Buying Crib Linens with Care: Necessary Things to Keep in Mind

When designing your nursery, it's easiest to first choose the baby bedding set. The nursery is all planned out. You've chosen the crib, the rug, the stuffed animals, even the light-switch covers... but have you forgotten something? It's very important to choose the right crib bedding, so make sure you have considered these things before you buy:

- Choose cotton flannels or knits (or wovens with a high thread count), but make sure they're not blends - go for 100% cotton. This is to ensure that the bedding is both soft and breathable.

- Keep in mind that you're not going to have a lot of time with a new baby in the house, so you will want bedding that's as easy to care for as possible - in other words, make sure it's machine washable.

- To prevent the risk of suffocation, make sure that the crib sheets fits the mattress snugly. If you crib sheets don't seem snug enough, there is an easy solution: buy elastic straps that clip onto the crib sheet and hold it in its place.

- Before buying a bedding set, decide if you really need one. A three piece bedding set includes a comforter, a crib sheet, and a bumper pad. But, the American Academy of Pediatrics questions the safety of crib bumpers and recommends against using loose blankets or comforters on a baby under one year old. Purchasing separates and leaving out the useless pieces can be significantly cheaper than buying a crib set. You might be worried that your bedding won't match, but look at it as an opportunity to get more creative instead.

- When all else has been addressed, spend some time picking bedding that will fit the rest of the room, including your furniture.

Buying bedding within your budget can be a concern, but take into account that you may use it longer than you think. Since toddler beds usually use standard-sized crib sheets, you could be using the same bedding until your little one is about 4 or 5 years old. Unless you know you're not having more children, it makes sense to purchase a gender neutral crib set like the Vintage baby crib bedding set, so that you can use it again. On the other hand, if you are sure there will be no more babies, or if you like to redecorate frequently, cheaper bedding is probably more cost-efficient. But whatever you decide, you should make sure you have several sets on hand - you're going to need them!