Solid foods and weaning See all baby groups There are many types of cot mattress available. You can choose between foam spring interiors, natural fibres, special anti-allergy fillings, or a combination of any of the above. You may find it difficult to decide which is the best and safest mattress for your baby. But The Lullaby Trust states that it doesn't matter what kind of mattress you use, as long as it: is firm not softfits the cot snugly without any gapsdoesn't sag doesn't have signs of wear and tear Any mattress you choose should conform to BS 1877-10: 1997. It should also be at least 8cm to 10cm deep to support your baby while she sleeps. If the mattress you choose has a fabric cover, vacuum it regularly to keep dust mites at bay. Unless you know the history of a second-hand mattress, buy a new one. This will give you peace of mind.Foam mattressesFoam mattresses are generally the cheapest. They are designed to provide the right support and maintain your baby's natural posture.
They often have a wipe-clean PVC cover or removable, breathable covers on one or both sides. They may also have ventilation holes to help keep your baby cool, but these aren't necessary. lightweight provide good supportgood value for moneygenerally easy to keep clean ConsA PVC cover may make your baby feel a bit clammy in hot weather. May start to lose shape after several years. This may be something to consider if you want to use the mattress for subsequent children.Dirt or grime can be difficult to remove from ventilation holes. Coil spring mattressesThese traditional mattresses have a coiled spring interior with layers of felt and foam padding. They often have a cotton cover on one side and PVC, or other wipe-clean material, on the other side. A spring inner core will support your baby. These mattresses also tend to hold their shape well. If you choose a cot bed, you may prefer a coil spring mattress as they tend to be longer lasting than foam. The space within the spring lattice allows for increased airflow through the mattress.
This helps to regulate a child’s body temperature and to keep the mattress fresh. They are a traditional, popular choice with many parents.In hot weather, you can lay your baby on the cotton cover side to prevent her becoming clammy. More expensive than a foam mattress.The cotton side may be preferred for comfort, but can be more difficult to keep clean, unless your mattress has a removable panel.Pocketed spring mattressesThese mattresses are very similar to coil spring mattresses, but each spring is in its own pocket to provide improved support for longer. Expensive.Probably not cost-effective, unless you have a cot bed that your baby will sleep in for several years, or the mattress will be used for more than one child. Dual Core™ mattressesThe Dual Core™ cot mattress is a patented design that incorporates two cores in one. It aims to meet the needs of your child from when they are first born to when they start school. For your newborn baby, it has a coir and orthopedic foam interior, which provides a flat and firm sleeping surface.
As your baby grows into a toddler and preschooler, the second core incorporates micro-pocketed springs to conform to your child's changing weight and shape. excellent support throughout your baby's early yearsextremely hard-wearingholds its shape well expensiveNatural fibre mattressesNatural fibre mattresses have a core of coconut fibre with other layers of different materials. The fibres are coated in latex for strength and protection, and the natural fibre filling helps air to circulate through the mattress. These mattresses are available with a soft cotton or wipe-clean covering. Good choice if you are concerned about your baby sleeping on synthetic material, or you are concerned about introducing unnecessary chemicals or synthetics into your home. One of the firmest types, so the mattress is long-lasting, and holds its shape well. This could be a sensible choice if you want a mattress that will last for more than one child. More expensive than foam or most spring interior mattresses.
Less widely available than other types of mattress.Hypoallergenic mattressesIf allergies or asthma are a concern in your family, you may want to consider a hypoallergenic mattress for your baby. These come with a quilted top layer that can be easily detached and washed at 60 degrees C to kill the dust mites that may cause allergies. Allergy UK has a list of approved mattress covers and bedding. Good choice if your baby has allergies or asthma. Easy to keep clean. May be more expensive than other kinds of mattress.For most babies, this may be a luxury buy. Track your baby’s development Join now to receive free weekly newsletters tracking your baby’s development and yours throughout your pregnancy. Enter your due date or child's birthday Enter your email address Privacy policy & terms Support for your parenting journey. Delivered to your inbox. My Baby This Week Newsletter Keep up with your baby’s development with personalised weekly newsletters.
Get the latest parenting news, plus expert advice and real-world wisdom. Special Offers from Our Partners Receive discounts, deals and parenting information from BabyCentre’s partners. Log in or sign up to post a comment!#1 in Sleep Product Research Millions Served Since 2008 Ratings > Mattresses and Bad Back Problems Unbiased Comparisons Based on 22,478 Owner Experiences Some mattresses perform significantly better than others in preventing / relieving pain, including back, hip and shoulder pain. Before discussing which are best, three interrelated terms are important to understand: support, conforming ability, and firmness. Support refers to how well a mattress keeps the sleeper's body on a flat and level plane. Owner experience data shows that support is a key factor in preventing and alleviating pain, especially back pain. Support can be undermined by excessive softness and excessive firmness – but it is most often undermined by sagging of the mattress.
Sagging is the top complaint of mattress owners overall with at least 30% reporting a significant problem. Sagging occurs when part of a mattress, usually the middle, becomes compressed and lower than the rest. Sagging often puts a person's spine into an unnatural position – especially for side and stomach sleepers. Consequently, mattress owner experience data shows a clear connection between sagging and pain, especially back pain. The greater the sagging depth the more likely it is that sagging will cause a person to have discomfort or pain in bed and possibly out of bed. * especially for side and / or stomach sleepers. It should be noted that despite the fact that back pain for many people may occur with less than 1.5 inches of sagging depth, many mattress warranties cover sagging only if it has a depth greater than 1.5 inches. Conforming ability refers to how well a mattress conforms or molds to the contours and curves of a person's body. A mattress has good conforming ability if all of one's body is supported equally by the mattress.
A lack of conforming ability means there are gaps in support. The result can be that at least one part of the body – such as the lower back – is placed in an unsupported, unnatural and therefore stressed position which can cause pain. A lack of conforming ability also often results in some parts of the body – namely shoulders and hips of side sleepers – feeling more pressure than other parts because of unequal support. Such pressure can be a source of significant discomfort. Having the right firmness is an important factor in preventing / relieving pain. Learn more: Mattress Firmness Guide & Comparison. The graph below shows the pain-relieving ability of the different mattress types based on actual owner experiences. The types that are better at reducing (back, hip and shoulder) pain are more supportive, less likely to sag and more likely to have effective conforming ability. Keep in mind that the chart represents what is often but not always the case;
model or individual mattress may go against these findings somewhat. Sagging and loss of support (barring mechanical breakdown) is usually less of a problem with airbeds compared to most other bed types. And the air chambers inside an airbed provide at least fair conforming ability and allow for adjustable firmness / support to suit personal preference and sleep position. Airbeds, however, with little or no comfort layer can be too firm on hips and or shoulders of small- to average-sized side sleepers. While memory foam mattresses can develop problems (sagging, excessive softness, and loss of support) these problems tend to not be as common or serious as they can be with innerspring-based mattresses (memory foam's main competition). Memory foam also provides good conforming ability for average- to large-sized people. Firmness levels tend to be mostly medium to medium-firm. Smaller-sized people may experience excessive pressure points as they tend to not exert adequate pressure on the mattress to benefit from the foam's conforming ability.
Latex can develop body impressions and soften to some extent, but these problems tend to not cause widespread pain problems. Latex often conforms moderately to the body. Firmness tends to be medium to firm (but soft varieties are available). Hybrid mattresses often provide above-average support, but such support breaks down for at least 18% of owners within three years due to sagging. Conforming ability tends to be good if at least two inches of memory foam is present. A variety of firmnesses are available. While waterbeds are often highly conforming, their support is questionable. At least 15% of owners claim that their waterbed causes back pain because of poor support. Firmness can be adjusted somewhat by adding or removing water. Innerspring mattresses often provide at least fair support, but such support breaks down for at least 20% of owners within three years due to sagging. Models with a significant comfort layer often provide fair conforming ability, while models with a minimal comfort layer often provide poor conforming ability especially for small- to average-sized people.