Qualities of a Great Baby Crib Mattress (Teressa Xiao)

What will you do to give your baby the best care? Chances are you've gone to birthing classes, struggled through sleepless nights, changed your diet, and more just to give him every chance to grow up happy and healthy. This kind of care should also extend to the way you purchase consumer products. For instance, you might want to make it a point to choose the best baby crib mattress out there to give him a restful and wholesome sleeping environment.

There is a good number of baby crib mattresses out there, as you'll find if you've done a bit of window shopping. There are about five top brands for baby products, each one with extensive lines of baby bedding and crib accessories. Knowing what to look out for can be a big help in narrowing down the field, so this guide will tell you what a good crib mattress should be like.

1. A firm surface. Experts recommend that babies, especially newborns, be put to bed on a firm mattress to reduce the risk of SIDS. In a similar vein, parents are advised not to put soft toys, comforters or pillows in cribs because these are suffocation hazards. Furthermore, a resilient surface will also help your baby's physical development as it provides adequate support for rolling over and crawling. If you wish, you can get a double-firmness mattress that has a hard side for infants and a softer one for toddlers.

2. Environment friendly. There's a lot of concern about the way polyurethane mattresses tend to release phthalates and other volatile organic compounds into the environment over time. This kind of out-gassing is bad for your baby's health, so get a mattress made with eco-friendly foam. If you've got the cash, pick an organic mattress made with organic cotton or other natural fibres.

3. A waterproof cover. You can expect your crib mattress to be subjected to a lot in the way of spills and overflowing diapers. A waterproof cover has a two-fold purpose. First of all, it makes cleanup a lot easier since all you have to do is wipe it with a damp cloth. It also prevents fluids from soaking into the mattress and potentially breeding bacteria or mould.

4. Allows air circulation. In the good old days, mattresses were given a good airing to plump them up and kill off the germs. Today, few of us have the time or opportunity to put our child's mattress in strong sunlight for the requisite number of hours. Thus, the next best thing is to buy a crib mattress with vents or pockets that encourage airflow.

5. Affordable. Being a parent is not cheap, so it's always a priority to get value for your money. A good crib mattress shouldn't cost much more than $300, and you can get a good one for much less. After all, getting the best doesn't mean breaking your budget.

A good baby crib mattress is a real treasure, and if you find a good one you should be able to use it in your child's toddler years and even for any siblings that follow.

Teresa is dedicated to providing parents with useful and up-to-date information regarding the different kinds of baby crib mattresses on the market. Get more info about baby crib mattress.