Upgrade Your Baby’s Sleep With These Firm and Safe Crib Mattresses

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Your baby deserves nothing but the best when it comes to safe sleeping, which is why it's important to be picky when choosing the crib mattress that your baby will (hopefully) sleep on every night. Aside from a mattress that meets your quality standards, it's important to note that picking the right crib mattress is not the same as choosing a mattress for yourself.

Instead of opting for plush, pillowy-soft surfaces, it is recommended that you opt for a firmer mattress to prevent a suffocation hazard. Since crib mattress sizes are standardized, you don't have to worry too much about finding the right dimensions, unless you're using a mini crib.

The Best Baby Crib Mattresses

What to Consider

When you’re shopping for a crib mattress, there’s a lot to think about: materials, cleanability, price, and design. And while the sizing is standard, elements like the type of mattress, quality of materials, and external fabrics are not. You want something that’s going to be durable and safe, as well as fit your budget.

Type of Mattress and Materials

There are a few main types of crib mattresses — innerspring, foam, and wool or cotton fill. They're all really good options, and it's mostly a matter of cost and choice, but I will note that foam and wool-filled crib mattresses like the Avocado are soon to be the bulk of the market. Natural rubber crib mattresses are coming into popularity as well.

Babies should sleep on a firm, flat surface for the first year of their life, so you’ll want a mattress that won’t form to their body while sleeping. If this is a coiled mattress, the more coils, the better.

Lastly, most mattresses are dual-sided like the popular Nook mattress. One side is ultra-firm for newborns and infants when they're at the greatest risk of suffocation, and the other side is a bit more plush and comfy for toddlers whose real nighttime issue is just getting them in the bed at all.

Cleanability

How cleanable it is depends on the cover. Vinyl is the least expensive material available for crib mattress covers, and it's also the easiest to clean. However, it can be prone to puncturing and tearing. There are also woven covers that are more durable and aren’t as likely to have metal emerge through the surface. Covers made from cotton and other natural fibers are the most durable and breathable options, but they also tend to be the most expensive. And note that you're going to need a mattress protector with a woven cover.

Cost

There is a great mattress at every price point, from less than $50 to more than $600. There will be a significant difference in the materials used, but note that these mattresses aren't expected to last for 20 years like adult mattresses are. You can definitely pick something less expensive if you want or need to.

How We Chose

Many mattresses today are made with durability in mind — we spoke to parents who use these mattresses and the manufacturers that make them to balance expertise and real-life use. We examined weight, cost, and ease of shipping with these other factors to determine the best crib mattresses on the market right now.

We also evaluated the safety standards set forth by the CPSC and made sure all our picks meet their criteria. So, you can feel confident that our best crib mattress picks will be safe for your baby.

Premium Foam Crib and Toddler Mattress

Featuring a super lightweight foam core, this memory foam crib mattress promotes even airflow while your little angel sleeps, thanks to perforations all through the foam. The water-resistant and super soft cover makes accident cleanups easy and quick. But if the mess is too much for a speedy wipe-down, you can just pop it in the wash.

This mattress isn't just affordable, it's also a good choice for parents concerned about the environment. Greenguard Gold- and Certipur-certified, this mattress uses materials that are safer for the planet while being comfortable for your baby.

It’s polyurethane that is designed and manufactured in a way that doesn’t release gases into the air after it’s opened, according to Graco, and if you’ve ever smelled a “new” mattress, you know that smell well.

More: 30 Eco-Friendly Baby Products New Parents Need

Organic Crib Mattress

The Avocado crib mattress isn’t just a smaller version of their bestselling mattress: It’s designed specifically with growing littles in mind and is handmade with certified organic cotton, wool, and latex.

There are no petroleum-based polyurethane foams, no chemical adhesives, no vinyl waterproofing, polyethylene, or flame-retardant chemicals. The core is actually made of coconut fiber. Isn’t that wild?

While these materials would make you think that this mattress is going to be prohibitively heavy, it's not. It's on par with the lighter dual-sided mattresses on this list, and the shape of the edges makes it easy to flip and lift. Parents love that the toddler and infant sides are clearly labeled and embroidered into the cover of the mattress.

As I noted, this mattress is dual-sided, with one side plusher for toddlers and the other a firm surface for infants, giving it additional longevity and value.

The mattress itself is Greenguard Gold- and GOTS organic-certified and handmade right in Los Angeles, California, using ethical labor practices many other companies can't guarantee.

One thing parents note is that it does need a mattress pad or cover, as it has no plastic cover and is spot-clean only. However, parents also told me that the quality and comfort more than make up for it.

Baby Firm Antibacterial Waterproof Crib Mattress

With a steel-coil system interior, this mattress provides your little one with an unbelievably comfortable and firm surface. It has over 200 coils, giving it an added layer of safety and comfort. The border of the mattress is lined with sturdy rods to prevent premature sagging. It has a waterproof Staph-Gard cover that helps prevent bacteria for a safer and healthier sleep.

And all Sealy baby mattresses are made in the United States. Parents love that this mattress is just easy breezy. Wipe-off exteriors and a light base make this a solid choice for families on a budget.

Eco Classica Crib Mattress

The Eco Classica crib mattress by the popular brand Colgate is a safe, eco-friendly option for your developing baby. The CertiPUR-certified safe foam is infused with plant oils, and the mattress is also Greenguard Gold-certified, which means there aren't any harmful emissions. The mattress comes with a certified-organic cotton cover.

This is a thick, dual-sided crib mattress at 7 inches, with inverted, rolled seams that don't stick out and won't snag on sheets. The cover is organic cotton with a food-grade waterproof coating that parents say works a treat, even with nastier fluids. It's hypoallergenic and phthalate-free and made in the United States.

Some parents have noted concerns about the quality of the stitching, noting that a few threads have come loose after consistent use.

Pure Sleep Therapeutic 150 Crib Mattress

This affordable option is made in the USA and offers sturdy support for your growing baby. The mattress is Greenguard Gold-certified for not having any harmful emissions. It comes with a waterproof cover and a 10-year warranty.

The waterproof cover is solid. In fact, they have labeled it “perma-dry.” The airflow pocket makes this mattress more breathable and lighter. It is dual-sided, but our reviewers note that they couldn’t really tell the difference between one side and the next. They did note that for the price, this feels like a solid, standard crib mattress.

Baby Crib Mattress and Toddler Bed

Newton is really revolutionizing the crib mattress market. This mattress is completely and totally washable. There are no foam, latex, springs, glue, or allergens in this crib mattress. It’s reversible, with infant firmness on one side and toddler (softer) on the other. The Newton crib mattress is also Greenguard-Gold-certified.

This mattress also boasts a 100% breathable design, which means babies can breathe right through this waterproof crib mattress: We’re not kidding. The other thing that blew our minds was that, unlike the case with so many other mattresses, when you open this one up, there’s no chemical smell. It smelled like the box, honestly. (And we got down in there to sniff it.)

It’s a pretty standard thickness at 5.5 inches and only about 19 pounds. At $350, you’re really getting a lot of safe mattress for the money, considering all that it can do.

It’s just extremely impressive — and if our kids are anything to go by, very, very comfy.

Certified Organic Crib Mattress

This is a splurge, but we think in the name of your little one’s comfort, it’s totally worth it. Not only is it made with certified-organic materials and free from harmful chemicals, but its cover is also GOTS-certified organic cotton and wool, with a unique coconut coir and steel springs.

The material is designed to wick away moisture from your baby while they sleep, leaving them comfortable and cool all night long, and it really works, according to parents. One mom told me, “We had a regular mattress for our first, and this one for our second, and we’ve noticed he doesn’t wake up with a sweaty neck and thighs as his brother did.”

It should be mentioned that this mattress has a lifetime warranty and is made right in Northern California, shrinking the carbon footprint of this already more environmentally friendly product.

Dual-Sided Baby Crib Mattress

This baby crib mattress features a firm, dual-sided sleeping surface. The extra firm high-density side is for infants, and the firm high-density side is for toddlers. This simple mattress with straight and cornered edges also looks sleek as it cradles your baby.

At just around 9 pounds, it's one of the lightest dual-sided mattresses available on the market today. The cover is waterproof and fire-retardant — not because of any chemical additives, but because of how the fabric is woven and the seams are reinforced.

It doesn't require a mattress pad, and if you do find it becoming a bit soiled, use water and gentle detergents to clean it, as Moonlight Slumber suggests.

Parents love the seams on this because there's nowhere your baby will feel or pick at them. The edges are wrapped more like a gift than like a sleeve. There are no harsh lines on this mattress.

3-Inch Spring Coil Portable Crib Mattress

This affordable portable crib mattress is lightweight and the perfect option for keeping your baby safe and comfortable at night, even when you're on vacation. The mini hypoallergenic foam mattress is protected with a waterproof cover that's easy to clean.

Dream on Me has made a Greenguard Gold-certified mini crib mattress with dense coils and a soft embossed waterproof cover that wipes clean. It's made in the United States and designed specifically for little babies in little cribs.

DreamBreeZzz 2-in-1 Crib Mattress

Dr. Harvey Karp of the Snoo and Happiest Baby fame is back at it, but this time, he's designed an extremely breathable mattress, one of the first on the market.

The mattress is dual-sided, with a firmer infant side and more plush toddler side. Using their proprietary 360-degree breathable manufacturing, the mattress lets heat and air flow through it unhindered.

It has a unique, machine-washable, hypoallergenic outer wrap, a breathable waterproof barrier, a plant-based viscose inner cover, and their 2-in-1 DreamBreez core made of food-grade polymers.

The pediatrician-designed DreamBreez crib mattress is unique compared to most others because the mattress is recyclable. Dr. Karp and team really pulled out all of the stops with this new design.

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