The lowdown on crib mattresses Types of mattresses What to look for when buying Important safety notes What it's going to cost you The lowdown on crib mattressesA good mattress not only makes bedtime cozier – it supports your growing baby and keeps her safe. Consider cost, comfort, and durability, as your baby will probably sleep in a crib for up to 3 years.Browse dozens of cribs.Types of mattresses“Breathable” mattresses, made of materials that are supposed to allow a baby to breathe freely even if his or her face is pressed up against it, are getting more popular. Experts haven’t yet weighed in on their efficacy.What to look for when buyingDensity: You want high density so it’s firm enough to keep your baby safe while sleeping. Most foam mattresses don't list density on the packaging, but weight can be a good indicator. As for innerspring mattresses, manufacturers often equate the number of coils with firmness, but the gauge of the wire is just as important. Lower gauge means thicker wire, which is stronger and therefore firmer.
Look for a mattress with 135 or more coils and a gauge of 15.5 or lower.Weight: A typical foam mattress weighs about 7 to 8 pounds, although mattresses made of memory foam (an especially dense form of polyurethane) can weigh close to 20 pounds. Innerspring crib mattresses are heavier in general, weighing in at about 15 to 25 pounds. Keep in mind that you'll be hoisting up a side of the mattress, or lifting the whole thing, when changing your baby's sheet.Cleaning: Most traditional mattresses suggest spot-cleaning only. Some have removable covers that can be machine-washed. The innards of at least one crib mattress on the market can be hosed down in the tub once its washable cover is removed.Certification seals: Crib mattresses for sale in the United States must meet safety standards defined by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Society for Testing and Materials. (The Juvenile Products Manufacturer Association does not test or certify crib mattresses.) A manufacturer's claim that a product is organic can mean a variety of things, but look for an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification (a worldwide uniform certification), which assures you that certain flame retardants and heavy metals were not used to make the mattress.
Important safety notesNo matter what mattress parents choose, they should continue to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe-sleep guidelines and put babies to sleep on their backs on a firm, bare surface.What it's going to cost youCrib mattresses start at about $40 and can range to more than $350. Organic mattresses start at about $80 and can reach $400. Download our illustrated guide to crib mattressesAmerican Academy of Pediatrics. /English/ages-stages/prenatal/decisions-to-make/Pages/Choosing-a-Crib.aspx [Accessed May 2016]Consumer Reports. Crib mattress buying guide. /cro/crib-mattresses/buying-guide.htm [Accessed May 2016]Consumer Reports. /cro/cribs/buying-guide.htm [Accessed May 2016]CPSC. Learn how to put your baby to sleep safely. http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/cribs/ [Accessed May 2016]Comfort Level: Cushion Firm Mattress Top Type: Tight top Comfort Level: Cushion Firm Get it by Thu, Mar 9 Mattress Top Type: Pillow top
Overall Thickness - Top to Bottom: 11'' Ultimate Dreams 11" Pillow Top Mattress Mattress Top Type: Memory foam top Pillowtop Innerspring 10" Firm Mattress Get it by Wed, Mar 8 Overall Thickness - Top to Bottom: 6'' Price range for a standard queen set* The Only Official Mattress of the National Sleep Foundation. Engineered to help the five common sleep problems Sagging & Edge Roll-Off Select models are compatible with a Serta adjustable foundation. Available in Innerspring and Memory Foam. *Starting at price points, model names and availability vary by local authorized Serta retailer. National Sleep Foundation’s logo, name, materials and/or insights used under license from NSF in exchange for Serta’s financial support of NSF’s sleep research and educational activities. Explore Serta Perfect Sleeper Mattresses Your comfort preference is as unique as you are! That’s why we offer a wide variety of Perfect Sleeper mattress models in Innerspring and Memory Foam constructions.
Price range for a standard Queen Set* Serta Perfect Sleeper Innerspring mattresses combine some of our latest comfort technologies with a state-of-the-art steel coil innerspring support system. These mattresses are an ideal solution for those who prefer the look and feel of a traditional mattress with the benefits of advanced comfort and support features. *Starting at price points, model names and availability may vary by local authorized Serta retailer. Serta Perfect Sleeper Memory Foam mattresses combine an advanced gel memory foam material with an all-foam support core. These mattresses are an ideal solution for those who prefer the contouring feel of an all-foam mattress. Image shown for demonstration of mattress construction only; actual product components may vary. Share your #AlwaysComfortable moments Tag your photo with this hashtag, and it could be featured here! Find Your Perfect Model See what others are saying... Read more about this product
We receive free products to review and participate in affiliate programs, where we are compensated for items purchased through links from our site (at no cost to the buyer). See our for our list of comped products and affiliate programs. ContentsMy Top 4 Reviewed Innerspring MattressesTop Innerspring Mattresses ComparedWinkBedsSaatvaAviyaBrentwood HomeBest for Back PainBest for Stomach SleepersBest for Side SleepersWhat Makes A Good Innerspring Mattress?Comparison Shopping Can Be DifficultCoil Count and GaugeCoil TypeTop Layer Above The SpringsGetting Good ValueFinal Recommendation Though innerspring mattresses account for about half of the mattress market, there are because they are more difficult to manufacture and ship. Because of these constraints, end up with an innerspring option. That will probably change over time, but it is just much easier logistically to have a foam mattress if you are selling online. Fortunately, the online-only companies that do choose innerspring tend to be more advanced in their mattress knowledge, and deliver a quality product (generally) at a really good value.
These reviews cover my personal experience with a number of the leading innerspring brands. I plan on reviewing a lot more over time, including a lot of the ones that you can’t buy online. I’d love to hear from you. Everyone is looking for something a little different with their innerspring mattresses, but I’ve chosen my four favorites across some general categories: overall, side-sleeper, budget, and high-end. These are not only some of my favorite innerspring mattresses, but they hold top spots in my overall mattress reviews list. WinkBeds is a relatively new company, but it comes with a great design and specs. This tops the comfort list because it has an extra 2 inches of foam on top, making it a bit more cushiony than other options (and very pressure relieving). To me, the construction is extra adept for side sleepers. The mattress is not as well known as Saatva, but it has a cult following that loves it. See more details about the mattress on their website.
To learn more about my personal experience with WinkBeds check out my full WinkBeds review. Saatva is a quality online-only mattress that (in my opinion) offers great value (learn more HERE). The specs will compare to a higher-end Beautyrest, but the price tag is significantly less (Saatva tops the best mattress under $1000 list as well). The mattress has a layer of memory foam on top, and comes in three firmness settings. The company has been around for a number of years, and thus has many more reviews than the average online mattress company. Saatva is an innerspring mattress I often recommend, but see what type of sleeper I recommend it for most frequently in my Saatva mattress review. Aviya is a small company, but they have managed to deliver a solid innerspring option at a pretty phenomenal price (get best deal HERE). This is by far the lowest priced option on the list, though the dropoff from WinkBeds and Saatva is only a slight one. Good specs and good durability, but again the story with Aviya is it’s just a great value.
Read about my experience with the mattress in my full Aviya review. Brentwood Home has a number of different types of mattresses, but for me their innerspring line really impresses. They have three mattresses that vary in price and construction, the Oceano, Del Mar, and the Avalon (Oceano is my favorite, though it is the priciest as well). Brentwood Home has a really quality brand and team, and even has their own factory located in Los Angeles. The mattress also has great specs, I predict the mattress will be very durable and last a long time. If you go with Brentwood Home, make sure to use my exclusive Brentwood Home coupon ($75 off). If you have back pain, you’re going to really want to focus on great support. All of these options can address the issue, and it might depend most on your sleeping position – but personally I would head for Saatva if I was having lower or mid back pain. If you are a stomach sleeper, you should go with a firmer mattress to get the right feel and support.
Of these options, Saatva and Aviya offer firm options. You may consider some of the firmer Simmons Beautyrest options as well. Read our best mattresses for side sleepers options for other mattress types. If you are a side sleeper, you are going to want a slightly softer mattress to deal well with the pressure points on your hips and shoulders. I would start with WinkBeds, but maybe consider the soft Saatva as well. One big frustration with the mattress industry is how hard it is to objectively compare different models and brands. That is especially true with innerspring mattresses. For one, certain brands will be called different things at different stores, even if they are the exact same mattress. That alone creates a ton of confusion. Similarly, even if you can compare across more objective measures, like coil count or gauge, there are many other factors that will affect the quality of the mattress. For example, there are plenty of mattresses with a higher coil count that are less quality than those with a lower coil count.
As a result, you have to take these levels of comparison with a grain of salt. If you are in a store or on a website, you might see a lot of talk about how a certain innerspring mattress has a certain number of coils, a certain gauge (thickness of the steel wire), etc. These types of stats have the potential to be pretty misleading for a couple of reasons. For example, a lot of people think more coil equals a better quality mattress. However, you can have a higher coil count but use lower quality steel. There are many different factors that go into the quality of the innerspring unit. I would therefore recommend being a little cautious in thinking more coils equals a better mattress. An innerspring mattress can be made more or less firm in a number of different ways, and a lot of it depends on what the top layer above the coils is. Therefore, saying a blanket statement like “thicker gauge means firmer mattress” isn’t always true, because it depends on a few other factors too.
The overall piece of advice is to use these stats as a point of reference, but don’t put too much stock in statements like “because it has a higher coil count, it….” or “because it has a higher gauge, it…” You will also probably hear a lot about the type of coil being used in a mattress’s construction. There are differences between the types. “Pocket” coils are individually wrapped and tend to be better overall at contouring to your body, all things else being equal. However, the type of coil matters more or less depending on the rest of the components of the mattress, so I would take statements like “it has pocket coils, so it’s better” with a grain of salt. If you have a thick layer of memory foam on top of the mattress, the fact that the innerspring unit has pocket coils doesn’t really matter as much, because the memory foam does the contouring. Overall, the type of coil does matter, but its importance is dependent on the rest of the mattress.
Not all innerspring mattresses are made equal, and a big reason why is the comfort layer used on top of the springs. There is a wide range that can be used to add comfort to the springs, and that makes the feel of the mattress different. For example, an innerspring with a thin layer of latex on top will feel much different from one with a very thick layer of memory foam. As a result, you need to understand the differences between the different types of comfort layers. Know the difference between poly foam, memory foam, and latex foam, and decide which feel you like better. Also, understand that the thickness of the comfort layer matters a lot too. If the mattress has a thick layer of memory foam, then it is more of a hybrid and will feel more like a memory foam mattress, which tends to be quite a different feel from the traditional feel associated with innerspring mattresses. I’m a big fan of getting the best value possible. If you are going to shop at a chain store, then I would wait until they have a sale to get the best value.
Sales happen somewhat frequently and predictably, so just be on the lookout for them. You can also occasionally find a gem through local manufacturers, depending on where you live. Lastly, buying online represents a create value because you cut out the middleman of the business model. Currently, that way of doing business is generally filled more with “bed in a box” foam mattress providers, although I have reviewed two, Saatva and Winkbeds, which I like a lot and think provide a great value given their very reasonable price. Finding the best innerspring mattress can be tough, because there are so many different models and brands, and the characteristics that might make them good or bad are tough to understand and compare. As you narrow down your choices, read as many reviews as possible, because ultimately owner experiences will help you get a clearer idea of how good a mattress will end up being. Keep in mind, however, that just because some people like a mattress doesn’t mean you will definitely like it too.