side, last Fall, we sat down with Kimberlee – owner of BooBoo Busters, (a professional baby proofing service) to get her take on bumper safety.  Her statement: “bounce the bumpers”.  Additionally, in a recent conversation with a prominent parenting magazine, we learned they will no longer be printing photos of bumpers without a safety caveat.  With slightly different form and function, alternative styles are available to combat the safety concerns of standard bumpers – like the Breathable Bumper shown here.

While my own children are plenty old enough to be out of harm’s way (huge sigh of relief!), the controversy irks many families who are expecting or have infants at home.  So, we reached out to one of our favorite crib bedding manufacturers – Katy Mimari of Caden Lane – to get her thoughts both as a Mom and as a maker or adorable crib bedding. According to Katy, “As any expecting parent will find, there seems to be pros & cons to everything involving your child… to breast feed or bottle… to swaddle or not…. pacifier or thumb…. the debates are endless! And at the end of the day, each parent decides on what is best for them and their child. There’s no question that the bumpers help finish out a crib, it’s like having a comforter & shams on your master bed. The design aspect is there. But there’s also a practical aspect to them, they protect little arms & feet from slipping between the slats of the crib, and keep peeking eyes from seeing you sneak into the room to make sure they are asleep. But remember, you can take them off the first year, and put them back on after that. Or don’t use them at all! It’s truthfully your choice.”

Katy went on to say: “Remember, always secure your bumpers to your crib. And every manufacturer does their bedding differently, so do your research and see what products fit best into your lifestyle & nursery design. Caden Lane bedding has several distinct features that set them apart from other companies. First, our bumpers are four separate pieces, so you can choose which pieces to remove if necessary, and it allows you to continue to use them with convertible cribs. Second,  we have slightly longer bumper ties so that they can be tied tight even around the thickest of wood cribs (watch out for short ties that don’t reach around the crib). Third, all of our bumpers are slip-covered. So don’t stress if some kind of icky bodily-fluid gets on them – everything is machine washable”.

So, Project Nursery reader, what’s your take?  Do you use bumpers or not, and why?  Please share your thoughts by commenting on this post.

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