non-toxic (non-organic) crib mattresses?

[moxygirl]

I asked this in parenting and it was moved here but it didn't get many hits so I'm asking again.

I'm looking to sidecar a crib for my 3 month old and am trying to find a CHEAP non-toxic mattress. I can't afford organic, unfortunately, or I would get one of the organic cotton ones that are stuffed with wool. I'm thinking in the $100 price range for now (I know that really limits my options but it's what we can afford at the moment, plus I don't want to invest in an expensive mattress before I know how sidecarring will work out.)

I know Sealy doesn't use toxic fire retardants. They say they use their own "proprietary blend" or something like that. Does anyone know what's in that?? Just because it doesn't contain the usual toxins doesn't mean it's safe, y'know?

So, what are people's opinions on my safest option?

Thanks!

[apple_juice]

I believe Ikea mattresses are fire retardant and PVC free.

[faeriecurls]

Originally Posted by apple_juice

I believe Ikea mattresses are fire retardant and PVC free.

All of the Ikea mattresses have fire retardant interliners. All mattresses in the US must be fire retardant. The regulations changed in 2007 and there are now new performance standards and must pass an open flame test.

There is nothing that regulates how they need to pass the test though, so all companies can do it differently (e.g. using wool versus some chemicals).

[LaurenAnanas]

We have a foam IKEA crib mattress and have been very happy with it. Not a single hint of off-gassing.

There is no "inner liner" on the foam mattress, so I don't know about that.

[rhiOrion]

How about an organic waterproof cover? Does anybody know if they're any good? Will they help even out the "badness" of a regular mattress? I'm considering that route myself, and it seems like it might be good for the OP, too, since they're about 60 dollars.

[faeriecurls]

Originally Posted by LaurenAnanas

We have a foam IKEA crib mattress and have been very happy with it. Not a single hint of off-gassing.

There is no "inner liner" on the foam mattress, so I don't know about that.

Oops! "Inner liner" was a typo - on the ikea website all of the mattress descriptions say fire retardant interliner. It says it's made of cotton, but I'm not sure if it is treated with something or not. Is cotton on its own fire retardant?

[leaves]

i don't know if this helps, but in Super Natural Home by Beth Greer it reads:

"If you're looking for a nontoxic but inexpensive mattress, check out IKEA, which prohibits the use of brominated flame retardants in all their furniture and mattresses, although here in the United States it treats mattresses with organic phosphor or nitrogen-based flame retardants."

[stephbrownthinks]

you can always buy a babysake mattress cover! they are very affordable (I think around $30) and prevent off gassing.

Or, you can follow the directions in this article to wrap the mattress yourself:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...-part-two.aspx

My husband and I bought the babysake cover for the crib, then decided to wrap our mattress too since the baby will be sleeping in bed with us. Good luck!

[mamadelbosque]

If your mostly just worried about off gassing, why not just buy a used one? That way any off gassing is long done and over w/ and you don't have to worry about

[~Sarah~]

Originally Posted by stephbrownthinks

you can always buy a babysake mattress cover! they are very affordable (I think around $30) and prevent off gassing.

Or, you can follow the directions in this article to wrap the mattress yourself:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...-part-two.aspx

My husband and I bought the babysake cover for the crib, then decided to wrap our mattress too since the baby will be sleeping in bed with us. Good luck!

I agree with this (although that link makes you register to see it ). We went organic and then learned about this and did it. You could just buy the cheapest safe mattress (firm and whatnot) you can find and then wrap it and have the same peace of mind.

[augustashley]

I just saw an LA baby organic crib mattress on Overstock.com for $42 plus shipping-I don't know how organic it is, the details say that it is flame retardant.

[baglady]

Here's an other link to a mattress wrap. I used this brand on my pack and play mattress and had no problems. You can cover them with a cotton mattress pad or even a towel.

http://www.eves-best.com/babesafe-mattress-covers.htm

I would NOT recommend buying a used conventional mattress. Studies have shown that more children die of SIDS on mattresses that have been handed down. Bodily fluids cause a fungus to grow which, when mixed with flame retardant chemicals, causes dangerous off gassing. The older a mattress is, the more likely it is to be laced with bodily fluids. I did a quick google that foind this article which summarizes some of the studies.

Your best bet for affordability is a conventional mattress that is wrapped. It's all a theory, but it's a pretty darn good one to me.

[laughingfox]

If you'd consider a crib futon, these guys sell wool/cotton crib futons starting at $115. Their cotton-only crib futons start at $95.
I e-mailed them a while back asking about fire retardants, and this is what they said:
"The cotton have thin layer of boric acid powder shower down on the cotton when woven, the wool is not flammable ( wool doesn't need to have any fire retardant ."