Crib Safety Standards, Decoded
Crib safety comes down to a federal spacing limit (2 3/8 inches maximum between slats, 16 CFR 1219), a mattress-fit test (no more than two adult fingers of gap), and a nationwide ban on drop-side cribs since 2011. AAP safe-sleep guidance layers on top: firm, flat, and bare.
The one thing to know: 16 CFR 1219 caps full-size crib slat spacing at 2 3/8 inches — about a soda can's width — specifically to stop an infant's head from passing through and becoming trapped between wider slats.
The four things to check
- Legal crib slat spacing — the 2 3/8 inch federal maximum.
- Safe crib mattress gap — the two-finger test and firmness rule.
- The drop-side ban — effective June 28, 2011, per CPSC.
- AAP safe sleep — firm, flat, bare, every time.
Why we don't recommend used cribs
Crib Lab does not recommend secondhand car seats or cribs. A used car seat's crash history and expiration date are often unverifiable, and pre-2011 or recalled cribs (including all drop-side models) remain in circulation at yard sales and hand-me-downs despite being illegal to sell.
Shopping for a new crib?
Search current full-size cribs on Amazon — verify any specific model meets 16 CFR 1219 (2 3/8 inch slat spacing, no drop-side) before buying, and check CPSC.gov/Recalls by brand and model.
Search cribs on AmazonThis page is general reference information about published safety standards, not sleep-training or medical advice for your specific child.
Frequently Asked Questions
16 CFR Part 1219 caps full-size crib slat spacing at 2 3/8 inches (about a soda can's width) to prevent infant head entrapment.
If you can fit more than two adult fingers between the mattress edge and the crib frame on any side, the fit does not meet the safe standard.
No. CPSC banned the manufacture, sale, resale, and donation of drop-side cribs nationwide effective June 28, 2011. A drop-side crib offered secondhand today is not legal to sell.
Crib Lab does not recommend it. Pre-2011, drop-side, and recalled cribs remain in circulation at yard sales and hand-me-downs despite being illegal to sell, and a crib's full recall/repair history is often unverifiable secondhand.