This infant to toddler bed is everything you need!

Where should our baby sleep?
Before our son was born we decided that we would have him sleep in the Arms Reach Co-Sleeper for the first couple of months and then when we transitioned him to his room we needed to figure out what he would sleep in. We looked at a variety of cribs and didn't like the design, sturdiness, or just the fact that babies grow out of so many cribs so quickly. When we saw the Ellis deluxe 4 in 1 convertible sleep system by Simplicity. We were excited about a bed for our baby that would transition with him for a few years.

The four stages of the sleep system
The first stage is the crib stage with the mattress near the top of the crib. The mattress support goes in the "upper position". This is for a newborn or a younger baby before they can stand. Once a baby can stand up it is time for the second part of this stage.

The second part of the first stage is the crib stage with the mattress support in the "lower position". This lower position is as low as the mattress can go. After the child is at least 15 months old and is ready for a transitional bed it is time for the second stage.

The second stage is the transitional bed. The child must be at least 15 months old and less than 50lbs. In this stage the front panel is removed and two safety rails are attached so that there is only an opening in the middle. I wouldn't try this stage until the parent thinks the child won't fall out of bed (or try to get out of bed). The company recommends the next stage when the child is 35" and/or the child is able to climb out.

The third stage is the daybed. At this point the two safety rails come off and the bed is used as such.

The fourth stage is where the bed can be turned into a full size bed. The "front side" and the "back side" are turned into the headboard and footboard. However, at this point a steel full-size bed frame would need to be bought (from any mattress store) to turn it into a full-size bed. You can also get matching wood side rails from Simplicity by calling their customer service number.

The look of the bed
The bed is a stylish looking bed that comes in cherry, natural, or white. We chose the white because it matches the trim in our home and matched the decor of the room.
The wood is sloped (almost like a sleigh-styled bed) and the bars are much thicker than many of the cribs we had looked at in the store.

The mattress
The mattress doesn't come with the sleep system and needs to be bought separately. Any mattress can be used in the crib that is at least 27.25" x 51 5/8" with a thickness not exceeding 6". A different mattress needs to be bought when turning it into a full size bed.

The assembly
My son has only used the crib stage in the upper and lower position and the assembly for both was quick and easy for my husband to do. I watched him when he had originally assembled the crib and it didn't look too difficult to put it all together. Transitioning the bed into the "transitional bed" and "day bed" look fairly simple, but the transition to the full size bed will take more work.

Cleaning
To clean the bed frame and bed rails the company suggests using only a mild household soap and warm water. They also caution against using bleach, detergent, or anything else that may scratch the finish of the wood of the bed.

Our experience
We love this bed for our son! The crib in the upper position and lower position have been great for us. In the upper position it was the perfect height for us so that it was easy to get him in an out of the crib. After lowering the mattress it still is a great design for getting your baby into and out of bed. (Some people have cribs in which you have to lower or raise the side of the crib to get their baby in and out of bed and we didn't want to have to deal with that. This bed is great for getting around that).

Overall
We have never had any problems with this bed so far and we look forward to trying out the next stages with our son in the future. This bed gives us no worries about keeping our son safe and secure!

For more information:
Call 1-800-858-8323
Simplicity, Inc.
501 South 9th St.
Reading, PA 19062