Organic Baby Home • Organic Nursery Decor • Choosing an Organic Crib Mattress

Organic Crib Mattress:
Comfortable and Chemical Free

An organic mattress is one way to significantly reduce your baby's exposure to toxic chemicals.

Newborns spend two-thirds of their days sleeping, so removing toxins from your baby's sleep environment is one of the best places to start making quality improvements.

Here is some information to help you understand the difference between conventional and organic crib mattresses.

Conventional Crib Mattresses

An organic crib mattress is soft and safe.

Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC is a common surface material for baby mattresses.
PVC is commonly used in plastics, but is proven unsafe in baby products.

PVC is toxic and leeches when exposed to water and temperature changes. Long-term it poses threats to the environment, whether it is recycled or tossed into a landfill.
Polyeurethane foam and polyester are used to stuff the mattresses.

These petrochemical materials emit toxic fumes which can cause allergies and problems with immune and reproductive systems.
Phthalates are used to make the plastic surface of crib and cot mattresses soft.

Phthalates make up 30 percent of the mattress surface in spite of the FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission warnings about their use. Phthalates are also found in the fragrances of conventional skin care products.
Because the mattress materials are so flammable, the manufacturers use toxic flame retardants to meet safety requirements.

PentaBDE is the most common flame retardant used. Alan Greene,M.D., Author of Raising Baby Green, says this toxin is associated with hyperactivity and neurobehavioral (brain) alterations.

PentaBDE leeches into the surrounding air and floats around bedrooms as dust. They have been banned in Europe as well as the state of California, but no mattress recalls have happened to date.

Organic Baby Mattress Selection Tips

Organic crib mattresses can be a significant investment in your baby's health. Here are some things you'll want to look for to ensure you're getting what you pay for.

Find out how the mattress was made and where the materials came from.
If you are trying to decide between two equally priced mattresses, go with the manufacturer with Fair Trade business principles.
Look for mattresses made of organic cotton and organic wool.

Organic cotton is free of pesticides and organic wool is naturally resistant to moisture, mold and dust mites.

Organic cotton and wool are also naturally flame retardant, which alleviates the need for highly toxic chemical solutions. Companies such as Naturepedic treat their organic mattresses with a solution that is free of these toxins. Make sure the organic mattress you are purchasing does meet the federal fire safety requirements.
Natural foam rubber and silk are also common non-toxic materials used on natural crib mattresses.
Look for proof that the mattress was made with organic materials.

The manufacturer should be able to tell you who certified it.
A two in one mattress or a mattress with edge supports will be slightly more expensive, but it can be used throughout your baby's toddler years.