Understanding Breathable Crib Mattresses

Yes, but only if done right. It’s no surprise that parents are inundated with conflicting claims about how to keep their baby safe. But with September being Baby Safety Month, it’s time to address one of the latest trends: breathable crib mattresses.

A breathable crib mattress typically has a porous surface that your baby can breathe through should they roll over face down – sounder safer, right? Breathable crib mattresses also help to dissipate heat and moisture for less sweaty backs and comfier sleep for babies.

To truly be safer, however, a breathable crib mattress must also be waterproof to prevent fluids from seeping into the mattress (where it can be difficult or impossible to clean). But how can a crib mattress be breathable AND waterproof? Read on to learn.

Like we said, a safer crib mattress must be waterproof to prevent fluids from seeping into the mattress interior where it can be difficult or impossible to clean. (And, in order to keep your crib mattress clean and hygienic, the surface should also be easy to clean for any messes caused by urine, drool, vomit, spilled milk, etc.) But if the mattress is entirely porous – which is many a brand's approach to breathability – that means that bacteria can penetrate the mattress surface and seep into the interior.

This can be problematic, as you don't want your baby breathing in the contamination growing inside the mattress. Some brands make their mattress cores "washable," but this process is extremely cumbersome, and in some cases, it is nearly  impossible to fully clean the inside of these cores as there is no way to scrub – only soak and rinse. It's also cumbersome as you're baby is left without a mattress while you're cleaning it and waiting for it to dry (if it ever does truly dry completely, which it very well may not).

Naturepedic recognizes that these breathable designs don't work well. On the one hand, adding breathability to a mattress is an excellent idea. On the other hand, having your baby breathe into a contaminated space defeats the purpose of trying to make the mattress safer. It replaces one problem with another!

At Naturepedic, we created a line of breathable crib mattresses that check all the boxes. In fact, Naturepedic is the only manufacturer that provides all of the following benefits in a baby crib mattress:

• CERTIFIED ORGANIC (meets the highest GOTS organic standard)
• BREATHABLE (safest category for reducing suffocation risk according to an independant third party lab)
• WATERPROOF (easy-to-clean)
• HYGIENIC (no fluids penetrate the mattress)
• NO FLAME RETARDANTS (meets all government flammability standards)
• NO LATEX (avoids the allergenic risk of latex for babies)
• CHEMICALLY SAFER (certified by GOTS, EWG and MADE SAFE®)

Naturepedic has succeeded in meeting the highest breathability standards on the market, without compromising on hygienic safety. Our breathable, waterproof baby crib mattresses feature a breathable cover that provides the necessary airflow for safety and comfort and can easily be removed, washed, dried, and kept clean. The underlying mattress is waterproof at the surface, to help keep the mattress core free of microbial contamination. This way, when accidents happen, the surface can be easilty wiped clean. Plus, all Naturepedic mattresses are certified organic and tested for over 6,500 potentially hazardous chemicals.

The bottom line? A breathable crib mattress must also be waterproof and easy to clean to prevent messes from seeping into the core of the mattress. It’s your baby that has to breathe, not the mattress, and that should always be the focus. With our safer breathable mattress design, you can rest easy – when your baby is not in your arms, the safest place is a Naturepedic.