Having babies and getting a nursery ready is a stressful time. Expecting parents often visit sites like Pinterest and Instagram, where other parents seem to have it all together. However, you might not be after that. Maybe you just need some basic knowledge, like how many dressers does a nursery need?
While you don’t technically need any dressers in a nursery, you should probably get at least one. Having one dresser will allow you to store some things, while not overstocking, and it’ll provide you with a surface you can use as a changing table.
In this article, you’ll learn how many dressers you might want to have in your nursery. The right dresser can be a parent’s best friend! Read on to learn more about dressers, and the kind of dresser you should look to keep in your nursery.
Table of Contents
How Many Dressers Does a Nursery Need?
A dresser is good to have in any nursery if you can swing it. They’re versatile and easier to access than a normal closet.
Your nursery should have at least one dresser in it. However, if you have more than one baby in a nursery, you might want to go for two. Without at least one dresser, you could find yourself feeling scattered.
How Many Drawers Should the Dresser Have?
For a dresser in your nursery, you might want to have lots of drawer space. If you plan to use it as a changing station as well, you can store wipes, diapers, cloths, rash cream, and baby powder all in the top drawers. That way, you don’t have to hop around while trying to change a diaper.
A dresser with at least three drawers is ideal. You can keep diaper things in one, clothes in another, and have an extra one for extra stock so you don’t run out. However, some people prefer larger dressers with more drawers.
Large dressers are great if you’d rather have more tabletop surface. That way, you can save the drawers for clothes, books, or toys. The size of the dresser depends on the number of things you have for your baby but having a larger dresser would always give you room to grow.
What Makes a Good Nursery Dresser?
Regardless of how big you want your nursery dresser to be, there are a few features every dresser needs to have. A dresser in a nursery should be:
- Durable
- Safe
- Functional
Durable Dressers are a Must for a Nursery
Babies are a lot. They’re a lot for you, but they’re also a lot for a piece of furniture that’s susceptible to spills, stains, and breakage. Odds are, your child is going to sleep in their nursery at least until they’re old enough to walk, but sometimes, they might even stay in there longer. Any piece of furniture in a room with a child should be incredibly durable and easy to clean.
Some people decide to go with a more affordable dresser option when their children are babies, because they’re not yet worried about it getting ruined. However, these can be less durable than a more expensive option. Having a flimsy dresser is especially dangerous if you want to use the top as a changing table. Remember, you’re putting your baby on there, and babies are basically Jell-O.
Durability doesn’t just impact the stability of the dresser, though. A cheaper-made, flimsier dresser might also come with flimsier drawers that don’t open, or the faces and knobs might come out. When choosing a dresser for your nursery, ask yourself, “will these drawers make my life harder when it’s 4 am and my baby is screaming?”
Some of the best, most durable materials for a dresser are:
- Pine
- Cedar
- Birch
- Oak
- Maple
Safety is Paramount
Children are defenseless, and they’re learning how to do everything for the first time. As such, you need to make sure that their furniture can’t and won’t hurt them, no matter how much they pull on it. When choosing a dresser for your nursery, make sure it’s easy to childproof so you can anchor it into the wall and put locks on the drawers, so they won’t be able to open them.
After you choose a good dresser, you should be cautious with how you decorate it. You might want to fill the top with toys and pretty decorations, but you should refrain from that. If your child can climb and they see something they want, they’ll try to go after it. Even if your dresser is properly childproofed and won’t fall onto the child, there is still a chance that the child could fall off of it.
Function Over Beauty
Don’t just go for the cute dresser because you feel like you need it to go with your theme. The thing with dressers is that, with the right materials, they’re completely customizable. It’s better to go for a more durable dresser with better safety features and to make it pretty later. In addition, you also need to think about useable space.
Drawers are so important. They can make your life so much easier. Choosing a dresser with deep drawers that you can fit organizers into is the way to go if you’re pressed for space and need something small.
What are Some Dresser Alternatives for a Nursery?
Some nurseries just don’t have the space for a dresser. At the end of the day, having a dresser doesn’t make or break your nursery. Luckily, there are several options for people in this situation, like:
- Closet organizers to fit all of the baby’s belongings without taking up space in the rooms
- Shelves to hold clothes, baskets, and even a changing station
- Storing a dresser in the closet
Storing a dresser in the closet is one of the best options if you just don’t want to have it in the nursery itself. You can take the doors off the closet, which will both create the illusion of no space and allow you to access the dresser more comfortable.
Can I Hang Things from the Ceiling?
Many places sell shelving units that hang from the ceiling. They don’t take up floor space in the nursery, so they may seem like a good option. In many cases, you can use these in a perfectly safe and functional way.
If you do choose to use something like this in your nursery, make sure it doesn’t come too close to the floor so your kid(s) can’t climb on it when they get older. If you choose some that actually swing, you should never have your changing station on it, just to be safe.
Can I Have More Than One Dresser in my Nursery?
You might find that having two dressers in your nursery is perfect for you. If you have the space, having the extra storage can never be a bad thing. It just gives you and your child room to grow. If you do spring for two dressers, you might want to try:
- Having a big one to store clothes and a little one to store other essentials, like midnight nursing snacks, extra diapers, etc.
- Using one to store toys and books and another for clothes and essentials
- Storing one in the closet and the other on the nursery floor to conserve space
Final Thoughts
You have complete control over your nursery. If you feel that it needs two dressers and you have the means to get them, go for it. However, just keep in mind that it’s better to have one really good one than two that aren’t as durable and safe for the baby.