How Many Coils Does a Baby Crib Mattress Need?

how many coils are needed in a baby crib mattressBased on some of the blogs and forums I’ve read, there seems to be a lot of confusion about the number of coils needed in the innerspring of a crib mattress. Some say more coils means more support, others say too many coils make a crib mattress too hard and uncomfortable. How are parents supposed to decide what’s best?

Although there are no hard and fast rules about coils, there are a few guidelines that might help.

First, let’s clear up the difference between ‘coils’ and ‘coil count’. A crib mattress, for example, may contain 150 coils. But the ‘coil count’ is listed as 420. What’s the difference? The figure ‘150’ is the number of actual coils in that crib mattress; the coil count, 420, is the number of coils that would be found in an equivalent mattress of full size. So, really, the only number you really have to pay attention to is the "150" coils.

Next, there are questions about the relationship between the number of coils and the firmness of the mattress. While it is true that a mattress with more coils could be more firm, the number of coils isn’t the only factor on which firmness depends – it also depends on the gauge or thickness of the steel used to make the coils.

For example, a mattress with 250 coils that are made with the same gauge steel as a mattress with 150 will likely be a little more firm. However, if the 250 coils are made with higher gauge (thinner) steel than the 150 coils in the other mattress, there may be virtually no difference.

Firmness can also be affected by the other materials used to make the mattress so, really, the best way to judge whether a crib mattress is firm enough, or not, is covered in our blog, How Firm is Firm Enough for a Baby Crib Mattress?

But there is another factor to consider when you’re looking at coil count, and that is weight distribution. Fewer coils means that the baby’s weight won’t be distributed as evenly as mattresses with more coils. There are several crib mattresses on the market that have 80 coils. Obviously, that’s not going to distribute the baby’s weight as evenly as a mattress with more coils.

That said, the crib mattresses with only 80 coils are generally the least expensive and, frankly, as with other materials used to make a mattress, you get what you pay for.

Our baby crib mattresses start with 150 coils – which provides good weight distribution and, along with our other highest quality materials, also provides a firm, flat, comfortable and non-toxic environment just perfect for your baby.


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