Products
Foam Mattresses
Poly urethane Foam Mattresses
Years ago foam was not as good a product as it is today. With advanced technology, foam quality has greatly improved. The two biggest reasons to consider a foam mattress for your infant is that one can get all the support and durability of an innerspring at one-fourth the weight.
Let's have a brief discussion about polyurethane foam. There are 10 characteristics of foam. The two most important ones for our discussion are density and indentation load deflection (a.k.a. compression).
Density is simply the weight of one cubic foot of foam measured in pounds. Meanwhile compression is the amount of force it takes to reduce a 4" piece of foam to 3". These are accepted standard measurements in the foam business.
Density
Terms like "high density" or "medium density" have very little value without knowing what the weight of the particular foam is. Colgate does have an internal set of standards that we use to differentiate our foam mattresses. However, these are our standards and not accepted industry-wide.
This becomes a source of confusion for the consumer as any mattress manufacturer can label their foam as "high density" regardless of weight. We name our foam (medium density, high density, super high density) based on the foam's properties and not marketing sizzle.
Our standard density is a 1.2 pound foam. Units made with this grade of foam are called "medium density" by us. The Classica I, for example, utilizes a 1.5 pound foam. As you can readily see the former is 25% greater in density than the latter. That is why we call the Classica I a "high density" foam.
One final note on density: All foam is purchased by its density - the greater the density, the higher the price. This is why our better grade foam mattresses will cost more.
Indentation Load Deflection (Compression)
As explained earlier, compression is the amount of force required to reduce a 4" piece of foam to 3". The reason we need to talk about this characteristic of foam is because this measurement greatly determines firmness. Compression is measured in foot pounds of pressure.
Each foam grade has two identifiers. The first is the density (e.g. 1.2) and the second is compression (e.g. 40). By adjusting the different ingredients when the foam is being manufactured, a fabricator can make a low density foam very firm.
Here's an example, Colgate's medium density foam is a 1.2 lb/cu.ft. with an ILD of 40. We call it a "1240" foam. Another supplier can take 1.2 foam and make it with a 60 ILD. The weight remains the same, but the foam block just got 50% firmer.
However, this is a problem as the ratio of weight to compression is disproportionate. The lack of a higher density means that the foam will not be as durable.
At Colgate, we make sure that the density and the compression are proportionate. By doing so, we are ensuring the fact that the quality of foam used in our mattresses will be commensurate with the price that you are paying.
This section may have gotten a little more technical than you may have wanted, but giving you this information allows you to ask the important questions to your retailer when purchasing a foam crib mattress.
Those questions are: What is the density of the foam used in this mattress? And what is the compression of the foam used in this mattress? Outside of the quality of the cover, these characteristics are the main points of comparison.
Please note that we have listed the specifications of foam used in each of our foam mattresses. We are proud of our quality.
GRAND PREMIER 5" - this is the highest quality, firmest foam crib mattress that Colgate makes. We would rate this as "super high density." This is our highest density foam mattress with our highest compression. This unit has a nylon-reinforced triple laminate cover with an eyelet border for ventilation. The foam that is used in this mattress is a 1.8/80.
CLASSICA Series of 5" Foam Crib Mattresses
All Classica series of mattresses offer extra high quality foam and at a minimum a triple laminated, nylon-reinforced vinyl covers.
VISCO CLASSICA - This mattress is our most recent addition to the Classica series of foam mattresses. The Visco Classica is a 6" foam mattress that is an infant/toddler type mattress. The infant side utilizes the same foam as in our most popular foam crib mattress, the Classica I, and the toddler side is comprised of the most technologically advanced foam, visco-elastic foam.
Visco-elastic foam is also known as "memory foam." This foam was developed by NASA for the space program. One of its many attributes is that this foam conforms to contours of the individual's body. Because of its construction, it eliminates "pressure points" that may lead to tossing and turning. The reason for the name "memory foam" is that as an individual moves about on the mattress, the foam "remembers" to go back to its original height. If you would like to learn more, you can get information about Visco-elastic foam at www.memoryfoam.com.
The infant side is 5" of foam (1.5/60) and the toddler side is 1" (2.5 lbs. foam). Please note that memory foam does not have an ILD rating.
The cover on the Visco Classica is one that is unique to Colgate Mattress Atlanta. It is a 5 ply cover. We use a traditional triple laminated cover for the base and then add a dual layer of quilted vinyl for the final two layers. This ticking is used on the infant side and on the border.
On the toddler side, we use a laminated damask cover (the same type of fabric that is used in high end adult bedding). By laminating the damask we can make is somewhat wetproof. This combination of the 5 ply infant cover and the damask toddler cover makes for a very luxurious mattress. There is a double row of brass eyelets for venting and the unit is closed with cloth binding.
CLASSICA I 5" - RATED #1!!! This is probably the most popular name crib mattress on the market today thanks to its high evaluations by the authors of the Baby Bargains Book and many leading consumer and industry magazines. Top quality foam, extra firmness, light weight, reasonable price and, tons of great comments from consumers that have bought and used this mattress for one to four of their kids have made this mattress a winner for babies and parents and Colgate. This mattress utilizes a 1.5/60
CLASSICA SUPREME 5" dual firmness foam crib mattress - this is Colgate's best quality dual firmness foam crib mattress. Firmer on one side for infants and less firm for toddlers on the other side, the less firm side uses the Classica I foam in a convoluted (eggcrate) style. The firmer side uses the Grand Premier type of foam in a normal flat style. The infant side uses a 1.75/75 foam and the toddler side uses a 1.5/30 foam.
CLASSICA II 5" - High quality foam similar to the Classica I foam but, just slightly less firm than the foam in the Classica I mattress. This unit has a 1.3/50 foam.
CLASSICA III 5" - This unit is one of our most popular infant/toddler foam mattresses. The firm side is for infants and less firm side for toddlers, the Classica III mattress uses a 1.6/85 foam for the infant side and a 1.5/30 on the toddler side.
BETTER QUALITY / LOWER COST 5" foam crib mattresses
For parents preferring foam to innerspring and, lower price but better than average quality, one of these four mattresses may be right for you. All of the foam mattresses below are made of the same type quality foam. They use a 1.2/40 foam.
SUPER LUXURY 5" - Firm, White triple layer reinforced vinyl cover, standard vents,
SLUMBERTYMETM 5" - Firm, Print double laminated reinforced vinyl cover, standard vents,
CROWN IMPERIAL I 5" - Firm, White Rose quilted vinyl cover, standard vents,
FOAM SUPREME II 5" - Firm, White double laminated reinforced vinyl cover.
PREMIER 6" - a foam crib mattress that is as thick as an innerspring crib mattress helps the sheets to fit a little tighter. Two styles available: one with a triple laminated reinforced vinyl cover and one with a white quilted vinyl cover and, both have standard vents and cloth binding.