How to Shop for a Crib Mattress

Shopping for a crib mattress can be a bit overwhelming. When my first son was born, I bought the first crib mattress that I saw and quickly regretted that. I came to realize that a crib mattress is one of the most important purchases you can make for your baby.

We are thrilled that Lullaby Earth has sponsored today’s post so we can share some important tips to help you simplify the process of buying a crib mattress and help you keep your baby safe.

There’s a 5 year age gap between my boys and my girls and by the time my first daughter was born, I desperately wanted to buy her an organic crib mattress. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t in the budget.

The few “organic” mattresses I found that were in my budget still had a vinyl cover or contained chemicals that I wasn’t comfortable having around my baby.

I spent months agonizing over which mattress to buy. Finally, only a month before my daughter was born, I discovered the Lullaby Earth crib mattress. It was not organic but it is created without questionable chemicals and it passed all government flammability standards without any flame retardants or chemical barriers. Each mattress is made without polyurethane foam and questionable materials such as vinyl, PVC, phthalates, perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), formaldehyde, and more.

The more I researched the Lullaby Earth mattress, the more confident I became that it was exactly what I was looking for.

We loved the Lullaby Earth mattress we used for my daughter so when I found out I was expecting twins a few years later, the very first purchase we made was a second Lullaby Earth mattress.

Are you looking for a crib mattresses and overwhelmed by all the options? We have some tips to help simplify the process of buying a crib mattress:

Look for a firm mattress. One of the biggest concerns when you have a newborn on a mattress is whether they can breath if they accidentally roll over. A firm mattress does not allow an infant’s face to sink into the mattress so even if they end up face down they should still be able to breath. When it comes to newborns, the firmer a mattress is, the better.

Look for a waterproof cover. A crib mattress is going to get wet. It just happens. A good quality waterproof covering on a crib mattress is essential. Any water that gets inside of the crib mattress has the potential to create mold, which is hazardous for infants (and not so hot for adults, either). Look for a mattress company that takes waterproofing seriously. You want to make sure there is no possibility of fluid getting inside the mattress and creating the potential for mold growth.

Look for breathability. Breathability goes beyond using a firm mattress. You want a mattress that offers true breathability. The trick is, you have to be careful not to sacrifice hygiene. If air can move through, fluids can too and you definitely don’t want any wetness encouraging mold growth.

The Lullaby Earth Breeze waterproof mattress pad does an amazing job of maximizing breathability. The Breeze mattress pad maximizes airflow, while dissipating moisture and heat so your baby can sleep more comfortably without overheating. The mattress beneath it is still waterproof and the pad itself can be thrown in the wash so you always have a clean surface for your baby to sleep on.

Pay attention to the chemicals used in the mattress. Most mattresses contain a notorious amount of questionable chemicals. A lot of that stems from the fireproofing in the mattress. Many of them contain, polyurethane foam, vinyl, PVC, phthalates, perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), formaldehyde, and more. I’d recommend researching the materials used in crib mattress before you shop so you know ahead of time what you are comfortable with. For me, the answer was I wasn’t comfortable with any of them so I was so relieved when I discovered that Lullaby Earth offered mattresses free from all of things I was concerned about at an affordable price.

Consider the weight of the mattress. This is something that does not affect the safety of a mattress but definitely simplifies life for you as a mom. You need to change the sheets on a crib mattress frequently, especially with a newborn. A lightweight mattress makes that process much easier. The Lullaby Earth crib mattress weighs only 7 pounds and is extremely easy to maneuver. Weight was not a consideration when I was shopping so that was a nice bonus when I realized how much easier it made changing the sheets.

Consider an option that grows with your child. Many crib mattresses offer a 2-stage option with a firmer side for infants and a cushier side for toddlers. This can be a great option if you are going to be using toddler beds and keeping your toddler on the mattress longer.

My twins just moved into toddler beds and their Lullaby Earth crib mattress are still working great. We had the 2-sided option so we just flipped their mattress over to the cushier side and they still love sleeping on them.

Look at the cost. Cost is often a consideration when buying products for your baby — I know it was for me. There are two baby items I recommend splurging a bit on — the crib mattress and the car seat. Those two items have the important job of keeping your baby safe so I recommend not cutting any corners when it comes to those purchases. If cost is concern, you can save money in other areas if you need to by buying used or cutting back to just the essential items. What made the Lullaby Earth crib mattress so perfect for me was that it checked off every box I was looking for and it was affordable. It was a total win for me.