With your baby spending a lot of time sleeping on his or her crib mattress and using the mattress until about the age of 3, a good quality mattress not only makes your baby more comfortable, it more importantly provides the proper support for growing bones.

Types of Mattresses:

Foam:

Made of polyether or polyester
Weighs less than innerspring mattresses (makes changing sheets easy)
Usually do not last as long as an innerspring mattress
Usually do not keep their shape as long as an innerspring mattress
Are sometimes less expensive that innerspring mattresses

Key to a quality foam mattress:

The higher the density of the foam the better
Thicker foam does not mean better; be sure the foam is denser.
The denser the foam means more support and more firmness.

Innerspring mattresses:

Usually last longer and keep their shape longer than foam baby crib mattresses
Heavier than foam mattresses
Usually more expensive than foam mattresses

Key to a quality innerspring mattress:

The innerspring unit should have a high number of coils or springs, usually 150 or more. The higher the count of springs results in a firmer mattress. The firmer the mattress the better.
The mattress should have an edge rod to prolong the life of the edges and mattress.
The mattress cover or “ticking” should have multiple layers

Features to look for when buying a mattress:

If considering a foam mattress, make sure the foam is very dense to provide the best support for your baby.
If considering an innerspring mattress, make sure of a high coil count, which makes the mattress firmer.
Keep in mind firm is best! (Unless your doctor tells you differently)
Be sure the mattress is fire-retardant. While the major manufacturers make all current mattresses on the market fire-retardant, old secondhand mattresses may not be. This is a good reason to always purchase a new mattress and not buy one used or secondhand.
Be sure the mattress is the right size. While most standard cribs measure 51 5/8 x 271/4 inches and almost all mattresses are a standard size, older cribs may be a different size. You should not be able to put more than two fingers in between the edge of the crib and the crib mattress.
The more vents on the side of the mattress the better. These vents will keep the mattress smelling fresh by venting out odors.

As a final Note

Always send in your product registration card. This is how you will be notified in case of a recall.

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