Materials Used in Organic Crib Mattresses

!±8± Materials Used in Organic Crib Mattresses

Organic crib mattresses are commonly made of cotton on both the inside and outside, but other materials are used, as well. The purpose of an organic crib mattress for a baby is to make the environment free of chemicals. With cotton in particular, a long list of synthetic pesticides are used in growing the plant and making fabric, but cotton isn't the only material in a mattress that uses chemicals. Most baby mattresses have some kind of leak guard or mattress pad, and this material is often made from PVC or another synthetic rubber-like material using phthalates or plasticizers. Options for replacing PVC and vinyl include organic rubber or food-grade polyethylene. Whether natural or organic, either material, when incorporated into organic crib mattresses, uses fewer chemicals but is just as effective in guarding against leaks.

Organic rubber is one material used for many organic crib mattresses. This material typically comes from rubber trees in Malaysia and forms the core of various baby mattresses, with one of the more prominent brands of rubber organic crib mattresses being Pure Rest. While soda ash is added to the rubber mixture to give it a more porous texture, the rubber itself protects against leaks, as well as any parasites or bed bugs that can find their way into a child's mattress.

But, as rubber mattresses run slightly higher in price than organic cotton, leak protection for cotton crib mattresses is often done by another material. While PVC or vinyl is used as a leak guard in these instances, food-grade polyethylene is incorporated instead. Although not an organic material, food-grade polyethylene falls under the category of "natural."

Organic or natural wool is another material found in various organic crib mattresses. Whether a cotton or a rubber mattress, organic wool is often used for its fire retardant properties. While an ordinary cotton or rubber mattress may be treated with chemicals to be fire retardant, the natural properties of wool allow it to act as a barrier instead.

As the purpose of organic crib mattresses is creating a chemical-free product, makers like Naturepedic and Pure Rest, as well as others, get creative when designing a natural or organic product. But, regardless of whether the mattress core or organic cotton or rubber, all parts of one of these organic mattresses come from organically-grown or natural sources.