Home / Gear Reviews / Best Crib Mattresses
Best Crib Mattresses
We compared crib mattresses using manufacturer specifications and BabyGearLab’s published, independently tested scores — we have not physically tested these mattresses ourselves, and we’re transparent about that below. This roundup covers a top-scoring innerspring pick, a fully washable option, a dual-firmness innerspring model, and a budget-friendly lightweight pick. A crib mattress is one part of a safe sleep setup, not the whole of it — for how to set up a crib safely overall, see our Safe Sleep for Babies, Crib Safety Guide, and Safe Crib Setup guides.
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- HOW WE EVALUATED THESE PRODUCTS
We compared manufacturer-stated dimensions, weight, materials, third-party certifications (such as GREENGUARD Gold, GOTS, and GOLS), cover washability, and dual-stage/firmness design, along with BabyGearLab’s published, independently tested scores. We have not physically tested these mattresses ourselves. We only cite specific, named third-party certifications rather than general marketing terms — every claim below is sourced from manufacturer product pages or BabyGearLab’s published testing, cited at the bottom of this page.
Type: Innerspring crib mattress
Dimensions: 52.4″ L x 28.0″ W x 6.1″ H (BabyGearLab)
Weight: 19.4 lbs (BabyGearLab)
Materials: Recycled steel innerspring coils, coconut coir base bound with organic latex, wool batting, organic cotton cover (BabyGearLab; My Green Mattress product materials)
Certifications: GREENGUARD Gold Certified; GOTS-certified organic cotton; GOLS-certified organic latex (BabyGearLab)
Firmness design: Firm surface on both sides rather than a dual-stage infant/toddler design, per BabyGearLab’s testing
Waterproofing: Not waterproof; BabyGearLab recommends a separate waterproof pad
BabyGearLab score: 75/100, BabyGearLab’s Best Overall pick in the group it tested (BabyGearLab)
Strengths: Highest overall score among the mattresses BabyGearLab tested, with named third-party certifications (GREENGUARD Gold, GOTS, GOLS) for the specific materials used rather than an unverified general marketing claim.
Trade-offs: Not waterproof on its own, per BabyGearLab, so budget for a separate waterproof mattress pad or protector; also the heaviest of the four mattresses here after the Naturepedic Classic 150.
Type: Springless, air-permeable crib mattress
Dimensions: 52″ L x 28″ W x 5.5″ H (Newton Baby, manufacturer)
Weight: 14 lbs (Newton Baby, manufacturer)
Materials: Food-grade polyethylene polymer core (about 90% air by the manufacturer’s description), polyester outer cover, viscose inner encasement (Newton Baby, manufacturer)
Washability: Outer cover is machine washable; core is washable with water and soap, per the manufacturer (Newton Baby, manufacturer)
Firmness design: Manufacturer states it’s engineered for use from infancy through the toddler years without flipping, and describes it as meeting the Australian firmness standard AS/NZS 8811.1:2013 (Newton Baby, manufacturer)
Certifications: GREENGUARD Gold Certified; manufacturer states it meets ASTM and CPSC standards for crib mattresses (Newton Baby, manufacturer)
BabyGearLab score: 75/100, tied for the top score in the group BabyGearLab tested (BabyGearLab)
Strengths: Both the core and outer cover are washable per the manufacturer, which is unusual among crib mattresses and useful for the inevitable diaper leaks and spit-up.
Trade-offs: The springless polymer-core design is a different feel underfoot than a traditional innerspring mattress; some parents prefer the more familiar innerspring feel of the My Green Mattress Emily Natural or Naturepedic Classic 150.
Type: Two-sided, dual-firmness innerspring crib mattress
Dimensions: 52.3″ L x 28.1″ W x 6.8″ H (BabyGearLab)
Weight: 21.1 lbs (BabyGearLab)
Materials: GOTS-certified organic cotton cover, 150-coil steel innerspring, food-grade polyethylene waterproof layer (BabyGearLab)
Firmness design: Two-sided construction with a firmer infant side and a second side for the toddler years, per BabyGearLab’s testing
Waterproofing: Seamless waterproof cover, per BabyGearLab’s testing
Certifications: GREENGUARD Gold Certified; GOTS-certified organic cotton (BabyGearLab)
BabyGearLab score: 74/100 (BabyGearLab)
Strengths: A genuine two-sided, dual-firmness design (a distinct infant side and toddler side) combined with a seamless waterproof cover, per BabyGearLab’s testing — useful if you want one mattress to carry through the toddler bed transition.
Trade-offs: The heaviest of the four mattresses in this list at 21.1 lbs, which is worth factoring in if you’ll be changing crib sheets frequently.
Type: Lightweight, dual-firmness hybrid crib mattress
Dimensions: 52″ L x 27.75″ W x 5″ H (Babyletto, manufacturer)
Weight: 11 lbs — the lightest mattress in this list (Babyletto, manufacturer)
Materials: Polyester core, organic cotton cover face, food-grade polyethylene (PVC-free) waterproof cover backing (Babyletto, manufacturer)
Firmness design: Two-sided design: a firmer side for infants and a softer side for toddlers, per the manufacturer
Waterproofing: Removable, machine-washable hybrid cover with a non-vinyl waterproof backing, per the manufacturer
Certifications: GREENGUARD Gold Certified, tested for over 10,000 chemical emissions and VOCs per the manufacturer’s stated testing scope; manufacturer states the mattress is free of latex, lead, phthalates, and PVC, and uses no chemical flame retardants (Babyletto, manufacturer)
BabyGearLab score: 67/100, BabyGearLab’s Best Value pick in the group it tested (BabyGearLab)
Strengths: Lightest mattress in this list at 11 lbs, which makes crib sheet changes noticeably easier, at the lowest price point among the four mattresses here per BabyGearLab.
Trade-offs: Lower overall BabyGearLab score than the other three mattresses in this list, and a thinner profile (5″ height) than the innerspring options.
Choosing a Crib Mattress
An innerspring mattress like the My Green Mattress Emily Natural or the Naturepedic Classic 150 tends to have a more traditional feel and higher weight than a springless design, which some parents associate with sturdier long-term support, though BabyGearLab’s scores show springless options like the Newton can perform comparably.
If a fully washable mattress matters to you — useful for a baby prone to diaper leaks or reflux — the Newton Original’s manufacturer-stated washable core and cover stand out among the options here; most crib mattresses rely on a wipeable waterproof surface rather than a washable interior.
A genuine two-sided, dual-firmness design, like the Naturepedic Classic 150 or Babyletto Pure Core, is worth considering if you want one mattress to carry from the infant stage into a toddler bed without buying a second mattress.
Certifications like GREENGUARD Gold, GOTS, and GOLS each test for a specific, named thing (chemical emissions, organic cotton standards, and organic latex standards, respectively) — check which specific certification a mattress actually carries rather than relying on general marketing language alone.
What to Check Before You Buy
- Confirm the mattress dimensions fit your specific crib snugly, with no more than a two-finger gap between the mattress and crib frame on any side, per general crib safety guidance
- Check whether the mattress is genuinely firm rather than "firm to the touch" — a soft or padded surface is not recommended for infant sleep
- If cover washability or waterproofing matters to you, check exactly what's washable (cover only, or the core as well) rather than assuming
- Look for the specific named certifications (GREENGUARD Gold, GOTS, GOLS, or similar) on the product listing rather than general claims alone
- For full safe sleep setup guidance beyond the mattress itself — what belongs in the crib, sheet fit, and more — see our Safe Sleep for Babies and Safe Crib Setup guides
Sources
Product specifications referenced in this review come from manufacturer product pages and documentation (Newton Baby, Babyletto) and BabyGearLab’s published, independently tested crib mattress reviews and scores (babygearlab.com), used where manufacturer pages did not provide complete specifications. We checked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall database and found no recall specific to the My Green Mattress Emily Natural, Newton Original, Naturepedic Organic Cotton Classic 150 Seamless 2-Stage, or Babyletto Pure Core as of the date this page was researched.