Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

[[ UPDATED REVIEW - 08-07-2016 ]] So almost 2 years later from my last update, the mattress is STILL going strong. My daughter is now 2.5 years old and she is still using this mattress. We've dropped the mattress down and converted her crib to a toddler bed. We've had no issues with it losing it's support/sagging/having a dip. Structurally, there are still no rips or tears either. I couldn't be happier. I honestly believe this mattress is going to last until we convert her bed to a "big girl" bed. We're so happy with the product, we just purchased a 2nd one for our new addition coming up in November! If the quality is the same as it was 2 years ago, then I shouldn't have any problems! [[ UPDATED REVIEW - 08-19-2014 ]] As promised, I am updating the review of this item. My daughter is now 3 days shy of being 6 months old. She was born prematurely in late February & since the day we brought her home, she has been sleeping exclusively in her crib, using this mattress. Based on my past research, I was confident that this mattress was the right choice and I stand behind it 100%. We've been laying our daughter in the same position and it still holds it's shape (no impressions/sagging). I like that it is easy to clean and during each crib sheet change, I wipe it down with either Lysol wipes or a damp cloth & follow it up with some Lysol. Of course, I let it dry before putting my baby back onto it. Another tidbit to add is that I'm using the Angelcare Movement and Sound Monitor, Auqa/White with the mattress and have absolutely zero issues. Movement is detected very well. There's really not much more to add other than I'm 100% satisfied with this product. I still can't believe how much it costs in comparison to the $100+ alternatives. This mattress is well worth the price you pay. [[ ORIGINAL REVIEW ]] My wife and I are expecting next spring, but as most parents do, they go ahead and get their furniture prior to the baby arriving. I've been reading baby books and various parenting forums on how to prepare for your child and my choices/opinions are based on my research. While I can't say whether or not my research is the "best way", it met every guideline I could find on baby mattresses. For references, the crib we purchased was the Delta Bentley S Series 4-in-1 Crib chocolate. Without further ado, here are the reasons why I chose this mattress... PASSES FOAM RESILIENCY: For babies, there are two types of mattresses out there: foam & inner spring. Since the Safety 1st mattress is all foam, there are a few guidelines I read about in regards to baby mattresses. First and foremost is the risk of SIDS. To reduce your chances, the mattress must be FIRM. The softer the mattress, the greater the suffocation/SIDS risk. Mattresses aimed for older children/adults are typically much softer than those of baby mattresses. That's why baby mattresses tend to be on the firmer side. Regardless of thickness, the FIRMER the better. An easy test for resiliency of a foam mattress is to just use your hand. Press on the center of the mattress with your hand and then remove it. Take note of how soft it is and secondly, how quickly it regains the shape. The faster the "impression" recovers, the better. Sleeping babies will make impressions while laying on the mattress and if it's not firm enough, they can't change position and hence will get "stuck" sleeping in that position... which leads to suffocation & SIDS. Perform the same test at the edges as well (babies will start to move around as they get older and may end up on the sides/corners while moving around while sleeping). EASY TO CLEAN/STURDY COVER: The cover (vinyl) is made of hypoallergenic and free of phthalates and lead. It is easy to clean (stain/odor resistant) and tear resistant. Babies will have accidents (leaky diapers) and you want to be able to properly clean the cover to get rid of any bacteria or harmful organisms. FITMENT: Having purchased the crib mentioned prior, I was worried about fitment issues. Based on Babycenter.com, a baby's mattress needs to be snug with no more than 2 fingers of space between the sides and the mattress. Too much space can lead to entrapment hazards and even worse, suffocation of your baby. By my web research on our crib, another owner mentioned that this mattress was a *PERFECT* fit. And so, I bought it knowing that it is the right size for my crib. AMAZON RANK: Of all the mattresses out there, this one is ranked #1 on Amazon. Originally I was going to get Simmons Kids Beautyrest Beginnings Sleepy Whispers Ultra Deluxe 2 n 1 Crib and Toddler Mattress, Neutral just because of the name but after reading both, I decided I could get the Safety first. Currently the average rank for this mattress is 4.5 stars with 649 reviews at the time of this writing. Compare this to 84 reviewers of the Simmons mattress... personally I'd trust the opinions of 500+ more random people. Hope my review helps!