What is the Lullaby Trust checklist for a second-hand cot mattress?

What do Lullaby Trust and NHS pages actually say about a used mattress?

Two Lullaby Trust pages — second-hand baby products and mattresses and bedding — use the same preference: buy a new mattress for each baby. The mattresses page adds that some research has found a higher SIDS risk with a second-hand mattress from outside the family home, "although the link hasn't been proven".

Kingston and Richmond NHS writes: "Where possible, use a new mattress for each baby. If this is not possible, use a second-hand mattress in good condition." Norfolk NHS tells people buying a second-hand crib, cot or pram to buy a new mattress that conforms to BS EN 16890 and to buy from smoke-free homes only. NCT cites the same outside-the-home point and adds that lending a mattress out and taking it back also sits in that research note.

MayTally does not write a SIDS verdict on a used mattress. The institutional line is a preference for new, plus a published fallback list if new is not possible. Official records / a fire label ≠ an all-clear.

How do I run the Lullaby Trust six-point mattress checklist?

If you need to use a second-hand mattress, the Lullaby Trust says it should meet all of the points below. Their second-hand-products page and their mattresses page use the same six lines.

1. 1
   Waterproof cover They ask for a well-fitting, 100% waterproof cover. Their clear-cot FAQ says a waterproof mattress or protector helps you wipe it clean. Kingston and Richmond NHS says to check that cover is clean and dry before you make the bed up.
2. 2
   No rips or tears Any split in the cover or the foam is a fail on their list. Do not tape over a rip and count the point as met.
3. 3
   No water damage They want the mattress "in good condition with no water damage". Staining that looks like a leak is part of this check, not a separate house rule.
4. 4
   Firm and flat No areas of sagging. Their mattresses page says a baby's head should sink no more than a few millimetres. Which? says the mattress should spring back when pressed.
5. 5
   No gaps It must fit the cot or Moses basket well, with no gaps. Which? separately publishes a 3cm maximum gap figure on its cot-bed page — measure; do not average the two wordings.
6. 6
   Fire-resistant label There must be a fire-resistant label on the mattress. Lullaby Trust also names the mattress standards BS 7177:2008+A1:2011 and, for cots, travel cots and cribs, BS EN 16890:2017+A1:2021.

Where is the fire label, and what are BS 7177 and BS EN 16890?

Turn the mattress over. The fire-resistant label is usually a sewn-in or stuck-on cloth tag on the underside or along a long edge. Photograph the whole tag, including any BS number. Lullaby Trust lists:

• Mattresses: BS 7177:2008+A1:2011
• Mattresses for cots, travel cots and cribs: BS EN 16890:2017+A1:2021

Which?'s second-hand-products news piece names a different mattress label set, including BS 1877-10:2011+A1:2012, and says "ideally" BS 7177:1996 and BS EN 16890:2017+A1:2021 as well. Those are Which?'s words, with an older BS 7177 year than the Lullaby Trust list. Copy what is on this tag. Do not treat a missing year as a pass because a magazine named a neighbour standard.

The Lullaby Trust repeats: there is no safety standard related to SIDS. A fire or firmness standard is still not a SIDS standard.

Is a mattress from my own home treated the same as one from a stranger?

Keep their distinction. Lullaby Trust's research sentence is about a second-hand mattress from outside the family home. They still "generally advise buying a new mattress for each baby" even when they discuss reuse. NCT says the outside-the-home point also applies if you lent the mattress to somebody else between babies.

A sibling mattress that never left your house is still asked to meet the six-point list if you are not buying new. A marketplace or car-boot mattress is the "outside the family home" case in their wording. This page does not turn that distinction into a yes/no SIDS score.

Does a new waterproof cover fix a tired mattress?

No UK page cited here says a new cover resets the mattress. Lullaby Trust wants the cover and no rips, no water damage, firm and flat, no gaps, and the fire label. A cover pulled over sagging foam fails the firm-and-flat line. A cover that leaves a ridge or a gap fails the fit line.

Their mattresses page also says the surface should be completely flat, with no raised or cushioned edges, and they do not advise pods, nests or a sheepskin on top of the sleep space.

What should I do with the list in front of a seller?

1. Ask whether the mattress ever left the family home, and whether it always had a waterproof cover on.
2. Photograph the fire-resistant label and any BS 7177 / BS EN 16890 string.
3. Press the centre and the corners. Sagging is a fail on the Lullaby Trust list.
4. Offer the mattress up to the cot or Moses basket you will actually use. A gap is a fail.
5. If any of the six lines fails, their published fallback does not apply — look at a new mattress, which is still their first line.

In shortIn short: quote Lullaby Trust, not a chat-bot yes/no. They prefer new. If that is not possible, they publish six checks, and they distinguish a mattress from outside the family home. A waterproof cover and a fire label are two lines on that list, not a substitute for the other four.