How it works
A crib is a small bed with four high sides. These are the names makers print in their parts lists, so that an assembly sheet or an order for a spare piece makes sense.
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Ends and sides
The two end panels are the headboard and the footboard; some makers call both crib ends. Each long side is a row of slats held between a top rail and a bottom rail. A teething rail is a plastic strip that caps the top rail. The sides and ends meet at the four corner posts.
Inside and underneath
The mattress lies on the mattress support, which some makers call the spring. Below the bottom rail, each post becomes a leg, often with a caster under it. A stabilizer bar joins the two ends low down.
- Parts lists differ: one maker's stabilizer bar is another's stretcher or crossbar.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a crib called?
The ends are the headboard and footboard. Each side has slats between a top rail and a bottom rail. They join at four corner posts, which end in legs and often casters. Inside, the mattress rests on a mattress support.
What are the bars on a crib called?
Slats. They are the upright bars that make up each side. Makers' parts lists and crib regulations use that word whether the bars are flat or round; some people call round ones spindles.
What is the mattress support on a crib?
It is the frame or platform the mattress lies on. Some makers call it the spring or spring frame. On most cribs it hangs from brackets on the posts and can be set at more than one height.
What is a teething rail?
A smooth plastic strip fitted over the top rail of a side. It covers the wood at the height where a standing baby is likely to chew.
What is the difference between a headboard and a footboard?
They are the two end panels. On many cribs the headboard is the taller of the two. On others the ends match, and the parts list simply calls them crib ends or end panels.