Finding the Correct Fabric for Your Baby Bedding

Girl crib bedding: flowers and butterflies. Baby bedding for boys: baseball or football. But wait! Choosing baby bedding is about more than just a fashion statement.

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. Everyone wants a cute nursery, but it's important to pick the right bedding material first. High-quality crib bedding will provide certain important information: fill material and power, cover fabric, and thread count. The bedding needs to be warm, breathable, and lightweight. All the information you need should be available online, so take the time to research different baby bedding options.

To reduce the chances of sensitivities, try fabrics like wool, cotton, or down. Avoid synthetic fabrics, as many of them don't breathe and they may break down as they age, cause the release of toxic gases. If you want to purchase a crib set like the Max baby bedding, that is primarily cotton but doesn have some polyester, then you will have to decide if the small risk is worth it to get the bedding you really want.

I love wool blankets - I think they are the softest, most comfortable blankets, especially for babies. Choose unbleached or organic cotton flannel as the backing for a wool blanket. Larger blankets are perfect for car trips and bundling up in the winter, which small blankets are just the right size for swaddling.

Down is a great choice for a filler material - it is both lightweight and breathable. 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. The turbidity and oxygen tests are the ones used to measure cleanliness of filler material. The oxygen test has a government standard of 10 but a lower number is better. 550 is approximately the top of the turbidity scale. Lower numbers mean more organic material and dirt has been left in the down.