An Essential Part of Your Nursery

The importance of your child's cot mattress is often overlooked. Many people think a cot mattress is little more than a frame for cot sheets, when they certainly wouldn't feel the same way about their own mattress. The cot mattress is as much for your infant's comfort as it is for their safety.

Cot mattresses, unlike adult mattresses, tend to be much bigger than is actually necessary for an infant. This allows a growing baby to have space to roll, crawl, and eventually walk. For the same reason, it's necessary that cot mattresses be very firm, to be able to support a mobile baby's weight without posing a risk. This firmness, which has the effect of making cot sheets appear perfectly smooth, also reduces the risk of suffocation. Quality cot sheets, correctly put on, are guaranteed to stay in place, and the mattress won't "give" too much beneath your baby's weight.

Choosing a Cot Mattress

All cot mattresses are basically the same. However, if you're buying one used, you should be careful. Your infant needs a firm, yet comfortable, place to sleep, but don't be fooled into thinking any cot mattress wil do. A damaged mattress with a cot sheet stretched across it is not a bed, it's a hazard.

Wherever you see cot mattresses for sale, you should look for two related sights: small children and cot sheets. If you notice the small children are particularly physically active or rambunctious, and the cot sheets have tears, holes, or rips in them, there's a good chance that the cot mattresses will be damaged as well. Consider an eager young toddler, learning to jump inside their cot - even the best mattress will start to sag after a month or two of that! Cot mattresses that sag, bend easily, "flop", wobble, or lean are damaged and should not be used. These are all signs of interior damage to the springs or the foam, and are usually the result of hard use.

Also, examine the cot mattress for tears, rips, or gaps. If you can see the yellow foam inside the mattress (and if the foam is any color other than white or yellow), do not use it. A general rule of thumb to remember with small children is, if they can see it, they're going to try to take it apart.. and that goes for cot mattresses, too! You wouldn't want to walk in after naptime to find your baby's hand wiggling beneath the cot sheets, grasping for another fistful of tasty foam - so don't purchase a damaged cot mattress, and continually inspect the mattress at home for flaws.

If you think you may have found the perfect cot mattress, try it out with the "cot sheets test". On a good, strong cot mattress, cot sheets should fit tightly and appear very smooth across the surface, with maybe a wrinkle or two around the corners. If you put cot sheets on a mattress and they wrinkle in the middle, or if the mattress bends to allow easy application of the cot sheets, do not use it. This is more evidence of a weakened inner structure, which could cause your baby to be rendered immobile while they sleep, delay their motor skills (as they won't have a strong surface upon which to practice), or suffocate in the crease.

Cot mattresses are fairly cheap new, and there's a broad range of quality to choose from. All cot mattresses must adhere to a standard, however, so don't worry that buying cheap equals a dangerous purchase. You can always upgrade later!