We have a crib that is about 10 or 11 years old. The side rails can be removed to be used as a toddler bed, but it doesn't have a conversion kit like some modern ones with partial rails to keep the child from falling out of bed. I have looked at bed rails online and in stores, and they all say they need to be used in a bed with a box spring, twin to queen size. None of them will work for a crib mattress and no box spring. I contacted the friend who gave me the crib, she said they had used a rail but think they gave it away to someone else. Any ideas? Our 2.5 year old daughter has learned how to climb out of the crib. Fortunately she is doing a great job staying in her bed until we come to get her, as we asked her to do, but we hoped to be able to remove the side rail and use a temporary rail before we move her to a twin size bed.
I ran into the exact same problem. The rails you buy for a big bed just do not work. I ended up going to WalMart and buying a $50 toddler bed. My daughter LOVES it!
If you are worried about her falling out of bed, just put a sleeping bag or something soft on the floor next to the bed so if she falls out it won't be a hard thud. When we moved our son from the crib to a twin bed, he only fell out twice. We never used side rails.
I just went through this a couple of month ago with my 2 year old. Although her bed has a conversion kit it does not have a safety rail. I bought several different rails, but none of them were made for cribs. I finally ordered one at www.snugtuckpillow.com. It is a safety pillow and it works great. I was a little worried at first because it was not a taller rail, but she has never fallen out of her bed. I love it and works great!
We have a crib that converts too but have not had to convert yet because our daughter is only 19 mo, but.....I was ready the info on the conversion the other day while cleaning her closet and it says that the kick plate on the bottom just flips around to become the safety rail. I'm doing a really poor job explaining this....if you would like I could scan our directions and send them if you think that might help.
I'd check with the manufacturer. Otherwise, as long as it's sturdy, I'd say use a bedrail for bigger beds. Then it can transition to your next bed if you still need it. I also heard about putting the pool noodle as a bumper and think it's great!
For my 2 boys, I put them in an extendable twin bed from IKEA called Vikare. They both between 18 months and 24 months when I took them out of the crib. We loved this bed because the top and bottom can be folded up to form a toddler side bed and a permanent side rail can be put up to prevent roll out. As they grow, the rail can be removed and the sides laid down. There is a special mattress in 3 sections that you have to purchase with it, but I think in total it was around $100. I check the website, but only the rail is shown - not too unusual as their website is notorious for only showing a limited selection. I would recommend going to the showroom to see if they still offer it. Craigslist.org is another great resource. I found one on there in blue
http://dallas.craigslist.org/bab/589649136.html
They're asking $100 for it, but due to the not so great color, I'd offer $75 or so. You can always paint the frame & pick up the rail for $10.
With my daughter, we just put her directly in a twin day bed when we moved to our new house, she had just turned 2. A body pillow was all it took to keep her from rolling out.
I hope this helps!
K. C.
Hi K C
I read a lot of reviews on amazon, babies r us, and target about bed rails before buying one for my son's bed, we have a full size bed but some of the reviews I read said they did work on toddler beds. You may want to check them out.
I've also heard of putting one of those swim noodles under the fitted sheet, you can cut them with a utility knife, it's not as high as a rail but it might create enough of a bumper to keep her from rolling out.
I used a regular side rail made for a full size bed. It worked fine. It had some kind of a strap attached to the railing that goes under the mattress to the other side of the bed, that strap kept it pretty secure. I also heard a great idea somewhere. Take a noodle (the ones that you swim w in the summertime), cut it to the full length of the toddler mattress. Slide the noodle to the edge of the mattress under the fitted sheet. This is a gentle reminder that they are at the edge of the bed.
One thing that you can do is look up the crib by manufacturer and model number (usually found on the crib somewhere) on the internet to find additional peices or even the instruction manual. Usually you can buy any additional peices that you need from the manufacurer. Good Luck!
We went ahead and used a bed rail. If it bothers you, use some bunji cords or rope or something to attach it the back side of the crib, so it can't be pushed out by little hands or feet. My daughter loves hers and stays in most of the time.
Hope this helps
