U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Office of Compliance
Requirements¹for Full Size Baby Cribs 16 C.F.R.
Part 1508

What is the purpose of the non-full-size baby crib
rule?

This rule seeks to prevent deaths and injuries from falls,
entrapment, and contact with parts inside or outside a
crib.

Where can I find the requirements for non-full-size
cribs?

The requirements are published in the Code of Federal
Regulations in Title 16, Part 1509. Cribs that do not meet
one or more of the requirements are banned hazardous
substances under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act,
15 U.S.C. 1261(q)(1)(A).

What is a non-full-size baby crib?

A non-full-size baby (NFSB) crib is a crib that is
intended for use in or around the home, for travel, or for
other purposes. A non-full-size crib has an interior length
that is either greater than 55 inches or smaller than 49.75
inches, an interior width that is either greater than
30.625 inches or less than 25.375 inches, or any combination
of these lengths and widths. An NFSB crib is either
smaller or larger than a regular full-size crib and includes:

(1) a crib designed to be folded or collapsed without
being taken apart so that it has a smaller volume
than it has when it is in use;
(2) a crib-pen that has legs that can be removed to make
a play pen or yard for a child; and
(3) a circular, hexagonal, or other unconventionally
shaped crib that has a special mattress or other
unconventional parts.
An NFSB crib does not include mesh/net/screen cribs,
baby cribs that are not rigidly constructed, cradles both
rocker and pendulum types), car beds, baby baskets, and
bassinets (also called junior cribs).

What are the requirements for NFSB cribs?

Crib Sides: If a crib has the top rail that drops down to
help place an infant in or take him or her out of the crib,
to prevent the child from falling out,

(1)

the top of the crib side and/or end panel at its
highest adjustable position must be at least 22
inches above the top of the mattress support at its
lowest position;

(2)

the top of the crib side and/or end panel at its lowest
adjustable position must be at least 5 inches above
the top of the mattress support at its highest
position.

Slats, spindles, and other parts:

(1)to prevent children from strangling because their
bodies can slip through openings but their heads
cannot, adjacent, uniformly spaced parts such as
slats, spindles, corner posts and rods cannot be more
than 2.375 inches apart at any point, and cannot be
more than 2.5 inches apart when the loading wedge
test described below is performed;

(2)The loading wedge (Figure 1) is a right triangle
prism with a base of 4.75 inches, a height of 2.125
inches measured at a right angle between the
midpoint of the base and the bottom of the pulling
attachment, and a width of 1.5 inches. Please
consult the regulation the specifications for the
pulling attachment.
To measure the strength of slats and other parts,
place the nose of a loading wedge midway between
two parts and midway between the top and bottom
horizontal rails, and apply a 20 lb. force in the direction that pulls the nose of the wedge between
the parts.

(3) to prevent head entrapment, an opening between
adjacent irregularly shaped slats,
(4) spindles and/or corner posts, whether they are
parallel to each other or not, shall not allow:
(a) a rectangular block 2.375 inches by 4 inches by 4
inches inserted in any position to pass through
any part of the opening; and
(b) a rectangular block 2.5 inches by 3.25 inches by
3.25 inches inserted in any position to pass
through immediately above or below the
loading wedge when the loading wedge is
performed.

Hardware:

(1)

Hardware must be designed and constructed so that
it does not pinch, bruise, crush, lacerate, break, or
amputate any part of a child’s body during normal
use of or reasonably foreseeable damage or abuse to
the crib.

(2)

NFSB cribs must have locking or latching devices
for dropsides, folding sides, or end panels. These
devices must require either two distinct actions or a
minimum of 10 pounds of force for release;

(3)

wood screws may not be used to connect any parts
of a crib that a consumer must remove during
normal disassembly.

Construction and Finishing:

(1)

all wood surfaces must be smooth and free from
splinters;

(2)

all wood parts must be free from splits, cracks, or
other defects that might cause a crib or any of its
parts to fall off or come apart.

(3)

end panels and sides cannot have any horizontal bar,
any ledge or projection with a depth greater than .375
inch, or any other surface that a child inside the crib
might use as a toehold. This only applies to
possible toeholds located less than 16 inches above
the mattress support in its lowest position when the
crib side is in its highest position.

Assembly Instructions, Labeling, & Recordkeeping:

Every crib must be sold with detailed assembly
instructions as well as identifying marks, cautionary
statements and compliance declarations. Please refer to
the regulation for the contents and placement of the
required information, as well as for requirements for
keeping records of the sale and distribution of NFSB
cribs.

Cutouts:

To prevent a risk of strangulation, the crib regulation contains a test to evaluate whether cutouts such as decorative openings sometimes found on the tops of the ends of a crib create a risk of head or neck entrapment. The test requires that a specially designed probe that simulates a child’s head and neck be inserted into each cutout according to a precise procedure. Because of the detail involved in manufacturing the head probe and in conducting the test, we have not attempted to summarize this procedure. For more detailed information, please refer to the regulation or contact the Office of Compliance.

What specifications must a mattress supplied with a non-full-size crib meet?

(1) When non-compressed, the mattress must be thick enough to provide:
    (a) a distance of at least 20 inches from the top of the mattress to the top of the crib side and/or end panel at the highest adjustable position when the mattress support is at its lowest position; and
    (b) a distance of at least 3 inches from the top of the mattress to the top of the crib side and/or end panel at the lowest adjustable position when the mattress support is at its highest adjustable position;
(2) When the non-compressed mattress is centered in the crib at any of the adjustable mattress support positions, the gap between the perimeter of the mattress and the perimeter of the crib cannot be greater than .5 inch at any point. When the mattresses placed against the perimeter of the crib, the resulting gap cannot be greater than 1 inch at any point.

Does CPSC have any other requirements that apply to non-full-size cribs?

Yes. Under the Ban of Lead-Containing Paint and Certain Consumer Products bearing Lead-Containing Paint, 16C.F.R. Part 1303, no crib may be painted with paint that contains more than .06% lead.

Are there any other standards for non-full- size cribs?

Yes. ASTM F 1822 and ASTM F 966 contain voluntary requirements related to non-full size baby cribs and to corner extension posts for full and non-full size cribs.

Where can I find additional information?

You can obtain the Requirements for Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs, 16 C.F.R. Part 1509, from the Commission’s Web Site at: http:/www.cpsc.gov. For more information on these requirements, contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Office of Compliance, Washington, D.C. 20207, telephone:

(301) 504-7913, e-mail: sect15@cpsc.gov

To obtain copies of ASTM F 1822 and F 966, contact the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), 100 Barr Harbor Dr., West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, telephone: (610)-832-9585, Fax (610)-832-9555, or visit http://www.astm.org.

¹ This document is a general summary of the non-full-size baby crib requirements and does not replace the requirements published in 16 C.F.R. 1509. Several provisions of the rule are based on the application of force or on linear measurements. These provisions also specify tolerances and the points from or at which such forces are applied or measurements made. Please refer to the text of the rule itself to obtain this information.

 

(January, 2001)

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