Q&A: crib mattresses

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it!

Speaking of a sleeping baby, Kristen writes:

"What are your thoughts about the flame retardants in crib mattresses?  Should we be concerned about the chemicals in our mattress and our baby's mattress?  I was looking into getting a rubber mattress but I can't get any solid non-bias information."

I can't imagine that those flame retardants can be good for anyone, least of all babies*. If you can afford it, I'd definitely look into an all-natural (rubber or organic cotton) mattress for your child's bed.

However, the price difference is enormous between a regular mattress and an all-natural one. I'm about to switch my younger son from his crib into a twin-sized bed, and the gap between What I Can Afford For a Mattress and the price of an organic cotton mattress is truly insurmountable. (Unless there's some organic cotton mattress company who'd like to send me a twin-sized one to review for this site.)

I'm going to try to mitigate some of the effects of the toxic traditional mattress by putting down a wool blanket under the mattress pad (yes, they make wool mattress pads, but those are expensive, and my mother has wool blankets aplenty to give me), which will also provide some waterproofing as we head into nighttime potty training. (Of course this is no help for kids who are allergic to wool.) I'm also going to hope that the pillow acts as a buffer between any fumes and his nose.

Anyone else have anything on crib mattresses?

* Hey, if your baby doesn't sleep all that well, at least that's one good thing about it--they're not breathing in all the crib mattress fumes as much as the better-sleeping babies are. Come on, you knew you could get some snark here on Christmas Day.

Comments

[Tamar]

Wow, first to comment - I hope that means that all of you got a better night's sleep than we did! Yeah, my baby does a lot of not-sleeping on his meticulously-researched pthalate-free mattress. The toxic mattress thing freaks me out sufficiently that we shelled out an extra $150 or so. The main things for me were: (1) the new standards for crib mattresses that went into effect last July, essentially requiring more chemicals, (2) the fact that outside the US many of the chemicals used to make mattresses fire retardant would be barred from use on children's products, and (3) statistics on the number of infants who died in their crib in a fire (thankfully, very very few). However well-intentioned originally, the fire-safety measures for US crib mattresses just reek of corporate interest to me.

Yeah, and don't even get me started on PVC!

[Courtney]

I'm really happy with our organic mattress from Natural Mat. Just recently available in the US. I think the price difference for crib mattresses is doable and important, but agree that when you get to a twin, the price difference is much greater. We got our twin size mattresses from Room + Board before the new regulations went into effect, and they are made by a small company in Minnesota. At the time they didn't add flame retardents claiming that their mattresses were made of materials that were already flame retardent. May be worth checking into because I believe you would at least get a straight answer. I find the mattress industry very slimy, right up there with cellphones and used cars.

[stacy]

I had no idea this was even an issue, though of course it makes sense now that I'm reading it here.

This makes me unexpectedly glad that my son never sleeps in his crib, though I imagine there are plenty of toxic things in my own mattress as well.

Ah, the warm fuzzies of child-rearing in the new millennium!

[Pam]

I haven't used this, but just thought I'd throw it out there in the vein of "crazy expensive crib mattress". This company makes a wide line of products for medical, and equestrian uses, etc..., but I wonder about the crib mattresses. I wish I could get them to send me a freebie to try since I prescribe their wheelchair cushions.
http://www.supracor.com/lifestyles/baby_mattresses.htm

[Kelly]

I know a lot of people recommend airing out new mattresses for a time (days to weeks) before sleeping on them. Might be easier in a house in Southern California than a New York apartment though...

[Sara]

http://www.babysake.com/campaign.htm
These people think you should wrap your mattress to keep the fumes away - with their wrap that they sell, or with stuff you can buy on your own. Supposedly they have been doing it with success in New Zealand.

[Dawn]

I *freaked out* over the idea of the standard plastic wrapped mattress. I mean, the smell of them give me a headache just walking by them, so WHY would I put my precious tiny baby on it?

(I'm making fun of myself here ... the punch line is coming)

So we ordered our mattress from here:

http://organicgrace.com/

I price compared, felt it was a good price from what I'd found other places, it's a nice mattress, comfy and non stinky. I think it was 300 dollars.

Punch line? My kid *who was going to sleep in his own crib* has slept with us every single night and almost every single nap of his 8 month life. So. I really could have taken the money from the mattress, crib, swing and pack n play and bought myself a nice summer home in Tahiti :)

[Maureen]

When it came time for me to buy my twin boys their crib mattresses, I did a little research on-line. Not sure how true any of this since it was found on the Internet, but I remember reading that the standard mattress has formaldahyde (sp??) in them and that some folks in Australia have found that that increases the chances of SIDS slightly. (I'm doing a horrible job of paraphrasing as it's been awhile) Anyway, since I was completely paranoid about SIDS we shelled out a fortune for the two crib mattresses (all natural, organic, no formaldahyde, etc.). I have to say, I love my boys' mattresses. We bought 2 sets of used cribs/mattresses on craigslist for a trip to my mom's place (far away) and those mattresses seemed so less comfortable that my boys'. They love their beds.

Anyway, I plan (if we can afford it at the time, which is coming up very soon) to buy similar type mattresses for them when we switch out to double beds (their cribs convert to doubles so that's the next step for us).

[liz]

Oh holy heck, another thing to worry about!

Better haul out the wool blanket. Sigh.

[paola]

We got our son's( he's out of the crib and now in a bed) mattress made by our local mattress maker. Didn't even know that they existed, but in Italy there is always a man for the job and it seems that mattress making is a profession here. Anyway, it's cotton/wool mix, like a Japanese futon. No chemicals. Extremely comfortable, and one less thing to worry about

[paola]

We got our son's( he's out of the crib and now in a bed) mattress made by our local mattress maker. Didn't even know that they existed, but in Italy there is always a man for the job and it seems that mattress making is a profession here. Anyway, it's cotton/wool mix, like a Japanese futon. No chemicals. Extremely comfortable, and one less thing to worry about

[Melissa]

Moxie,

Keetsa Mattresses are relatively affordable -- around $350-400 for twin. They even ship green using compression to pack more mattresses into a truck. I learned about them via Apartment Therapy's green living site.

[rudyinparis]

Holy cow, it never occurred to me to think about this before. Criminey, what else am I not thinking about? (Hmm, interesting epistemological query.) Hedra? Hedra! Where's Hedra when we need her? Hedra, please tell me what I'm supposed to be thinking about.

[Alice]

I'd never thought of this either!

What about a used crib mattress? Maybe the worst of the off-gassing would be over with?

(My boy's 8 weeks old. We bought a crib 2nd hand, and it came with a mattress. Since he's spent every night so far in our bed with us, I'm not enthused about the idea of buying an expensive new crib mattress!)

[hedra]

rudyinwheregveritwas, you cracked me up totally!

You're supposed to be thinking about having calming thoughts. heh.

As for mattresses, we got ours before I knew about flame retardents in breastmilk, etc. We shopped by number of coils. I'm glad we don't need to buy any others.

Also check out IKEA mattresses - I don't know their flame retardants, but they have a range of mixes of materials, and might have a different approach, plus cheaper, and not plastic-wrapped surfaces (like, cotton cotton cotton!). IIRC, cotton without air gap is fairly flame retardant anyway.

[Lisa]

Seconding the Ikea recc.

My husband became quite concerned about mattress offgassing and the like a few months ago, about the time we were due to buy us a new bed and T. a new twin mattress. We got ours at European Sleepworks and his at Ikea - were very impressed with the Ikea mattress quality, prices, and lack of chemical ickiness.

By the way, the ESW bed is heaven (if a pricey one; we made it our gift to each other for Hanukkah, Christmas, anniversary, and birthdays this year). Now if we could only get the kid night-weaned so I could spend a full night there!

[Rob O.]

Like Alice, I wonder if a used crib mattress would already be aired out sufficiently to be rid of most of the potentially-hazardous fumes... We bought a pair of gently-used Graco convertible cribs with mattresses for less than we would've otherwise had to spend on a single new crib mattress - sans crib!

[Julie]

Rudyinparis, you f*cking crack me up.

I can't even begin to think or worry about this. I just can't. Alex loves his crib, at 2+ years old shows no signs of wanting to climb out or transition to a twin bed (thank goodness). So I'll put this issue on the backburner until that time and play my Jedi Mind Trick that I use to keep myself from worrying about money in the middle of the night.

[rachel]

I was really worried about this issue, mostly as it links to SIDS. We decided to buy us a new mattress from www.soaringheart.com - since having them custom make a cotton mattress was nearly the same cost as getting a regular new mattress. Now that the two year old is ready for his own "big boy" bed I think we'll do the same and just suck up the cost. He spends more than half his life in there!

A good second option would be to wrap the mattress, borrow one from a friend that has already aired out, or import one from a country where using the flame retardents is illegal.

On this same note, I try to buy all of our sleepware second hand so all those ickies are already washed off.

[Susannah]

FYI I read somewhere that used infant mattresses have a higher incidence of SIDS. Not so much of a problem for twin beds though. Ikea has flame retardants in all their mattresses (by law). Yikes.

[Foster]

I bought our crib mattress from a second-hand store only to find out that it's too small for our crib! Wtf, the lady said cribs are all the same size! So, we registered for a new mattress, and we went w/ the cheapest. If no one gets it for us, I cannot justify spending so much on a crib mattress. The one we picked only costs $40! We are expecting a spring baby, so Im planning to just keep it outside for a few days. Idk, after several days of airing-out and several layers of sheets and protectors? I guess that will have to be good enough *shrug*

[Amy]

Who knew? Just when my 7.5 month old is sleeping in his crib for naps and the first part of the night... now I have to worry about his mattress?? And what about my older kids? Did that mattress damage their little brains? Maybe that explains all the whining...

[Melissa]

Ditto Dawn with the Organic Grace mattress and Tahiti but my daughter is 16 months. (And insists on napping/sleeping in the big bed, even though her organic mattress is on the floor next to our chemical one).

Sigh.

[hedra]

:head-smack: That's IT! That's why all the whining! Amy, you're a genius.

No, wait, the twins slept in our bed. But maybe our bed offgasses, too. I get kinda whiny sometimes, myself...

[Debra]

Stacy, I've obtained a Supracor honeycomb baby mattress, and I think it is well worth the money. Apparently, tests were done on this mattress in Germany, and it beat leading mattresses substantially in the way it dissipates the CO2 that a baby breathes out, because it has little perforations all throughout its honeycomb cells. It's ultra comfy, washes easily in a front loading machine or even by hand, and is apparently allergen-free and antifungal. Its manufacturers say that it is nontoxic. I just don't see it wearing out either, so it could easily be used sanitarily and safely for any number of babies -- which makes the cost a bit easier to understand. Furthermore, their bassinett mattress actually makes a super pillow for a twin bed once baby outgrows it!

[Debra]

Stacy, I've obtained a Supracor honeycomb baby mattress, and I think it is well worth the money. Apparently, tests were done on this mattress in Germany, and it beat leading mattresses substantially in the way it dissipates the CO2 that a baby breathes out, because it has little perforations all throughout its honeycomb cells. It's ultra comfy, washes easily in a front loading machine or even by hand, and is apparently allergen-free and antifungal. Its manufacturers say that it is nontoxic. I just don't see it wearing out either, so it could easily be used sanitarily and safely for any number of babies -- which makes the cost a bit easier to understand. Furthermore, their bassinett mattress actually makes a super pillow for a twin bed once baby outgrows it!

[shirky]

I can't agree that $300 and up for a twin size mattress is all that affordable, but I am well known as frugal slash cheap. We got a "natural latex" child twin size mattress in that range anyway. It's another option to the cotton/wool ones which are even more money. We couldn't bear to spend that dough on a crib mattress for a baby who hated his crib anyway. We did use a heavy plastic drop sheet to wrap it new zealand style. Part of my brain says this was a paranoid waste of time though.
the latex is comfy though.

[Donna]

We got our chem-free crib mattress at www.daxstores.com when our daughter was born. The price seemed better than other places. It's a very comfortable mattress. The only drawback is that most regular crib sheets aren't deep enough.

[Sonyala]

PBDEs are a very toxic and persistent type of fire retardant used in foam bedding and furniture until 2005 after they were found to accumulate in people. Now that they are off the market there is some concern about the replacement chemicals. But they aren't nearly as terrible as the first group.

I'd say people should throw away old mattresses if they are ripped or the foam is breaking down. Also toss egg-crate foam mattress pads, foam sleep positioners or worn breastfeeding pillows made before 2005.

We bought an IKEA crib mattress that has a cotton cover and didn't need to air out at all. They also sell non-vinyl mattress covers. This is a great option for those who can't shell out the big bucks for natural bedding.

[prettypixels]

I did some digging on this subject as I found it really terrifying when I was pregnant. I mean this applies not only to crib mattresses but to ALL mattresses. Here are a few posts I wrote about it.

http://www.ap-baby.com/2006/10/sids_and_mattresswrapping.html
http://www.ap-baby.com/2006/10/toxic_mattresses.html

In a nutshell, the guy who did the "study" showing higher rates of SIDS related to mattresses, sells mattresses. Plus the study was only of a few mice. That said, when we bought our new (conventional) mattress, it smelled AWFUL... and I do believe that my nose is telling me something when I smell something like that. I let it air out and put a good mattress cover on it. But I don't think it would cause SIDS or cancer... just probably give me a headache.

[Evie Maddox]

There is a lot of misinformation out there, and skeptical people as well. As a disclaimer, I sell BabeSafe mattress covers and have done so for over 4 years. We are also now selling mattress wraps for larger bedding due to popular demand. Regarding Dr. Sprott mentioned above in the link, if you go back and do the research (or call him) you will get the real story. It is not as if he came up with a scam to make up the toxic gas theory and sell products. Dr. Sprott is a forensic scientist, so saying he has no medical background is irrevelant. After discovering the toxic gas theory, products were developed and put in use. Because babies sleeping on these mattresses or on wrapped mattresses were not dying of SIDS, they decided that they needed to share the information and share the products. It has been an uphill battle, but the fact remains that not one baby sleeping on a wrapped mattress or BabeSafe mattress has died of SIDS. I think it's been 15 years now? If you cannot afford an organic mattress, definitely wrap it in food grade poly sheeting (which does not offgas). And yes, even if your baby sleeps with you, he/she is breathing in the same stuff. As an aside, while SIDS organizations are raking in millions in donations (and tax money) Dr. Sprott is not asking for any money, and he is the one who is making the SIDS rates go down.

[kitscha]

Just wanted to echo the above poster - Sprott came up with a product to address the results of his findings. He didn't find a theory to fit his product.

There was nothing available on the market at the time to address toxic off-gassing from mattresses, and he wanted to provide a solution to what he saw as the central contributor to SIDS. He was seen as a maverick at the time, but now his ideas are starting to gain footholds and much more widespread acceptance.

For those concerned about off-gassing from mattresses, the BabeSafe covers are very reasonably priced (around $30), easy to put on, and you can use them with your existing mattress. You can make one out of polythene you source yourself, but it needs to be a certain grade and thickness - thus the marketing of the pre-cut wraps.

I have no connection to the company, but I researched this issue (and far too many others - obsessive parent alert!) before our little one made his appearance, and always felt better knowing he was sleeping on a wrapped mattress. FWIW, our mattress itself was just a piece of firm medical-grade foam cut to size, nothing fancy schmancy.

BabeSafe mattresses and covers are sold at mainstream baby stores in New Zealand. Mattress wraps are provided by mainstream NZ organisations to those who receive secondhand mattresses through state assistance programs. It's not a crackpot idea down here at all. And with the covers being relatively cheap, neither is it necessary to shell out hundreds for some peace of mind.

[loveskilts]

i looked EVERYWHERE for adult-sized PE mattress wraps prettypixels... i finally found one here:

http://www.eves-best.com/mattress-wrap-for-offgassing.htm

do you sell yours online anywhere??

[prettypixels]

I'm sorry, but this:

"Because babies sleeping on these mattresses or on wrapped mattresses were not dying of SIDS, they decided that they needed to share the information and share the products. It has been an uphill battle, but the fact remains that not one baby sleeping on a wrapped mattress or BabeSafe mattress has died of SIDS."

Proves nothing. You could as easily say, "no babies have died on Tuesdays when their mothers performed a dance to the full moon." Nonsense. Sprott's study should be easily replicatable, and SIDS organizations should be picking up this advice if it is legit. They are not. Unless you believe the SIDS organizations of the world are in cahoots with traditional mattress makers?

[loveskilts]

the link at eves best doesn't work anymore... adult sized mattress wraps found here instead:

http://www.offgassing-mattress-wraps.com/mattress-wraps.htm

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[Dawn Tales]

Such a great post about mattresses for less. Keep on posting!

[Mac keylogger]

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[Jakub]

Try Brus, I have seen a pillow top mrsatets topper for-like crib mrsatetses, mrsatets pads like a. It Might give her a similar feeling with the danger of putting an actual pillow That Is smaller than the mrsatets underneath her sheet. Or maybe A Few cushy folding blankets the size of her crib and putting Those under the sheet, just so it's more secure than a pillow.

[Oshin]

I think at age That I would allow it. Once They can roll over and move around freley, I dont think its Such a concern anymore. With my first, her mattress was so hard I put the comforter That Came with her in September under the sheet. Good luck!

[Jeff]

We also had a hard time deciding and ended up getitng a pillow top and it is wonderful you feel like u are sinking in to it but in fact it does offer support needed .I am glad we made that choice and would recommend it to anyone..I have slept so much better on this than the water bed we had before Hope this helps you

[Irianto]

What do you mean my specs ? Are you looking for the farbic content or fire rating or size? Call Sears and speak to someone in the mattress dept they should be able to cross reference the name and number. They like to change the name yearly and make the specific mattress available only through certain dealers but a good sales person should be able to track it down for you. I just had a local furniture store research a mattress I loved from a hotel 2 states away Off brand manufacturer (Englander) and no longer made and only available to commercial use but she found me the best comp from the same Mfg. and ordered it. So the information is out there but the general public may not have easy access to it.

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The line that pops out from the Preamble for me is the one that suggests we “promote the general Welfare,

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It only takes about three minutes of sifting through the confusing product names and seemingly arbitrary selling points for me to completely break down and give up in frustration. So today, I have decided to direct my bitter rage into a rant against the mattress industry and list a few of the things about mattresses that I find infuriating.

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