How To Pick A Naturepedic Crib Mattress

When it comes to your little bundle of joy, you want all of the things you buy for your baby’s nursery to be perfect, especially their crib mattress. There are several considerations when buying a new crib mattress that all new parents should keep in mind, including crib mattress support, breathability, allergenic concerns, and the materials used. 

So that you feel confident in your crib mattress purchase, we put together a brief guide to choosing the best Naturepedic organic crib mattress that addresses these key areas of concern. 

Many parents-to-be want to choose an organic or non-toxic crib mattress to promote a healthier sleep environment for their baby and give them a safer start from day one. 

We believe our products are the best option out there for adults, kids, and babies—but don’t just take our word for it! You can hear from other parents that have chosen Naturepedic for their baby’s crib mattress in this blog post to learn why our products continue to satisfy parents as the healthier, safer option. 

When choosing the right organic crib mattress for your baby, here are 4 things that every parent-to-be should keep in mind.

The most important feature of your crib mattress is that it provides firm, flat support for your baby. Like many adults, babies need a firm mattress that will stay flat underneath their weight. The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Crib Safety Tips recommend a firm and tight-fitting mattress without any pillows, comforters, or other soft items in the crib.

Crib mattresses are usually made with a steel innerspring or polyurethane foam. Since polyurethane foam (like memory, bio-based, and soybean foam) is flammable and contains flame-retardant chemicals, it’s automatically out of the running if you’re choosing a GOTS certified organic mattress. This leaves mattresses made with innersprings or innovative technology like Naturepedic’s Wavesupport™ for a lightweight, safer solution.

- Innersprings: A traditional innerspring crib mattress made with steel springs offers durability and the firm support your baby needs. Naturepedic’s innerspring mattresses are made with heavy duty border wire for extra edge protection, ensuring a snug fit in your baby’s crib and no dangerous sagging when your baby starts to stand and bounce around.

- Wavesupport™: Our lightweight crib mattresses are made with food-grade polyethylene, which is the same material used to make sandwich bags and other food storage bags. It is a cleaner, purer material than conventional lightweight options. Naturepedic’s Wavesupport™ mattresses match the strength, firmness, and durability of an innerspring at a fraction of the weight.

Many parents are seeking breathable crib bumpers and breathable crib mattresses for their children’s safety and comfort. While the most important feature in your crib mattress is the firm, flat support described above, breathability is non-negotiable.

Unlike some crib mattresses, Naturepedic has designed a breathable baby mattress the right way.

There are two ways to make a breathable mattress. One way is to remove the waterproofing and have your baby breathe into the interior of the mattress. The problem with this approach is that urine, bigger messes, vomit, and even just spilled liquids will be able to penetrate the non-waterproof surface and get into the interior. This means your baby will be breathing into this contaminated space as they sleep.

A better design is to have a pad that’s fully breathable for your baby, but can be removed and easily washed and dried. With this design, you don’t have to worry about the hygienic conditions of the mattress, and your baby will still manage to get complete breathability as well.

The best way to handle breathability is to maximize air flow for the baby without sacrificing a waterproof surface that will keep the mattress clean.

That’s why Naturepedic’s breathable crib mattress combines a waterproof organic crib mattress with a breathable crib pad to maximize airflow. The pad is made from organic cotton fiber and a breathable polyester mesh, which allows air to flow beneath your baby for a cooler, more comfortable sleep (and peace of mind for you).

For new parents, the first time your baby comes down with a runny nose or a rash, it can be challenging to pinpoint the source. Whether your baby just has a cold or is allergic to something can be tough to determine, so it’s wise to do what you can to eliminate allergenic concerns in the things they encounter at home.

Naturepedic takes an allergy-friendly approach to all of our baby and kids’ products to promote health and safety in your nursery.

- Latex: We recommend parents avoid latex, even organic latex, in baby products. Latex can be highly allergenic, and it’s even possible for babies to develop an allergy to latex over time with repeated exposure. Keeping your baby’s nursery as latex-free as possible is a good choice for reducing this allergy risk. Latex is used as a support material in some crib mattresses and as a binding agent in mattresses made with coconut coir.

- Wool: Wool has many benefits, including natural temperature regulation and water resistance (liquids tend to pool on wool rather than soak through, though it’s not completely waterproof). When it comes to wool, we take a cautious approach and recommend parents avoid placing their child in direct contact with wool, as it may cause contact irritation on the skin if an unknown allergy is present.

Some crib mattresses have an organic cotton surface over questionable interior materials, so take care to make sure you’re shopping for an organic crib mattress that’s GOTS certified. (To learn more about why GOTS matters, check out our recent blog post.)

All crib mattresses are either waterproof or not, so you have the option of selecting a waterproof crib mattress or a non-waterproof crib mattress. Organic crib mattresses are no different, except in the materials used for waterproofing and the use of organic fabrics for the surface of the crib mattress.

- Waterproof: A waterproof crib mattress is a more hygienic option when it comes to keeping your baby’s sleep environment clean. Choosing a waterproof organic crib mattress is easier to keep clean, helps minimize the hygienic effects of spills and messes, and even protects against things like dust mites and other allergens.

Naturepedic uses a patented waterproofing technology that uses food-grade polyethylene with organic cotton fabric to create a healthier, safer waterproof surface for your baby without harmful chemicals. Common waterproofing materials include vinyl/PVC, phthalates, and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which are never used at Naturepedic.

- Quilted: A quilted surface makes your baby’s mattress look more like a smaller version of your adult mattress, with a fabric surface and no waterproofing. While this can be aesthetically pleasing, they are a little trickier to keep clean and should be topped with an organic waterproof protector crib pad to maintain a hygienic, easy-to-clean environment.

Now that you know the most important considerations to keep in mind when choosing the perfect organic crib mattress, you can browse our crib mattress selection to explore our offerings. 

If you have more questions during the process, we’ve got answers! Our goal is always to make the purchasing process easier for parents. 

Let us know if you have any other questions we can answer for you. You can reach our customer service team at 1.800.917.3342 or email them at [email protected] from 9am-5pm EST, Monday-Friday. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.

We would love to help you choose the perfect organic crib mattress for your baby!