Foam v's Innerspring mattress

[skybie]

A friend of mine is in the process of getting her nursery together and asked me what the difference (besides the obvious) between the two was.
i couldnt realy answer her because i didnt even know u could get foam ones, we've always had inner spring.
She ended up going with the foam because it was cheaper. i dont know they dont seem right to me for some reason.
any insight would be great

[Visitor7]

SIDS recommends a 'firm' mattress. It doesn't actually specific what type of mattress though. I would have thought though that a foam mattress wouldn't be very breathable??

[AnyDream]

I was at Ikea the other day and noticed they had some cot sized mattresses that were flat on one side and corrugated (like egg-carton ripple) all over the other - specifically to create breathability.

[melbel]

foam also lets off fumes which recent research has suggested a link to sids as well...I wouldn't have foam in a pink fit.....

[skybie]

oh gosh melbel, thats a bit scary!! will have to tell her that

[~clover~]

I know alot of people choose innerspring over foam, as they prefer the support it gives the babies growing bones etc.
I've never heard of sids recommendations, but never looked them up either. I've always had a plastic waterproof cover over the kids cot matresses, which I've heard reduces sids issues.
DS sleeps on a foam mattress. I also chose it due to it being half the price of the innerspring ones.

[black_rose]

The foam doesn't last as long, they need replacing with each baby. We have innerspring and it's like new still but we used a foam one at sil that was the same age and it had a big dip on it

[smiles4u]

we were told there are lots of chemicals in foam mattress to make them flame retardant ... and also we told foam carry more dustmites (don't quite get that ) ... and yeh inner spring have a longer life span (great for if your friend has plans of more children to use again)

DP & i thought we wouldn't sleep on a foam mattress ourselves so why would we put our baby on one !!

[*Belle*]

well we have a foam cot matress bought 4 years ago and its been fine for both kids. There is no dip and it is in really good condition.

[Mrs Jak]

I had never heard about foam giving off fumes...

I bought foam this time because we follow the 'New baby, new mattress' recommendation (and because it was a long time between babies) and foam was cheaper.

We will be buying a new mattress again for this baby (DS will still be using his in his cot anyway) and now I'll have to do some more research....