Important Features
Important points to remember
Before you start shopping for your little one's mattress, it is good to know what to look out for and what the most important features of the mattress need to be. These points go a long way to ensuring your little one's mattress helps them get a good and, most importantly, a safe nights sleep.
Keep the following points in mind when you are shopping and researching to help you pick the right mattress for your child.
The Fit
The first and arguably most important point, is the fit of the mattress. Getting the right size and shape that fits perfectly snug in their sleeping space is essential to prevent any gaps around the edge that little fingers or limbs could get stuck in. If you don't have a conventional standard size sleeping space, we do offer a made to measure mattress service to help you find the perfect fit.
The Depth
Mattress depth is also something to note. The space between the top of the mattress and cot should be big enough to prevent your child from attempting to climb out. Your cot will most likely come with a user guide detailing the recommended depth and size to make it easier to know which mattress dimensions to get. Any mattress you choose should conform to BS 1877-10: 1997. A cot mattress should be at least 8cm to 10cm deep to support your baby's weight while they sleep. Whilst a Moses basket will need a mattress no more than 5cm thick.
The Firmness
An equally just as important feature of your baby’s mattress is the firmness. The mattress needs to be firm, flat and in a good condition, with no signs of rips or tears or any sagging. As a general rule, the firmer the mattress the better. For this reason, it is not recommended to use a second hand mattress incase it has started to sag or loose it's firmness. A good test to check the firmness is to press on the mattress in the center and at the edges. When you push your hand down into the mattress and remove it, how quickly does it regain its shape? Faster is better; sleeping babies make an impression on the foam, and it can be difficult for them to change position if the mattress retains their body shape, which is why the firmer the mattress the better.
The Breathability
To help create a safer sleeping environment for your little one, ensure your mattress has good breathability to help regulate their temperature. Research has shown that overheating is associated with an increased risk of SIDS. Choosing a breathable mattress will improve air flow keeping your little one cool and help to draw moisture away from your baby so they don’t overheat and the mattress stays dry.
The Materials
More and more parents are looking closer at exactly what the products they are using are made of, and we couldn’t encourage this more! We are huge advocates for natural, organic and sustainable materials and believe it’s so important for your little one to be surrounded by safe, natural and chemical free materials in their mattress. Look for mattresses made from wool, coconut fibres, tencel, natural latex and even organic cotton, just to name a few of the amazing natural materials that can be used in mattresses. The long list of benefits from using natural materials include; naturally anti-allergenic, temperature regulating, more supportive and naturally fire-retardant.