Admittedly, the crib mattress was one of the tougher pieces of baby gear for me to decide on. Not because there were so many cool models to explore like strollers, car seats or high chairs but because I really didn’t even know what I was looking for. And there are so many options! Not to mention, while the crib mattress isn’t as glamourous as a Bugaboo stroller it is much more necessary and probably used quite a bit more in the grand scheme of things. If you take nothing else away from this blog post, know that you should purchase a firm mattress. Firm as in one that may seem too firm to you. The firmer the better as it has been proven to help prevent SIDS. Other important safety considerations:
- make sure the mattress snuggly fits your crib. A good test – place the crib mattress in the center of the crib and make sure no more than two fingers fit in between the mattress and side of the crib. It should not be all that easy to get the mattress out of the crib.
- the crib sheet should be tightly over the corner of the crib mattress. Some crib mattress have varying depths so make sure you have crib sheet that fits your mattress well.
- look for a mattress with at least double or triple laminated (usually with vinyl) covering for both waterproofing and protection against tears and sagging.
- the mattress should have vents on both sides to create steady air flow to prevent odors from leaky diapers.
- look for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) certification. This ensures that the mattress was tested for quality and safety as well as conforms to safety standards.
Now the choice is between foam or coil. One is not necessarily better than another and it really is a matter of personal preference. Here are the details…
Foam:
- tend to be on the lesser expensive side
- lighter weight than coil mattresses (typically less than 8 pounds)
- the more dense the foam the better however, density ratings aren’t usually advertised or available
Coil:
- usually more expensive
- heavier – most weigh upwards of 20 pounds
- having more coils isn’t always better but it can mean the mattress is more firm. It is also important to consider the wire gauge, number of turns per cop and the size of the wire making up the coils. This information is not advertised – only coil count.
So how do you choose which one? It is recommended by pediatricians and baby experts alike that going with a reputable name brand known for quality is your best bet to ensure a long lasting and safe mattress.
To organic of not organic? There is lots on the web about the fumes emitted from mattress and most of what people are talking about are the chemicals put on the mattress during manufacturing for flame retardation.
Here are some of our favorites meaning ones we have extensively researched and recommend, all are foam, extra firm and Greenguard certified, read more about Greenguard certification, here.
Sealy Soybean Foam Core / Moonlilght Slumber Little Dreamer / Naturepedic Organic Cotton / Cologate Classica I Foam Core
Our choice? We went with the Sealy Soybean Foam Core Mattress and couldn’t be more pleased. The mattress is firm, fits snuggly and it is lightweight which makes crib sheet changing as easy as it can be. Our runner up choice was the xxx and ultimately we decided against it because of its lack of waterproof/vinyl covering. Even with a crib protector Tyler we worried about stains and leaky diapers. But as with all baby products, there are plenty of decent options and its all about finding what you think is best!
Check out our previous, Crib Buying Guide!
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This post was really helpful! I’m glad you explained what to look for in a mattress and then also offered some options and told us which mattress YOU picked and why. I just bought my daughter’s crib and was waiting on buying a mattress until you posted this guide. I’m so glad I did! I’ll be purchasing the Sealy Soybean Foam Core Mattress—The same one you picked for Eloise. I even found it online on Amazon.com with FREE SHIPPING for only $100, so I’m VERY happy that I’ve found a good, safe mattress that is also within my budget.
I would advise you and your readers to look very closely at “soybean foam” —
http://oecotextiles.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/does-soy-based-foam-deliver-on-its-promise —
which is typically 20% soy foam mixed with 80% polyurethane foam. The same toxic flame retardants are necessary for this product which is often referred to as a “solid fuel” burning at over 1000 degrees F. It is not bio-degradable and no less toxic to our air quality.
Also worth noting, CertiPUR, a certification often touted by companies selling foam products, is run by a PU foam industry group. From their site, http://certipur.us/pages/about-our-seal/about-certipur-us
“CertiPUR-US® is a program of the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, an organization formed in 1995 and incorporated in 2008. In addition to administering the CertiPUR-US® certification program, the mission of AFPF to educate consumers as well as the industry about the benefits of flexible polyurethane foam.”
Greenguard and Oeko-Tex, on the other hand, are well-respected.
Lastly, I don’t think Naturepedic sells any foam mattresses. The “Organic Cotton” mattress you show is filled with organic cotton and food-grade polyethylene (what a zip-loc bag is made of).
I would advise people to avoid foam and vinyl and purchase a very firm mattress that fits snugly like you said.
Matthew Grayson
Product Designer, MDB Family
Thank you for sharing this post, I am researching mattresses as well and find there is a lot of misleading and confusing information out there! Matthew, can you share any recommended mattresses?
Thanks!