Colgate Classica III Crib Mattress

Details: Wednesday, 31 August 2011

Colgate is a family owned company and they manufacture their mattresses in the USA. The Colgate Classica I is probably their best known mattress but they also make the Classica III, a mattress that has "dual zones" - one side for babies and one size for toddlers. The Classica III gets good consumer ratings and is praised for its light weight and easy to clean cover, however some feel it may be too firm. [REF Crib Mattress Reviews]

Average consumer reviews for this mattress are quite good as can be seen in the table below. We have seen higher however – like the Sealy Posturepedic Springfree Soybean & Latex Crib Mattress for example - but the Classica III still gets solid ratings and it is also waterproof.

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon	4.4 stars out of 5	21
Walmart	4 stars out of 5	2
Diapers.com	4.3 stars out of 5	6

Consumer comments yield the following common Classica III pros and cons:

PROS
- Easy to clean due to vinyl cover
- Lightweight, which makes sheet changes easy
- Quite firm and provides good support for the baby
- Durable
- Made in the USA
- Great customer service (if needed)

CONS
- Some parents think the mattress is too firm
- A few comments (only a few) about seams coming apart

The Colgate Mattress Atlanta Corporation started in Atlanta, Georgia, USA in the mid 1950’s. Today It is still a small company with about 35 employees but they have won a number of awards for their crib mattresses including the Best in Mattreses award at the 2010 ABC Kids Expo and two awards from iParenting Media in 2009. The company manufactures mattresses, pads and accessories and their mattress lines (predominantly) include foam, innerspring and natural/organic. The Colgate Classica III falls into their foam mattress line.

The Colgate Classica III Foam crib mattress is sometimes referred to as the Colgate Classica III - Dual Zone crib mattress because each side of the mattress is designed with a different firmness level. One side of the mattress is suitable for babies (firmer) and the other side for toddlers (less firm). This 2-in-1 approach saves money as the child grows – all you need to do is flip the mattress when the child doesn’t require the same level of support anymore (the toddler side provides greater comfort and is lightly less firm). It should be noted that a firm mattress is important in the prevention of SIDS.

The mattress is about 5 inches thick and is made of a hypoallergenic, lightweight foam. It also weighs only about 6 lbs and a number of owners have commented that this makes it very easy to do sheet changes. The mattress conforms to a standard crib size and has dimensions: (L x W x H) 51.500 x 27.500 x 5.375 inches. It also fits a standard size toddler bed.

The cover of the mattress is made from triple layer nylon-reinforced vinyl and as such is both waterproof and tear resistant. It can thus be wiped clean with a damp cloth and a little bit of mild soap. It has cloth binding which provides strong seams and extra durability. In addition, eyelet vents ensure better mattress breathing and ventilation.

The Colgate Classica III Crib Mattress is made in the USA and it passes all federal flammability standards and Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) standards. You can read a brief summary of Section 104 - Standards and Consumer Registration of Durable Nursery Products of the CPSIA here.

The Classica III is also GREENGUARD certified to meet strict chemical emissions limits (as are all mattresses from Colgate). The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute was founded in 2001 and is an industry-independent, not-for-profit organization. They oversee programs that identify acceptable product emission standards and certify low-emitting products. You can read more about this group at the GREENGUARD website.

The Colgate Classica III carries a 10 year limited manufacturer’s warranty.