Safe Crib Setup

A safe crib is simpler than most nurseries suggest — it’s mostly about what you leave out, not what you add in. This walkthrough covers choosing, setting up, and maintaining a crib that meets current safety standards.

A crib, bassinet, or play yard that meets Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards, a firm mattress sized to fit the frame with no gaps, and a fitted sheet made for that exact mattress. That’s genuinely everything the sleep space needs.

Choose a crib that meets current safety standards

Look for a crib manufactured after 2011, when drop-side rails were banned in the U.S. due to entrapment and suffocation risks. Check that all hardware is present and tight, slats are no more than about 2⅜ inches apart, and there’s no visible damage. Check the model against cpsc.gov’s recall list before you buy secondhand or set up an older crib.

Use a firm, properly sized mattress

The mattress should be firm enough that it doesn’t noticeably indent under your baby’s weight — federal crib mattress standards, updated by the CPSC in 2022, specifically test for this to reduce suffocation risk from overly soft mattresses. The mattress should fit the crib frame snugly, with no gap you can fit more than two fingers into between the mattress and the crib side.

Use only a fitted sheet

Use a fitted sheet made specifically for your mattress’s dimensions — it should stay snugly in place and not come loose. Skip mattress toppers, waterproof pads that don’t fit exactly, and any decorative bedding.

Keep the crib bare

Once the mattress and fitted sheet are on, the sleep space is done. Don’t add pillows, blankets, quilts, comforters, crib bumpers, sleep positioners, or stuffed toys — all of them increase suffocation and entrapment risk and none are necessary.

Position the crib safely in the room

Place the crib away from windows, blinds, curtains, and any cords — a baby who pulls up can reach further than expected. Keep it away from radiators, space heaters, and any furniture a mobile baby could use to climb out.

Recheck it as your baby grows

Lower the mattress height once your baby can sit up, and again once they can pull to standing, so they can’t climb or fall out. Periodically check cpsc.gov for recalls on your specific crib and mattress models.

Never use a crib with broken slats, missing or loose hardware, or a drop-side rail — these have been linked to serious injury and drop-side cribs are no longer legal to sell in the U.S. When in doubt, check the model against the current CPSC recall list.

Next Steps

Crib setup is one piece of a safe sleep environment. See our Safe Sleep for Babies guide for the full picture, including sleep position and room-sharing.

Sources

This guide is based on published guidance from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission safe-sleep guidance and the American Academy of Pediatrics via HealthyChildren.org. It is provided for general education and does not replace your pediatrician’s advice.

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