Is Sealy Soybean Foam-Core Crib Mattress Safe?

Just before I went to the hospital to give birth to my son, my husband and I had a sudden realization—we didn’t have a crib mattress for our soon-to-arrive baby. (I know, how did we miss that?) Ever the problem-solver, my husband reassured me not to worry and disappeared into his office. Twenty minutes later, he came out, brimming with excitement, to announce that he’d found the perfect baby mattress.

At the time, we were blissfully unaware of things like chemicals in mattresses. Our only criteria were that it had to be firm and affordable. The mattress we chose stood out for two key reasons: it was made with soybean foam and had GreenGuard Gold certification. It was the Sealy Soybean Foam-Core crib mattress.

In this post, I’ll share my thoughts on the safety of Sealy crib mattresses. Keep reading to find out what happened when I contacted the Sealy company—and which mattress brand I ultimately came to trust.

Sealy Soybean Foam-Core Crib Mattress Review

Back in 2012, when shopping for a baby mattress, my husband and I focused on two things: finding a firm standard sized crib mattress that would also be affordable. (Allegedly, firm baby mattresses help decrease the risks of SIDS, but please do your own research on this subject.)  We ended up buying a Sealy Soybean Foam-Core crib mattress because it seemed to meet these two main criteria. We considered it a bonus that the mattress components were air quality tested for a healthier indoor environment, and the mattress was GreenGuard Gold certified.

Additionally, the website stated that the mattress foam used “renewable resources resulting in the use of less crude oils” and the mattress had a 2-stage crib and toddler bed design. Specifically, with a firmer infant side and cozier toddler side with American-made soy enhanced foam topper, the mattress should work for both cribs and toddler bed frames. On top of that, you could wipe clean the mattress cover and lock-stitched binding, thus preventing allergens from clinging to the mattress. What could be better than that?

As it happens, for the first four months, our son slept in a bassinette – so we didn’t have to rush into buying a baby crib mattress after all. When eventually we put him in the crib, a strange thing happened: almost instantly, his little body got covered in sweat and he began crying. This made me look into the actual materials of the Sealy baby mattress.

Sealy Baby Mattress Materials

Interestingly, the Sealy Soybean Foam-Core crib mattress website description stated that the “soybean foam-core used a percentage of natural and renewable soybeans” and that it was “enhanced with soybeans.”  And, the mattress tag said, “Polyurethane foam 76%, Blended fiber batting 24% (cotton 85%, polyester 15%).” In addition, the website Q&A section mentioned “about 22% soybean oil.”

Now, let me ask you: what do you imagine a soy foam mattress should look like?  Well, I had to learn from experience that it is not a bag full of soybeans!

In fact, soy enhanced foam is mainly high-density polyurethane foam with a fraction of soybean oil in its polyol portion.  Moreover, it is not illegal for manufacturers to call their product “soy-based” even if it contains just 5% soy.  This kind of “greenwashing” or “false advertising” is one of the pitfalls of non-toxic mattress and upholstered furniture shopping.  (Learn more in my blog post 10 Examples Of Greenwashing In Advertising.)

Polyurethane Foam In Sealy Crib Mattresses

Is there anything wrong with polyurethane foam in a baby crib mattress?

To begin, it is considered to be the most toxic foam because it is made from petroleum (i.e., crude oils) and undisclosed chemicals.  The polyurethane foam may release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air in your nursery.  VOCs cause such health problems as eye irritation, cough, damage of the central nervous system, and cancer (source and source).  Thus, my son could have been continuously exposed to such chemicals sleeping on the Sealy Soybean Foam-Core crib mattress!  (Read on to find out which baby mattress I ended up buying instead.) 

Indeed, this 2014 study involved experiments using twenty new and used standard sized crib mattresses.  The researchers detected VOCs in all the mattress samples with total VOC values greater for the new mattresses than for the used ones.  They also discovered that polyurethane foam released a greater diversity of VOCs compared to polyester foam.

Further, this 2019 study tested eight polyurethane mattresses to compare VOC emissions under different temperatures, relative humidity, and CO₂ concentrations.  The scientists detected eighteen VOCs whose emissions increased significantly under sleeping conditions.  They concluded that compared to the other variables, elevated heat was the major contributor to the enhanced emissions.  In other words, body heat during sleep causes VOC emission levels to rise.  And all infants do is sleep most of the time.

To read about other health and environmental concerns, head over to my post about polyurethane foam in furniture.

Flame Retardants In Polyurethane Foam

Another problem with polyurethane foam is that it is extremely flammable.  Hence, manufacturers must do something to pass the Federal Flammability Standard.  A common method is to use flame retardants, associated with many health concerns (e.g., thyroid disruption) and a negative impact on the environment (source). Sometimes mattress manufacturers build a flame-retardant barrier, but it is unclear what it is made of and whether the mattress users get exposed to substances used in the barrier.

So, I called the Sealy crib mattress company to find out what they did to meet the flammability standard.  The representative told me that they used a cotton felt wrapping around the foam but would not disclose its ingredients. And to my question in the Amazon Q&A, the company rep responded that Sealy crib mattresses “do not contain toxic fire retardants.” To me it sounds like they still use flame retardants, but how do they know they are “not toxic”?

As of January 2025, the Sealybaby website states: “The majority of our crib mattresses pass all state and federal flammability standards without the use of any fire or flame retardants. A small portion of crib mattresses use a natural cotton-based protective wrap on the inside of the mattress to pass strict flammability tests.”

Again, what does the company use instead of fire retardants in the “majority” of their crib mattresses to pass flammability standards? And what exactly is “cotton-based protective wrap” made of in “a small portion” of their crib mattresses? I would really appreciate more transparency from the company.

Vinyl Cover On The Sealy Soybean Foam-Core Crib Mattress

You don’t want vinyl in your baby’s crib because it is the most toxic type of plastic–from the production stage to disposal.  Why is it so toxic?

First, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or vinyl, is a rigid plastic, so to make it flexible, manufacturers add plasticizers.  Historically, the latter typically included phthalates which acquired so much bad publicity that the Federal government banned some of them.  If there are no phthalates in the vinyl cover of Sealy crib mattresses, what other plasticizers do they use instead?  

Second, manufacturers add stabilizers to vinyl during its production to impact other properties of the PVC.  Some common stabilizers are lead and cadmium.  The Sealy baby mattress description says that it is free of lead and mercury.  But the question remains: what stabilizers do they use instead?

On top of that, PVC pollutes the environment with chlorine that ends up in our water and soil.  You can learn more about vinyl in my blog post about PVC yoga mats.

The Sealy Crib Mattress Certifications

The Sealy baby crib mattress is CertiPur-US certified and GreenGuard Gold certified.  What does that mean?  

For starters, CertiPur-US is a certification run by the polyurethane foam industry.  In my opinion, there is a conflict of interest here, which may reflect on the quality of standards.  Thus, they check the foam for levels of VOCs and verify the absence of flame retardants and phthalates that are already restricted. But what about those that are used instead of them?

Next, GreenGuard is a third-party certifying organization that supports healthier indoor environment and certifies products with low chemical emission.  The Sealy mattress that we owned was certified not only with GreenGuard but also with a stricter one, GreenGuard Gold.

To clarify, GreenGuard Gold certification measures various gas emissions against certain limits established by GreenGuard itself.  While this certification is helpful for such products as paints, it is not that helpful for mattresses, in my opinion. Thus, many GreenGuard Gold certified mattresses contain polyurethane foam and have PVC/vinyl covers. 

In sum, I would not rely on these two certificates in search of a non-toxic crib mattress.  I believe that the only certificate a mattress needs to prove it is safe is a GOTS certificate.  To find out why I think so, head over to my blog post Are Organic Mattresses Worth It?.

What Is A Better Mattress For Your Baby?

In my opinion, as a product ingredient researcher and manufacturer advisor, safe and high-quality mattresses are made by Naturepedic.

First of all, the Naturepedic crib mattress we bought to replace our Sealy Soybean mattress is GOTS-certified organic as an entire mattress. This means that it passed rigorous testing by GOTS to meet their strict safety criteria.

Second, Naturepedic is transparent.  Indeed, my communication with the Naturepedic founder was a breath of fresh air: open, sincere, clear, and accurate.  Just the way it should be.

Third, Naturepedic has all kinds of mattresses for every budget and preferences. Learn more in my Naturepedic Mattress Review.

Presently, we own four Naturepedic mattresses: for the master, guest, and our son’s bedrooms.  As I have mentioned, all the mattresses are GOTS certified organic as a whole piece.  It means that not just one component (e.g., cotton cover) but the entire mattress adheres to the high standards of this certification.  You may wonder how a mattress that contains so many parts, including steel coils, can get an organic certification.  Actually, this is a very good question, and there is a rigid procedure the certifiers follow.  You can read all about it in my post Can a Mattress Really Be Organic?.

When my son grew out of his organic crib mattress (click for a 15% discount code), we got him an organic kids mattress (click for a 15% discount code).  And we sleep on a super comfortable Naturepedic mattress with dual firmness.  By the way, Naturepedic produces budget-friendly GOTS-certified organic mattresses for adults called Happsy (click for a discount code).

Thus, if I had to do it all over again, I would definitely choose a non-toxic organic Naturepedic baby crib mattress.

Conclusion: Is the Sealy Soybean Foam-Core Crib Mattress Safe?

Materials Like Polyurethane Foam And Vinyl Used In The Sealy Soybean Foam-Core Crib Mattress Are Potentially Harmful For Both Human Health And Environment.

In conclusion, Sealy crib mattresses do not meet my strict criteria for non-toxic products.  Specifically, polyurethane foam and vinyl cover are the turn-off points for me.  In addition, I do not like the fact that they advertise the mattress as “soy-based” when there is just a small fraction of soy in it.

The bottom line is that I would like you to learn from my experience to avoid making the same mistake. I don’t want your baby to suffer like mine did when we put him on the Sealy crib mattress. Choose a GOTS-certified organic non-toxic baby crib mattress because your baby’s health, safety, and well-being are the worthiest investment.

The non-toxic crib mattress I stand behind is Naturepedic crib mattress as well as kids and adult mattresses.  Plus, Happsy is an affordable GOTS certified organic adult mattress.  The company offers generous discounts, too!

As usual, I welcome you to my shop featuring numerous non-toxic items, e.g., non-toxic makeup, and my e-book page.  Also, contact me for help with healthy living and browse the I Read Labels For You blog for gems regarding the most useful and helpful information.  Together we can exercise consumer superpower and affect the market!

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