Selecting the right crib mattress can be confusing and there are many features to consider—after all, your child will spend more time in contact with their crib mattress than any other single item you’ll purchase. So let’s look at some basics.
Fit. Sounds pretty obvious right? You just buy the right size mattress for your crib. Not so fast. Today’s modern crib sizes are standard, but not all mattresses fit equally. Why? Curved edges, sloped corners, pretty rolling details, even carvings and decorations on the mattress itself, all reduce the perfection of the fit. Logically this makes sense. You can’t fit a square peg in a round hole. Likewise, you can’t snugly fit a rounded mattress into a rectangular crib. That is why Sopora offers squared corners, squared edges, and a smooth, flat surface. This is important because a snugly fitted mattress means that your child will not accidentally slip an arm or leg into a nook or loose edge causing them to become stuck. Likewise, a smooth flat surface means that little noses and chins won’t get sucked into a softly curved edge that the child might not have the strength or dexterity to remove itself from. Plus, nice square corners and edges means your crib sheet or cover will be pulled snugly making for a beautiful, clean lined look and a surface less prone to bunching and slippage. When fitting a mattress, simple, clean lines are best.
Covering. The outer surface or shell of the mattress, the part your sheet rests directly on, is called the ‘ticking.’ Ticking varies widely from porous fibers that let anything seep or crawl in, to sometimes toxic plastics or vinyl materials. Ideally you want to find a ticking that doesn’t emit off-gassing or toxins, is waterproof, is Vinyl/PVC free, is approved medically for long-term use against your child’s delicate skin, and is smooth and comfortable to the touch. We likely all remember waterproof pads from our youth or those terrible crinkly vinyl sounds or cracked surfaces from when we slept. But modern crib mattresses have a lot to offer in ticking. Sopora mattresses are made with medical grade, stretch knits and nylons specially designed to be waterproof, hypoallergenic, antibacterial, antimicrobial and free of anything you can’t pronounce and don’t want your child near. They clean up quickly with a damp sponge. And they feel soft and smooth under your hand, and warm up quickly—so no shocked baby when you lay them to rest.
Stuffing. OK, this sounds so basic, but a mattress can literally be filled with anything. But your child’s safety, spinal health, circulation, and comfort depend on the brand of mattress you purchase getting this part right. Mattresses today are filled with everything from horsehair and nut shells to toxic foams containing lead and phthalates. Some have metal coils and innersprings which can sag or become permanently damaged. Some have foam that is so cheap it can begin to decompose while your first child is still sleeping on it. What you want to look for is even surface pressure and consistency—from edge to edge, corner to corner. You want the level of support designed specifically for sleeping for long periods of time and properly supporting the most delicate of joints. You want the right level of firmness for an infant, and ideally a mattress that flips over so it isn’t too bouncy for a toddler. After all, too stiff a surface and toddlers can become uncomfortable, or as a mother of rambunctious boys can attest, too firm and you have the perfect spring board for leaping out of the crib. On the other hand, too soft and an infant may roll over into a surface that doesn’t provide enough air circulation. Sopora mattresses are all foam, providing even support. They are made with a unique natural foam product that actually benefits the environment (instead of depleting it). And they are made with only CertiPUR-US® certified foam for durability, content and indoor emissions. Our models range from the economical, 5” deep Classic to a dual-sided (meaning you flip it for toddlers) 6” deep Delux. We even have our Ultimate with a 6” depth and HyperFlo Visco memory foam—but that is a whole other topic itself!
There is so much to say about selecting a crib mattress. I could go on and on. And I do. Click here to continue reading about mattress selection at Sopora’s Facebook site. Or, learn more by visiting our website today. And if you really want the scoop, talk to your specialty store, call Sopora, or even our Chief Operating Officer, Terri, herself. You’ll be amazed at what you don’t know about mattresses–and what that could mean for your child!
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