What type of crib?

A few months ago I spent a lot of time looking at cribs. I wanted to have an idea of what was out there, so that when we do get pregnant I can watch for sales on the cribs I like. During my searching I came across articles about why type of cribs are out there and which ones are safe and perhaps not so safe. On the Consumer Reports website they indicate that there have been recent recalls on cribs with drop-sides (article written November 2008) which raises concerns about the safety of those types of cribs. Then today I read in the Wall Street Journal about the same thing. I had already decided I would steer away from drop-side cribs, plus they are usually such a pain to put up or down, I probably would never use it. I'm sure there are lots of drop-side cribs that are perfectly safe, but for me, I'm going to avoid them until some new regulations are things are in place.
I'm still not sure what crib I want. I thought I wanted a convertible crib, but the full sized cribs convert into a full sized bed; I don't think my kid will need a full sized bed, a twin will work just fine, and what if our rooms wont fit a full sized bed? Of course with convertible cribs going to adult sized beds requires a conversion kit, which can sometimes cost hundreds of dollars, so is it even worth it at that point? I do like the idea of converting it into a toddler bed and a day bed. The starting price difference between a convertible crib and a standard crib are not that great, so perhaps it's worth the flexibility, maybe only all I need is a 3-in-1 instead of 4-in-1....
I entertained the idea of a mini crib, they are so cute and they convert into a twin size bed, but there are a lot of reviewers that say their baby grows out of the crib very quickly and I'd like to keep our kids in a crib as long as possible. I still haven't settled on what I want yet, all I know is I don't want to have to spend a lot of money, but I do want something that looks good.
Overall, the biggest concern will be safety. We all want the best for our children and sleeping somewhere safe is a priority.

Here are just a few cribs I like:
DaVinci - Annabelle Mini Crib 2-in-one


DaVinci - Emily 4-in-one


DaVinci Mercer Crib












I haven't made a decision yet, and probably by the time we are ready to buy something there will be many more designs to choose from.