Need Crib Mattress Help

Hi, A.! Congratulations!
I would SERIOUSLY look into buying an organic mattress (ie: Naturepedic or the like)! I know that there are some organic mattress stores around Philly & towards Allentown. I'm sure there are others as well.

All of the chemicals that are inside & outside of conventional mattresses (even the Simmons "Organic", I believe) have been strongly linked with SIDS. They are a little more pricey, but generally have good re-sale values & after all, it's the health of your baby that you're talking about, right? Plus, most kids will use them for a while (especially if you use it in a toddler bed afterwards). Most kids will use the mattress for a good 2-4 yrs!

Good luck!

I have the Serta one that's blue with clouds on it, and I like it a lot. It seems to be very comfy. Also, all matresses these days are made to the safety standards mandated by the government, so it's really more of an issue of comfort than anything else. Good luck!

I have a Serta and I like it. It came with a waterproof cover so all I have to do is wipe it down, but I bought a matress pad to go over it in case of leaks. But I've had no problems with it. Whatever you buy, just make sure it's firm and nowadays, they're all pretty much made to the safety standards. I'm not sure why they would have rated the Serta bad. it was less expensive than some (I think we paid maybe $70 at Baby Depot) but it's lasted almost 3 years and we have another baby on the way that we plan on using it for too.

As a mom with child who ended up regressing at age 4 onto the autism spectrum, and then having him tested for heavy metals and toxins only to find out he is highly toxic in antimony (used as fire retardant on all mattresses, bedding, and sleep wear - unless it says NOT FLAME RETARDANT), I would highly recommend looking into organic mattresses. Why have your baby inhale chemicals, if it can be avoided?

I just bought a matress that was made for babies that had a liner over it that was basically waterproof in case of any accidents. i did not worry too much about brands, i got one that seemed sturdy and comfortable.

Hello. The book baby bargins rate the Colgate mattress as the highest. You can't get them from BRU, only more exclusive stores but I think the saftey standards are worth the extra $$. Good luck. -N. J

HI A.,

My daughters mattress was a Sealy. We got it at Burlington Baby Depot. It didn't cost a fortune either. And she used it in her toddler bed. it is still like brand new.

I loved the Sealy baby soft premium crib mattress, came with a lifetime warrenty, natural flow mattress, and stayes clean with a wipe. Found it at BabiesRus for like $70

I was suprised at the bad reviews of Serta as well. I did a lot of research, and it seems that foam mattresses are as good as coil ones, and cheaper. Baby Bargains 411 recommended the Colgate Classica Foam mattress. I even got mine on Amazon, so I did not have to pick it up. It was under Babycatalog.com on Amazon. I am happy with it so far!

You and I are in the same boat, it's been 6 years since I bought my last one. Back then I bought one that was foam on one side and spring on the other. I researched the organic ones, but although most have an organic, cotton filler, they are still treated with the chemicals on the top and have plastic, etc. on them to make them waterproof. A "true" organic one would cost upwards of $600. I considered the Sealy Baby Soft Premium, which I know several people who have it and have had no problems ($99.99 at BRU) and the Simmons Sleep N More Mattress ($134.99 at BRU). I bought the simmons last weekend at the store after spending time looking and feeling both of them. The Sealy was a little softer, but the Simmons has a softer and a harder side which was a nice feature. BRU has a sale on now 15% off mattresses and then there was a coupon in a ciruclar they had for 15% off one item and another $10 off an order of $75 or more. I was allowed to use all of them together to get a great deal and only paid around $90 for the mattress! Unfortunately, almost every commercial mattress out there meets the federal standards which means they have chemicals which some people are trying to link to autism - there is no proof yet, but that doesn't mean it won't come. If it were that simple though, so many more kids would be affected. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Good luck with your choice and the new baby!

We bought ours from Ikea, it was about $20. It was perfect, and after talking to our Ped, who told me that mattress companies want you to believe otherwise, but babies don't know the difference.

What's "new" in crib mattresses is organic-- and you can find a lot of info on the web about why they are better. They are also (obviously) much more expensive ($3-400 range). If I had money to burn, I'd seriously consider one, but if I couldn't afford one, I would buy a foam one --Colgate Classica I-- is about 100 bucks. But buy it early and leave it out in the garage for a month or so to make sure as much of the "off-gassing" occurs outside as possible. The foam are much lighter and easier for sheet changing.

We also have the Ikea crib mattress, but I think ours was a bit more expensive than $20 (we got the one with springs, I think, rather than the foam one ... that was my husband's choice. I honestly would have selected the cheaper one!) The Ikea mattress we have, however, is terrific. She's been sleeping on it for nearly 2 years, and it's in great condition. I have even had times when she was sick or teething that the only way to comfort her was to climb into her bed with her ... and it's still going strong. (i'm not huge, of course, but I'm not a baby or toddler, so take from that what you will.) I think it's just important in selecting a mattress to avoid one that has any chemicals in it because they can create a toxic environment for a baby. Fortunately, I think this has become enough of a concern that you won't have to worry about toxicity with NEW baby mattresses on the market today.

I went with the Serta and I like it (mine was about $95). The only complaint I have about matresses in general are that they have a flimsy cover compared to just 8 years ago. My youngest and oldest are 10 years apart, with my middle son at 8 years of age. Wow, how the cover quality has decresed! That said, my thought process about the matress is in-line with yours. I still feel that cheaper price equals cheaper quality in a matress. This is one area i wouldn't skipm on :)

This is how I would (and did!) approach it...decide what amount you want to spend and buy the best one for that amount. You can put a cushy mattress pad on any mattress!