The 10 Best Crib Mattresses for Babies and Toddlers 2023

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#1

9.9

4.9/5

Save 18%

Sealy Baby Flex Cool Mattress

  • Material: Spring coils
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: GREENGUARD Gold
  • Made in USA: Yes
  • Dimensions: 51.6″ long x 27.3″ wide x 5.8″ tall
#2

9.8

5/5

Save 25%

Graco Premium Foam Crib and Toddler Mattress

  • Material: Memory foam
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: GREENGUARD Gold, CertiPUR-US
  • Made in USA: No
  • Dimensions: 52″ long x ‎27.6″ wide x 5″ tall
#3

9.5

4.5/5

Delta Children Twinkle Stars Dual Sided Mattress

  • Material: Fiber core
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: GREENGUARD Gold
  • Made in USA: Yes
  • Dimensions: 52″ long x ‎27.5″ wide x 6″ tall
#4

9.2

4.2/5

Serta Perfect Start Dual Sided Crib Mattress

  • Material: Polyeater fiber core
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: GREENGUARD Gold
  • Made in USA: Yes
  • Dimensions: 52″ long x ‎27.5″ wide x 6″ tall
#5

9.0

4/5

Save 10%

Sealy Baby Crib and Toddler Mattress

  • Material: Spring coils
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: GREENGUARD Gold
  • Made in USA: Yes
  • Dimensions: 51.6″ long x ‎27.3″ wide x 5.75″ tall
#6

8.8

3.8/5

Save 23%

Milliard Crib Dual Comfort Crib Mattress

  • Material: Memory foam
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: CertiPUR US
  • Made in USA: Yes
  • Dimensions: 52″ long x ‎27.5″ wide x 5.5″ tall
#7

8.5

3.5/5

Safety 1st Crib and Toddler Bed Mattress

  • Material: Polyeater fiber core
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: GREENGUARD Gold
  • Made in USA: No
  • Dimensions: 52″ long x ‎27.5″ wide x 5″ tall
#8

8.4

3.4/5

Save 9%

Dream On Me Portable Mattress

  • Material: Foam
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: GREENGUARD Gold, JPMA
  • Made in USA: Yes
  • Dimensions: 38″ long x ‎25.5″ wide x 3″ tall
#9

8.3

3.3/5

Milliard Hypoallergenic Crib Mattress

  • Material: Foam
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: CertiPur US
  • Made in USA: No
  • Dimensions: 52″ long x ‎27.5″ wide x 4.75″ tall
#10

7.9

2.9/5

Delta Children Twinkle Stars Mattress

  • Material: Polyeater fiber core
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: GREENGUARD Gold
  • Made in USA: Yes
  • Dimensions: 52″ long x ‎27.5″ wide x 6″ tall

We also considered 1 other:

Halo Sleep Breathable Crib Mattress

Our Top Choice

#1

9.9

4.9/5

Save 18%

Sealy Baby Flex Cool Mattress

  • Material: Spring coils
  • Waterproof: Cover
  • Certification: GREENGUARD Gold
  • Made in USA: Yes
  • Dimensions: 51.6″ long x 27.3″ wide x 5.8″ tall

About Our Rankings:

Our recommendations are based on expert comparisons between available products in each product category. For crib mattresses, we chose the topics that we think matter most to our users, and provide consise, clear comparisons of the features that matter. Our rankings change day-to-day based on our proprietary algorithms, that crunch data to identify top-performing products and tailor recommendations to exactly what our readers are looking for.

11
Models
Evaluated

2
Topics Considered

9
Hours of Research

564
Purchases Analyzed

Crib Mattress Buyer's Guide

There are a thousand and one things you need to keep track of before bringing your new little bundle of joy home for the first time. Do you have diapers, clothes, bottles, a crib? No to mention the little details. Have you baby-proofed your outlets?

It’s hard to keep track of so many small details and new possessions, much less know the quality baby toys and supplies from overpriced junk. We all want to give our children the best in everything, right? Well, this buyers’ guide will help you do just that, with one of the most important things your baby needs, their crib mattress.

How Much Does a Good Crib Mattress Matter?

It can be easy to dismiss a crib mattress as one of the less important pieces of furniture your new baby needs. After all, they will likely move out of their crib in only a couple of years. Besides, they weigh a fraction of what you do, how much can they wear through a mattress?

While that may seem logical, your crib mattress is hugely important. A high-quality mattress can reduce your child’s risk of SIDs, help them grow and develop, and let them rest easier. Plus, while they may only weigh a few pounds when you bring them home, they’ll spend more time asleep than awake for the next several months.

Firmness

You might prefer a soft mattress for yourself, but you should look for a firm crib mattress. As a rule of thumb, it’s too soft if you think it might be comfortable. If you can, test the mattress in a store. Press your hand into the surface. It should be firm and push your hand right out. You also don’t want it to leave a handprint for any length of time. Mattresses that conform to your body shape are great for adults but can increase the chance of suffocation in infants.

Type of Mattress

There are two basic styles in crib mattresses: spring or foam. Steel spring mattresses are slightly more popular in the United States, but both springs and foam can be good options. They do, however, have different features you need to watch for.

Spring Mattresses

There are a few things to watch for in a spring mattress: the quality of the materials (especially the insulation pad), the gauge of steel used in the coils, and how many coils are in the mattress. Fortunately, all that information should be included in a tag on the side of the mattress. If you’re buying online, the manufacturer should disclose their product’s materials. Check this list against the list printed on the mattress tag, and return it if they don’t match exactly. When it comes to crib mattresses, don’t buy it if you can’t tell exactly what materials were used.

Steel can come in gauges from 12-19. Lower gauge steel is thicker. Ideally, look for a mattress that uses 15 gauge or lower. The number of coils affects how the mattress feels and distributes weight, as well as its firmness. A higher number of coils won’t necessarily compensate for higher gauge steel, however. Mattresses in the 125-175 coil range are usually a good bet, especially with low gauge steel coils.

The insulation pad is the layer that protects you from the coils in the mattress. Coir Fiber, made from coconut hulls, is the strongest option for this layer. Avoid fiber-wrap insulation pads, also called rag wrap, as the fabric isn’t as strong. If the insulation pad is made of woven polyester, the weakest version, the mattress should immediately been taken off your list. Not only can woven polyester wear out, but it’s also prone to forming pockets where there isn’t any protection.

You should also look for border rods. These steel rods in the edges and corners prevent the edges of the mattress from collapsing when your child stands up or crawls to the edge of the mattress. These are an important safety feature, so you shouldn’t consider any spring mattresses without them.

Foam Mattresses

These mattresses are just as durable as spring versions, but they don’t have as many components, so you don’t have to check as many details. There are really two qualities you need in a foam mattress: firmness and density.

Firmness we’ve already talked about, but density will help the foam last longer without malformation or creating a bowl where your child sleeps. A good way to test density beyond what the mattress tells you on the label is to pick up the mattress and press your hands into the same place on both sides. A good mattress won’t let you compress it much and will spring back to shape quickly.

Covers

You should always look for a waterproof cover, preferably with a few ventilation points. Vinyl is common, but you need to look for a high-quality version to avoid tears and other wear problems. Vinyl also resists stains a little better than fabric does. We still recommend using a mattress protector between the mattress and the fitted sheet regardless of what cover you’ve gotten.

Whether you go with a vinyl or fabric cover, it should be multiple laminated layers. With both styles, the layering helps improve durability, water resistance, and reduces the chances of getting a bad tear. Three-ply covers are also a good bet in both styles.

Antimicrobial covers are an option, but we don’t recommend them. Their effectiveness is not well evaluated and may contribute to the overuse of antibiotics in general. Since increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance is a major concern, it’s better to just skip the antimicrobial cover and clean up accidents with water and mild soap.

Other Considerations

The above are the most important features to consider in your new baby’s crib mattress. However, you should also be sure to look for a mattress that fits snugly into the crib, but the exact size can vary depending on the crib you’re using.

While there are other features out there, they aren’t as important to the health and durability of the mattress. Conversion to a toddler mattress, color, and other features are nice, but they aren’t critical. Keep these things in mind, and you’ll be well-prepared for bed-time when your baby comes home.

Trusting Our Top Pick

Navigating the many choices for every consumer purchase can be challenging. Our team spends hours doing research, combing through forums, and reading consumer reviews on even the most basic of household items, and we summarize that information in clear, precise comparisons. Join the millions that have trusted BuyersGuide.org to help them make smarter buying decisions. We help our readers spend their money wisely and find the right product to suit their specific needs. Our independent expert reviews and data-driven shopping recommendations empower you find the crib mattress that’s right for you.

What Sets Us Apart?

We leverage user data to understand decision-making and put the best products in front of each user. We tailor our comparisons to what matters to our user’s needs, specific or broad. We keep our content up to date, we are constantly looking for new merchants and products to compare, and we are quick to remove any that are outdated or no longer meeting our standards. Our rankings change day-to-day based on our proprietary algorithms, that crunch data to identify top-performing products and tailor recommendations to exactly what our readers are looking for. Have a question or want to make a recommendation? We love to hear from our readers and are always looking for new products to include on our site. Get in touch!

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