"Of all the things you register for and get when you have a baby, few are really, truly, actually essential.
A crib mattress is one that is.
I hadn’t planned to upgrade baby #3’s crib mattress from the ones I’d used for my first two kids. But as with nearly everything in parenting, my plans changed. I came across the Newton Baby Mattress while writing an article about the best crib mattresses for babies and toddlers.
More breathable? Interesting.
Washable? Yes, please.
GREENGUARD Gold Certified? Sign me up.
After asking if any of our editors had one (they did) and whether they liked it (they did), I decided to give it a try myself with my third baby.
Is It Really More Breathable?
Yes.
The Newton Baby Mattress is made with a first-of-its-kind Wovenaire core that’s 90% air and 10% food-grade polymer, making it more breathable than many other crib mattresses. This means that if and when your baby rolls to their belly, the unique, breathable composition makes it possible for them to still get air.
The air pockets that make it more breathable also help stop body heat from getting stuck in the mattress, keeping the baby cool and comfy while they sleep. And the breathable material may also help reduce carbon dioxide rebreathing risk, according to results from a third-party study shared on the Newton Baby website.
Don’t All Crib Mattresses Have to Meet Safety Standards?
Yes.
All crib mattresses must meet certain safety standards from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, so you can rest assured that as long as yours meets them—and you’re following the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep guidelines—you’re making a safe choice.
This means putting babies under 1 year old to sleep on their backs on a firm mattress that fits tight into the crib with a tight fitted sheet and nothing else in the crib—no blankets, pillows stuffed animals, crib bumpers, etc.
What Else Makes the Newton Crib Mattress Different From Others?
Other than the breathability, it’s also the only crib mattress that’s 100% washable from the cover to the core and fully recyclable, as there is no foam, glue, latexm, or springs.
Personally, I love that it is GREENGUARD Gold Certified, meaning it has low chemical emissions. It’s also dual-sided, so you can use it through the toddler years, and you can opt for one with a waterproof cover, making the inevitable accidents even easier to clean up.
Of course, you can find other, more budget-friendly options with some of these perks as well.
What Do the Experts Say?
The American Academy of Pediatrics says that breathable crib mattresses may be preferable to other crib mattresses when it comes to reducing rebreathing of expired gases. So while it’s not a definitive endorsement, “may be” is enough for me.
That said, the AAP is clear that there are no studies showing a decreased risk of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Is the Newton Baby Crib Mattress Worth It?
For me, yes.
The breathability brought peace of mind, and I like the innovative design that makes it washable and recyclable.
Many parents (like myself) worry when their baby starts rolling to sleep on their stomach. You should always put babies under 1 year old to sleep on their backs (even if they can roll to their stomach). But you do not need to return belly sleepers to their back as long as they can roll both ways—back to belly and belly to back—on their own, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Even so, when my firstborn started rolling both ways and sleeping on his belly at 14 weeks, I still worried. While he slept soundly, I woke up every few hours to watch for the rise and fall of his breathing on the monitor.
I would have liked to have the peace of mind that a breathable mattress has brought me with my third baby, who was also an early roller, with all of my babies.
I wish I had known about this mattress then. I would have liked to have the peace of mind that a breathable mattress has brought me with my third baby, who was also an early roller, with all of my babies. But, like all things in parenting, there is no one right choice for everyone. There are absolutely more budget-friendly options out there that are good, safe choices. The most important thing is for parents and caregivers to follow the AAP’s safe sleep guidelines, regardless of the crib mattress they use.
