Safest Crib Mattresses

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has established safety requirements for crib mattresses that regulate size, thickness, firmness, and construction materials. Your baby’s crib mattress should be level and firm in the crib, without gaps between the mattress and the crib frame. For your baby’s safety, do not use quilted bumpers or any other bedding that could create a suffocation risk, like pillows or loose blankets. Instead, choose non-weighted swaddles for infants and non-weighted wearable sleep sacks for older babies (learn more about why weighted sleep sacks and swaddles are not safe for babies). 

Crib mattress labels usually don’t list every single material used in construction and manufacturing, so it can be difficult to tell which ones are the best options. Because crib mattresses are constructed in many different ways, and the materials and the way they’re layered vary widely, we’ve addressed some of the most common materials and concerns below. Shop our recommendations and use our tips to find the right crib mattress for your family.

One of the most common materials used in comfort and structural layers is polyurethane foam. Polyurethane foam is derived from petroleum and uses isocyanates, a family of chemicals, in manufacturing. Toluene diisocyanates, commonly used members of this family, are potential human carcinogens and can be respiratory irritants. Polyurethane foam emits VOCs and can also absorb VOCs from the surrounding environment. Some effects linked to VOCs include headaches; irritation of the eye, nose, and throat; and damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system.

What to look for instead: Pure, natural latex is a safer, more sustainable material than polyurethane foam, polyester, or other synthetic materials used in structural and comfort layers. Look for natural latex over synthetic and synthetic/natural blend latexes. Parents should know that latex allergies in babies, while uncommon, can be serious—so use a latex crib mattress only if you know your baby is not allergic.

A few other good alternatives to polyurethane foam include natural materials such as organic cotton or wool, or sustainable materials such as Tencel or lyocell. Materials like polyester and nylon are also better alternatives to polyurethane foam, although they come with some environmental concerns. 

If a crib mattress made with primarily natural, sustainable materials is outside your budget, look for a mattress without added flame retardants and with an outer layer made of natural fiber—or cover your baby’s mattress with a natural fiber mattress pad.

Polyurethane foam is a commonly used material in crib mattresses. But because it’s highly flammable, companies may add flame retardant chemicals such as antimony trioxide and chlorinated tris. Numerous serious health issues are associated with various classes of flame retardants—including reproductive harm, neurotoxicity, and cancer—so many states have banned or taken steps to ban certain flame retardants. For example, California, Nevada, New York, Maine, Minnesota, and others have banned certain flame retardants from new children’s products. Unfortunately, with a lack of uniform legislation at a federal level, flame retardants still make their way into crib mattresses. 

What to look for instead: Wool is naturally flame retardant, so it is a good alternative to chemical flame retardants in mattresses. Look for wool that bears a GOTS-certified organic label, which means it’s been certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard to be processed with less harmful chemical manufacturing inputs. Also consider more ethical wool like recycled wool or wool certified by the Responsible Wool Standard or ZQ. The downside: Like many natural materials, wool costs more, which means crib mattresses made from wool are typically more expensive, and some shoppers may not prefer materials from animals.

Another option: Consider a crib mattress made with what’s called a “fire barrier,” typically rayon or polyester, rather than chemical flame retardants. While rayon and polyester aren’t biodegradable like wool, they’re preferable to chemical flame retardants and are better options to chemical flame retardants for parents who would like to skip materials from animals. Parents should be aware, however, that some fire barriers also contain chemical flame retardants, so check the manufacturer’s website for information about what the crib mattress contains.

Unlike adult mattresses, most crib mattresses are waterproof, for obvious reasons. That helps make them easy to clean and helps limit the growth of mold and bacteria. But some of the materials used to make a crib mattress waterproof can be problematic for the environment and for your family’s health. While none of the mattresses we tested contained PFAS, parents should be aware that commonly used waterproofing and stain-repellent materials are not always disclosed on the label. PFAS are infamously termed “forever chemicals” because of their ability to resist biodegradation, and they are associated with a myriad of health concerns, including cancer, reproductive and developmental effects, impacts on fertility, and more.

One popular waterproofing material is vinyl, or polyvinyl chloride, which is made with concerning chemicals, including vinyl chloride, a chemical linked to cancer, as well as phthalates, which can off-gas slowly from products containing them. Phthalates have been linked to endocrine disruption, which can lead to other health problems such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, birth defects, premature birth, neurodevelopmental disorders, and infertility.

What to look for instead: Opt for waterproof layers made from polylactic acid (PLA), polypropylene, or polyurethane. These materials are safer alternatives to vinyl and PFAS.

The outer layers of mattresses are sometimes treated with compounds meant to ward off bacteria or other microbes. That sounds like a good idea, but the chemicals used to do that have been linked to several health concerns. For example, silver nanomaterials are linked to cell toxicity, and triclosan and triclocarban to endocrine disruption in lab and animal studies.

What to look for instead: Look for an outer layer made with natural fibers like cotton, ideally GOTS-certified organic. The next best option is an untreated synthetic material like polyester.

Adhesives sometimes glue mattress layers or coil constructions together. Very little information about what actually goes into mattress glue is publicly available, making it difficult to determine what adhesive ingredients babies might be exposed to from mattresses, and what health effects could result. Some chemicals reportedly in adhesives include problematic substances like acetone, cyanide, dioxins, and formaldehyde. 

What to look for instead: Look for adhesive-free mattresses that use construction alternatives like sewing and rosettes instead, or mattresses certified by GOTS, which has restrictions on harmful substances in adhesives.

Some mattresses carry certification seals (and sometimes more than one) that indicate how a product was made. Here are few of the certifications you might notice when comparing crib mattresses for your baby, and what the seals mean:

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certifies products made with organic materials. Products must contain 95 percent organic materials to meet their organic label or must contain at least 70 percent organic materials to meet their “made with organic materials” label. This certification also applies stringent standards on which chemicals can be used in the manufacturing process and does not permit chemical flame retardants. 

Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) ensures that the latex used to make the crib mattress is 95 percent organic or greater. Note that GOLS certifies only the latex within mattresses and does not cover any other components. 

MADE SAFE certifies mattresses made without materials that are known or suspected to harm humans or the ecosystem. Made Safe certification also incorporates both GOTS and GOLS for relevant materials and does not permit chemical flame retardants.

GREENGUARD certifies that mattresses have low chemical emissions but does not restrict the chemicals that can be used in manufacturing.

CertiPur was founded through an initiative by the foam industry and certifies polyurethane foam to be made without select problematic substances. 

Because all crib mattress components are not typically disclosed, Consumer Reports reached out to all companies to ask them to share all of their mattress materials, including flame retardants, adhesives, and waterproofing. We also followed up with companies using materials that are linked to environmental or human health concerns, asking them to comment on why they’re using them.

Lullaby Earth responded to our inquiries and disclosed all components in its mattress. It stated that most crib mattresses under $200 contain polyurethane foam, glues, flame retardants, and vinyl. “Lullaby Earth makes crib mattresses that compete with these less expensive mattresses and does so without using toxic and questionable ingredients that these other mattresses use.” Lullaby Earth said that polyethylene and polypropylene are considered less toxic plastics by Clean Production Action. Made Safe’s crib material evaluation independently reached the same conclusion, which is reflected in the analysis above.

Newton Baby disclosed all materials in response to our inquiries and noted three important characteristics of its crib mattress: breathability, washability, and recyclability. “Unfortunately, none of this would be possible without the use of polyester and polyethylene. Given this limitation, we do everything we can to ensure the highest quality materials, maintain strict controls at the factory, including recycling pre-consumer waste and undergoing annual GREENGUARD Gold testing.” Newton Baby said it continually evaluates natural alternatives and will adopt them if they can provide improved performance and sustainability.

Ikea also disclosed all mattress components in response to our outreach. When asked about its materials, Ikea told us: “At IKEA, we’re committed to creating products that are safe for both people and the planet. The referenced materials are widely utilized within the industry, and we carefully select materials, ensuring they are used responsibly to meet our customers’ needs while adhering to strict health and environmental standards. Our products are thoroughly tested to guarantee safety and sustainability, reflecting our dedication to improving lives and protecting the environment.”

Dream on Me provided a complete list of materials used in its mattress and said that it uses materials that have been tested, passed, and are approved by several U.S. standards.

Delta Children did not respond to our request for disclosure of all mattress components but did respond to our request for comment on their materials. Delta said its product meets or exceeds applicable federal requirements for childcare articles, including 16 CFR 1307, a regulation that restricts the levels of eight phthalates in products intended for children. Additionally, it stated that the product has achieved GREENGUARD Gold certification, which limits emissions of more than 360 VOCs and total chemical emissions.

Avocado, My Green Mattress, and Naturepedic also responded by disclosing all of their materials. Graco, Milliard, Safety 1^st, and Sealy failed to disclose their mattress materials and did not respond to our request for comment.