It is not surprising that many people are interested in learning how to choose a crib mattress in Canada. Even though it might seem that babies are always awake and crying, the reality is that they spend most of the day asleep. Sleep is incredibly important for your baby’s physical and mental development. On top of that – when the baby is sound asleep, it gives the parents a chance to rest and relax. To help ensure your baby sleeps well, we’ll show you how to choose a crib mattress in Canada.

Making a final decision on a crib mattress can be a tough job. The choices are many, as are the internet reviews, which is why you need a review you can trust. Sleepingnorth.ca is a Canadian website dedicated to improving your sleep, and it focuses on independent reviews of mattresses and other sleep-associated products. If unsure of which crib mattress is the best in Canada, SleepingNorth can help.   

Things to Look for in a Crib Mattress

Buying a mattress for your baby’s crib is a little different than buying one for yourself. Here is a quick guide on the things you need to look for:

  • Hardness: Your crib needs a firm mattress to ensure proper development and safety for your baby. Babies tend to wriggle around in their sleep, and a soft bed carries with it a risk of suffocation. You will eliminate this risk by choosing the right mattress and crib. 
  • Water Resistance: As we all know, babies poop and pee all the time. Of course – that’s what diapers are for, but accidents can still happen. With a waterproof crib mattress, you will be able to clean up the occasional leak easily. However, even if your mattress is not water-resistant, don’t worry: you can still buy a water-resistant cover for it.
  • Fit: The new mattress must fit your baby’s crib perfectly. A perfect fit means absolutely no space between the crib and the edges of your new mattress. The reason for this is the same as before: you don’t want your newborn to wriggle its way into a crevice that shouldn’t be there in the first place. By combining the crib and mattress properly, you’ll make sure no harm will come to your little one.
  • Materials: You’d be wise to choose a crib mattress made of hypoallergenic materials. Babies are very prone to allergic reactions: you wouldn’t want to put your little one in contact with any harsh chemicals, as this will almost certainly result in a rash. Manufacturers know this, and they usually strive to avoid allergens. Still, it’s good to be sure: look for independent certification.

What Are the Types of Crib Mattresses Available?

As with mattresses for grown-ups, crib mattresses come in various types. The traditional spring coil mattress is the most popular option, but new, more advanced mattress technologies are quickly starting to take over. Let’s do a quick review of the types of crib mattresses on the market.

  1. Spring Coil Crib Mattresses

Spring coil crib mattresses are the classic, old-fashioned choice. However, this does not mean that spring coil mattresses are not good. They offer excellent support: newer mattresses use tempered steel coils and provide varying degrees of hardness. On top of that, a sprung mattress will offer unparalleled edge support, fitting snugly against the edges of the crib.

There are two slight drawbacks to this type of mattress: it tends to be heavy and more costly than foam mattresses.

  1. Foam Mattresses

Foam crib mattresses are cheaper and much lighter than sprung ones. Their light weight makes changing sheets much easier compared to traditional mattresses. Some of these mattresses are completely organic and made of naturally occurring foam. Natural materials will ensure your newborn doesn’t develop an allergic reaction.

The drawbacks of foam mattresses include their lack of durability and possible lack of edge support. However, durability shouldn’t be a big problem, as your baby is likely to outgrow the mattress quickly. Lack of edge support can be an issue, though, so be sure to choose a suitably firm mattress.

  1. Hybrid Mattresses

As their name suggests, hybrid mattresses combine different technologies into a single package. That way, a hybrid mattress can provide a long list of benefits, with little to no drawbacks: it’s durable, offers good support, yet it’s also comfortable.

Hybrid mattresses can offer a very peculiar advantage – you can now buy two-sided mattresses. The firm side will be perfect for your newborn, and the softer, more comfortable one will come into play when it grows up to be a toddler.  

Unfortunately, there is one drawback to hybrid mattresses: the price. Their high-tech nature means that you will pay more for one. However, the versatility and durability of a two-sided mattress mean that your child can use it for many years to come.

Choosing the Right Crib Mattress 

Since babies rarely have a preference for anything, choosing the right crib mattress will be the parents’ job. When shopping for a crib mattress, you must carefully consider your baby’s needs for support and safety. Once you’ve checked those, you can start to consider your own preferences as a parent.

Foam is cheap and practically weightless. However, it will quickly soak up any liquids. Spring coil crib mattresses are the exact opposite – expensive and tough to flip. However, a big advantage is that most of them are completely waterproof. 

Hybrid crib mattresses offer the best of both worlds, but at a steep price. Still, they provide a unique benefit: flip the mattress, and you can still use it when your baby grows up to be a toddler. Just make sure your crib is large enough, to begin with – otherwise, you’d be wasting your money.

Final Thoughts

Making a decision concerning your newborn baby is always difficult, especially if you are new to parenting. This is as true for crib mattresses as it is for anything else.

We hope that this article provides all the information you need to make an educated choice on the perfect crib mattress for your child. When you go shopping, use our guidelines, and you’ll make no mistake. If shopping online, make sure to read trusted reviews before committing to a product.