Last month I had the chance to watch a 30 lb. weight slammed 9,000 times onto the bottom rail of a baby crib. This is just one of over a dozen different tests Delta Children’s Product performs on every model of crib they make.
Delta Children’s Products invited me along with a few other bloggers to one of their testing facilities located in New Jersey. Hidden among the rows and rows of product boxes, a mini laboratory exists where this 3rd-generation, family-run company ensures they are producing safe products to bring to market — from simulating a parent leaning on the crib side to say goodnight to their child and a child jumping up and down on the base springs to a stroller being tilted back to go over a curb and a toy box being opened and closed without pinching a finger, each hundreds or even thousands of times.
After watching the product tests first-hand, talking with the technicians and hearing from Delta Children’s Products Co-President, Joe Shamie, I came away very impressed with the lengths Delta Children’s Products goes to to ensure they are manufacturing a safe product and how central the focus of safety is for their family and for the company. (See more info on Delta Children’s Products’ commitment to safety here.)
Delta Children’s Products is obviously not the only company that is producing quality, well-built, thoroughly-tested products. But there are some companies that cut corners and put your child at risk with their products.
Between the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), there are lots of groups trying to ensure that children’s furniture, gear and toys are safe. But how is a parent to know if a product meets the guidelines set by law or industry standard?
I asked Joe Shamie for his top tips for helping parents choose the best crib for their baby.
Buy from reputable retailers. “I suggest always purchasing from reputable retailers,” says Shamie. “Major retailers follow up and make certain the manufacturer is testing to the latest standards. Parents can also visit JPMA.org to find a list of the crib manufacterers that are certified.”
More expensive does not mean safer. “Do not be fooled by price. Price will not ensure safety. However, do take a good look at the product to see if it will hold up for more than one child.”
Crib hand-me-downs are a hand-me-don’t. “Never buy a used crib. Never take a hand-me-down crib,” advises Shamie. “You can buy a really safe crib for just over a hundred dollars that will give you and your child years of comfort. Be smart — this is an investment in your child’s safety.”
For more on Delta Children’s Products line of furniture, gear and storage or the company’s focus on safety, visit www.deltachildren.com.
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Kate Bayless is a writer, editor and reviewer based in Southern California. Visit her on LinkedIn, Twitter or Contently. Thanks to Delta Children’s Products and Now & Zen Group for hosting the visit. As always, opinions expressed are the author’s.
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