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What is the standard crib mattress size? Being prepared for the arrival of your child can come with a wide range of tasks and responsibilities. You need to make sure that they have absolutely everything that they could need when they finally come home with you.
You want to make sure that you’ve picked out the absolute best color palette, the most comfortable chair, the cutest stuffed toys, and definitely the most enjoyable books. However, there can really be no doubt that the crib is one of the most important pieces in the nursery that all parents have to worry about.
Your baby’s crib will be where they sleep and where you expect them to be safe when they’re not in your arms. This means that not only will you have to find a crib that fits the style you’ve been aiming for, but also one that lives up to all your safety standards. Did you know that the mattress you pick out for your crib can have one of the biggest impacts in this regard? Here are a few tips you can keep in mind that will help ensure you find the perfect mattress for your little one today.
What Is The Standard Crib Mattress Size?
For the most part, cribs generally come in a standard shape and size that almost all manufacturers adhere to, which helps to make things a little bit easier on concerned parents. This means that you want to look for a crib mattress that measures 27-1/4 inches wide, 51-1/4 inches long, and 6 inches thick. This should be relatively easy to find. Just make sure that you always check for these measurements on the retail carton before you purchase the mattress. This way, you can be sure that your mattress will easily and safely fit inside any crib that you may have purchased.
However, these are the standard measurements for a full-size crib. Nowadays, many vendors are trying their hand at selling smaller or larger cribs to accommodate the wide range of housing situations that people are currently dealing with. It’s important that you keep in mind that if you try and buy one of these different crib sizes, the vendor you purchase from absolutely must sell you an accurately sized mattress to go along with it.
If you’re worried about whether or not the mattress you’ve purchased is the right size, keep in mind that the distance between your mattress and the side of your crib should be no more than half an inch at any point. This means that even if you push the mattress all the way to one side of the crib, there should still be no more than 1/2 inch of space between them. This is the best way to ensure that your crib will be safe for your child to sleep in no matter what.
Firmness Factor
Another consideration you’ll need to keep in mind when choosing the right mattress for your child will be the firmness of the mattress itself. While you might think that the idea of your child sleeping on something akin to a cloud seems like a great option, the reality is that you want your baby to have a firmer mattress to start with.
Unfortunately, suffocation needs to be a serious concern for all parents and SIDS can be a real threat that needs to be taken seriously. Infants will be unable to roll themselves back over to breathe, and should their faces end up covered at any point during the night it could end in tragic results. Because of this, a mattress with significantly less give is best. You can easily test your mattress’s firmness by taking a finger and pressing it into the top of the mattress. As long as the mattress immediately springs back upon release, your mattress will be firm enough to keep your child safe.
The Long-Lasting Crib Mattress
Many new parents can quickly find themselves overwhelmed by the idea of how much they’ll need to spend to get things ready for the new addition to their family, and crib mattresses are no exception. Generally speaking, a high-quality mattress can cost you anywhere between $90 to $200 dollars. However, they can reach even higher prices if you’ve purchased a larger-sized crib. This means that parents are often looking for ways to get the most out of their investment, which is where the double-sided crib mattress has come into play.
These mattresses come with two different firmness settings. It will have a firmer feel on one side for when they are infants and a softer, more pillowy side for when they reach the toddler stage. This can offer parents a great opportunity to use the same mattress all through the crib phase. However, it’s incredibly important that you remember to keep your infant sleeping on the firmer side whenever you take it out of the crib for cleaning or anything of the sort.
Mattress Covers: The Other Consideration
While you might be overwhelmed by how many different factors can go into picking out a mattress, there is another consideration you’ll need to make that will eventually be one of the biggest benefits. Mattress covers can help save you from having to deal with damage from spills, accidents, and a wide range of other destructive situations. They can also help guarantee that your child is protected from potentially allergy-producing materials in the mattress itself.
Generally speaking, almost all mattresses come with a mattress cover of their own. However, many parents find that having two mattress covers on hand at all times can be a real lifesaver. You can either ask the vendor whether they have more of these mattress covers for sale or look for mattress covers in stores that sell crib-sized sheets. However, no matter what you decide to do, make sure you look for covers that use a material other than plastic for the seams which can be rough and actually hurt your baby if you’re not careful.