I Bought This Organic Crib Mattress for My Second Baby, and Wish I’d Had It for My First

When I was preparing my second daughter’s nursery, there was one thing I knew I did not want: The same crib mattress as my first. My older daughter’s mattress did the job just fine; it was firm and waterproof. But it always struck me as noisy — as if the waterproof cover and spring coils squealed with her every movement — and I worried it kept her from sleeping deeply. Plus, after a cross-country move, despite being fully protected, it ripped on both sides, which made me feel that it was cheaply constructed.

So the second time around, after doing a lot more research, I decided on the Naturepedic Organic Cotton Crib Mattress. I had seen Naturepedic time and again reviewed as one of the best baby mattresses available in terms of safety, comfort, and support, and the company is also one of the expert-picked 2024 Cubby Nursery Award winners. The Naturepedic mattress I chose was much more expensive than what we picked for my eldest, but after months of use I know we’ll be using it until our baby is ready to graduate to a big-girl bed.

Here’s my review and why I think it was absolutely worth the price tag.

Let’s start with what I look for when selecting a baby mattress.

• It has to be extra firm. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, to reduce the risk of infant SIDS, a baby should always sleep on their back on a firm, flat mattress with a fitted crib sheet. As such, I only would consider extra-firm mattresses designed specifically for crib use.
• It should be waterproof. Diaper leaks and blowouts are an inevitable part of infancy. I wanted to make sure that if we had any middle-of-the-night accidents, that cleaning up would be quick and easy.
• It should come with a warranty. I wanted to know that if my baby refused the mattress, or we were unhappy with it, for whatever reason, we wouldn’t be on the hook for the expensive price — especially if any problems or defects came to light.
• It should have two stages to be used into toddlerhood. While it’s important for newborns to sleep on an extra-firm surface, once they’re toddlers it’s OK to transition to a slightly softer mattress. For this reason, I wanted a two-stage crib mattress that had a second, softer side for toddlers that could be flipped over when ready.
• It’s organic and non-toxic. Before having kids, I didn’t read much into the fine print when buying a new mattress. But I’ve since learned that so many are loaded with chemicals and problematic materials. That was not something I wanted to expose my new baby to from day one.

• Name: Naturepedic Organic Cotton Crib Mattress
• Model: Lightweight 2-stage
• Materials: Organic cotton, waterproof coating made from non-GMO sugarcane, polyethylene foam, steel fasteners, and polypropylene for the interlinings
• Max weight: 80 pounds
• Dimensions: 27 1/4 x 51 5/8 x 6 inches. It fits standard size cribs and toddler beds.
• Current price: $299

My baby slept in a bassinet from birth until we transitioned to a crib at around six months, which is when I purchased this mattress. She’s been sleeping on it ever since then, and is 14 months old now.

One of the first things that struck me when I opened the box that the mattress came in was how thick and sturdy it was and how high-quality it seemed. It felt so much more dense and hefty than my older daughter’s mattress, and I couldn’t imagine it ripping easily.

Over the next few months, I saw that it was indeed very well-made. Unlike our other baby mattress, the Naturepedic doesn’t make a sound when my daughter rolls around on it, likely due to its wave spring inner core. There are a few options for this mattress — one of which is a wave spring interior, and another being an innerspring coil option. The latter costs $30 extra, but because our other noisy mattress has coils, I decided to skip them.

On that note, this mattress actually comes as three different options. The first, and cheapest, is the simple lightweight cotton mattress for $269. The second option, which we chose, is the lightweight two-sided mattress with a second softer side for toddler use. And then finally, is the innerspring two-sided version for $329.

The Naturepedic fits our Babyletto crib (another Cubby Nursery Award winner!) perfectly and works with standard fitted crib sheets. 

After good health, there is really nothing more important to parents of infants than sleep. It’s hard to come by and anything we can do to encourage it is of paramount importance, which is why I’m so happy to have a mattress I like that I know my daughter will happily sleep on for years.

No, a mattress can’t guarantee your baby will be a good sleeper, but it certainly can only help if they’re comfortable on it.

Here’s what else really stood out to me.

• There are no harmful chemicals. Even if my baby doesn’t sleep through the night, I rest easier knowing her mattress is free of harmful materials such as flame retardants, vinyl/PVC, phthalates, polyurethane foam, or allergenic latex. Instead, it’s made with U.S grown, certified organic cotton. It also meets the organic standards of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which is a certification recognized by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). It’s UL/GREENGUARD and Made Safe certified, too.
• The exterior is waterproof and easy to clean. If my baby has a leak, all I have to do is wipe off the mattress with a cloth. It won’t seep inside, thanks to an outer casing made from an organic cotton fabric with a waterproof coating from non-GMO sugarcane that doesn’t contain any glues or adhesives.
• It’s not loud and bouncy. Unlike my older daughter’s crib mattress, which seems a bit too much like a raincoat to me, this one is not squeaky. And because it has that wave support core, it’s not bouncy, either. Transferring my sleeping daughter to the crib is quiet and peaceful.
• Purchasing a Naturepedic mattress supports sustainability efforts. According to Naturepedic, their packaging helps prevent 55,000 pounds of single-use plastic from entering landfills annually. I like knowing my consumer footprint also supports our planet.
• The trial period is impressive. If you buy a Naturepedic mattress directly, it comes with a 100-night free trial and a lifetime limited warranty.
• The two-stage option makes it long lasting and high value. With a price of $299, I didn’t want this to be yet another piece of baby gear I tossed out after mere months of use. That’s why I appreciate that this mattress comes with a softer side designed for toddlers, and a clear label to distinguish which is which. We’ll be using this for several years.

There isn’t too much I dislike about this mattress, although there are few things to keep in mind.

• It’s pricey. The basic mattress starts at $269 and the model I selected costs $299, although I saved about $50 by buying it during a Black Friday sale. At that price, it’s definitely more expensive than other mattresses I considered.
• Premium add-ons will raise the price, a lot. As mentioned, if I wanted a traditional innerspring coil, I would have had to pay $30 more. That’s not all. Naturepedic offers upgraded versions of this mattress with what they call a breathable cover and the option for a higher coil count. I considered this, as I worried about my baby ending up face-down and wondered if a breathable cover would ensure greater safety. The Breathable 2-Stage Crib Mattress starts at $399. The Breathable Ultra 2-Stage Crib Mattress, which is similar but thicker, starts at $459. I ultimately decided I didn’t need this feature, as I didn’t start using the crib until my baby could roll (at which point, she’d be able to adjust her own sleeping position). If she slept on this mattress from birth, however, I probably would have splurged for the breathable feature.
• It might be called lightweight, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. The mattress dubs itself lightweight in the model title, but when I lifted it out of the box for the first time I thought it felt really heavy — especially compared to my older daughter’s mattress. According to the Naturepedic website, my model is 11 pounds. The innerspring option, which has between 150 or 252 coils, depending on the type, weighs even more. For example, the 150-coil version weighs 19 pounds.
• Shipping took a while. I purchased my mattress directly from Naturepedic and it took two full weeks to receive it. Keep this in mind if you need it within a certain timeframe. I did, however, purchase it during the busy Black Friday shopping period to take advantage of their sale, as opposed to other retailers like Amazon that could have delivered it much sooner.

Buy it: Organic Cotton Crib Mattress, Lightweight 2-Stage, $299 from Naturepedic