Mattresses at all price levels are firm, breathable, and simple-to-clean
Newborns spend most of their time sleeping, so the crib mattress is one of the most important purchases you’ll make as a new parent (no pressure, right?). First and foremost, it needs to be supportive and made with safe materials. Additionally, you will need to make sure it is easy to clean and has dual firmness in order to allow your toddler to continue using it.
Good Housekeeping Institute researchers, engineers, as well as parenting experts, review all manner of baby gear. They focus on items that relate to sleeping, including cribs, swaddle beds, sleep sacks, and swaddle pillows. Our Textiles Lab researched crib mattresses for aspects like materials, safety features, and certifications, plus our team has spent over five years testing dozens of models in our own homes. It was important to consider how the mattresses fit in a baby’s crib, whether it’s easy to move them around and how they perform over time. These recommendations are suitable for all budgets and material preferences. The best crib mattresses for babies:
Avocado Luxury Crib Mattress
What Mattresses Are Best For Cribs?
The mattress for babies is not just a smaller version of the one for adults. These mattresses are made with more care for safety and development of their growing bodies. This is what you need to know before you go shopping.
Extra firm: The best mattress for a newborn is one that’s extra firm; in fact, it should be so hard that as an adult, you can’t imagine it possibly being comfortable to sleep on. They will benefit from this firmness, which not only helps support their developing bones but can also help reduce the possibility of SIDS.
Dual-sided: A baby can sleep on a soft, but firm surface when they are about one year old. Many crib mattresses are reversible with infant and toddler sides so you can use the same one for several years until your child is ready to transition into a bed.
Innerspring or foam materials: You can choose from innerspring mattresses and crib mattresses, just like regular mattress inners. Innerspring models are constructed with steel coils which make it strong. But foam mattresses are typically made from lightweight, dense polyurethane latex or foam. GreenGuard Gold certification is required for any foam crib mattresses. This will ensure there are no off-gassing VOCs, low emission and minimal harmful emissions. GreenGuard certification has been given to all the foam mattresses that our team selected.
How to Choose a Crib Mattress
To ensure a snug fit, crib mattresses need to be minimum 27 1/4 inch wide and 51 1/2 inches long according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. You shouldn’t make them more than 6 inches in thickness.
It should be snugly fitted in the crib. The gap between the sides and mattress of the crib should not exceed two fingers. This is dangerous for the baby.
Safety: The crib sheets should fit securely on the mattress to prevent your baby from pulling the edges upwards, which could lead to a danger of drowning. An infant’s crib should have nothing else in it: no pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, or other toys. A crib shouldn’t have anything that can be pulled down by the baby. Crib mattresses should be replaced with new ones. The mattress might not be as sturdy, may have mold or bacteria growth and not meet the most recent safety regulations.
Certifications: For organic mattresses, you should check certifications from Global Organic Textile Standard and Global Organic Latex Standard. Both ensure strict quality control throughout the production process. This certification is especially crucial because many mattresses are claimed to be organic if they use only one organic component such as an organic cotton cover that covers a synthetic foam inner.
Best Crib Mattress
A quality crib mattress is a good investment. The top seven crib mattresses were subject to a side-byside comparison in order to determine the best.
Credit: herjua (c),123rf.com Juliet Spurrier MD Wendy Schmitz. Independently, our Editors test and rate the best products. Our links only earn us money, we do not accept products for free.
Do you need a great crib mattress? After evaluating over 20 options, we settled on seven top choices to help you choose the right crib mattress. Considering that babies spend most of their first years sleeping, a quality mattress is worth serious consideration and investment. The quality and long-term durability of our mattresses are the main priorities. The lowest-priced mattresses didn’t make the cut as we consider a crib mattress to be one product worth investing in quality. You can use our guide to help choose the perfect one for you baby.
Buy the Best Crib Mattress Within Your Budget You get what you pay for when it comes to mattresses, and your baby will appreciate it if you spend the most your budget allows. While there are bargains to be had in baby gear, we believe that buying a crib mattress is not the time to look for savings by purchasing a low-quality mattress. We understand the constraints of budgets and have made every effort not to make mattresses that are too expensive or toxic.
We Have The Top Crib Mattresses For 2022
1. Newton Wovenaire Crib Mattress
The bottom line is that it was comfortable. We tested it and it worked well in our cribs. ), and super comfortable. This crib mattress from Wovenaire has a lot to offer. However, it also contains a few flaws: polyurethane foams that are too heavy, latex and allergens as well as heavy coil springs. Newton suggests that parents leave the cover off the mattress, which is highly washable and breathable. Newton mattress’s edges are well-squared and fit perfectly into our testing crib. Newton also states that its core is completely recyclable. But I challenge you to take it out of your bin. Unfortunately, a core made of polymer isn’t natural. We do however appreciate its food-grade and Greenguard GOLD certification. This greatness is not for everyone. The Newton Wovenaire retails at $299. You will love the high-quality mattress and its incredible ease-of-use, including the fully washable cover. Everyone else is unanimously a fan of the Newton. Babygearlab. Babylist. WhatToExpect. Impressed? The Newton Crib Mattress is available here. Naturepedic Organic Breathable Toddler mattress
The Naturepedic crib mattress stands out for its high quality organic construction and breathable cover. The Naturepedic Breathable crib mattresses were purchased late last year to test. We are truly impressed! This organic American mattress made of high-quality materials is manufactured in the United States. The mattress can have two levels of firmness, one on each side (for babies or toddlers), and you can select between coil springs and lightweight wavesupport. Our choice was the classic coil core over the wavesupport-polyethylene core. A coil core is made up of 252 springs, an organic cotton pad, and an organic covering. A coil core is proven to prevent the development of indentations and lumps, provide support for many years, and eliminates the risk of off-gassing. While a bit heavier (19 pounds) and a bit more expensive, we think coil cores are a great option. This mattress is certified Greenguard GOLD and Greenguard GOTS. The edges are seamless and the corners have been rounded. There are excellent reviews. It is also hypoallergenic, and it’s not just the cover that’s organic, it’s all materials (other than the springs themselves, of course). The breathable, organic cotton cover was a big hit in our tests. It was easy to clean and remove. It was virtually odorless. We felt it fit perfectly in the babyletto (test) crib. It was constructed with high quality materials and will last many years. You will find the tag inside the mattress that says it has organic fiber batting as well as non-GMO, PLA batting. Everything looks, smells, and feels fantastic with this mattress; for dual-firmness, the infant side is super firm and the toddler side is nice and soft. The quality of the seams is excellent, the stitching is high quality and the cover is comfortable.
Uniquely, this mattress’s breathable cover does not zip off. Instead it acts like a fitted sheets. Is this not amazing? This coil spring crib mattress weighs 19 pounds. It is difficult to pull the entire crib out for changing of covers. The cover is simply pulled over the edges and you won’t have to take the mattress out. Nice touch! Apart from its Greenguard GOLD & GOTS certifications this mattress is MADE SAF certified. Also, the Avocado holds this certification. You can trust this mattress for its organic materials and manufacturing (in the USA), as well as comfort. We think that’s quite a feat! There are two little things to point out, however. Second, the mattress is quite heavy. Naturepedic has a light version with the unique wavesupport core polyethylene, so you don’t have to be concerned. This is also the core material Newton used. The second reason why the mattress core has a waterproof liner is so great is that it won’t damage your mattress from an accidental event and can be easily cleaned. Naturepedic uses a plant-based, non-GMO-sugarcane polyethylene to waterproof its products. While waterproof coatings are not something we like, This combination combines both the best and worst of both worlds. It consists of an organic mattress core and cover with a plant-based waterproofing coating. The waterproofing coating is safe for food and doesn’t contain any phthalates or vinyl. MADE SAFE is an excellent example of this. Expensive? We think the cost is worth it. What other top-rated product is the Naturepedic? Babygearlab and Babylist are our friends. Impressed? This Naturepedic Crib Mattress is available for purchase here. Avocado Green Crib Mattress.
The crib mattress is distinguished by its high-quality organic construction using sustainable materials. With a few important differences, the Avocado is most closely related to Naturepedic. Avocado doesn’t have waterproof layers or 3D mesh breathable covers. It does however have a beautiful quilted surface, as well as an organic construction that has GOTS and GOLS certifications and Greenguard Gold certification. Avocado arrived in our possession for testing. We loved the avocado’s construction quality and material. It has all the necessary certifications for organic parents, an organic coconut core and latex core as well as a breathable core and surface. This is a hand-made, beautiful construction from California in the USA. As important, the mattress does not contain any polyurethane or foam, chemical adhesives or fire retardants. It also contains no vinyl, heavy metalsprings, chemical flame arrestants, plastics or other polymers. Avocado utilizes an organic coconut kernel core that is infused with flexible, organic latex. Avocado crib mattresses ship flat like Naturepedic and Newton. You don’t need worry about whether they will expand from a ball rolled up.
As a first impression, there is absolutely no odor or off-gassing, and the organic cotton quilted surfaces are unbelievably beautiful, soft, and durable. There is no equal in the quality of workmanship, both with seams and stitching. The compression test revealed that the toddler and infant sides were very responsive and firm, as is the norm for safety. For details you can see our full Avocado crib mattress review here . Each cover and core is breathable. It helps provide safety, as well as cool airflow for the warmer months. Avocado crib mattresses offer a great mattress. And parents that are worried about sustainability can be assured that their mattress has been made in an impressive manufacturing environment. Avocado crib mattresses also use sustainable materials that protect the Earth, farmers, workers and future generations. The Avocado website has more information on sustainable practices, certifications and other details. The impressive number of certifications is enough to make it worth mentioning. Relating to the Newton the Avocado has a con. It does not come with a removable protective case. Avocado will sell you one, but it is possible to purchase your own. We think the Avocado is perfect, and are thankful to have tried it. It offers the best quality of construction and is priced at less than $300 for organic crib mattresses. Interested? Have you been interested in the Avocado Crib Mattress? The Emily Crib Mattress.
Although it might sound corny, we guarantee that this mattress is amazing. The Emily crib mattress was made right here in America. It is extremely high-quality, certified organic, and has GOTS and GOLS certifications. Emily’s coil spring core is 150 springs. The Emily has an organic layer of wool over it and a cover made from organic quilted coton. The mattress core has very few needle perforations, which promotes breathability. Add that to the wool layer and it creates a wonderful combination for keeping the temperature down in summer and the warmth up in winter. It is covered with a plush, soft cover and a high-quality core mattress. This includes 150 coil innersprings as well as corner and edge supports. The mattress comes shipped flat, which is always our preference. No odor was detected from the box. It’s Greenguard gold certified, meaning it emits very little chemical. We were able to fit the box into our crib perfectly. It was comfortable for any age, firm enough to hold a baby’s hand but not too soft for toddlers. It’s fun to watch a toddler learn to hop in their crib. Like the Newton, it is dual-sided (not dual firmness). This means that each side of the mattress does not have two different levels. On the one hand we prefer dual-firmness mattresses, but on the other hand it’s nice to be able to turn and flip the mattress to avoid sagging and dips. Overall, we really like the Emily crib mattress, and after our longer-term testing it has worked its way up higher on this list! Cons? There is no dual-firmness and you will need to buy a mattress protector or cover. This beautiful mattress is not meant to be infected, much like Avocado. Who else loves the Emily mattress? Babygearlab is a picky bunch! Interested? Check out the Emily Natural Crib mattress here. Lullaby’s Earth Breeze Toddler Mattress.
Is it waterproof, air-breathable, and double-firm? Only $250 Sounds great! Lullaby Earth’s crib mattress is very much in demand, and with good reason. Their new dual-firmness crib mattresses are Greenguard GOLD, MADE SAFE, recyclable and extremely lightweight. They also have seamless edges that allow for easy cleaning. It does not use a coil or foam core. Instead, the WaveSupport core of the Naturepedic is used. Made from food grade polymer. MADE SAFE Certification makes a strong case. This certification requires very minimal VOC emissions but also passes rigorous testing on every material used. The toddler side of the mattress was more soft than the infant. It is almost squared at the corners, which falls somewhere between a flat and round edge. Our test crib (DaVinci), fit it perfectly. The slightly rounded corners could make it more difficult to lose or drop pacifiers. The Lullaby Earth mattress was very lightweight, maybe a few ounces less than the Colgate even, so changing sheets was a breeze. Cover is made from a 3D mesh fabric with a waterproof, non-vinyl backing. The cover is machine washable. Under the cover, the outer mattress lining is easily cleaned and has a nice seamless edge. All of the mattress has been made in USA. The construction seems solid and the long-term durability is good. Cons? Nothing major! Although we like the waterproof cover’s breathable surface and the waterproof cover, there are still chemicals or plastics in any waterproof coating. So, while the mattress core has been MADE SAFE Certified, the cover may not be. We think that the Lullaby Earth Breeze crib mattresses are a wonderful option for parents who have high standards. Who else loves the Lullaby Earth? Babygearlab and Babylist are our friends. Impressed? You can check out the Lullaby Earth Crib Mattress here 6. Nook Pure Organic Crib Mattress.
and DaVinci test cribs. Cons? We couldn’t resist comparing it with the Avocado we love and know. Avocado’s transparency is excellent, as are organic certifications. Greenguard GOLD, MADE SAFE and GOTS. It can however be very difficult to know what Nook certifications they have. Due to the soft wool layer, Avocado seems a little softer in the toddler size. The third thing we expected was a waterproof covering at this price. We are aware that it is extremely difficult to cover a crib mattress with a waterproof and organic cover. Only the Avocado has a removable cover. However, we have to say that the Nook’s price is double that of Avocado. It also has a removable cover which seems excessive when considering the other features. We think that it is a fantastic option, but there are some drawbacks like the high price. Interested? You can check out this Nook Pure Organic Mattress here 7. Babyletto Pure Core Non-Toxic Crib Mattress.
About $199 This Babyletto Pure Crib Mattress is relatively new to the baby mattress market, and it is the perfect pair for our top-rated Babyletto cribs. There are so many wonderful things about this mattress. First, it is dual-sided, with a nice firm newborn side and a relatively soft toddler side. It is hypoallergenic, dust mite- and allergen-resistant and also hypoallergenic. The core does not contain any polyurethane foam and is therefore non-toxic. Instead, it utilizes a Polyester core such as the Newton Wovenaire. Greenguard GOLD certified, the core doesn’t contain PVC, soy or vinyl. The core is recyclable – you can cut it up and put it in your recycle bin. The batting layer is made from modacrylic and polyester above the core. What is modacrylic Fiber? It is an acrylic synthetic fiber that’s hypoallergenic, resistant to mildew, and very durable. It also has a cotton cover that can zip on or off with ease and is waterproof. This is the hybrid cover, which has both a waterproof liner and a soft cotton top. Finally, the Babyletto Pure felt comfortable and fitted perfectly into our Babyletto as well as DaVinci Cribs. Snug as a bug, without any gaps at the sides or corners. It was well-structured, with one side being very hard for newborns and another side soft enough to be used by toddlers. Cons? There are a few minor issues. We found that the zipper was not as strong as we expected. Second, it is likely to break soon. The zipper hasn’t been broken yet but it could. It was also a problem to put the cover back on the mattress after it had been machine washed. Additionally, this cover is not made in USA but was made in Taiwan. Overall this is an excellent crib mattress with only a few downfalls worth considering. The non-toxic materials used, the dual-sided construction and waterproof cover make this a great value for money. Who else loves the Babyletto Pure crib mattress? The Bump, WhatToExpect and Babygearlab all rated it as a Top Pick. Impressed? Are you impressed? OrganicDream Organic Toddler Mattress, 2-Stage.
What Kind of Mattress Should I Use for a Baby Crib?
Editor’s Pick: Newton Baby Crib Mat.
Which Crib Mattress Should I Buy?
Your baby will be happy with a mattress costing between $90 to $200. Prices for foam and innerspring mattresses are comparable, ranging from $50 to $400 and up. The more costly mattresses are made from natural latex or organic cotton. Models less than $90 might feel too fragile and soft. April 25, 2016.
Are Expensive Crib Mattresses Worth It?
It is worth it? As it turns out, then answer is yes, but it depends. Marketing professionals are very skilled at tricking you into believing they are selling something. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly research organic crib mattress options. So yes, an organic crib mattress is worth it, but only if you know what to look for.May 6, 2021
.Best Crib Mattress