Cot Mattress

Your baby will spend more hours on their cot mattress than anywhere else in the house, so it is worth getting right. A good cot mattress holds your baby in a firm, level position, lets air move through it, and keeps its shape long after the newborn months have passed. Our cot mattresses are made in every standard Australian size, with a washable removable cover and a firmness level tested against the national safety standard.

Getting the size right

The most common mistake when buying a cot mattress is guessing the size. Australian cots are not all built to one measurement, so measure the inside of the cot base before you order. We make four standard cot mattresses: 1000 x 600mm for smaller and compact cots, 1200 x 600mm and 1295 x 690mm for most full size cots, and 1310 x 750mm for the larger frames. There is also a 1040 x 720mm porta cot mattress for travel and play use.

A correctly fitted mattress sits flush against all four sides of the cot with no gap you could fit more than two fingers into. Any free space at the edges is a hazard rather than a convenience, which is why we size the range to the cots we build. If you are buying a cot and mattress together, our cot packages pair each frame with the mattress made for it, and that takes the measuring out of the decision.

Safety and firmness

Every cot mattress in this range is firm, and that is deliberate. Australian safe sleeping guidance is consistent that babies belong on a firm, flat surface, and our mattresses are tested to AS/NZS 8811-1:2013, the sleep surface test for firmness. A mattress that feels good under an adult hand is usually too soft to be safe for an infant, so trust the standard rather than the squeeze test.

Support comes from one of two constructions. Our innerspring cot mattresses use Bonnell springs on a tempered steel frame with corner guards that reduce entrapment risk at the edges. The rest of the range is built on a Breathe Eze bonded fibre pad. Both hold a level surface, and both keep it level as your baby grows heavier through the first year.

Why there is no foam in any of them

This is the part of the range we get asked about most, so it is worth being direct. We do not use foam in our fibre mattresses. We believe foam can give off fumes that may affect a baby’s respiratory system, and we would rather not have that question hanging over something your baby breathes against for twelve hours a day.

The Breathe Eze fibre is polyester, which is non toxic, non harmful and low VOC. The fibres are deliberately large and strong, which makes them non respirable, so they will not become an airborne pollutant in the cot. The same fibre is anti-microbial as well as dust and mite allergy resistant.

That is also why every mattress here is tested to the same safety standard rather than only the premium ones. It is the one part of the specification that is not negotiable at any price.

Breathability and airflow

Air movement matters as much as firmness. Each mattress is built with a Breathe Eze bonded fibre pad, and the innerspring range adds breathing side vents so air can move through the mattress rather than sitting against it. Good airflow helps regulate temperature overnight, which is one less thing to manage in a heatwave or a cold snap, and a breathable mattress is more comfortable through a long summer.

Our bamboo covered mattresses take this further. Bamboo fabric is naturally thermo regulating, cool through summer and warm through winter, and gentle on sensitive skin. If your baby runs hot, or the nursery gets full afternoon sun, the breathable bamboo option is the one to look at first.

Covers, cleaning and everyday life

Every cot mattress here has a washable removable cover, because you will be cleaning it more often than you expect. The covers zip off, so a night that goes badly does not mean replacing the mattress. Wipe the surface down with warm water and a mild detergent, let it dry fully before it goes back on, and the mattress underneath stays clean and comfortable for years. Our quilted covers use a 200 gram deluxe fill, and the range includes both 100% cotton and quilted bamboo.

The whole range is also allergy and dust mite resistant, which is worth knowing if allergies run in your family. For another layer of protection, a mattress protector sits between the cover and the sheet and takes the worst of it. Most parents find one protector and two fitted sheets is the right number to keep in rotation.

Cot mattresses for childcare and hire

Not every cot mattress goes into a family home. Our vinyl mattress has a heavy duty wipeable cover that cleans down with water between users, which suits early learning centres, family day care, hospitality and holiday homes. It meets the same AS/NZS 8811-1:2013 safety standard as the rest of the range.

From cot to toddler bed

A cot mattress is not a short term purchase. Most Australian cots convert to a toddler bed, and the same mattress carries straight through that change, so one bought for a newborn is still in use two or three years later. Kids outgrow a lot of nursery furniture quickly, and a nursery is rarely a room with space to spare. The mattress is the exception on both counts. It stays, it takes up no more space than the cot already does, and that is why we build it to hold its shape rather than to feel soft in the first week. Buying one good quality mattress is cheaper than buying two average ones.

If you are replacing a mattress for a second child rather than buying your first, the questions are the same. Check the size against the cot, check the surface is still even with no dips or soft spots, and check the cover is clean and intact. A mattress that has held its shape has plenty of life left, and passing it to your second child is a sensible saving. One that has softened in the middle does not, and no amount of protector will fix that. Your baby’s comfort and your baby’s safety both come back to whether that surface is still level.

Which mattress for which bed

If your baby is still in a bassinet, our bassinet mattress is sized for that stage and our cradle mattress covers cradles and bedside sleepers. Both use the same breathable construction as the cot range, so the move from bassinet to cot does not mean starting again on quality. This category covers the cot stage, which is the longest of the three by some distance.

Choosing the right cot mattress for you

For the most breathable option, start with the bamboo innerspring range. For orthopaedic support at a mid range price, the orthopaedic innerspring is the one most parents choose. If you are setting up a nursery on a budget, the standard Breathe Eze cot mattress covers the essentials at every size we make, and it is the same firm core underneath. If the mattress is for travel or a portable cot, the porta cot mattress is sized for it.

Prices run from $99 to $299 depending on size and construction, and the same build quality and comfort sit underneath all of them. If you are not sure which one fits your cot, send us the internal measurements and we will help you get it right before you order.