Is the Mattress Firm Enough to Reduce the Risk of SIDS?

Not such an easy question to answer when you're buying online because it's so subjective and you have to trust the seller. But let's have a go!

Moses Basket Mattresses

Moses baskets last a baby up to 4 months. If you examine the mattress that comes with most Moses baskets, they look like part of the packaging! At best, the mattress will be 3cm deep and mostly made of cheap fibre or cheap foam.

Shouldn't the most important component in the Moses basket be the mattress to welcome your precious new arrival? But it never is. A Moses basket itself will last years - a good reason to buy a quality mattress that you can use again and again. If not, you can always loan it out! Please don't commit it to landfill.

You want a Moses basket mattress that is firm and supportive so your baby lies flat and comfortable. Look for breathable and waterproof (not water resistant). The cover must be machine washable, preferably at 60°C.

I've said it in another article but will mention it again: the reason the mattress that comes with your Moses basket is the absolute minimum quality is because it's the design that sells the Moses basket, not the mattress. If manufacturers put a decent mattress in, it would almost double the price and not be competitive.

You're attracted by style and/or price - nowhere in the marketing blurb does it promote the quality of the mattress. Ironic, really, when that's what you'd think the basket's main function would be!

Good Options for Moses Baskets

Quality natural mattresses made of coir and wool are perfect - very firm, supportive, comfortable, and long-lasting. You can't go wrong with these. Do remember waterproof protection (not water resistant) and look for breathability.

Fibre: This is the cheaper option that will only last you one baby, unless you can find a fibre mattress 4-5cm deep made with decent 40kg fibre. Remember waterproof protection.

Foam: This is a minefield! There's such a variety out there, many covered up by descriptions like "nursery foam" or "super nursery foam". Buy from a company that offers you the foam quality with a minimum technical spec such as 35/135, or perhaps a guarantee.

Crib Mattresses (Including Next-to-Me Cribs)

The mattresses that come with cribs and next-to-me cribs are slightly better quality than those in Moses baskets, but still the bare minimum. Keep an eye on the mattress - if you see it dipping or denting, replace it.

Doubtful the mattress that came with the crib will last more than one baby, but the crib itself will last for 10 babies or more.

It's all about price. Your baby will be in its next-to-me crib for its first 3,500 hours. For £80 (30 pence a day), you could purchase a lovely mattress that's firm, supportive, durable, comfortable, breathable, waterproof, washable - and will last a few babies.

Cot and Cot Bed Mattresses

Now cot mattresses are a different ball game altogether. They vary so much! We're talking specifically about firmness, but we must also discuss durability, comfort, breathability, washability, hygiene, and price.

A cot mattress must last at least three years; a cot bed mattress must last five years. A toddler of 5 years old, weighing on average 45lbs, will treat a cot bed like a trampoline. You'll want to sit on the bed to read to them.

Core Options

We have three main choices: fibre, foam, and coir with wool. All can be supported by springs - either pocket springs or standard springs.

Fibre

This has taken the baby mattress industry by storm because it's so cheap. Good quality fibre (40kg) initially feels like a brick, so it ticks the firm box. But if you push hard down on it, it doesn't recover - it doesn't spring back immediately, so it's not very comfortable. The fibre structure will slowly dent and dip when subjected to weight, damp, and heat from your baby. It certainly won't give comfortable, supportive sleep for three years - dents may appear in the first few months.

Here's an example: John Lewis sells a 120 x 60cm fibre mattress for £35 but only guarantees it for a year. That may equate to three mattresses: £35 x 3 = £105. Putting springs in a fibre mattress won't increase its life - the fibre covering the springs will only be 2.5cm deep. You can't get 2.5cm of fibre to behave like 40/150 quality foam.

Foam

It's such a price war out there. Most sellers call their foam "nursery foam". To hit a price point, some mattresses are 5cm or 7.5cm deep instead of 10cm.

I'm looking online now at a company offering a warranty for 30 days, and another for 100 days. We need a cot mattress to last 3 years! Also remember you'll have to buy waterproof protection with these mattresses, so add another £20.

Foam can be measured with density (kg/m³) and hardness (Newton rating). There are virtually no baby mattress sellers proud enough of their components to publish their foam specifications - except some quality-focused companies who use a minimum of 40/150. We explain foam measurement in detail in another article.

When you add springs to a foam cot or cot bed mattress, here's what happens: the pocket springs are 5cm deep, the mattress has to be 10cm deep. That's 2.5cm of foam for the top and bottom: 5 + 2.5 + 2.5 = 10. (I did that without a calculator!)

For 2.5cm of foam not to dip and to be firm, supportive, durable, and comfortable, it has to be excellent quality. The last thing you want is to have purchased an expensive pocket sprung mattress and have it dent or dip. Look for a guarantee or good reviews from parents who've had the mattress for a year before writing their review. So many reviews are written in the first few days - they're worthless.

For cot bed mattresses, it's the same story - you want your mattress to last 5 years. So you have a choice: buy cheap and replace every 12-18 months (or sooner if it dips), or buy a quality mattress with a 5-year guarantee.

Coir and Wool

This is a safer bet. Currently, the companies producing these mattresses aren't cutting corners - their mattresses are firm, supportive, and will last you many years.

As a footnote: a cot bed is 140cm long. The average height of a 7-year-old is 130cm, with a weight of 4 stone. There's no reason why a very good quality mattress wouldn't last a few more years before you switch to a single bed.

Think About the Environment

Please think about landfill and recycling. Currently, every year we dump mattresses in landfill that, if put end to end, would reach from John o' Groats to Land's End. Think about buying one natural mattress that you can recycle, rather than buying five that go to landfill.

Question for you: how long do you think it takes foam to biodegrade? Check it out - it's scary.