Your baby won’t have a blanket or duvet for quite some time. Since that makes sheets the star of their cribs, it’s fun to dress up their sleeping space with punchy patterns and soft materials that make your baby’s bed stylish, comfortable, and safe.
As always, follow safe sleeping practices as outlined by the American Association of Pediatrics and never place loose bedding, blankets, toys, stuffed animals, or crib bumpers in the baby’s sleeping space. A sleep sack or wearable blanket, fitted crib sheet, and a firm mattress is all that should be in the crib. And that’s why we say you should go ahead and splurge on your sheets.
WHAT TO CONSIDER
Beyond being gentle on your baby’s ultra sensitive skin, the best crib sheets need to hold up to frequent use and washings. Look for materials like cotton, bamboo, cotton muslin, and linen, which tend to be the gentlest on your baby’s skin while also maintaining tensile strength under the hazards of everyday life.
You’ll also want to make sure that crib sheets can be hang-dried or thrown in the dryer, and won’t get damaged by the sun. We know that the materials mentioned above are prone to wrinkling, but the lasting nature of these natural sheets more than makes up for a few divots, in our opinion.
HOW WE CHOSE
I’ve personally laundered several of these sheets on the list, including Guava Lotus, Brooklinen, Avocado, and Burt’s Bees, using Guava Lotus and Burt’s Bees with her own children. The other sheets on the list have been carefully chosen after reading tons of reviews — both good and bad — weighing first-hand user experience with cost, composition, safety, and smaller factors like shipping costs and ease of purchase. We also made sure to include sheets at a variety of price points, because we know that cost is a huge factor for families.
Whether you’re looking for a prim pattern or a bold solid, there’s a crib sheet on this list for you that’s soft, washes easily, and will hold up to years of use.
The innovative design of these cotton crib sheets saves parents the hassle of digging into the base of the crib to remove used sheets from the crib mattress for washing. Instead, all you have to do is simply zip the top portion of the sheet off.
There are different options in 13 different colors and patterns, so you can bring home additional zip-on sheets to make the changing process quick and easy. And don’t worry about the top needing to match the bottom, it actually looks really cute when it’s mismatched.
Posh Peanut has made quite the name for itself as the bamboo-viscose PJs front-runner. Their footies, swaddles, and rompers come in adorable patterns that are unique to the brand — and their blissfully soft crib sheets are no different.
Plus, with plenty of vibrant colors and patterns (like leopard, dinosaurs, cactus, and florals), every parent is sure to find a unique pattern that complements their nursery. This brand has a cult following, and it’s easy to see why when you really feel these sheets.
Burt’s Bees isn’t just lotion and lip balm anymore — their baby line is also super impressive. It features PJs, burp cloths, and crib sheets in a variety of fun and timeless patterns.
These crib sheets are made of 100% GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)-certified organic cotton — so parents can rest assured their baby is sleeping on the safest of materials. Parents have said that this sheet feels luxurious, especially for the price, but they do note that after several uses, it starts to pill a little bit.
Newton, known for its breathable crib mattresses (yes, for real), also makes breathable crib sheets. They’re designed for superior airflow with open-weave muslin cotton. Plus, they’re pre-shrunk, hypoallergenic, and they even come in “mini” crib sizes.
This two-pack of sheets will see your baby through many months of diaper blowouts and spit-up, without wearing out. The patterns are gender-neutral without losing their charm, and because they’re mostly white, they do take bleach pens really well.
