Are Secondhand Cribs Safe for Babies? What Parents Need to Know

Pediatricians Strongly Discourage Secondhand Cribs

Interviewer: Secondhand cribs, are they a good idea or not? We're with pediatrician Nathan Bexfield from University of Utah Hospital. Secondhand cribs, what do you have to say about that?

Dr. Bexfield: So first, and foremost, it's probably not a good idea to use a second-hand crib.

Interviewer: Under any circumstances?

Dr. Bexfield: Under most circumstances, I would say.

The Dangers of Drop-Side Cribs

Interviewer: That's a pretty strong statement. Why is that?

Dr. Bexfield: Well, there are so many different cribs out there, and actually, we see a lot of recalls for cribs. It's kind of hard to find out which ones have been recalled and which ones haven't. Although there is an excellent website, you can go to www.recalls.gov, and you can look and see if that particular crib has been recalled. But they get lost in the mix of things, and people go to yard sales, and they find a crib, and they need a crib, and they just buy it without checking into it. The reality is that the rules for how cribs are made changed in July of 2011. Some of those changes we have seen are that drop-side cribs are pretty much illegal.

Interviewer: Really?

Dr. Bexfield: Yes, you can't sell them in the store.

Interviewer: So don't pull that mattress tag off, and don't get a drop-side crib.

Dr. Bexfield: No, definitely do not get that drop-side crib.

Interviewer: All right.

Dr. Bexfield: You actually see a lot of those in yard sales. We have a yard sale in our neighborhood every year, and I think we see one every year just on the side of the road.

Interviewer: And what makes them so dangerous? Why should you avoid them?

Dr. Bexfield: Because it's very easy for the child to drop that side of the crib and fall out.

Interviewer: Okay, or be able to get into things that they shouldn't get into.

Dr. Bexfield: Yes, and they can actually get trapped under that side of the crib, they can get pinched on that side of the crib, and as you said, it's pretty dangerous for them to be out roaming around when you think they're safe in their crib and asleep.

Hidden Hazards Inside Used Cribs

Interviewer: What other things should you watch out for when it comes to those used cribs?

Dr. Bexfield: Other things that I watch for with used cribs are things that go into the crib, namely crib bumpers. You want to make sure that the crib bumpers are actually mesh material that fit tight to the side of the crib. Crib bumpers are generally used to keep babies' arms and hands from getting trapped through the slats of the cribs. A lot of crib bumpers are made that do not have that mesh material, which is breathable and can actually suffocate children if they're used inside cribs.

Interviewer: All right, so avoid the garage sale crib. Look out for those crib bumpers if they're the solid plastic kind, it sounds like. When it comes to cribs, what else should you look out for?

Dr. Bexfield: When it comes to cribs, you should look out for the old cribs that were made before 2011. Sometimes the height adjustment on those can be somewhat unsafe for the child. If the child is able to get up and get over the side of the crib, then they're going to fall and hurt themselves potentially.

Interviewer: That's another issue. But you would just avoid all these things entirely, it sounds like.

Dr. Bexfield: Completely. I would buy a brand new crib. I would say that you want to be smart and make sure you put your child in the safest position possible in their crib and make it so they don't have those sorts of hazards around them while they're sleeping or playing in their crib.

_{updated: January 20, 2026
originally published: December, 20, 2014}