Crib Bedding Buying Guide

Outfitting a crib is simple: Other than a crib mattress, all you need is a fitted sheet. A mattress protector is optional, albeit useful; the same goes for a crib skirt. As for anything else—particularly soft items like crib bumpers, blankets, and stuffed animals—you should skip it. "Soft sleep surfaces can contribute to the creation of trapped pockets of CO₂ developing around the infant’s face," says Eileen Tyrala, MD, medical director for Cribs for Kids. That means they can increase the risk of suffocation.

So while the minimal crib setup may seem austere to you, your baby won’t mind. "The desire by a parent for the infant to be ’comfortable’ in the sleep environment, to a large extent, comes from the parent’s idea of what is comfortable and pleasing to an adult," Tyrala says. In reality, she says, the soft, cuddly items we associate with children and want to place in their cribs don’t provide any developmental benefit to the child.

The latest infant sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatricians, published in 2022, are extremely straightforward: Babies should sleep on their backs in a crib or bassinet, without soft bedding or other soft items. Both the AAP and the Consumer Product Safety Commission also stress that the sleeping surface should be flat, not at an incline.

To help your baby feel cozy and secure, skip the crib blanket and swaddle them in a lightweight swaddling blanket or slip on a wearable blanket (Aden + Anais and Halo offer both) instead—these options remain on the baby’s body as they sleep. Be sure your baby sleeps on their back in the swaddle, and stop swaddling when your baby begins to show signs of trying to roll—which usually occurs around 3 or 4 months old, though it can happen earlier.

If you want to add some decorative flair to the crib, consider a crib skirt: Because it won’t be within your baby’s reach, it’s safe to use.

The best bedding provides a clean, peaceful place for your baby to sleep. Here’s what you’ll need.

Fitted sheets are the most essential piece of crib bedding—and options run the gamut. You can find a basic sheet for as little as $10, like the 100 percent cotton Cloud Island Fitted Crib Sheet, or you can splurge on a $40 design, like the Copper Pearl Premium Knit Fitted Crib Sheet, which is made of a polyester-rayon blend for a soft feel. Regardless of what you choose, here are important features.

Corners that stay on: Look for sheets that fit smoothly and securely, and avoid those that are loose or bunchy. Measure your mattress carefully (length and width, but also height) before you shop for sheets—and aim for an exact fit. Pay close attention to washing and drying instructions to avoid shrinkage.

Breathability: Natural fibers (such as cotton) or smartly woven natural-fiber blends allow for better airflow. Avoid synthetics, which can trap heat and sweat.

While some crib mattresses already come with an easy-to-clean cover, that’s not always the case. Either way, you might want an extra layer to shield your mattress from spills and stains—which will, in turn, protect your baby from any mold, mildew, or bacteria that could otherwise build up in the mattress. Place your protector over your mattress, then cover it with a fitted sheet. Opt for waterproof protectors, so you can simply wipe away any remaining residue. Mattress protectors come in a variety of forms.

Mattress pads: Mattress pads (such as Puppapupo’s Organic Sweat-Absorbing Mattress Pad) are placed over the mattress and secured solely by your fitted sheet, which you place over it. Make sure the pad is less than an inch thick (because, again, soft items increase the risk of suffocation).

Mattress covers: Covers (such as My Green Mattress’ Organic Cotton Protector) are sized like fitted crib sheets, have elastic at the edges, and fit over the mattress in the same way a fitted sheet does.

Pad-and-cover combos: These products (such as the American Baby Company’s Waterproof Fitted Crib and Toddler Protective Mattress Pad Cover) consist of a pad with a waterproof lining underneath, plus a fitted “skirt” that stretches to fit around the mattress like a fitted sheet.

Although experts have made it clear that cribs shouldn’t contain anything other than the minimal bedding we’ve outlined above, many manufacturers still sell and advertise unsafe products for cribs and infant sleep. Here’s what to avoid.

Crib bumpers: In May 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, which bans the manufacturing and distribution of crib bumpers and inclined sleepers for infants. Bumpers might keep babies from bumping their head, but the danger of suffocation or strangulation is far worse. A Journal of Pediatrics study analyzed three databases from the CPSC for deaths related to crib bumpers from 1985 through 2005, and concluded that the risks from crib bumper pads outweighed any benefit. Bumpers can also increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). “There is no benefit to bumpers,” says Michael H. Goodstein, MD, director of newborn services at WellSpan Health in York, Pa.; an adjunct professor of pediatrics at Pennsylvania State University; and a neonatologist on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) SIDS Task Force.

Pillows, blankets, quilts, and stuffed animals: These items—like other products with soft surfaces (such as waterbeds, air mattresses, and memory-foam mattresses)—are a suffocation hazard. If the child sinks into the material and can’t move their head—either to the side or up and away from their chest—they won’t be able to get enough air.

Crib bedding adornments: Crib blankets and quilts are a safety risk anyway, but add long ribbons, bows, or other decor and they become doubly dangerous. That’s because they can potentially detach and pose a risk of choking or strangulation.

Crib tents: These mesh coverings fit over the crib like a dome or drape over the top. No matter the type, they’re a strangulation hazard. If you’re tempted to use a tent over your crib because your baby can climb out, it’s time to move them to a toddler bed.