If you have ever Googled "what do I actually need for a nursery" at midnight while 27 weeks pregnant... first of all, hi, I see you. Second of all, this blog post is exactly for you. After 20 years in the biz and helping thousands of families build their first nurseries, I have answered this question more times than I can count. And what I have learned is that most people either way overbuy things they do not need, or they forget the things that actually matter until it is too late. Sometimes both. So here it is: my complete, honest, no-fluff nursery furniture checklist. Everything you actually need, in the order I recommend thinking about it, with the real-world reasoning behind every single item. Bookmark this one. You are going to come back to it.
The Non-Negotiables: What Every Nursery Needs
Let us start with the essentials. These are the pieces that every single nursery needs regardless of your style, your budget or your space.
1. The Crib
Obviously. But here is what most people do not think about when choosing a crib: the type of convertibility matters more than almost anything else. A 3-in-1 crib converts from a crib to a toddler bed to a daybed. A 4-in-1 does all of that AND THEN ALSO converts into a full size bed with the appropriate conversion kit.
My honest recommendation for most families? Go for the 4-in-1. Yes, you will pay a little more upfront. But when you factor in that you will never need to buy your child another bed again, it is genuinely one of the best investments you will make in the nursery. I have had customers tell me their child is still sleeping in the converted version of their original nursery crib at age 12. That is a crib that paid for itself many times over.
Pro tip: Whatever crib you choose, look for GREENGUARD Gold Certification. This means the crib has been tested for over 10,000 chemical emissions and VOCs, and certified safe for the air your baby is breathing. Almost every crib we carry at New Jersey Cribs has this certification, and it is something we actively prioritize when choosing what to stock.
2. A Breathable Crib Mattress
This is the one that does not get nearly enough attention. Everyone obsesses over the crib and then grabs whatever mattress is on sale. Please do not do this. Your baby is going to spend more time on that mattress than almost anywhere else in the world for the first few years of their life. A breathable mattress is not a luxury feature, it is a safety feature. Airflow through the mattress helps regulate your baby's temperature and reduces the risk of overheating, which is one of the leading concerns pediatricians flag in early infant sleep safety.
Every single mattress we carry at New Jersey Cribs is breathable. The majority are also GREENGUARD Gold Certified, and many are organic, made without synthetic materials, harsh dyes or chemical fire retardants. Because the air in your baby's nursery should be just as clean as everything else you have so carefully chosen for that room.
3. A Place To Change The Baby
You will change approximately one million diapers in the first year alone. Okay, that is a slight exaggeration, but not by much. (Guys I am an interior decorator, not a statistician lol). But yes... having a dedicated, organized changing area is not optional.
Here is how I recommend setting it up:
• A dresser: This is your foundation. A well-made dresser with a removable changing tray on top gives you a changing station now and a beautiful, functional dresser for years to come. Unlike a standalone changing table which gets retired after the diaper years, a dresser stays in the room all the way through childhood and beyond. Even if you do end up purchasing a 3-in-1 crib that is virtually obsolete after the first few years of their life and end up needing to get a "big kid bed" afterwards... a good-quality dresser can stay in the room for the rest of their life and even go off to college with them. Or be used in the guest bedroom if you want to continue using it for yourself (you do you, baby girl)!
• A removable changing tray: This sits on top of the dresser and keeps everything contained. When the diaper years are done, you simply remove it and you have a clean, beautiful dresser surface. The Changing Trays we sell all get bracketed to the BACK of the dresser, so that it isn't ruining anything... in fact it's actually PROTECTING your dresser from all of the ointments, lotions and booty creams you will use very often in their early years.
• A changing pad insert: This goes inside the tray and provides a comfortable, wipeable surface for diaper changes. This is typically a $35-$45 item and can easily be covered with a changing pad cover to add a fun flair into the room (more on that later).
4. A Nursery Chair
The nursery chair is the one piece of furniture in the room that is just as much for you as it is for your baby. And it is going to get a lot of use. Middle of the night feedings, soothing a teething baby at 2am, quiet story time before bed... you are going to spend a serious amount of time in this chair.
You have a few options here. A traditional swivel glider offers a smooth, gentle gliding motion that is wonderful for soothing a newborn. A manual recliner lets you kick back and find a comfortable position for longer feeding sessions. And a power recliner adds the convenience of adjusting everything with the touch of a button, which sounds like a small thing until you are holding a finally-sleeping baby at 3am and do not want to move a single muscle unnecessarily.
My best advice: sit in a few before you decide. Comfort is deeply personal. What works for a petite mama is going to feel completely different for a taller dad. And if you are shopping with us, I am always happy to talk through the options based on your specific needs.
Buy These Now: The Things Most People Regret Waiting On
Here is where I earn my keep. These are the items that are not strictly necessary for a newborn, but that I recommend buying at the time of your original nursery purchase. And I am going to tell you exactly why.
5. The Toddler Rail
If you purchased a convertible crib, it will eventually need a toddler rail to convert from a crib into a toddler bed. This is a separate purchase from the crib itself (normally).
My strong recommendation is to buy the toddler rail at the same time as the crib. You will not need it for a while, somewhere between 18 months and 3 years depending on your child. But furniture collections go in and out of stock, get discontinued, or change slightly over time. If you wait until you actually need it, there is a very real chance it is no longer available and now you have a beautiful convertible crib with no way to convert it. I have seen this happen more times than I can count. Buy it now, store it in a closet, and thank yourself later.
6. The Full Size Bed Conversion Kit
Same logic applies here, but the stakes are even higher because this one takes even longer to need and the window for it to go out of stock is that much wider.
If you have a 4-in-1 or 8-in-1 crib, it is designed to eventually convert into a full size bed using a separate conversion kit that includes the side rails, slats (to hold up your new mattress), and sometimes even a low-profile footboard. This is the piece that transforms your crib investment into a bed your child could sleep in all the way through their teenage years. But again, you have to have the kit when the time comes. Buy it with the crib, store it safely, and it will be there waiting for you right on schedule. I can't tell you how many people come to me years down the line wanting to convert their crib and their collection has been discontinued. So if you are buying a 4-in-1+ crib with the intentions of converting it (so you truly never have to buy your kid another bed) then do NOT sleep on this one or put it off.
7. A Matching Nightstand
This one surprises people when I bring it up but it is probably my single most valuable recommendation in this entire list. Let me explain.
In the nursery years, a nightstand next to your nursing chair is an absolute game changer. A place to set down a bottle, a glass of water, a burp cloth, a book, a lamp... anyone who has done a 3am feeding while trying to hold a baby with one arm and reach across the room for something with the other arm knows exactly what I am talking about. A nightstand solves this immediately.
But here is the real reason I always bring it up: when you eventually convert that crib into a full size bed and your child's room makes the transition from nursery to big kid room, they are going to need a nightstand. And you are going to want it to match the rest of the furniture.
I cannot tell you how many times over the years a family has come back to us after converting their crib, stood in the doorway of the newly updated room and said "something feels missing." It is almost always the nightstand. And by that point, which could be five, six, seven years after the original purchase, there is a very good chance the collection has changed, been discontinued or is simply no longer available in the same finish.
Buy it now. Use it next to your nursing chair for the first few years. Then move it to the bedside when the room grows up. It is one of those purchases you will look back on and feel very, very smart about.
The Finishing Touches: Accessories Worth Adding To Your List
Once the furniture is sorted, here are the smaller accessories that pull everything together and make your nursery feel complete.
• A breathable mattress protector: A mattress protector is a must for keeping your crib mattress clean and extending its life. But this is important: make sure the one you choose is specifically designed to be breathable. A non-breathable waterproof cover can completely counteract the benefits of a breathable mattress, which defeats the whole purpose. Look for ones that are certified breathable and waterproof at the same time.
• Crib sheets: You will want at least two or three. Middle of the night blowout plus only one clean sheet is a situation nobody wants to be in. Many brands sell coordinating sheet sets that also include a matching changing pad cover for your changing pad insert, which is a lovely detail that really ties the whole room together.
• A crib skirt: This is purely aesthetic but it makes a big difference. A crib skirt covers the open space underneath the crib and gives the whole room a more finished, pulled-together look. If you have ever seen a nursery that looked especially polished and magazine-worthy, there is a good chance a crib skirt was part of the equation.
• Decor and everything else: Once the functional pieces are covered, the rest is the fun part. A soft rug, wall art, a mobile above the crib, a lamp with warm light for nighttime feeds... these are the pieces that make the room feel personal and special. There is no wrong answer here. Just go with what makes you happy when you stand in the doorway.
Your Complete Nursery Furniture Checklist at a Glance
The Non-Negotiables:
• Convertible crib (4-in-1 or 8-in-1 recommended)
• Breathable, GREENGUARD Gold Certified crib mattress
• Dresser with removable changing tray and changing pad insert
• Nursery chair (glider, rocker or power recliner)
Buy Now, Thank Yourself Later:
• Toddler rail (for crib conversion)
• Full size bed conversion kit
• Matching nightstand
Accessories and Finishing Touches:
• Breathable mattress protector
• Crib sheets (at least two or three)
• Coordinating changing pad cover
• Crib skirt
• Decor, lighting, a soft rug and everything that makes it yours
One Last Thing Before You Start Shopping
I know this list can feel like a lot when you are staring at it all at once. But here is what I always tell my customers: you do not have to figure it all out in one sitting. Start with the crib and mattress, because those have the longest lead times and often need to be ordered weeks or even months in advance. Then build outward from there.
And if you are ever feeling overwhelmed or just want someone to think it through with you, that is literally what I am here for. Send me your Pinterest board, tell me about your space, and I will help you figure out exactly what you need and what you do not. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just real advice from someone who has been doing this for 20 years and genuinely loves helping families get it right.
Welcome to one of the most exciting chapters of your life. Your nursery is going to be beautiful. I promise.
Rae Rae
Ready to start building your nursery?
Browse our full collection of cribs, dressers, nursery chairs and mattresses at newjerseycribs.com
Or reach out directly and I will gladly help you put it all together! :)
