Buying A Baby Mattress

Everyone always says buying a great mattress is a great investment in you. We should spend a lot of time sleeping. And good back support, comfort and “snug” all make for a great night sleep. So for a baby - whose bones and spine are developing, who spends most of the day and night on their back; and who spends most hours of the day and night sleeping – can you imagine how important it is to get a great mattress?

And you know that investing in a mattress means a better, more comfortable and restful sleep.

This is one area that you don’t want to be cutting corners. And you certainly don’t want a used one.

There are three basic types of mattresses – innerspring, foam and natural. Natural can also be organic but not necessarily.

There is more and more being written about the dangers lurking in mattresses, particularly frightening for babies. Innerspring and foam mattresses are synthetic and can be made from petrochemicals and formaldehyde which are at best irritants to skin and allergy-causing at worst carcinogens and responsible for immune dysfunction. The off-gassing produced by these mattresses is not ideal for babies developing immune and nervous systems.

There are "new" foams around, like CertiPUR certified foams which do not use the above-mentioned chemicals and are considered non-toxic.

Natural mattresses are most commonly made of latex. (Make sure its natural latex not synthetic.) And some mattresses use coconut coir or cotton which are really breathable. If you are going to the effort and expense of buying a natural mattress, make sure that the cover you use on it is organic.

Do your research and buy as well as you can. If inner spring is the best that you can afford, invest in an organic cover and bedsheets. At least that way there are additional barriers between the mattress and your baby.

Here are some basic things to look out for when buying a cot mattress for your baby:

1. Buying A Baby Mattress - A cot mattress must be firm

Must be firm – this is one of the most important factors when choosing a mattress.

2. Buying A Baby Mattress - A Cot mattress must fit firm to the cot edge

Must fit to the cot edges – product safety Australia regulates (maximum 20 mm from any cot side or end when centred on the mattress base; 40 mm when the mattress is pushed to one side or end.) But we recommend snug end to end, no gaps.

3. Buying A Baby Mattress - Buy new

Bacteria, mites and mould are a danger with old mattresses.

4. Buying A Baby Mattress - It must have sturdy edges

Sturdy edges minimise the chance of a child getting trapped between bed and mattress

5. Buying A Baby Mattress - Hypo-allergenic

Any allergies in the family – e.g. to synthetic materials, wool or latex?

6. Buying A Baby Mattress - Check for breathability

This is particularly important in hotter climates - synthetic mattress will not be as breathable as the natural ones.

7. Buying A Baby Mattress - How many coils

Generally, more coils may mean more support (but not always). The quality of the coils is also important.

8. Buying A Baby Mattress - Beware of insulator pads

With innerspring mattresses consumerreports.org warn that beware of the insulator pads (which keep the coils in) – “the lowest-quality insulator pads are made from woven polyester.” Coir fibre, hard felt and fibre-wrap pads are best.

9. Buying A Baby Mattress - Always get a protective cover

Water-resistant or waterproof – make sure it is a firm fit to the mattress and buy organic if you can which means it will be water-resistant not waterproof.

As with anything to do with our babies, we want to do the best we can within our means. My objective with any purchase is to spend for the best on the things that will make the biggest difference.