Naturepedic Organic Cotton Classic Crib Mattress Review

Our Rating: 5/5 (See: How Leaf Score is calculated)

Product Highlights

• Wipe clean waterproof surface meets food contact standards
• Waterproof seams prevent moisture penetration and allow for easier cleaning
• Company has a strong reputation for making high quality mattresses for adults and children

Overview

The Naturepedic Organic Cotton Classic Crib Mattress (View Price on Naturepedic) is a waterproof mattress made with organic cotton, innersprings, and a non-GMO sugar cane derived polyethylene waterproof cover. This mattress is made without harmful chemicals, and contains no latex, soy, GMOs, vinyl/PVC, phthalates, formaldehyde, flame retardants, polyurethane foam, or perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). It is made in the USA with domestic components and imported fabric and components, and has a lifetime limited warranty.

The mattress is certified to Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), meets or exceeds GREENGUARD Gold emissions standard, and is certified Formaldehyde-free by UL/GREENGUARD. The wipe clean waterproof surface meets food contact standards and waterproof seams prevent moisture penetration and allow for easier cleaning. 

Naturepedic has 5 core options for crib mattresses:

• Classic
• Breathable
• Breathable Ultra
• Mini Crib
• Oval Crib

The organic cotton classic crib mattress weighs about 21 pounds, making it almost three times as heavy as the lightweight Naturepedic crib mattress option made without innersprings.

There are options for either 150 or 252 coils for the Classic, Breathable, and Breathable Ultra and although Naturepedic don’t specify the gauge of the coils for this model on their site, company representatives have left comments elsewhere online stating that they use 15.5 gauge coils for their mattresses with 9-gauge coils for added edge support.

This is the minimum firmness I’d want to see in an infant mattress, so I’d strongly recommend choosing the 252 coil option as this may make the mattress slightly firmer.

There’s also an option for a seamless version of the classic organic cotton crib, selling at $279-$299 depending on coil count. This mattress has, as the name suggests, seamless waterproof edges, which makes for easier cleaning and prevention of bacterial build-up. 

Prices for the cotton classic crib mattress range from around $259-$299 for the 150 and 252 coil options and seamless mattress, plus a pricier $379 Organic Cotton Ultra Seamless crib mattress that has upgraded components and a more luxurious finish, with organic cotton and kapok batting.

Naturepedic certifications

All Naturepedic crib mattresses are GOTS certified and Greenguard Gold Certified. They contain no perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), antibacterial treatments, glues, adhesives, polyurethane, or GMO materials.

It’s worth noting, however, that the breathable mattress covers (which are included as standard with some models) are made with organic cotton backed with polyester, which makes them machine washable but not quite so eco-friendly or non-toxic. As such, I don’t recommend the ‘breathable’ Naturepedic mattresses, but if you’ve bought an otherwise non-waterproof mattress and are looking for a breathable waterproof cover, this is better than most as it is GOTS certified and Greenguard Gold certified. 

Most of the Naturepedic crib mattresses themselves are covered with waterproof food-grade polyethylene, which is less toxic and more eco-friendly than polyester. They also offer a non-waterproof quilted organic cotton crib mattress without polyethylene, with which you’d want to use a separate waterproof cover or a combination of wool puddle pads and cotton to prevent wetness getting into the mattress. The two best options I can find are Holy Lamb and Home of wool.

Naturepedic commitment to quality

Naturepedic have a strong reputation for making high quality mattresses both for adults and children. They have excellent customer service too and are typically very responsive if anything does seem amiss. Naturepedic also own Lullaby Earth, a brand that offers slightly cheaper crib mattresses made with recycled polyester.

This mattress has square corners for a snug fit and measures approximately 27 1/4″ x 51 5/8″ x 6″. It fits toddler beds and day beds, and is a great fit for one of my top picks for an eco-friendly non-toxic crib, the DaVinci crib. 

It’s worth noting, though, that the standard size Naturepedic crib mattresses tend to run a little too big for Pottery Barn cribs, including the Kendall (a Leaf Score recommended product). Naturepedic offer a special crib mattress designed to fit Pottery Barn cribs (the MC34Y), so check with your local Pottery Barn if you’d like to order one of these.

Also, because Naturepedic’s innerspring crib mattresses have firm edge support (which you want!), they aren’t a good fit for certain cribs, such as the Baby Appleseed Chelmsford crib. The edge supports mean the mattress won’t squeeze into the lower setting of this type of crib, meaning the crib and mattress combination will only work on the top setting. 

All Naturepedic crib mattresses come with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee provided the product was purchased directly from Naturepedic. You have to pay all shipping costs (including outbound costs associated with any promotions), however. Naturepedic have a 10 year warranty against manufacturing defects, with full coverage in the first 5 years and pro-rated coverage thereafter.

Naturepedic vs. OMI, Soaring Heart, My Green Mattress, Sleep Lily, and Savvy Rest

Waterproofing

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly non-toxic crib mattress with an in-built waterproof cover, Naturepedic’s mattresses are your best bet (with the exception of the non-waterproof single-sided quilted mattress). Lullaby Earth’s crib mattress (View Price on Amazon) and Nook’s Pebble Pure, which has a removable washable cover (View Price on Amazon), are also decent options, but these both use less eco-friendly materials and aren’t as well established as Naturepedic. 

For all the other mattresses I recommend at LeafScore, you’ll need to use wool puddle pads and/or a waterproof crib mattress cover or pad.

Wool and fire resistance

If you’d rather not have wool in your crib mattress, Naturepedic offer some of the best wool-free options and are transparent about using a mixture of baking soda, silica, and eucalyptus as a natural flame retardant instead of wool.

In contrast, OMI, Soaring Heart, Sleep Lily, and Savvy Rest all include wool in their crib mattresses. Lullaby Earth offer a decent wool-free crib mattress made with recycled polyester and polyethylene, but it’s not entirely clear how Lullaby Earth meet fire safety standards. 

Cost

Naturepedic can be considered an excellent mid-price option for an eco-friendly and non-toxic crib mattress. Naturepedic’s Organic Cotton Classic and Lightweight Classic both cost between $255 and $299 and boast a waterproof cover, unlike My Green Mattress, where you’d have to buy separate covers or puddle pads.

OMI are the most expensive of my Leaf Score recommended crib mattresses at $599 for both their latex and innerspring models. Sleep Lily’s latex crib mattress costs $438, with slightly better certifications than Soaring Heart and Savvy Rest, but not quite so certified as OMI. 

NaturalMat’s Quilted Coco Mat Crib Mattress retails for $424.00, and they also offer a Quilted Latex Mat for $574.00 and a Quilted Mohair Mat for $497.00, made with similar standards and construction but with latex or mohair for the core instead of coconut coir. I’m not convinced as to just how non-toxic and eco-friendly these NaturalMat mattresses are, however, given the lack of transparency over the materials and treatments used to make these mattresses and the fact that they are imported and therefore likely to be subjected to fumigation upon arrival in the US.

Soaring Heart mattresses cost around $420. Savvy Rest is priced at $399 with similar certifications and specifications as a latex, wool, and cotton mattress (View Price on Savvy Rest). Naturepedic’s 2-in-1 Ultra Quilted Deluxe mattress is also priced at $399 but is latex-free. Sleep Lily’s innerspring mattress costs $360, making it second only to OMI for most expensive innerspring crib mattress.

The Nook Pebble Pure Crib Mattress retails for around $395 and is made with organic coconut coir blended with natural latex foam and covered in organic wool. However, I’m not all that confident in the non-toxic, eco-credentials of this mattress either, given the lack of transparency over the cover materials including an organic cotton ‘non-toxic poly blend’.

And, finally, Lullaby Earth offer a much less expensive version of the Naturepedic lightweight mattress for $169-$259 made with recycled polyester and polyethylene. While this one has some decent eco-certifications, if you’re going to spend over $200 on a crib mattress, I’d strongly suggest going with My Green Mattress or Naturepedic instead. If it’s a lightweight mattress you’re after, the Naturepedic Lightweight is arguably your best option.

Non-toxic and eco-friendly credentials

OMI crib mattresses carry more certifications than Savvy Rest, Soaring Heart, Naturepedic, and every other mattress on the market. Their adult mattresses have been rigorously tested and found to be durable and high-performance, but they are quite a bit more expensive than most other crib mattresses.

Naturepedic boast only Greenguard Gold, GOTS, and UL-certified formaldehyde free, but these mattresses don’t include latex, so GOLS doesn’t apply. It would be nice to see a Made Safe certification or other more robust EcoInstitut certification, given the polyethylene component and natural flame retardants used in these mattresses. 

If you are concerned about multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) or simply want a high-quality crib mattress free from toxic chemicals and made with care from sustainably and humanely sourced materials, OMI are the top choice.

Weight

Naturepedic’s mattresses also fall squarely in the middle in terms of weight. Both of the Sleep Lily crib mattresses are very heavy, weighing in at 33 and 35 lbs for the innerspring and latex mattresses respectively. In comparison, the My Green Mattress latex, coconut coir, wool, cotton, and innerspring mattress weighs just 15 lbs and 6 ounces, while the Naturepedic models weigh between 21 and 25 lbs for the cotton and innerspring models and just 8 lbs for their Lightweight mattress. Nook’s Pebble Pure also weighs in at 25 lbs, but no weight details are available for OMI, Soaring Heart, Lullaby Earth, or Savvy Rest unfortunately, nor for NaturalMat.

Size

There are some size differences between these mattresses that are worth bearing in mind if you have already bought a crib. The Soaring Heart mattress, for instance, is a little bigger than Naturepedic’s mattresses and at the top end of the standard size measurements for a crib mattress (although it’s also thinner at just 3.5 inches compared to most crib mattresses measuring 5 or 6 inches. Savvy Rests crib mattress is also slightly longer and wider than Naturepedic’s crib mattresses, while OMI’s mattresses are as long but a little wider. For comparison, here are the mattresses listed from largest to smallest in terms of width and length:

• Nook Pebble Pure – 28” x 53” x 4”
• Soaring Heart – 28 5/8” x 52 3/8” x 3 ½ “
• Sleep Lily – 28” x 52” x 6”
• OMI – 28” x 52” x 6” 
• NaturalMat – 28” x 52” x 6”
• Savvy Baby – 27 ½” x 52” x 6
• My Green Mattress – 27 1/4″ x 52″ x 6″ 
• Naturepedic – 27 ¼” x 51 5/8” x 6” 
• Lullaby Earth – 27 ¼” x 51 5/8” x 6”

CSR

In terms of charitable giving and corporate social responsibility, Savvy Rest have the most robust charitable giving program and B Corp status (none of the other mattress companies have this currently). 

Soaring Heart are also socially engaged, with quarterly Charity Pillow Builds and a goal is to direct 1% of annual gross sales to charitable causes. Soaring Heart also created a Scholarship at Seattle’s Pride Foundation to fund students working in the area of mental health and compassionate care. 

OMI don’t appear to have any charitable arm to their businesses. Naturepedic are members of 1% for the Planet, at least, although they don’t seem to do much else. My Green Mattress offers a discount to members of the U.S. military, but there’s no indication that the company has a charitable arm other a donation/refund program if you return your mattress after your 100 night comfort trial. 

Sleep Lily, Nook, and NaturalMat don’t mention any charitable side to their business and seem focused purely on their products.

Warranty and refunds

All Naturepedic crib mattresses come with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee provided the product was purchased directly from Naturepedic. You have to pay all shipping costs (including outbound costs associated with any promotions), however. Naturepedic have a 10 year warranty against manufacturing defects, with full coverage in the first 5 years and pro-rated coverage thereafter.

OMI offer a more generous 90-day sleep trial and a 20-year limited warranty on all mattresses, and My Green Mattress has a 100-night sleep trial. If you don’t want to keep the mattress after your 100 nights, My Green Mattress will work with you to donate it to a local charity and then refund your money. 

Savvy Rest are rather miserly in terms of their return policy. Unlike most other companies, they just don’t do returns, claiming that to do so would necessitate them spraying their products with toxic chemicals.

Overall, OMI is pretty much unbeatable for a non-toxic, eco-friendly, high-quality, latex or innerspring crib mattress, but my top pick is My Green Mattress because they make a fantastic eco-friendly and non-toxic crib mattress with great certifications for less than half the price of OMI’s mattresses.