Bloom’s Alma Crib vs IKEA’s Hermelin Crib
June 24th 2009 by Dr.MOZ in Cribs, Home, New Parents
If you’re a regular baby blog reader, you’ve probably run across Bloom’s Alma crib. Like all Bloom products, Alma is well-designed with modern styling and a hefty price tag of $400. So, how does Alma differ from a similar-looking crib from IKEA’s Hermelin which sells for $129? See the feature comparison below:
Alma by Bloom
- Price: $400
- Includes: Crib only. Mattress and bedlinens are sold separately.
- Materials: Solid birch wood, low VOC baby-safe finishes.
- Colors: Gala Green or Coconut White
- Dimensions and Weight: 37.25″ x 19.5″ x 32.75″, 50 pounds
- Assembly: Requires assembly, Allen Wrench included
- Key Features: Bed base can sit at two different heights. Compact-fold for easy storage and four lockable castor wheels which can be removed. Special attention to nontoxic materials.
Hermelin by IKEA
- Price: $129
- Includes: Crib only. Mattress and bedlinens are sold separately.
- Materials: Solid beech, tinted clear acrylic lacquer, fiberboard, molded beech plywood.
- Colors: Blue as shown above
- Dimensions and Weight: 53.5″ x 29.5″ x 32.75″, 52 pounds
- Assembly: Requires assembly, Allen Wrench included
- Key Features: Bed base can sit at two different heights. Crib can be converted to a daybed (by removing guardrail, conversion kit included) when the child is old enough to climb in and out of crib.
I’d love to hear your personal reviews of Bloom’s Alma or IKEA’s Hermelin if you’ve used (or reviewed) either one! To leave a comment, simply click on the comments bubble to open a text box below.
Have fun and stay healthy,
June 24th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I tried helping a friend setup one of the Ikea cribs last year … it went together pretty easily, but didn’t feel very solid. I was also concerned about all the formaldehyde from the fiberboard wood.
June 25th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I hear ya Erik! Chemicals are legitimate concern as manufacturers continue to move away from natural wood to provide lighter and cheaper products. In IKEA’s defense (regarding durability), I think you would find the Hermelin to be a bit more sturdy than previous models. On that note, one easy design improvement for IKEA cribs would be to add locking castor wheels to future models as seen on Bloom’s Alma. The Hermelin is on the heavy side at 52 pounds (not including the mattress and linens), and there’s no way to move it. I could be wrong, but I think new parents would gladly pay an extra $12 for wheels.
~ Dr.MOZ
June 25th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
What Erik says is correct. One of the dirty little secrets about all of IKEA’s products is there a real pain to put together. I have no doubt this crib is the same way. The other concern I would have is IKEA is usually known for having cheap furniture and this would make me nervous if it were holding my baby. On the other hand, the ALMA really does look like a prison cell. However, unless babies are likely to get trapped on the sides, I would go with it all other things being equal.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I’m a big fan of all bloom products and from one of the almas I’ve bought debuting at giggle Lincoln Park in Chicago last week, I’m sure is going to exceed all expectations. Comparing IKEA vs bloom is like comparing Chevy nova with Mercedes Benz. The perfect size alma not only uses low VOC paints but also uses solid birch wood certified from sustainable forests; its mattress is 100% organic made from coco coir plus there is nothing to put together ala IKEA as it already comes pre-assembled, just open the box, unfold, done.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
This really gives me a complete new heads up the next time I look for one.
Mike
July 1st, 2009 at 4:54 pm
i just purchased the new alma from giggle soho and it is superb. it makes no sense to compare it to ikea. alma is rock solid (its a substantial, solid wood crib with stainless steel accents) and contrary to the product summary above, there is absolutely no assembly – thats part of the beauty of it. that and the fact it folds to 9 inches!!! its so simple but modern and cool.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:22 pm
There’s no doubt about it Charlotte, Alma is a sweet crib but let’s not forget…it’s pretty expensive. Some people may want to know the differences because they appear to be similar online, but they are obviously very different products. Expected costs for the Alma ($400) and the accessories at Giggle (Coco Mat Mattress $160, Mattress Protector $30, and organic fitted sheets $50) would run $640 not including taxes. Very nice, but very pricey as well!
~ Dr.MOZ
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:20 am
Dr. Moz, true but if I have learnt one thing in life (still a big if:) ) its that you normally get what you pay for. if you look at netto, q collection or other modern brands we are talking maybe 3x the cost. anyway, we love it and thanks for engaging on this – all good fun!
July 18th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Charlotte, I think what Dr. MOZ means is that we all cannot afford the ALMA, or other cribs like it. Yes, it is generally true that you get what you pay for. But my wife and I are young with 2 kids and we can not pay for a $400 crib. It is not within our means. We are taking a trip to IKEA today just to compare the quality.
July 22nd, 2009 at 12:42 pm
the alma looks deeper, does the other one move so it can be deeper as well? it could be dangerous if a baby could get over the railing.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
I’ll buy a IKEA for my son. I think it’s great.
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I think I prefer the IKEA one too. Just because of the price. I do not expect that is much difference in quality…
August 6th, 2009 at 5:22 am
I always buy in IKEA because the prices are amazing!! but no real quality.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I don’t think I would buy the crib from Ikea, they make things too cheap!
August 10th, 2009 at 8:05 am
the ikea cribs i use are amazing. i have twins that are almost three so the cribs have been through a lot of abuse and have stood the test of toddler time. i would definitely recommend them to others, especially for how affordable they are.
August 12th, 2009 at 6:28 am
The Ikea one is great and affordable but I would rather buy the Alma one because I wouldnt want to risk the quality. Ikea products tend to fall apart quickly and you may need to spend double so why risk it!
September 18th, 2009 at 7:49 am
I think that based on the specs… they are pretty much the same. Neither one comes with the mattress, Ikea will always be cheaper, so if you are on a budget (like most of us are) Ikea seems to be the way to go.
September 30th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Dr Moz, I love your engaging on this.
Hi, I am interested in this product, do you have any agency info in the Asia region?
October 13th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
In buying something for infants/kids, quality must always be the priority.. It doesn’t matter whether it is expensive as long as the baby will be safe at all times.. And especially in cribs, babies will spend most of their time in it so why risk on getting a cheaper one?
January 11th, 2010 at 10:44 am
My almost-3 year old has had an Ikea crib since birth (the Hensvik). It’s VERY durable (she likes to jump, need I say more?). I can see that thing lasting through multiple kids. True, some Ikea items can be cheap, but that has not been my experience with the Hensvik crib (and changing table/bookcase/hutch). I’ll be purchasing Ikea’s Hermelin for the next one (since he’s a boy and boys need blue!).
January 11th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
We have the Alma, and it is a wonderful, wonderful crib. Pricey, yes, but incredibly solid, zero assembly, moves around easily on casters, just an all-around amazing product. Of course, my son refuses to sleep in it! That may change, but he’s currently in the bed with us (never thought I’d be a co-sleeper, but you gotta do something when the kid screams bloody murder every time his little butt touches the crib mattress). So we spent $600+ total on a crib/mattress getting zero use. Sigh. But I’d still recommend it over IKEA. He has a wonderful IKEA (Hemnes) chest of drawers, though!
January 25th, 2010 at 8:26 am
the ikea crib is amazing. for the price i love it. it is durable, stable and handles my twins perfectly.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:55 am
I went to the store to look at the Ikea crib in person, the Hermelin one, and it looks pretty good. It doesn’t look cheap to me. Honestly if I didn’t know the price of this product, I would assume it’s just under $300.
I saw the Alma crib in a magazine and went online to check it out, and yes it’s very attractive, and yes it folds down to nothing, but there is no way we would ever spend that much money on a crib. We can afford to, but still it is a bit much, when you gotta get all those other things to complete the crib. I am aware that for some this is not expensive, some people spend $1,000 or even close to $2,000 but for that money I can decorate the whole nursery and still have leftover money to buy baby clothes.
Anyways me and hubby will be buying the Hermelin for sure! We are in the dark when it comes to baby’s gender (we want the surprise) so we are working on a gender neutral fun nursery.
April 10th, 2010 at 2:50 am
My daughter got a IKEA’s Hermelin. Cause here up in Germany there is no way to buy a Bloom’s Alma
.