Gear

The Best Fitted Crib Sheets For Safe Baby Sleep

In this case, fit really is everything.

by Lexi Dwyer
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Baby crib sheets set against a green and yellow background.

Crib sheets are largely an aesthetic choice based on your color and pattern preferences, but there are a few safety parameters to keep in mind before investing in infant bedding. The best baby crib sheets are soft, fit tightly around a crib mattress, and are easily washable because, well, babies. As for whether you go the Frozen 2 route or opt for something more, shall we say, understated, that’s up to you.

“What we would look for in a crib sheet is something that fits the mattress snugly that won’t detach. We worry about the sheet detaching and becoming a suffocation risk,” says Dr. Benjamin D. Hoffman, the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention. “The right image of a baby sleeping is a baby on a flat firm mattress on their back with nothing else.”

As for whether you go organic, “Cotton or organic cotton, that’s absolutely your choice,” says Hoffman.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe sleep guidelines, to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) during the first year, you should skip stuffed toys, pillows, comforters, mattress toppers, blankets and any kind of loose bedding. A fitted sheet tucked under a firm (not memory foam!) mattress is really all you’ll need, and luckily there are dozens of choices for every nursery theme and price point.

Every product on Fatherly is independently selected by our editors, writers, and experts. If you click a link on our site and buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

This article was originally published on