The Oeuf Sparrow Crib is the one I’ve used for my family and my top pick for a sustainable crib. Here’s why.
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Oeuf Sparrow Crib
Highlights: Beautiful, sustainably made, non-toxic crib. Converts to a toddler bed. Easy assembly, durable, and rigorously tested by my baby!
- Sustainably made, high-quality crib
- Made with FSC certified solid birch and FSC certified Baltic Birch plywood
- Sturdy and durable
- Converts to toddler bed
- Made in Europe in an eco-friendly FSC certified facility
- From a family-run company
- Oeuf uses only non-toxic finishes and glues
- Expensive
- Toddler rail is a separate purchase
At a glance:
Made in: Latvia
Materials: Birch and Baltic Birch plywood, metal hardware
Certifications: FSC, Greenguard Gold
Cost: $960
With a long list of things to get before my baby arrived, I was very happy to spot an incredibly discounted secondhand Oeuf Sparrow Crib on my local marketplace. As one of my top picks for a sustainable crib, and at a fraction of the cost new, you bet I jumped on it!
The Oeuf Sparrow Crib is available in Birch, White, and Walnut. I got one in Birch and despite already being used for two babies, it only had a few minor scuffs. The crib clearly held up well to toddler teeth as well as being moved and reassembled.
Reusing a product that already exists is almost always the greenest choice. That said, take care to only buy a secondhand crib in good condition without any safety recalls or missing hardware.
If the original instructions are missing, check the company’s website or contact them directly for assistance. This is what I ended up doing, and Oeuf offered excellent customer service.
See also: The best non-toxic cribs
What I like
The Sparrow Crib is Greenguard Gold certified and made in an eco-friendly factory. It also wins points from me because it comprises mostly FSC certified solid birch and Baltic Birch plywood without toxic glues or finishes.
On a totally subjective note, I love the look of the Sparrow Crib. It has a simple, clean design with slim side rails and spindles that work with either a modern or traditional nursery aesthetic. And because it’s straightforward, there are no fussy bits liable to break off, making it more durable than most cribs.
The Sparrow feels very robust and easily weathered my toddler’s antics right up until graduation to a bigger bed.
Speaking of which, you can easily convert the Sparrow into a toddler bed by purchasing the conversion kit.
Size and specs
The Sparrow offers three mattress positions in the U.S., Canada, and Europe (two in Australia). This means you can use the crib from day one of your baby’s life and then get the toddler conversion kit (view here) for extended use.
As a shorter person (I’m 5’6”), I love that the crib has a low overall height. This means I’m not struggling to reach in to pick up or put down a wriggly or sleepy baby.
The crib also has a small overall footprint, with no splayed feet to trip over and no sleigh top taking up space.
The crib measures:
- 36 inches high
- 19.5 inches deep
- 54 inches wide.
It fits a standard crib mattress measuring 28 x 52 inches and 4-6 inches deep.
Putting the crib together
The Sparrow is very well made and easy to put together. That’s assuming you have the right instructions and the right hardware, though! This was the biggest issue I encountered with the crib and not likely one you’ll have if purchasing new.
Because my crib was an older version of the current design, with some parts already assembled, the hardware I had in hand didn’t match the instructions online. Still, even with fairly middling DIY knowledge, it only took me about 30 minutes to figure it out and safely assemble the crib.
If you get the crib new, assembly might take a little longer as you’ll have to put the sides together first.
Note that the easiest way to assemble this crib is upside down. You then flip it over. This means you’ll need a decent amount of space and, ideally, an extra pair of hands. That said, I’ve put this crib together and taken it apart four times in total, three times entirely by myself.
Extra hands are also helpful to slot in the mattress base once the crib is in position. Again, though, having moved the mattress base several times, including to its lowest level, it’s surprisingly easy to do on your own.
My bag of secondhand hardware was missing the plugs for the additional mattress base holes. These aren’t essential while the base is set at the top level, but are a good idea later, when you lower the base.
I contacted Oeuf to ask for replacement parts and a very helpful customer service representative shipped these to me very quickly. While the pats were inexpensive, shipping to Canada was stupidly costly. If you’re in the U.S. or close to an Oeuf approved retailer, you can easily get replacement parts, which is another reason I like Oeuf as this prevents a crib becoming obsolete when a single piece goes AWOL. (This is a major flaw with the Pottery Barn Kendal Crib.)
Sustainability credentials
The Oeuf Sparrow Crib is Greenguard Gold certified and made of FSC solid birch and FSC Baltic Birch plywood.
Oeuf manufactures its products in an FSC certified facility in Latvia under strict European environmental standards. The socially responsible FSC facility has:
- State-of-the-art dust collection to protect workers and the environment
- Waste recycling through licensed facilities
- A policy of reprocessing wood waste at the factory into briquettes, which it uses to heat the factory.
Oeuf uses exclusively non-toxic, water-based finishes that are VOC-free. The engineered eco-MDF panels are also made from FSC certified wood fibers. The company also uses GOTS certified organic cotton and sustainably sourced wool for other products.
Although my crib came without any packaging, just the fun of wrestling all the pieces into my car, Oeuf packages its new products using recycled cardboard.
The downsides
Aside from the cost when bought new, there are really very few downsides to the Sparrow Crib from Oeuf. Because the wood is softwood, eager chewers can put a dent in it. But this is the same for all softwood cribs and the poplar actually holds up really well to chomping.
Another nitpick is that the crib isn’t entirely made of solid wood sourced in the U.S. or Canada. Baltic Birch plywood is still FSC certified though and very safe, and the resulting mattress board is very sturdy and made with non-toxic glues, while being light enough for a single person to move.
Final thoughts on the Oeuf Sparrow Crib
I love our Oeuf Sparrow Crib. It’s simple, sturdy, and looks great. It’s also reassuring to know that my baby isn’t sleeping somewhere that is off-gassing nasty chemicals and won’t be chewing on rails coated with potentially harmful paints, stains, or varnish.
If baby two ever comes along, this crib is ready and waiting, still in great condition. Otherwise, I’ve no doubt it has great resale value (especially because I now have all the hardware!).
Oeuf Sparrow Crib
Highlights: Beautiful, sustainably made, non-toxic crib. Converts to a toddler bed. Easy assembly, durable, and rigorously tested by my baby!