Waterproof Protection for Baby Mattresses - The Complete Guide

Waterproof protection is a huge topic, and with it goes breathability.

Before we get into this, please note:

Regardless of how companies dress this up to sell their products, there is NO 100% totally natural fabric that will give you 100% waterproof protection AND be 100% breathable. It does not exist.

So whatever you buy, it's a balance between how much you give to natural fabric and how much to total breathability - but you MUST have 100% waterproof protection. Not this cover-up phrase "water resistant" - if you see that, walk away.

The one thing you need to guarantee is that no water or vomit will get to the mattress core, whether it's made of coir and wool, foam, or fibre.

Your Options

Basic Waterproof Covers

These come in a variety of designs, made of waterproof synthetic material. They will trap heat and make the mattress sleeping surface warmer. Obviously not breathable.

Fabric Covers with Waterproof Backing

Next, we have fabric covers with a top of cotton or bamboo, but with a waterproof backing. Yes, it's partially breathable and fully waterproof.

Moulton (Natural Waterproof Fabric)

There's a clever natural fabric called Moulton. This is a three-layer fabric: two layers of 100% cotton with a tiny thin layer of PU sandwiched in between (about 7% PU). As the PU accounts for less than 8%, we can legally call the fabric natural. Of course, it's not 100% breathable - it can't be, can it? Nothing gets past the middle layer of PU.

Waterproof Under, Breathable Over

Another option is to put a full waterproof protective cover over the mattress core and underneath a washable, breathable cover. This gives you waterproof protection AND much more breathability.

The Best Solution

Probably the best answer to all this is the EasyChange® system. This encloses the mattress core with a fully removable, washable, waterproof zipped cover.

This base cover has a perimeter zip around the top of it to take a zip-on CoolMax & MaxiSpace® topper.

This easy zip-on topper offers maximum breathability and temperature control.

The wonderful thing about the EasyChange® system is you get two toppers. So at 3am when the nappy fails and the wee goes through the sheet and hits the topper, you just zip off the soiled topper and zip on the clean one.

If you have a baby that wees like Niagara Falls and the wee has gone through the topper (very unlikely), just wipe the waterproof base cover that protects the core.

Of course, the EasyChange® approach is 100% breathable and 100% waterproof - but it's not natural. This is where we came in: you can't have it all!