Moonlight Slumber Little Dreamer Review

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The Moonlight Slumber Little Dreamer is an eco friendly crib mattress and one of the most popular models Moonlight Slumber has to offer. Want to know why? Sorry, but you’ll have to keep reading to find out.

What I can tell you is that the Little Dreamer is hypoallergenic, safe, eco-friendly, and affordable. So, if you are a little curious as to what makes this crib mattress so special and unique, follow me while I give you all of the detail which includes my own experience with it.

You might be interested: The Top 5 Organic Crib Mattresses

Video Review

Don’t want to read the full review? Watch our video review instead.

Presenting The Little Dreamer

The little dreamer is the ideal solution for parents and caregivers who are looking for a safe crib mattress that is going to properly support baby throughout their infant and toddler years. It is an eco-friendly mattress made from plant based foam on the infant side and a nice plush surface for the toddler side.

The entire core of the mattress is wrapped in a woven fire barrier that is made from minerals and no harsh chemical sprays.and then covered in a medical grade, water stain, and odor resistant fabric. You will feel much safer knowing that the child is sleeping on a mattress made from baby safe natural materials.

The Moonlight Slumber Promise

The Moonlight Slumber promise is that the mattress the child is sleep on is built to last, safe, and environmentally responsible. They make this promise by implementing the Green Safety Shield Quality Assurance Program. This has 3 certifications which includes:

• Indoor Air Quality & Material Contents- This means that “content counts”. It assures you that their products are free of chemicals of concern by slapping that Green Safety Shield sticker on the packaging. In order to verify this claim, they use two independent laboratory testing facilities that make sure there really are no off gassing using state of the art instruments. Next, the mattress is tested with the most advanced Chemical Analysis instruments to make sure the product meet most rigorous requirements for content.

• Product Performance & Durability– This part of the certification process makes sure that the mattress is built to last. Children can be hard on mattresses, I know mine are. This is why all mattresses are tested for qualification and failure analysis. Element engineers test the products using a variety of methods for evaluating them for safety, performance, and durability.

• In-House Assurance- The last certification is for on-site spectrometer testing. They will test all materials in their facility to ensure that the materials they ordered are of excellent quality.

As long as you see that safety shield, moonlight slumber will stand by their promise for a healthier and much safer crib mattress for babies and toddlers.

Packaging

When you open up that brown mattress box that your Little Dreamer will ship in, you will be greeted by clear packaging with the big words “Moonlight Slumber”. You will also see their certifications and that green safety shield I was telling you about.

I must say, this is not the most fancy packaging I have seen so far. I have come across packaging that gave specifics about the mattress, what it is good for, the feature & benefits, and so much more.

I cannot say for sure why this packing is just the basics, but in my experience it is because they put more money and time into the mattress than the packaging. And why wouldn’t they? The baby is going to sleep on the mattress, not the plastic, right?

Features & Benefits

Here is where we get into the nitty gritty. All of the features and benefits of the Little Dreamer make it so special and unique and I would like to tell you all about it!

What Sets It Apart?

Anyone can throw in some plant material into a product, slap a sticker on it and call it “eco-friendly”, but the Little Dreamer is more than that. It is free from Vinyl, polyethylene, PVC, phtalates, and lead. It is also made with a waterproof material that is non-toxic.

The one main thing that makes this crib mattress so much different than some of the others is that it is just simple. There are no fancy designs, no fancy seams, no fancy zipper system, it is just an all around simple design and appeal. The reason for this is to make it more affordable.

I can really appreciate the simplicity because as a mom of 4 kids all under the age of 7, the last thing I need to worry about is an expensive mattress with fancy designs on it that my child won’t even notice or appreciate.

Construction & Composition

The Little Dreamer is composed of multiple layers to ensure that the baby or toddler is getting the proper amount of support and comfort. These layers include:

Non-toxic medical grade nylon fabric cover

The nylon fabric cover is what makes the mattress waterproof. If a baby or toddler were to have an accident on the mattress, all you would have to do is wipe it clean with a damp cloth.

Natural internal fire barrier

The natural internal fire barrier is halogen free and patent-pending. The material it is made from has been used in the healthcare industry for many years. It also exceeds all federal and state regulations. There are no chemicals, retardants, or other additives in the barrier. All of the Moonlight Slumber products are 16 CFR Part 1633 compliant.

Extra firm high density foam (infant side)

The infant side is made from an extra firm foam that allows the infant to be supported up until they are 9 months old, which is when it is recommended that the mattress is flipped to the toddler side. In this amount of time, that firm side will have given the baby the support needed to help roll over and push up on their hands and knees.

Firm high density foam (toddler side)

The toddler side is made with high density foam that is a little more plush than the infant side. This will help with the toddler’s comfort when it comes time for naps and sleeping through the night.

Some crib mattresses will be filled with foams and all kinds of fillers that really don’t do much for the actual support or comfort of the mattress, but the Little Dreamer is different. Each layer serves a purpose and is actually suppose to be in there.

Comfort

Here is my thought about the comfort of the child-If they aren’t comfortable, they aren’t going to sleep, which means that you will also be uncomfortable. Well, that is how it works in my house. My son is very picky about what he sleeps on and if he isn’t comfortable, he will scream and cry in his crib until I make him comfortable. So, what can the Little Dreamer do to heal alleviate this dilemma?

For the infant side, comfort may not be an issue as much as safety. If a baby is tired, they’re going to fall asleep just about anywhere. When my son was baby he would fall asleep in his jumperoo. I can’t see how that was comfortable for him since he was hunched over, but like I said, if they are tired enough, they’ll sleep anywhere. So, while not so much as being comfortable, but safe, the toddler side is a whole different story.

The toddler side has just enough give in the foam to help them feel comfortable while they are sleeping while still offering support. In my house, if my toddler is tired, they are going to scream and cry until they find a comfortable spot to sleep in. The toddler side definitely offers that comfort to the toddler.

Support

The Little Dreamer offers optimal support for both toddlers and babies. Even though it is dual sided, both sides still give the proper support that is needed. As I said above, the infant side is extra firm so that it can support the child while they are developing their skills such as standing, rolling, and crawling.

Since the baby is going to spend so much time in it, they need something that is going to stay flat and firm to try to reduce that risk for SIDS. If their mattress is too soft, there is always that chance of them turning their head and not being able to get their face out of the dip that was created by their head.

Although the toddler side is a little softer than the infant side, it is still going to give them the proper support that is needed for their growth and development.

The Two Finger Test

There is a standard test that all parents should know about called the two finger test. This test is part of the crib mattress safety standards. The reason they do this is because if there is a large enough gap in between your crib and the mattress, there is a chance that the baby could get a limb or their heads entrapped in that gap. This gap increases the suffocation and entrapment risk for babies.

So, when you get the crib mattress, this is what you are going to want to do. First, place your finger in between the mattress and the crib. If your finger can’t get in there, that’s absolutely wonderful. This means there is a nice, tight fit. If you can fit one finger, this is still okay, as well as two. But, if there are any more than two fingers in there, this is a suffocation risk and it fails the two finger test.

If this does happen, then you may not have a crib that is meant for the Little Dreamer. Here is the good news, Moonlight Slumber makes custom size crib mattresses! If you take a look at the picture, you can see that the Little Dreamer passes the two finger test in my 7 year old Delta crib.

Edge Support

Why is it that I talk about edge support on something that does not have an edge in a crib? Well, that’s a good question. The reason I do it is for safety. Yes, even though the mattress is surrounded by rails, it is still important that the edges are nice and solid. The reason for this is because if your mattress edges are soft and the baby rolls over to the edge and the mattress doesn’t quite fit snugly, what’s going to happen? Baby is going to get get wedged. We don’t want that do we?

Corners

Depending on what kind of crib you have, corners may become an issue. By this, I mean the corners of the mattress which can be square or rounded. Certain types of corners may create gaps in between the crib and the mattress. This could become a safety issue, which is something we don’t want.

So what kind of corners does the Little Dreamer have? Square. Personally, I like the square corners as long as they are not hard. The Little Dreamer has nice, soft corners that fit just the right way inside of the crib.

So, edge support is a safety issue for me when I test all of my mattresses. Fortunately, this one passed the edge support test. As you can see, my 3 year old has no issue sitting on the edge of this comfortably and without sliding off. This will come in handy when it is time to transition to a toddler bed.

When it comes time for it to be in a toddler bed, the edge support is helpful. The reason for this is because when the toddler is first learning their boundaries, they may fall off a few times. There is no stopping this unless you use a bed rail, but the edge support will help. If it is nice and firm, they won’t just slide off if they get too close.

Seams

Seams are something that I always check because if my son sees a loose seam, he is going to pull on it. There are so many times when I have caught my son pulling on threads that were hanging out of his blankets or pillow. Anyway, I check the seams on all of the mattresses I test and this one seemed to have tight seams.

The only thing I was not a huge fan of was the pinched seams on the top and bottom of the mattress. You can clearly see these seams and it appears that if my son were to notice them, he would try to pull on them. Granted, these should be used with a crib sheet, but there is always that chance that I will need to do a midnight sheet change.

Other than that, the seams are tight around the sides of the mattress. They are very tight to the fabric and cannot be easily pulled. Upon further investigation, I did not see any loose threads right out of the box.

Ease Of Transport

Imagine trying to take a 20 pound crib mattress out of the crib in the middle of the night because of an accident. As a parent or guardian, our sleep is important to us and the last thing we want to do is move a heavy mattress while half asleep.

You won’t need to worry about this with the Little Dreamer because it is super lightweight. This mattress is only 10 pounds and honestly, it doesn’t feel that heavy at all. I was able to move it around with ease to do all of my tests and I couldn’t believe how lightweight it was.

So, if you are looking for a crib mattress that is going to be easy to take out of the crib for sheet changes and cleaning, this is an ideal option for you.

How Does It Feel?

It honestly feels like a silky material and it is very thin which helps with breathability. I like the feel of it because it is very smooth and if my child were to have an accident and needs to sleep on the mattress without a sheet, I think that they would be very comfortable on it.

If a mattress feels scratchy or lumpy because of the design or material, I don’t think that a child would like to sleep on it, I know I wouldn’t. This is why I like the Little Dreamer. It has a smooth surface that feels silky and lightweight.

Bounce

If a crib mattress has too much bounce, do you think that a child is going to be able to sleep peacefully if every time the move, they bounce around? No, they aren’t. This is why I like to check the bounce of the mattresses. The Little Dreamer does not have much bounce to it, which is a nice feature. When my son tosses and turns, he doesn’t bounce around too much.

Now, while I do think that a lack of bounce is a good thing, it is also a good thing to have just a little bit of it. The reason being that if there isn’t some kind of bounciness, it’s probably as hard as a rock.

If you take a look at the video below, you can see for yourself that the Little Dreamer has a small amount of bounce, not enough to disturb a sleepy baby.

Heat Regulation Features

This is the only mattress I have encountered that does not have heat regulation features. Yes, it does protect against dust mites, is waterproof, and non-toxic, but how is it going to keep the baby’s temperature regulated to keep them from sweating?

I will say that the cover is very thin and could be breathable. But, is this going to be enough to keep baby cool?

Now, if you like the idea of the mattress but don’t like the fact that it may sleep hot, you could always opt for a cooling mattress pad for crib mattresses.

Heat Retention

Heat retention is a huge issue for my children because they all have a high sleeping body temperature and they tend to sweat, especially my baby. So, I do heat retention tests to show how long it takes for a mattress to cool down from around 130 degrees to around 98 degrees, which is average body temperature. So, how did the Little Dreamer do?

It took 22 seconds for the mattress to cool down. It isn’t the slowest I have tested so far but it also isn’t the quickest.

I can’t say for certain that a child wouldn’t overheat on the Little Dreamer, but if you have any concerns, refer back to that handy link I provided for a cooling mattress pad.

Odor

As expected, there was no odor to the Little Dreamer. I was assuming that it wouldn’t since it is made from 100% all natural, non-toxic materials. I have encountered mattresses that have smelled absolutely terrible and wouldn’t suggest anyone sleeping near it, but the same cannot be said for this one.
If it smells like anything, it is going to smell like a mix between a cardboard box and plastic from the packaging, but nothing to worry yourself over.

Feedback From Other Consumers (Parents & Caregivers)

Here is what some other parents & caregivers had to say about the Little Dreamer.

Construction & Composition

• Tight seams
• Thin fabric
• Well constructed

Comfort For Baby

• Comfortable
• Baby sleeps well

Water Resistant/Waterproof

• Easy to wipe clean
• Waterproof

Support

• Offers optimal support for babies
• May be too firm for toddlers
• No sagging complaints

Comfort For Toddler

• Has just enough give to be comfortable
• Not too hard

Breathability

• Not very breathable
• Complaints of babies/toddlers sweating

Is The Moonlight Slumber Little Dreamer The Right Fit For Your Baby/Toddler?

I cannot speak for everyone, but if you fall into one of these categories, the Little Dreamer may be an ideal fit.

Are you against toxins?

The Little Dreamer is free from all harmful toxins. It is eco-friendly and plant based. This also means that it is safe for the environment and indoor air quality.

Do you want to use it for many years?

Crib mattresses are expensive without a doubt. This is why dual sided mattresses are a great option for someone looking to save money throughout the years. The Little Dreamer can be used for many years, growing with your baby into the toddler years.

Do you like ease of movement?

The Little Dreamer is very lightweight which makes for easy crib sheet changes and washing. Nothing is worse than struggling with a heavy mattress in the middle of the night for a diaper explosion.

You might be interested in: How Long Are Crib Mattresses Good For?

Conclusion

If you are looking for a crib mattress that is affordable and safe, the Little Dreamer is it. It is definitely a nice mattress to have if you plan to use it for many years and want something that is going to keep your baby or toddler well supported. As I said earlier, this crib mattress is eco-friendly, plant based, hypoallergenic, and has an antimicrobial surface for a safer sleeping area.

For me, I am impressed by the price. It isn’t going to break my bank but it also cost enough for me to believe in the phrase “you get what you pay for”. I do recommend this for someone who is looking for a comfortable and safe dual sided crib mattress.

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