Determining the best place for your baby to rest their head for 18 hours a day (if you’re lucky) can feel daunting. When I shopped for my firstborn’s crib mattress, I considered the price and whether it had certain certifications I was interested in. Six years and three kids later, I’m learning there is a lot more to consider when choosing the best crib mattress. After speaking with industry experts and extensively testing 10 top contenders (and researching many more), these are the best crib mattresses, including the Naturepedic Organic Breathable Ultra Baby Crib Mattress (2-Stage) Innerspring model.
This Naturepedic model held up to months of testing in the nursery and was determined to be the best ... [+]
The following is a list of all the winning crib mattresses after months of testing them. (After perusing this article, you might also want to check out more of our nursery favorites, including the best crib sheets and the best cribs overall.)
The Simmons Kids SlumberTime Naturally is the best value crib mattress given its significantly lower price (just $96 on sale now), its use of thermoplastic polyurethane for waterproofing (a safer option over even the safest vinyls) and ability to be used for infants and toddlers. I also selected the Avocado Organic Crib Mattress as the best organic pick because of its 100% GOTS-certified latex, organic cotton and wool blend, minus all the chemical flame retardants and off-gassing.
The Naturepedic Organic Breathable Ultra Baby Crib Mattress (2-Stage) Innerspring model blew me away. It uses the highest-quality materials and avoids synthetic waterproofing and fireproofing substances. It feels good, too, thanks to its organic cotton fabric.
When selecting which crib mattresses to test, I initially looked at Naturepedic’s Lightweight version. It uses a patented Wavesupport inner material instead of the polyurethane foam that’s standard in lightweight mattresses, but ultimately I opted for the Innerspring version, given that coils tend to be more durable over time. Both models perform similarly and, aside from their inner makeup, both use the same materials and carry organic certifications.
Waterproof For All Those Upcoming Messes
The company uses a food-grade polyethylene waterproof surface made from non-GMO sugarcane that wipes dry, similar to the vinyl options I tested—without the use of vinyl.
This crib mattress comes with a removable washable cover that’s easy to put on and take off. The company calls the cover breathable and says that it “provides excellent airflow should baby turn face down.” Experts I spoke to caution against these claims and reiterate that there is no data to support a “breathable” mattress claim.
Lighter Than Expected, Yet Durable
It took just 11 seconds to add a crib sheet to this mattress (I was also getting really good at this), and even at 19 pounds, thanks in part to those 252 coils, I was able to easily lift and maneuver this unit. It is lighter than the Avocado crib mattress that I also selected as a winner here, but heavier than the Simmons Kids value pick below.
Mattresses that use innerspring coils tend to be heavier and more expensive, but they also require the use of fewer materials and chemicals. Plus, coils tend to be more durable over time, particularly if there are more of them—252 is a high count for a crib mattress, making this a high-quality innerspring mattress.
The Naturepedic line is popular among parents who are researching crib mattresses that are free from potential chemical hazards—the brand has been making organic mattresses for 20 years. Naturepedic crib mattresses are certified by GOTS, Made Safe and Greenguard Gold, and they are also certified to be formaldehyde-free.
Long-Term Testing Notes
My now 15-month-old has continued to sleep on this Naturepedic mattress in her crib (infant side up) for a total of about eight months now. She has a daily nap, as well as her nighttime sleep on it. I have no complaints about this mattress at all, and it has held up beautifully. I appreciate that it’s flippable, so that she can continue to sleep on this bed into toddlerhood.
The mattress cover has also done its job, and it goes onto the bed easily in comparison to cheaper covers I’ve used in the past. We’ve experienced pee accidents from full diapers but no stains. It did rip a bit along one side, though, and has a few loose threads elsewhere, and I’ve followed the washing instructions, so that’s a little disappointing but the mattress itself doesn’t show any wear.
It can be hard to justify spending hundreds of dollars on a mattress that you’ll use for just a couple years—babies are already expensive, after all. But a crib mattress is also where your baby will spend the better part of their days early on, which makes it potentially worth the investment. That’s why I wanted to find a happy in-between mattress for my best value pick: a mattress that isn’t so cheap that you question its integrity, but not so expensive that it’s out of reach for too many of us. The Simmons Kids SlumberTime Naturally crib mattress works perfectly with this definition. (This is actually the mattress I purchased when my first child was born in 2017.)
When I first chose this mattress six years ago, what stood out was the price and the fact that it had a bunch of certifications. (I now better understand that most mattresses do.) But as I dove further into my research for this story, what stood out most to me about the Simmons Kids SlumberTime Naturally crib mattress when comparing it with similar options, was the fact that it does not use any vinyl. Instead, the waterproof backing is thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a less-harmful plastic, per the Environmental Working Group (EWG). And despite this, the price point is still accessible.
The top of the mattress has a woven cotton cover, which has a nicer feel to it than plastic coverings and doesn’t make that plasticky noise.
Water Wipes Away
Even though the cover is cotton, water was easily wiped away, and the mattress did not remain damp, like other waterproof mattresses. (Waterproofing protects the inner portion of the mattress, but in some cases the cover needs to dry.)
The mattress is light, at just over 12 pounds, but it can still be cumbersome and awkward to lift and put into a crib, which is typical of crib mattresses.
It took me 22 seconds to put on the Copper Pearl fitted sheet (the Forbes Vetted tested best pick for crib sheets), which is significantly less time than when I have to force my usual shrunken Cloud Island sheets on the mattress. (The right crib sheet can make this whole middle-of-the-night change easier.)
Dual-Sided But Not As Long-Lasting As Some
The SlumberTime crib mattress is dual-sided, which means you can use it through toddlerhood by flipping it over when your child is older. Here’s where I’ll mention that my son used this mattress for three years on the infant side because “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and he sleeps great. That said, now that I’m using it for third baby, I do see wear on the infant side in the form of an indentation so we’re swapping it out for a less-worn mattress. Related: Our toddler slept on her SlumberTime infant side for three years, and when we moved her into a toddler bed, we did flip it to the toddler side. (We owned two of these mattresses before testing.)
Because of this wear, I would caution against using this crib mattress for multiple children or passing it along as a hand-me-down unless you confirm that your mattress has held its shape. I confirmed with the company that there is no max allowable weight for either side, which shows that this mattress may expire sooner than you’d like.
One last thing to note is that although the label says this mattress (and others on the market) is soy foam (or plant-based), Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist with the EWG, says that this doesn’t make a mattress better, per se. “Most of the time there’s a small amount of plant oil used to make the foam, but it’s mostly just plain old polyurethane foam—at most, 30% bio-based,” she says.
A spokesperson for Simmons Kids declined to provide details on this mattress’ foam makeup, stating by email: “We are not able to provide percentages of our materials for proprietary reasons.”
With a name like Avocado, it can be easy to get caught up in mattress marketing: clean, beautiful imagery with feel-good messaging about the handmade product that uses only the best materials. But the Avocado company (which also sells beautiful, environmentally friendly, good-for-you furniture) has the substance to back up its claims. I definitely oohed and ahhed when I took the Avocado Organic Crib Mattress out of its box. It’s soft to the touch and uses thick, organic cotton for its outer layer.
Possibly The Most Natural Crib Mattress Available
The Avocado Organic Crib Mattress is perhaps one of the most natural and chemical-free crib mattresses out there, earning gold-standard certifications for organic textiles, including GOTS and Made Safe. This latex mattress is also Greenguard Gold certified and formaldehyde-free certified. Plus, the Avocado company is a B corp, which is good news for environmentally minded families. It’s a carbon neutral company and the latex and wool are sustainably harvested on its own farms.
Unlike every other mattress I tested, the Avocado crib mattress is soft to the touch, which may not make much of a difference when it’s covered with a sheet, but I liked how it felt and thinking about my baby sleeping there.
The Avocado Organic Crib Mattress is perhaps one of the most natural and chemical-free crib ... [+]
It’s Heavier Than Most
This latex crib mattress was much heavier than others I tested, weighing in at a whopping 28 pounds. This might become problematic when you’re trying to change the sheets and need to lift it out of the crib. The company does offer a 30-night trial, which you could use to determine if the 28-pound weight is doable for the grown-ups at home. However, it took me only 18 seconds to add a crib sheet to this mattress. Of course, it would take longer if the mattress were in the crib, due to its weight. (The brand sells two other crib mattresses that make use of pocketed coils, including the an Eco model, which is lighter at 22.5 pounds but not flippable, and a Luxury model that weighs even more (36 pounds) given the deeper layered hybrid construction, but is flippable and comes with a longer sleep trial.)
Although the mattress is heavy, it also feels incredibly durable. The piping, for example, is sturdy and holds firm to the mattress when I tug it. The fabric that lays over the inner core is thick.
The Avocado crib mattress, which is manufactured in California, uses wool as a natural, chemical-free flame retardant, and although the mattress itself is not waterproof, Avocado sells an organic cotton moisture-resistant mattress pad in lieu of plastic to protect against wetness. It keeps the mattress dry, but like comparable covers made of cotton, it remains damp after wiping moisture away.
Long-Term Testing Notes
After initial testing, I placed the Avocado crib mattress in my toddler’s bed (toddler-side up). I chose the Avocado mattress for the toddler’s bed, because of its weight. I find it much easier to maneuver and change the sheets on when it’s on a bed frame versus the crib. She sleeps on this each night over the past eight months or so, and I don’t see any wear.
The mattress cover has done an excellent job of protecting the bed from accidents and leaked diapers, which is important given that this mattress is not waterproof. It’s also easy to wash and to place onto the bed.
The Avocado mattress feels nice. It’s soft, as I mentioned previously, and I really like the commitment to safer materials. In fact, I just bought two twin size Avocado mattresses for my daughters as they make their way to regular beds, because I’ve been so impressed by this brand.
Other Crib Mattresses I Tested
I tested seven other mattresses while searching for the best crib mattresses and researched many more while trying to narrow down the testing pool.
Moonlight Slumber Little Dreamer Crib Mattress: This waterproof mattress had potential on paper. It’s lightweight and can easily be wiped down. But the outer wrinkles; it’s not taut like every other mattress I looked at. I tried to contact the company multiple times through different means and never heard back. Because of this, I wasn’t able to learn more about the materials and chemicals used in the product. Being unable to speak with a representative was disconcerting, particularly if consumers have questions.
Halo DreamWeave Breathable Crib Mattress: This crib and toddler mattress is similar in many ways to the Newton Baby Essential Crib Mattress, primarily the woven polymer inner. I used a Halo BassiNest bassinet for my first two babies, so I was interested to see how the crib mattress performed. Unlike the Newton Baby Essential, which has no waterproof features, the toddler side of the Halo has a TPU waterproof lining. I liked this mattress, and it may work for some families. It was a little heavier than the Newton and just didn’t wow me, since it was missing some of the features in my top picks.
Newton Baby Essential Crib Mattress: I really wanted to love this mattress. Parents raved about Newton Baby mattresses, so I was hopeful. The inner core here is similar to the Halo DreamWeave, a polymer that looks like plastic cobwebs. It’s lightweight, with a removable cover. But when I washed the cover according to the label instructions, it got stuck on the wash cycle and took three unsuccessful dry cycles before I laid it flat to let it air-dry. (I then spoke with the company, which recommended unzipping the pieces and using medium heat, which is not what the label says.)
I’m also concerned with the brand’s claim that the mattress is 100% breathable, allowing the baby to breathe “through” the mattress to reduce risk of rebreathing and suffocation. The company says the mattress went through a third-party lab that found that it had “97% more airflow than the leading organic crib mattress.” A neonatal doctor who I interviewed, Michael Goodstein M.D., division chief of newborn medicine for WellSpan Health, and part of the American Academy of Pediatrics task force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), says the safest way for a baby to sleep is on his or her back. He noted that although one study found less accumulation of carbon dioxide with a mesh mattress, another found that even porous surfaces are associated with carbon dioxide accumulation unless there is an active dispersal system (like a fan). So the best way to make sure your baby is breathing fresh air is to make sure “they are sleeping face up, unobstructed.”
Sealy Perfect Rest Crib And Toddler Mattress: This waterproof mattress easily wiped dry and felt dry to the touch, but like all of the sealed mattresses I tested, there was no way to check whether water remained on the inside. It took just 15 seconds to add a sheet, and although awkward, it’s easy to lift. Although this mattress adheres to Washington state’s Chemicals of High Concern to Children standards, it does use vinyl. The EWG told me that when possible, it’s best to avoid all vinyl. The concern with vinyl, of course, is the addition of more chemicals to your child’s sleep space.
Sealy Soybean Foam-Core Crib And Toddler Mattress: This mattress is pretty comparable to the Perfect Rest. The biggest difference is the soybean foam core. The dampness lingered a little more than it did on the Perfect Rest, and like that option, this one uses vinyl, which is ultimately why I did not choose it as a winner.
Kolcraft Pure Sleep Therapeutic 150 Crib Mattress: Kolcraft and Sealy are part of the same company, so these options were fairly similar. These companies do have mattresses that are more advanced, including a vibrating option, but I wanted to test more traditional units. I liked that the Pure Sleep uses coils instead of foam, but while this model also meets Washington state’s Chemicals of High Concern to Children standards, it does use vinyl.
Graco Premium Foam Crib And Toddler Mattress: Graco is a household name when it comes to baby gear, but this mattress is actually manufactured by Storkcraft, and Graco licenses the product. Unlike other mattresses I tested, the Storkcraft/Graco does not use vinyl and uses a TPU water-resistant lining instead. This was a pretty basic, fine crib mattress that may work for some families. It simply didn’t rise above the competition. During the waterproof test, the mattress retained dampness like the Halo model, versus being wiped away like those that use vinyl.
Crib mattresses
How I Tested The Best Crib Mattresses
I’ll start by reminding our readers that all crib mattresses on the market have been tested by a third party to ensure they meet federal requirements for safety. In order to test for the best crib mattresses, I looked at additional features important to parents:
- Water-resistant or waterproof: I tested to see how well the mattress (or its cover) repels water, if it says it’s waterproof. I did this by pouring a cup of water on top of the mattress, feeling inside the lining (if the cover comes off or the mattress unzips) and wiping up the water to determine if it wipes dry or remains damp.
- How easy it is to change the sheets: This is something that you’ll end up doing many times, sometimes more than once in one night, so the mattress shouldn’t get in your way of this process. I timed myself dressing the mattress with the Forbes Vetted tested best crib sheets (proven not to shrink too much) while the mattress was on the floor. The average time was 16 seconds across 10 mattresses. The heavier, thicker mattresses took longer.
- Is the mattress easy to lift and maneuver? The heaviest mattress was 28 pounds and the lightest was just over 8 pounds. Weight wasn’t the only factor in how easily the mattress could be lifted and maneuvered; the designs that allowed some bending (certain foams, for example) made it easier to lift and move.
- How quickly the mattress recoils, using 8- and 16-pound weights: Again, we are not conducting third-party tests at certified labs to measure firmness. These mattresses have all been certified as safe for infants when it comes to firmness. (Remember, all infants need a firm sleep surface and should be placed to sleep on their backs.) Dr. Goodstein did recommend that a good way to gauge firmness, particularly in an older mattress, is how quickly it recoils. Specifically, he says the crib mattress should not conform at all to your hand when you push down on it. I placed an 8-pound weight, slightly heavier than a newborn, onto the crib mattresses, and then another 8-pound weight, for a total weight of 16 pounds, to look at the mattress’ recoil.
- The materials in use: This wasn’t so much a test as an evaluation, looking for those red-flag materials and chemicals, per EWG. If you’re looking to avoid certain materials or have various health concerns, continue reading for more about a mattress’ makeup.
How To Pick The Best Crib Mattress
Crib mattresses are tightly regulated to ensure a child’s safety, particularly from SIDS. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has stringent requirements companies must follow in order for their crib mattress to be certified and sold.
“A safe mattress is one that’s compliant with the current CPSC mandatory recommendations,” Dr. Goodstein says, noting that there was an update in 2022, which addressed suffocation hazards, entrapment hazards and laceration hazards. And last year, the Biden administration passed a law that banned inclined sleepers and crib bumpers.
“Theoretically, if a mattress is CPSC-compliant, it should be safe for the baby,” Dr. Goodstein says. “The caveat is if you’re using the right mattress for the right crib or playpen.” He explains that if you buy a mattress that doesn’t fit the crib properly or use a toddler-specific mattress size, for example, there are potential hazards.
You will also often see mattresses refer to adhering to ASTM (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials) standards. A spokesperson for the CPSC explained that ASTM certification means that the product meets a single performance standard, while CPSC-certified means the mattress is compliant with all applicable requirements, including the ASTM standard. “CPSC-certified encompasses more safety requirements than ASTM-certified,” she said.
Some crib mattresses might also be JPMA-certified (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association), which provide requirements that go beyond the mandatory federal guidelines.
Firmness
The No. 1 safety consideration in choosing a crib mattress is its firmness. That’s because sleeping surfaces that are too soft, including memory foam, can increase the risk of SIDS when the weight of the baby creates a pocket or indentation.
This “can increase the chance of rebreathing [when an infant breathes in their own exhaled air] or suffocation if the infant is placed in or rolls over to the prone position,” according to an AAP task force paper.
“People have concerns that babies are fragile and they need soft stuff,” Dr. Goodstein says. “That’s a fallacy. A very firm mattress is not formable. It maintains its shape. Never use memory foam; that’s a definite no-no. The surface should not conform to the baby.”
Dr. Goodstein explains that although it’s hard to define firmness, certified mattresses on the market have been tested to be firm enough for safe sleeping.
“If you give the mattress a push, it should bounce right back. It should not deform,” he says. “It should recoil very quickly. If it doesn’t, that’s something to be concerned about.”
Many mattresses are dual purpose: one firm side for babies and a softer side for toddlers. If you’re choosing a dual-sided mattress, Dr. Goodstein says it’s imperative that you’re using the infant side for infants under the age of 1 year. (The AAP does not provide guidance on when to flip a mattress: “Studies on SIDS and SUID [sudden unexpected infant death] go through 12 months, so there isn’t much evidence on sleep safety for toddlers after the first year of life.” If a child is sleeping well on the infant side, there’s no reason to flip just because you’ve reached 1 year.
Goodstein also points out that sometimes product labeling can be confusing, and a mattress topper, for example, might be memory foam and should not be used for an infant.
Materials
When shopping for a crib mattress, you’ll likely see a list of certifications, including Greenguard, GOTS and CertiPUR-US. These certifications apply to the materials in or covering the mattress. Dr. Goodstein points out that when it comes to specific materials or chemicals (flame retardants or waterproofing, for example), there is no evidence that suggests a link between SIDS and toxins.
That said, Stoiber told me that there are chemicals, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), in some mattresses that have been linked to negative health effects, including respiratory and nervous system damage.
“It’s genuinely difficult for shoppers to know what they’re looking for,” Stoiber says. “There is really poor transparency, especially in mattresses and crib mattresses, and a lot of misleading jargon in marketing in the mattress industry.”
She notes that marketing claims like “nontoxic” and “eco-friendly” don’t hold any weight from a scientific perspective: “They’re meaningless.”
Today, mattress companies are making concerted efforts to manufacture products that do not have some of the most concerning chemicals. Stoiber says the following chemicals should be avoided at all costs:
“When researching a mattress and working with a company, make sure they’re upfront about what they use,” Stoiber advises. “If they’re cagey and unwilling, you don’t know what you’re getting.”
All mattresses are required by law to be fireproof, but there are different ways to fireproof, and some use harmful chemicals, Stoiber says, for example, antimony oxide and fiberglass.
Many mattresses have waterproof features, but some commonly used materials can be harmful, Stoiber says.
“Look for plastic like polyethylene, which has much less off-gassing and unreacted chemicals,” she says. “Thermoplastic polyurethane is another less-harmful plastic.”
Stoiber advises staying away from vinyl (polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, for example), which is considered a toxic plastic. On top of that, manufacturers might add phthalates to vinyl to soften the material.
Some mattress companies avoid chemicals on Washington state’s list of Chemicals of High Concern to Children (part of the Children’s Safe Products Act). She still advises against the use of any vinyl and points to research that suggests there is a concern about plasticizers as a replacement for some phthalates.
Certifications
Hand in hand with what materials are used for mattresses and their covers are certifications. And not all mattress certifications are created equal. Let’s take a look at the popular crib mattress certifications and what they mean.
CertiPUR-US: This is a very common certification you’ll find on crib mattresses. It certifies that the foam is made without ozone depleters, PBDEs or TCEP, TDBPP, TDCPP and TEPA flame retardants, mercury, lead and heavy metals, formaldehyde and phthalates regulated by the CPSC. It also certifies that the foam has low VOC emissions.
“This certification is the industry standard for polyurethane foam, and it doesn’t really mean too much because the things they say aren’t in the foam are things that aren’t allowed anyway,” Stoiber says. “It says, ‘We’re following the rules.’” She also explains that the certification is for the foam, not the cover or for flame retardants that might be used outside of the foam.
According to the CertiPUR-US website: “There would not be fiberglass in the certified foam used for mattresses…however, some mattress manufacturers surround a mattress’s foam core with barrier fabrics made from fiberglass to help meet government standards for mattress flammability. A mattress zipper is usually there for easy assembly at the factory and not for the customer to use. For that reason, never remove the cover of your mattress, even if it has a zipper, unless the mattress cover is specifically intended to be removed for laundering. Consult the manufacturer’s website or call their customer service department before you zip off your mattress cover.”
UL Greenguard And UL Greenguard Gold: There are two types of Greenguard certifications, both of which certify that the product has met industry standards for low chemical emissions. The Greenguard Gold certification goes a step further for children’s products, like crib mattresses, to ensure that the product has even lower emissions, particularly for formaldehyde, because children are still developing.
“Greenguard is a good certification,” Stoiber says. “But it only applies to VOCs. A mattress could have something else, like phthalates, antimicrobials and fiberglass.”
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): This certification is considered to be a gold standard in textiles, Stoiber says. To receive this certification, the mattress cannot use polyurethane foam and must be free of a long list of hazardous chemicals. She advises shoppers to be mindful of what is GOTS-certified. For example, a mattress cover might have certification, while the inside does not. “There are really strict requirements companies have to meet if the whole mattress is certified organic,” Stoiber says.
Type Of Inner Support On Your Crib Mattress: Coils, Latex, Foam
There are two main types of inner construction in crib mattresses: coils and foam. Stoiber explains that a crib mattress does not need a lot of bells and whistles: “You can have a mattress with steel springs, cotton batting and organic cotton on the outside. You don’t need a lot of other things.”
In general, Dr. Goodstein says, coils are a solid choice for the interior of your mattress. They last a long time, they’re firm and they have fewer chemicals than foam options.
Last year’s CPSC updated guidance on mattress requirements included new ways to address injury risk related to coils. (If the mattress contains coils, the coil or any metal wire must not be exposed. The mattress must also pass a cyclic impact test.)
Dr. Goodstein advises consumers to check for a mattress’ wear, particularly if it’s a secondhand mattress, looking for fraying or coils poking through the surface.
There are a plethora of foam options, all of which must pass the same firmness test, but as discussed earlier, exposure to certain chemicals is a risk in some mattresses, and marketing claims may be misleading.
Latex, as long as it isn’t synthetic latex, is another natural inner core option for mattresses, although you don’t see it in crib mattresses as much. It comes from the sap of rubber trees and is known as a durable, long-lasting material produced with fewer chemicals than traditional foam used in mattresses. It also has a reputation as being more naturally cooling.
Cleanability
Your mattress will get wet and experience diaper blowouts. It’s par for the course with most baby gear. How easily your crib mattress can be cleaned can be a game changer in reducing stress and saving time.
Many mattresses are waterproof or have a waterproof cover (either included or as an additional purchase). This can help make spills and leaks easier to wipe up and keep the mattress protected. I did find that while waterproof covers protect the mattress, they stay wet after being wiped down, which means you still need to change the cover or wait for it to dry before putting on fresh sheets.
Washable, removable covers are often a good option to keep your baby’s bedding clean, assuming they’re easy to take off and put back on. I did test several washable covers but ran into washing machine errors (likely due to an imbalanced load) and the covers that required several dry cycles.
My Expertise
I’m a journalist with two decades of experience covering news, health and fitness, and products, including baby and kid gear. But like most parents, my kids help define me, and in this case, they make me an (aspiring) expert in the parenting space. I have three kids: ages 5, 3 and 8 months old, who’ve served as guinea pigs for much of my kid gear testing and reviewing.
For years, I’ve been testing products to determine how well they perform. In order to do that, I use not only firsthand experience, but interviews with industry experts about things consumers should know before purchasing products—in this case, crib mattresses.
For this article, I spoke with Michael Goodstein M.D., F.A.A.P., division chief of newborn medicine for WellSpan Health, and part of the American Academy of Pediatrics task force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS); a spokesperson for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); and Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D., a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group (EWG). These experts shed light on safety regulations for crib mattresses as well as important things to consider when researching the materials and potential chemicals used in crib mattresses.
What Is The Best Mattress To Buy For A Crib?
I found the Naturepedic Organic Breathable Ultra Baby Crib Mattress (2-Stage) Innerspring to be the best overall crib mattress after extensive testing. The Simmons Kids SlumberTime Naturally crib mattress is a more affordable option that offers significant value for its price, and the Avocado Organic Crib Mattress is the best one for those seeking an organic mattress with top-of-the-line environmental certifications as well.
All mattresses on the market have been certified to meet CPSC standards for safety, particularly firmness. It’s important to use a mattress as it’s intended. For example, use a standard crib mattress for a standard crib frame.
Many crib mattresses use certain materials or chemicals that could be harmful to children. Certifications can help mitigate that risk, but the best thing you can do is contact the company to learn more about what is used for that mattress. We did that research for you with these mattresses.
Is Foam Or Spring Mattress Better For Baby?
All mattresses on the market meet CPSC standards for safety, whether it’s foam or innerspring, including lead testing, flammability, limits on phthalates and more. Another top safety consideration in choosing a crib mattress is its firmness. That’s because sleeping surfaces that are too soft, including memory foam, can increase the risk of SIDS when the weight of the baby creates a pocket or indentation.
“People have concerns that babies are fragile and they need soft stuff,” Goodstein says. “That’s a fallacy. A very firm mattress is not formable. It maintains its shape. Never use memory foam; that’s a definite no-no. The surface should not conform to the baby.”
Foam mattresses tend to use more materials and chemicals, which can make it harder to understand what your baby might be exposed to. Mattresses that use innersprings have less material that can introduce concerning chemicals. And because coils used in innerspring models are more durable than foams, these mattresses can last longer and be handed down.
What Firmness Is Best For Crib Mattress?
As Goodstein noted, it’s hard to define firmness. But the mattresses that meet the CPSC standards for safety go through third-party testing to ensure it passes the safety standards for firmness. If you’re using a secondhand mattress, it’s important to make sure the mattress does not deform at all when you push on it.
What Is The Safest Material For Baby Mattress?
I spoke with an expert from the Environmental Working Group who explained that the safest materials for crib mattresses avoid fiberglass, PFAS, phthalates, vinyl and antimicrobial additives. Certifications like Greenguard, GOTS and CertiPUR-US are good starting points for ruling out harmful chemicals, but they don’t mean they’re avoiding every concerning ingredient.
I chose the Avocado Organic crib mattress as our top organic pick, because it meets some of the highest organic standards, including GOTS, and uses wool and cotton as its primary materials.
How Thick Should Crib Mattress Be?
Crib mattresses should not exceed 6 inches, according to the CPSC.
Should I Buy A Breathable Mattress?
You’ll often see a mattress claim to be breathable, but what does that mean and does it matter? Goodstein reminds us that the safest way for a baby to sleep is on their back.
“There are claims that breathable mattresses are better, but no studies really support that claim,” he says.
He does point out that there could be a theoretical benefit with regard to babies overheating—a potential factor in SIDS—and some decrease in CO2 around the baby, but no study, he says, have shown these items reduce the risk of SIDS.
“The bottom line,” Goodstein says, “is breathable mattresses can be used if they’re meeting CPSC standards, but there is really no guarantee of any advantage.”
Can I Use A Secondhand Mattress?
The short answer: Yes. But you’ll want to look for signs of wear and tear, including exposed coils, indentations and mildew.
“A used mattress can break down,” Goodstein says.
Note On Giving Back: After testing, seven of the crib mattresses received were donated to One-By- Onesie, which supports families in need in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. Also, 11 mattress boxes were recycled into flower beds for the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
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