Highest Rated Toddler & Baby Bed Picks

Baby Crib Mattress

If comfy sleep is important for adults, you can only imagine the level of importance when it comes to a baby who sleeps most of the day. Babies are indeed more flexible, but they also need better support to make sure their spine develops correctly.

Most parents tend to throw caution to the wind and choose the most expensive product in the store. After all, they want what’s best for their baby! However, the most expensive is not always the best for a growing child and there are a series of factors to consider before deciding on a certain product.

How To Choose a Highest Quality Baby Crib Bed

Toddler Mattress

Below I listed the factors that matter the most and that should be on your shopping list.

Firm is better

I know you want to make sure your baby sleeps on a cloud, but fluffy things should be kept for blankets and toys. The crib mattress for baby should be firm if you want your child to develop correctly and be safe in their own crib.

A soft mattress is a suffocation hazard and increases the risk of SIDS (the same is valid for soft blankets, pillows, and other things parents like to have in the crib for the baby’s comfort). This is why you should buy a mattress that was specially designed for a baby and not for an adult.

Size of a Baby Matters

When looking for a crib mattress reviews keep in mind that the mattress must fit the crib and the crib shouldn’t be too big so the baby will be both comfortable and safe inside. The mattress must be a good fit for the crib and this aspect matters mostly for safety reasons. Your child doesn’t have the ability to hoist itself up in the case he/she becomes entrapped between the smaller mattress and the crib and this is another risk of injury or suffocation.

This is why it’s best to buy the crib and the mattress together.

Ventilation is Important

Mattresses are usually quite dense and, according to the material used, the ventilation is not always to the optimum standards. Now, while an adult would be able to overcome this problem, a baby’s immune system is still developing and this makes them very sensitive to the fungi and mildew that grows in poorly vented mattresses.

To make sure the mattress you’re buying is well-vented, check if the product has small reinforced holes along the sides. Since the mattress is quite small, these should be enough to keep the air flow. It’s also great for heat regulation during sleep.

Warranty is not That Important

Given the fact that your baby won’t spend years on this mattress, the warranty is not important. Even if you plan on having another child soon, you’ll still be way out of the warranty period. This is mostly a marketing stunt that fools parents into giving more money for a service they won’t need.

Don’t buy a Used Mattress!

While it may seem appealing, price wise, a used mattress can be very disturbing for your child’s development. First, you don’t know the type of bacteria and fungi that are lurking inside (even though the mattress looks clean) and second, you don’t know if the support system hasn’t been already damaged.

Which Type of Toddler Mattress is Best

There are several types of mattresses for toddlers out there, but the best two types that follow the features described above are foam and innerspring.

Foam – One of the Best Crib Mattress

These come with some important advantages, but the price can be steep, according to the type of foam you want to choose. The main advantage stands in weight – these are light and easy to maneuver so you can get them out of the crib and air them whenever you need. They’re also easier to clean and maintain so I think it’s worth the extra in price.

With foam mattresses, you’ll get a variety of thicknesses (between 3 and 6 inches, usually) but you must check for the surface to be firm (for the reasons stated above). If the foam goes deep down when you press on it, the mattress is not fit for a baby! It’s also important to measure how quickly it regains shape (the responsiveness). Just imagine a sleeping baby that can’t change his/her position because the foam is not responsive enough – they’ll be stuck in one position which will make them fussy and agitated.

Firmness is a very important feature in foam as it is directly connected to the density of the foam. So, if the foam is dense, the surface will be firm and will support the baby’s body in a proper manner.

Innerspring – Mattress for Baby

Innerspring mattresses are a bit better at firmness as they have two important elements in their structure: a layer of coils and a layer of foam that makes the surface cozy. Of course, there is also some padding and the layer that keeps everything together, but the coils and foam keep the mattress firm.

When you buy an innerspring mattress, pay attention to the number of coils and the gauge of the wire as these are the features that define the firmness. As a rule of thumb, 135 or more coils make for a firm mattress, but if the gauge is thicker than 15.5, the number of coils can be lower.

Innerspring mattresses are heavier than foam ones (between 15 and 20 pounds), but their inner structure is less dense and allows for the air to flow. They are also bouncier so you don’t have to worry that the baby will be stuck in one position for hours.

Should you Buy an Organic or Non-Organic?

Rated Crib Mattress

An organic mattress is basically designed out of fully-organic materials such as wool, cotton, natural latex, and more. Their main benefit is that the fiber doesn’t allow for bacteria and fungi to settle in and the dust mites are not that easily tolerated. They also don’t tend to gather other allergens such as pollen or dust, but this doesn’t mean they are 100% clean.

Now, an organic mattress is quite expensive given the fact that your baby won’t use it for too long. It’s also difficult to make sure you buy one that is 100% organic as most producers also add synthetic materials to the mix. For a mattress to be completely natural, it has to be stamped with a certification from an independent interest group such as Environmental Working Group.

Now, given the fact that there are not just organic mattresses for babies on the market, I think it’s sure to say that the synthetic materials are not harmful to a healthy baby. So, if your child doesn’t suffer from allergies, it’s safe to go with a regular mattress instead of an organic one.

When it comes to specialists, opinions are quite divided as some say synthetic materials can be harmful while others say that organic materials such as latex can develop allergic reactions in infants. So, before you go with one choice or another, it’s best to talk to your baby’s pediatrician and check if the child is allergic to any natural or synthetic components that can be found in popular mattresses.

Hope I have answered some questions you may have when looking for the best baby mattress. Overall, the decision is yours and it mostly depends on your budget. I also recommend considering the time your baby will spend sleeping on this mattress and the acquisitions you’ll have to make later.

 

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