What is a good mattress?
For babies, a good mattress is one that combines comfort, hygiene and safety, in short, the one that will ensure a good sleep. We know that in the life of a baby, sleep plays an important role insofar as it is during this that his nervous system and his body develop.
Don’t forget either that between his birth and the first years of his life, your child will change in size very quickly. It is therefore important, whatever the position in which he sleeps, to ensure good support for your spine and its anatomy without creating pressure points.
On the hygiene side, it is essential to take an interest in the mattress breathability, that is to say its ability to let air circulate and not retain moisture. It must also ensure a self-regulation temperature regardless of the season.
The choice of size
When you choose a Baby mattress, it is important not to cheat on the dimensions by taking, for whatever reason, a mattress that is too small or too large in relation to the size of the bed. To ensure your child’s well-being and avoid putting him at risk, the mattress must adapt perfectly to the length and width of the bed. Indeed, if the mattress is too small, your baby risks getting stuck between it and the structure of his bed and if it is too big, it will not be perfectly flat and will not ensure his comfort.
Generally, you can choose between two sizes:
- For a cot of 60 by 120 cmfor children from 0 to 5 years old, the best choice is a mattress of 60 x 120 cm.
- For a cot of 70 by 140 cmfor children from 0 to 7 years old, the best choice is a mattress of 70 x 140 cm.
When the question of dimensions arises, you must also take into consideration mattress thickness. Ideally, it should be between 10 and 13 cm. Beyond that, you will not gain in comfort, so there is no point.
The components of the mattress
The density
Once the dimensions of the mattress have been determined, another important criterion to consider is its density. If the latter is so important, it is because it is a support indicator. Measured in kg/m3, it indicates the mass in kilograms of material in one cubic meter of it.
The higher the density, the greater the ability of the mattress to support the body. It is also an indicator of mattress durability. However, for your baby, you must be careful not to choose it too high, because the mattress would then be too hard, less comfortable and could promote flat head syndrome. Conversely, it should not be too low either, because the mattress would no longer play its role of supporting your child’s anatomy.
We therefore recommend a density between 20 and 30 kg/m3 for a foam mattress and 55kg/m3 for a latex mattress.
Mattress materials
- Polyurethan foam : this material is quite appreciated for its lightness, but also because it adapts well to the body of the baby and accompanies his movements well. A polyurethane foam mattress is therefore a good solution for your baby’s bed, even if the breathability is not really there.
- Latex : quite flexible, this material is known for its hypoallergenic, anti-mite and thermoregulatory properties. It is therefore an interesting option for babies whose body will be comfortably supported.
- coconut fiber : it is a natural hypoallergenic, anti-mite and ventilated solution. Your baby will benefit from firm support as long as the fibers are of a good enough quality to provide a mattress without hollowness.
- Oldest boy : even if it is insulating and thermoregulatory, as well as anti-mite and hypoallergenic, it is not recommended for baby beds, because the mattress is then too soft.
Memory foam mattresses
This type of mattress is to be avoided for children who are growing, because it constitutes a kind of mold of the body.
The cover of the baby mattress
Finally, when choosing a mattress for your baby, you should also consider the mattress cover, which is called ticking. This outer envelope makes it possible to cover and enclose the various components of the mattress. Here too, you must bet on breathable and thermoregulating materialswhich means that you can immediately proscribe those exclusively made of polyester.
Instead, here are the materials to turn to for your baby’s comfort:
- Tencel : This is a material made from wood pulp and friendly to babies’ skin. A Tencel ticking has a good quality of absorption while remaining dry. It provides great sleeping comfort thanks to its smooth and supple feel.
- bamboo fiber : here too, you benefit from interesting properties for your baby, because this fiber is antibacterial and absorbent.