Picking the Best Material for Your Baby Bedding

Girl baby bedding: flowers and butterflies. Baby bedding for boys: space explorers. Wait - aren't you forgetting something? You need to choose your baby bedding carefully, because it's more than just a decoration.

You or your family members may have allergies to certain fabrics, so you avoid those, but your new baby doesn't come with a list of its allergies. The fabric of your baby's bedding is very important, and should be considered before looks. High-quality nursery bedding will tell you the thread count, cover material, fill material, and fill power (more fill=higher quality). Although warmth is very important, you should also confirm that the bedding is light and breathable. The Internet makes it easy to find out the construction materials for a wide variety of crib bedding choices, so do some research before you buy.

No one wants their baby to suffer from allergies, so choose fabrics that reduce the risk, like cotton or wool (that also includes alpaca or llama wool). Although some synthetic fabrics are breathable, most are not. Of equal concern is the emission of fumes that can occur as the fabrics age. If you have decided on a bedding set such as  the Max baby bedding, that contains some amount of a synthetic fabric (polyester), but mostly cotton - then you need to think about how much you want the bedding vs. how much this small amount of polyester could cause a problem.

Not everyone agrees, but many people state that their preference is for wool blankets because of their softness and comfort. When choosing a wool blanket, look for an organic or unbleached cotton flannel. If you want swaddling blankets, choose smaller-sized ones, but if you want a blanket for an older child, pick a larger one.

Down comforters can be a great choice - they have a natural filler that is both lightweight and warm at the same time. Babies and messes go together like jam and peanut butter, so be sure to get one that can be washed in the machine. To ensure that your comforter is hypoallergenic, make sure it has a high cleanliness rating. Cleanliness of down can be measured using either the turbidity test or the oxygen test. The government standard for the oxygen test is 10, but high-quality bedding usually has a lower number. For the turbidity test, on the other hand, a higher number is better, going up to around 550 at the top of the scale.