What Is The Best Cot Mattress
All the information you need to choose the best mattress for your baby
First your cot mattress should at least tick these boxes:-
Firm and Supportive, Comfortable, Durable, Washable, Waterproof , Breathable, Hygienic,
These basics requirements apply to foam, fibre or natural cot mattresses
Size
The current recommended EU Standard is that there should not be more than a 3 cm gap between the cot sides and the side of the mattress. This is to ensure that an arm or leg does not get trapped.
All Foam Cot Mattresses
Buy from a company that is proud to state the quality of the foam they use, and quotes their foam specification. You want to see a minimum of 33/130.. beware of descriptions such as Nursery or A1 foam.
Cheaper foam does not respond well to heat, weight and damp and that is exactly what a baby is! These effects weaken the foam and make it dip and dent. A good quality foam will last longer and give better comfort and support
All foam cot mattresses made in the UK are generally made to hit a price point. They use the basic minimum standard foam,
Some are even less than 10 cm deep, they maybe OK for occasional use at the grandparents. You will be fortunate if you get a Six months out of them without showing some signs of indentation.
Springs or Pocket Springs
Pocket springs will be more comfortable and last 15% longer than basic springs.
Springs are covered with ONLY a 2 cm layer of foam each side, the springs are 6 cm deep making up the British Standard of 10 cm.
2 cm of basic foam will succumb to the weight of a baby from above and the pressure of springs from below. Basic quality foam will not give the best support and will dip and dent within the first year.
Good quality foam, a minimum of 33/130 will give a comfortable supportive sleep and it will certainly be durable and last your baby the 20.000 hours before they go into an adult bed.
High quality foam resists the effects of heat weight and damp and will not dip nor dent. Quality foam has a higher rated "Indentation Load Deflection" (IDL) we explain this in more detail on our web pagers.
From Jan 2020 there is now a new safer foam -- "It Is TCPP FREE " TCCP tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate)has been accused of causing health problem in children and adults because over time it escapes from the foam and has been detected in household air and dust. Laboratory tests indicate that TCCP may have an adverse effect on the nervous system and thyroid.
This new Foam 50 /125 hardly has any chemical smell, more breathable, beautiful feel and excellent recovery and still achieves the British standard fire certificate. it is at least 10% more expensive.
Fibre stands out in comparison to foam for several reasons. It offers the advantage of being cooler, lacking the unpleasant petroleum odor often associated with cheap foam, and being more breathable. Additionally, fibre is typically made from recycled plastic bottles and comes at a significantly lower cost.
However, despite these benefits, fibre falls short in certain aspects when compared to foam. It lacks the strength, durability, and comfort provided by foam, and it doesn't offer the same level of support. One major drawback of fibre is its inability to recover like foam does.
While there are numerous inexpensive fibre mattresses available on the market, they may initially suffice but tend to develop dips and dents after a few months of use.
Nevertheless, when it comes to comfort, support, and durability, there's simply no comparison between fibre and quality foam, especially foam with a density rating of 33/150 or higher. in a nutshell you get what you pay for
Natural Coir and Lambswool
A solid block of 80g quality coir will be as supportive and durable. The comfort will be dependent on the type and depth of lambswool used and if you put pocket springs in the coir
A solid block of quality coir is firm with 2 cm of lambswool (avoid the cheaper 1 cm topping of wool
Pocket springs encased in coir and 2 cm depth of lambswool is medium-firm offers a more welcome feel.
Of course you are helping the environment with a natural mattress, made from sustainable material. easily biodegradable. foam free not a petro-chemical product.
Easy To Keep Clean, Hygienic, Waterproof Protection, Breathable.
This is the responsibility of the covers. Choose machine washable breathable covers where the waterproof protection is under the cover and over the mattress core and perhaps a spare cover (one for the wash).
Here is an example of how this can be achieved :- The Easychange® mattress has a waterproof cover to fully protect the mattress. This cover has a perimeter zip that takes toppers. The toppers hold a considerable amount of air and are fully breathable and offer temperature control.
So along comes the untimely night-time accident, unzip the topper, if necessary wipe the cot mattress protective base cover and zip on the clean topper, pop the soiled one in the wash, easy!
If you put a waterproof protector over the cot mattress cover, your baby will be lying on a non or partially breathable cover. Consider siting a protective cover under a breathable mattress cover.
Natural cotton covers for natural coir mattresses
If you have a natural mattress core you may want to the cover to be 100% natural too to you keep it as a 100% natural mattress Cotton covers are 1 supplied with many coir and lambswool natural cot mattresses, but they are NOT waterproof.
If you want a fully waterproof mattress you have to get some form of non-natural cover. There is a fabric called Outlux, fully waterproof, 93% natural, but not totally breathable. There is a compromise; consider "The Easychange® Cover System" over your natural mattress core.