A crib is one of the few baby purchases governed by hard safety rules, and online listings often leave out the details that matter. This guide puts what Health Canada and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) say side by side, so you can check a new or second-hand crib before you buy. It is general information, not medical advice. We did not read UK or EU crib rules in detail (the NHS page we read covers safe sleep, not crib standards), so check the rules where you live.

This guide is based on the public sources listed below. We have not tested any crib or store.

What Health Canada says

Source: Health Canada, "Cribs, cradles and bassinets" (date modified 3 November 2025). Last checked: 17 October 2026.

  • All new and used cribs, cradles and bassinets sold in Canada must meet current safety regulations, including secondhand, borrowed and given-away ones.
  • Traditional drop-side cribs have been illegal to sell, import, make or advertise since 29 December 2016.
  • Slats no more than 6 cm apart; corner posts no more than 1.5 mm above the top of the sides.
  • Mattress: a gap of 3 cm or less between mattress and sides; a crib mattress no thicker than 15 cm (cradle and bassinet mattresses no thicker than 3.8 cm). Replace a worn or soft mattress.
  • Age: do not use a crib made before September 1986, and check used products over 10 years old for missing, loose, worn or damaged parts.
  • Sleep space: keep pillows, blankets, comforters, sleep positioners, stuffed toys and bumper pads out: "bare is best".
  • Move a baby to a junior bed when they can climb out alone or are taller than 90 cm, whichever comes first.

What the CPSC says (US)

Source: CPSC, Resellers Guide to Selling Safer Products, Publication 254 (February 2025). Last checked: 17 October 2026.

  • Staff advise destroying any full-size or non-full-size crib made before 28 June 2011, with or without drop sides, unless there is written proof that it meets the applicable standard (ASTM F1169-19 for full-size cribs).
  • No drop-side crib in the used market can meet the standard, even with new hardware, and must be destroyed.
  • Each crib must carry a permanent date stamp. For cribs made after 28 June 2011, assemble it and make sure it has all parts, screws and hardware.
  • Play yards, cradles and bassinets with mesh sides follow other rules.

What to check on a listing

  1. The manufacture date, and whether the seller can show it. A missing date is a reason to skip a used crib.
  2. No drop side. If a listing shows one, walk away.
  3. Slat spacing and mattress fit. Ask for the dimensions, and buy the mattress made for that crib.
  4. Instructions, parts and hardware for a used crib, and recalls (cpsc.gov/recalls in the US, Health Canada's recall database in Canada).
  5. Returns. Cribs are bulky: check who pays return shipping.

What we could not confirm

  • The text of the Canadian regulations and ASTM standards, UK and EU crib standards, and how to test the mattress gap (we did not open a source for it).

Sources: Health Canada, cribs, cradles and bassinets; US CPSC, Resellers Guide to Selling Safer Products (PDF).