Newton Baby Original Crib Mattress reviewed

The Original is the mattress most people mean when they search for a Newton crib mattress. It measures 52 by 28 by 5.5 inches, fits any standard US crib and weighs 14 pounds. Inside is no foam and no springs, only the Wovenaire core: a block of looped food-grade polymer fibers that Newton describes as 90% air.

That core changes how you care for the mattress. The quilted outer cover and the viscose inner encasement both unzip, the cover goes in the washing machine on a cold delicate cycle, and the core itself can be rinsed in the shower and stood up to dry. After a leaky diaper or a stomach bug, no foam crib mattress gives you that option.

Newton says the mattress passes the Australian firmness test AS/NZS 8811.1, which is also the firmness test in the federal crib mattress standard, 16 CFR 1241, and it is GREENGUARD Gold certified by UL. We rate it firm, 8 on our 10-point scale, which is what an infant needs. The 2-stage label refers to comfort for toddlers; there is no separate soft side to flip to.

Airflow is the core’s strength, so temperature is the best score in our test. The weak point is the price: $299.99 for one standard size, about three times a basic foam crib mattress. The 100-night trial and the lifetime warranty on the core soften that. As with any crib mattress, the American Academy of Pediatrics asks for a fitted sheet only and nothing else in the crib.