Video: 9 Things to Know Before Choosing a Crib Mattress

With all the new, trendy crib mattress options out there, it’s not always easy to tell which features are the most important for your baby’s comfort and safety. Should you choose a foam mattress or go for an innerspring one? What’s the appropriate level of mattress firmness for a baby? And what do all those certifications mean?

We sent Bailey, one of our Babylist parents, Naturepedic’s Organic Breathable Crib Mattress to walk you through everything you need to know before choosing your mattress. Watch that in the video above or keep reading for what you should know before buying a mattress or adding one to your Babylist registry.

Important crib mattress features to look for

If you’re staring down a dozen different crib mattress specs trying to figure out what matters most, rest assured that crib mattresses are highly regulated for safety specs like size, flammability and certain chemicals. Otherwise, you just need to make sure that whichever mattress you settle on has these two things:

• A firm, flat surface: When you put pressure on a crib mattress, it should spring back quickly. See what that looks like at the 0:31 mark.
• A snug fit within their crib: You shouldn’t be able to fit more than two fingers in the gap between the mattress and the crib. Bailey tests that out at 0:28.

While a firm mattress might wreak havoc on your grown-up joints, babies actually need something firmer than you might because they lack the head control to avoid sinking into a too-soft mattress. And since their bodies are still developing, their spines and bones need firmer support than adults’ do.

Something helpful to know if you’re thinking about crib size: most cribs are standardized to 28 inches wide by 52 3/8 inches long, so a standard crib mattress (usually made slightly smaller than crib dimensions for a snug fit) should work no matter your crib choice, unless you go for a mini crib.

Lightweight vs. innerspring crib mattress

To get that firm, flat surface babies need for safe sleep, crib mattresses are made a few ways. Typically, crib mattresses fall into one of two categories: innerspring or lightweight.

• Innerspring crib mattress: These have metal coils like a traditional adult mattress, and the higher the number, the firmer the mattress. For example, Naturepedic’s crib mattresses have either 150 or 252 coil support—which is some of the highest coil count you’ll find in crib mattresses.

• Lightweight mattresses: These can be made of a variety of materials, from foams like polyurethane to food-grade polyethylene, like Naturepedic’s lightweight organic crib mattresses. Lightweight mattresses offer similar firmness to innerspring mattresses, but if you’re concerned about things like off-gassing and prefer a lightweight option, a polyethylene mattress might be a better choice for you.

The big differences between innerspring and more lightweight mattresses are durability, weight and price. Innerspring mattresses are often more durable because spring support is less likely to sag over time, but they tend to be heavier and more expensive than their lightweight counterparts. However, a lightweight mattress is often more accessible, both for its price point and for parents who can’t lift as heavy a mattress for sheet changes.
What about dual-sided mattresses?

As your baby grows into their toddler years, their sleep surface doesn’t need to be as firm as an infant mattress. Instead of buying a new mattress in a few years’ time, dual-side or dual-firmness mattresses offer varying firmness levels, so you can use the firm side for the infant stage and then flip your mattress over for toddler life. This is especially handy if you plan on converting your crib into a toddler bed, since the mattress size won’t change.

What makes a mattress breathable?

In your search for the best crib mattress, you might’ve seen the phrase “breathable.” Breathability in crib mattresses refers to the degree that your baby should be able to breathe through the surface if they roll over to be face down. Some mattresses achieve this with a completely porous design, but that comes with a catch. While they allow for airflow, they also leave room for fluids to seep through, causing mold—something you don’t want your baby to breathe in.

Other designs like Naturepedic’s breathable organic crib mattresses feature a breathable layer that places it in the lowest suffocation risk category while keeping the mattress waterproof overall.

Do you need a waterproof mattress?

If moisture makes it into your baby’s mattress (think: spit-up or diaper leaks), mold could grow, even if it’s a lightweight or permeable one. Waterproof mattresses are designed to help avoid this. For example, Naturepedic’s breathable crib mattress features seamless waterproof edges to help keep moisture out. Bonus: without thread holes for things to slip through, it also keeps out dust mites and bed bugs, too.

If you choose a mattress that isn’t waterproof or if you want extra protection, a waterproof mattress cover like this organic crib mattress protector pad is easy to slip under your baby’s crib sheets as a protective layer.

What do mattress certifications mean?

Outside of lead content and phthalates, chemical content isn’t as regulated in crib mattresses. Certifications help ensure that your baby’s crib mattress is made using the strictest and most up-to-date chemical safety standards.

Because of this, you might see third-party certifications on crib mattress brands like GREENGUARD Gold, MADE SAFE or EWG VERIFIED, which means they’ve undergone additional third-party testing for things like flame retardants and formaldehyde.

What does GOTS Certified mean?

GOTS is a textile standard for products containing organic fibers, like organic cotton. Anything in the baby aisle with a GOTS label must contain at least 70% certified organic fibers—meaning natural fibers that have been grown without using synthetic pesticides, herbicides or GMOs. And if the label also says “organic,” like all of Naturepedic’s crib mattresses, it must contain a minimum of 95% certified organic fibers. What does GREENGUARD Gold Certified mean?

This certification means a mattress was designed for healthier air by keeping chemical emissions—especially the really toxic ones like formaldehyde—as low as possible.

What does MADE SAFE Certified mean?

This certification means a mattress has been screened for over 6,500 ingredients, such as flame retardants, carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. What does EWG VERIFIED mean?

EWG verification means that a mattress has been designed with safer materials while omitting potentially harmful chemical flame retardants and fiberglass in crib mattresses, as well as PVCs. It also means all ingredients are transparent and publicly disclosed and that each mattress was made following responsible manufacturing practices. In the world of crib mattresses, Naturepedic was the first-ever to earn the EWG verification.

Babies can sleep anywhere from 11 to 17 hours a day in their first year—and that amounts to a lot of time spent on their crib mattress. Knowing what to look for, whether it’s understanding certifications or knowing the benefits of different materials, can help you make the best decision for your growing family.

Want to get the full scoop on baby mattresses? Watch our full video breakdown featuring Naturepedic’s Organic Breathable Baby Crib & Toddler Mattress.

This article is sponsored by Naturepedic. Babylist’s free site, apps and emails are made possible by our sponsors. We limit our sponsored content to relevant partners that offer products and services we believe in and use ourselves.