UPDATED 6/2023- scroll down to get my list of recommended crib mattresses!

Over an average lifetime, Americans spend about 1/3 of our lives in bed. Our babies, spend the most time on mattresses, spending from 10 - 18 hours a day. Thus, the crib mattress is one of the surfaces that babies and children have most contact with on a daily basis.  This is why, hands down, if you are going to invest in one organic piece for your family you should consider it being a mattress…. particularly for babies and children .

Today, lets focus on crib mattresses

Why?

Let’s explore what is in the typical mattress..

1. VOCs:  

Mattresses made of polyurethane foam, soy foam and memory foam (yes this includes Tempurpedic)   give of VOCs.  Two studies: one from 2014 and a study from last year  found that our body heat increased the  VOC emissions from our mattress.  For adults, the increased levels of VOCs was still considered “ safe” for adults.  For children, however,  the researchers warned that “some compounds did reach levels of concern for infants and young children, if their ages were considered in exposure calculations”.

Why this matters: VOCs have been Linked to eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and organ damage, and even cancer.  In this specific study, researchers noticed that certain VOC compounds linked to cancer such as acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and benzene approached or exceeded age-adjusted levels.

Better alternative:   avoid polyurethane in mattresses.  Better alternatives include organic wool and/or natural latex

2. Flame retardants

By law, in the US,  mattresses must meet federal flammability standards.  Traditionally companies use chemical flame retardant chemicals to meet these requirements but after plenty of scientific studies showing links to cancer and other harmful effects many mattresses are opting out of chemical flame retardants and instead using natural fire barriers like wool.  

Unfortunately, according to a new (July 2020) review by Healthy Stuff and the Ecology Center, out of 13 crib mattresses reviewed, nine still contained indications of FRs: four had combinations of bromine, chlorine and phosphorus (chemicals found in traditional flame retardant chemicals) . Five contained antimony at relatively high levels.  The antimony is often used in some flame retardant barrier fabrics which can be misleading as these fabrics are supposed to be used in lieu of Flame retardant chemicals (and often these mattresses are being marketed as flame retardant free).

Why This Matters:   All traditional flame retardant chemicals have been linked to cancer. Antimony trioxide is also classified as a carcinogen in the state of California and has been listed as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the European Union.

• In long-term studies, animals that breathed very low levels of antimony had eye irritation, hair loss, lung damage, and heart problems (ATSDR 1995).

• Higher levels of antimony have been shown to cause fertility problems and lung cancer in animals (ATSDR 1995).

• Limited research indicates that antimony may weakly mimic naturally-occurring estrogen. The human health implications of this discovery are unknown (Choe 2003).

Better Alternatives:  Always ask the mattress company what they use to meet federal flammability standards.   Ideally choose a mattress that uses wool as this is the most natural alternative. I recommend being cautious with new technology (including hi tech flame retardant barrier fabrics using nano technology and/or flame retardant chemicals built into the mattress as these have not been tested over a long period of time…. personally I just don’t like my children being guinea pigs

3. Plastic chemicals: 

According to the same Healthy Stuff and The Ecology Center review, VINYL IS STILL FOUND IN A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CRIB MATTRESSES.   They recently tested 13 crib mattresses, six were made of vinyl, and all six contained plasticizers. Often PVC is used as a water proofing barrier.

Why this matters:

Each PVC cover also contained one or more of the following non-phthalate plasticizers: DOTP (dioctyl terephthalate), B2EHA (bis(2-ethylhexyl)adipate), DINCH (diisononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate, trade name Hexamoll) and ASE (alkyl sulfonic acid ester, trade name Mesamoll). Published studies have found plasticizers readily migrate out of PVC and into infants’ breathing space.

Better alternative: wool is a natural water proofing barrier and polyethylene and polyester fabrics, while plastic, are still  better alternatives.

4. PFAS chemicals are being used in well known brands

PFAS chemicals were disclosed for nine products from three companies, and testing found additional PFAS in mattresses made by Nook (in a model that has been discntinued), Safety 1st®*, and Colgate Mattress. PFAS chemicals are used in water proofing and/or stain proofing finishes.

Why this matters: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a family of chemicals used for their water- and grease-proofing properties.  The infamous Teflon is an example of a PFAS.  These substances have been linked with kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, low birth weight, decreased fertility and immune system damage.

Better Alternative:  Always avoid any performance fabric and if a crib says it is ‘water or stain proof or repellent’ ask how they achieve this.

How often are all these harmful chemicals actually found in crib mattresses?

According to the Healthy Stuff/The Ecology Center review quite often.

For their report, they reviewed 37 crib mattress brands via the information provided online in the company website to determine what they could learn about the materials they use. They later sent that information to companies for their review and feedback. 13 mattresses from 13 different brands were then analyzed with laboratory tests to compare company disclosures with the chemicals detected.They took 13 well known brands of crib mattresses sold in the US - from different price ranges- and had them examined for antimony (can be used as a fire retardant when found in levels between 2,000 - 6,000 ppm), chlorine (greater than 3,500 ppm in certain matrices has been successfully used to infer the presence of chlorinated flame retardants.  Detection of chlorine greater than 5% (50,000 ppm) suggests the possible presence of PVC polymer), plasticizers, PFAS, different flame retardant chemicals  and antimony

ANTIMONY and / or FLAME RETARDANT CHEMICALS:

These are the cribs that were found to contain HIGH (over 2000ppm) of antimony - indicating flame retardant use.

• Brand: Foundations - Model: InfaPure 4-inch Full-Size Crib Mattress

• Brand: Colgate -Model:  Royale Crib Mattress (Buy Buy Baby Exclusive) 

(1694 ppm.. just under the 2000 ppm)

• Brand: Dream on Me  Model:  Twilight 5-inch Coil Spring Crib and Toddler Mattress in Green Cloud

• Brand: Graco - Model: Premium Foam Crib & Toddler Bed Mattress

*Bromine was also found in the mattress core which definitely further indicates flame retardant use

• BRand: L.A. Baby - Model: Triple Zone 2-in-1 Soy Foam Crib Mattress

(both antimony and phosphorous and brominated flame retardants were found)

• Brand: Serta -  Model: Nightstar Standard Support Crib Mattress, Quick Ship, Mattress in a Box

• Brand: Newton Baby Model:  Crib Mattress and Toddler Bed

Newton Baby® reported adding a phosphorus-based flame retardant (FRs) chemical to their core - which the company claims do not migrate out.   There are no long term studies for this. UPDATE: NEWTON baby contacted me to let me know that their newest line of Newton mattresses no longer contain flame retardant chemicals. Instead they use an inherently flame resistant viscose (wood pulp based) barrier fabric. These are available in stores as of summer 2020)

CHLORINE

Chlorine (greater than 3,500 ppm in certain matrices has been successfully used to infer the presence of chlorinated flame retardants.  Detection of chlorine greater than 5% (50,000 ppm) suggests the possible presence of PVC polymer)

• Brand: Foundations - Model: InfaPure 4-inch Full-Size Crib Mattress

Mattress cover: 363, 089 of chlorine 

• Brand: Colgate -Model:  Royale Crib Mattress (Buy Buy Baby Exclusive)

cover: 649,230 chlorine

mattress core: 3133

• Brand: Dream on Me  Model:  Twilight 5-inch Coil Spring Crib and Toddler Mattress in Green Cloud

Cover: 564,303 Chlorine

• Brand: Graco - Model: Premium Foam Crib & Toddler Bed Mattress

mattress core: Chlorine:  254,582

• BRand: L.A. Baby - Model: Triple Zone 2-in-1 Soy Foam Crib Mattress

Cover: Chlorine: 208, 485

Mattress Core: 44,700

• Brand:   Moonlight Slumber  Model: Little Dreamer Dual Sleep Surface Crib Mattress

tag: 5,200 chlorine

• BRand: Nook - Model: Pebble Lite Crib Mattress in Sky

Mattress Core: 128, 118 Chlorine

• Safety 1st - Little Dreamer Baby Crib Mattress in White

chlorine:  499,978 (edging) and 430,388 (outer cover)

• Brand: Sealy - Model: Baby Firm Rest Crib Mattress

Chlorine:  539,164 (outer cover)

• Brand: Serta - Model: Nightstar Standard Support Crib Mattress, Quick Ship, Mattress in a Box

542,174: chlorine cover

PLASTICISER

• Brand: Foundations - Model: InfaPure 4-inch Full-Size Crib Mattress

• Brand: Colgate . Model:  Royale Crib Mattress (Buy Buy Baby Exclusive)

• Brand: Dream on Me - Model:  Twilight 5-inch Coil Spring Crib and Toddler Mattress in Green Cloud

• Brand: Nook - Model: Pebble Lite Crib Mattress in Sky

• Safety 1st - Little Dreamer Baby Crib Mattress in White

• Brand: Sealy - Model: Baby Firm Rest Crib Mattress

PFAS

• Brand: Colgate -Model:  Royale Crib Mattress (Buy Buy Baby Exclusive)

• Brand: Nook - Model: Pebble Lite Crib Mattress in Sky (note: 3/2023 Nook has been sued by Toxic Free USA and Beyond Pesticides for false advertisement and deceptive marketing on the sale of their “pure organic”crib mattresses after they tested this mattress and found indications of PFAS chemicals in both the outer cover (896 parts per million (ppm) of fluorine found on the outer cover of the mattress) and mattress cover (1185 ppm of fluorine on the mattress cover)

• Safety 1st - Little Dreamer Baby Crib Mattress in White

• Brand: Sealy - Model: Baby Firm Rest Crib Mattress

Of the 13 crib mattresses submitted for testing by the group the only two that did not show anything of concern were:

Brand: Naturepedic -

Model:  Lightweight Organic Cotton Classic 2-Stage Crib Mattress

Ikea - Pelleplutt Foam Mattress for Crib

(its cover did register 124ppm of Antimony-  lower levels (150-700 ppm) are consistent with residual antimony from polyester polymerization….. This crib is made of polyester, polypropylene, polyurethane foam (which would give off VOCs)

So- what are the best, safest, non-toxic cribs out there?

Now that you know what to  avoid- how do you choose a non-toxic mattress?

First, it is important to  understand that crib mattresses companies don’t have to give us the full list of materials the product contains. Instead they may - and often do- use manufacturers' claims, such as “natural”, "ecofriendly", “organic”, “sustainable”, or “nontoxic”. BUT there are some rules we can follow that will lead you to a truly non-toxic mattress:

1.  Natural Materials: Natural materials like wool,  GOTS organic cotton and natural latex are what you should be looking for in a crib mattress  .

• a note on natural latex: To produce natural latex foam, sap is taken from rubber trees and some chemicals are added toa process called vulcanization that will produce natural latex foam. Most of the time the chemicals used are not disclosed by manufacturers of this natural latex foam, but for the most part it consists of sulfer and zinc oxide with trave amounts of other chemicals. GOLS certification requires 95% of the total end product to be natural and only 5% max to be synthetic chemicals. GOLS also has a list of chemicals you cannot use (or that are restricted to under 100ppm) during the vulcanization process due to potential for harm. in 6/2023 a class action lawsuit was filed against Avocado Mattress claiming, again, misrepresentation and false advertisement in their natural latex products after lawyers for the accusers sent Avocado mattress foam to a lab to be tested and found some chemicals that potentially could be harmful. The chemicals found apparently would not have been flagged by GOLS- however some should have been flagged by Made Safe Certification which these mattresses also have. Since the lawsuit was recently filed I will update this post when more info is available

2. Reputable, Legitimate certifications.  There are many, many certifications and they are not created equal.   Here are the ones I trust and look for: 

• MADE SAFE®

• Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS)

• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

Which are my choices?

My Green Mattress: Emily Crib f(GOLS and GOTS) from $279.

Lifekind® (GOLS organic latex, GOTS organic and Greenguard Gold) $599

 Naturepedic® (GOTS, MADE SAFE) from $250

Obasan (GOTS,  GOLS) $299

OMI® (GOTS, GOLS)  $599 (comes in standard crib, oval crib and oval bassinet size)

Soaring Heart (GOLS, GOTS) $450

Home of Wool : completely customizable, these wool mattresses are naturally Dust mite and mildew resistant, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial. No glues, nor foam so no off-gassing and zero VOCs. Hypoallergenic and suitable for people with chemical sensitivities. 100% biodegradable using only sustainable renewable materials. You can choose GOTS certified cotton cover and GOTS certified wool for the inside.

TBD- still better than conventional mattresses though

Avocado Crib Mattress (GOLS , GOTS, MADE SAFE CERTIFIED) $299

Avocado Mattress Eco Organic Crib Mattress (new!) $245

If you are looking for larger sized mattresses (twin and bigger) for the rest of the family, these companies are still my main choices.

(Also- if you just want to read some of my top picks for all things baby essentials you can purchase my Baby Essentials Guide for only $7.99 available here (this was a collaboration with MamaGuide and thus includes all price ranges from good to the best alternatives )