You'll be celebrating the baby's arrival soon, and you're already thinking about the baby's health and comfort as you carefully plan the nursery.
And among the essential items for your baby’s comfort: the bed! You need to choose a bed that’s the right size for a young child, with a high-quality box spring and, above all, a comfortable mattress, because a baby sleeps for more than 18 hours a day. This sleep is essential for your baby’s development and growth, which is why it must be of high quality.
But which baby mattress should you choose? In addition to traditional synthetic mattresses—which studies suggest may be harmful to health, particularly those with foam filling—there are now new options for healthy bedding that offers ideal sleeping conditions for newborns. Let’s take a closer look at bamboo baby mattresses.
The Composition of a Bamboo Baby Mattress
The term “bamboo mattress” is a bit of an oversimplification, since most bamboo mattresses are made of several materials. In fact, a filling made solely of bamboo fiber would not provide the appropriate comfort and firmness. That is why a bamboo mattress—whether for children or adults—is combined with other materials, such as foam, latex, or pocket spring technology.
In fact, bamboo fiber is usually used for the mattress’s outer cover (the ticking) rather than the filling. It’s also worth noting that this cover—which may be removable and washable depending on the model—is never made entirely of bamboo, as it wouldn’t be durable or soft enough for a mattress.
Nevertheless, a fabric made from natural bamboo fibers has impressive qualities :
- It is breathable and allows air to circulate, which helps reduce sweating in babies and naturally regulate their body temperature while they sleep;
- absorbent—it absorbs sweat or water vapor released by the body during sleep and then wicks it away through the bamboo fiber's breathability;
- soft, with a silky texture that is gentle on a baby's skin;
- hypoallergenic due to its antibacterial and anti-mite properties.
If you're looking for a bamboo mattress for your baby, it's because you want to provide them with high-quality bedding made from a healthy, natural material that poses no health risks. We therefore highly recommend choosing a mattress made from natural latex and bamboo.
Why natural latex? Because natural latex comes from organically grown rubber trees (also known as Hevea trees), from which the latex is extracted—specifically from the bark. Furthermore, the tree’s health and life are not compromised by this extraction, as the bark heals naturally. Thus, the process of manufacturing a latex mattress is environmentally friendly.
Keep in mind that there are certifications to help you choose a bamboo and latex baby mattress, such as:
- the Oeko-Tex label, which certifies that the mattress meets strict quality criteria and environmental standards;
- The Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) certification for natural latex mattresses ensures that all materials and manufacturing processes meet strict organic standards;
If, however, you prefer a bamboo mattress combined with foam filling, be sure to choose CertiPUR-certified foam, which guarantees that the mattress filling is free of harmful substances. In fact, foam mattresses are among the most popular choices because they are affordable and offer high-quality comfort for babies. However, a polyurethane or polyether foam mattress is a product processed by the petrochemical industry and has undergone a series of chemical treatments that are harmful to health (notably the release of volatile organic compounds), which would defeat the purpose of choosing a bamboo mattress for its eco-friendly and healthy qualities for your child.
The right firmness for your baby's comfort and a good night's sleep
As we mentioned, the quality of babies’ sleep is essential to their development. And this sleep quality depends largely on the comfort of the mattress. This comfort is determined by the mattress’s density (the core and the type of filling chosen). Together with the cover, all of these elements determine the mattress’s firmness.
A baby therefore needs the best possible support—that is, one that is dense and firm enough to keep the spine and neck aligned naturally without putting pressure on other parts of the body. A mattress that is too soft or too firm is therefore not suitable for a growing child.
As you might expect from reading the above, a mattress’s density varies depending on the filling materials and the quality of the mattress core, since they do not have the same resilience properties. Thus, the recommended density for a bamboo-and-foam mattress should be between 20 and 22 kg/m³ for a baby and 55 kg/m³ for a bamboo-and-latex model. Note that a mattress’s thickness does not affect its density, which is why there are very thin mattress models that are nonetheless dense and firm. The ideal thickness for a bamboo mattress for a baby is between 10 and 13 cm.
As we mentioned earlier, a so-called “bamboo” mattress is actually a mattress covered with a natural bamboo fiber cover. The quality of the ticking (the mattress’s outer cover) is also important for your baby’s comfort, since it is what provides the surface that supports the body. For example, a very firm mattress with the right ticking will still be comfortable, as the ticking softens the surface by adding a touch of plushness.
There are two types of mattresses: mattresses with a removable bamboo cover (which we recommend so you can wash it) and mattresses with a hemmed edge, meaning the mattress is sealed with a hem and therefore does not have a removable cover. Since a removable-cover mattress is more expensive, a good compromise for both your baby’s comfort and your budget would be to buy a separate bamboo cover to place over the hemmed mattress.
Choosing the Right Size for a Bamboo Baby Mattress
The last decision, which seems like a tough one but is actually easier than you might think: choosing the size of the mattress.
Is it a simple choice? Yes, because the mattress size simply needs to match that of the bed and the box spring. This ensures there is no gap between the edges of the mattress and the bed rails, for obvious safety reasons. The choice of bed, on the other hand, depends on how long the bed will be used, since babies grow quickly.
There are two standard sizes for baby mattresses: 60 x 120 cm for children ages 0 to 5 and 70 x 140 cm for children ages 0 to 7.
You now have all the information you need to make an informed and thoughtful choice for your baby's comfort and health.
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