Australia is known for its striking beauty, remarkable natural wonders, and rich, ancient history. Its icons range from the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, and the Sydney Opera House to distinctive wildlife such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils, and even great white sharks.
But there is another area where Australia deserves far more recognition—infant sleep safety. In 2013, Australia introduced the world’s first baby mattress firmness standard, AS/NZ 8811.1:2013. This standard was designed to help ensure that if a baby rolls onto their stomach, the crib mattress remains firm enough to prevent the face from sinking in and restricting airflow—a critical factor in reducing the risk of infant suffocation. This practical safe sleep measure has since been adopted in countries around the world, including the United States.
A Groundbreaking New CO₂ Rebreathing Standard for Breathable Baby Mattresses
Over the past several years, Breathe Easy Baby has worked closely with safe sleep experts to help establish breathability guidelines for infant sleep products marketed as breathable in both the United States and Australia. This past Friday, May 22, 2026, Standards Australia approved the world’s first CO₂ Rebreathing Standard, AS 5407.3:2013.
This important milestone advances infant safe sleep by establishing a standardized method to measure CO₂ levels and strengthen product design requirements for breathable crib mattresses and other sleep surfaces. The goal is to help reduce CO₂ buildup—sometimes referred to as CO₂ “reservoirs”—in infant sleep products. These reservoirs can form when exhaled carbon dioxide becomes trapped around a baby’s face, creating a potentially hazardous sleep environment that increases the risk of CO₂ rebreathing.
Why This CO₂ Rebreathing Standard Matters for SIDS Prevention
CO₂ rebreathing occurs when a baby inhales air that has already been exhaled, leading to elevated levels of carbon dioxide around their nose and mouth. Research has identified CO₂ rebreathing as a contributing factor in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related infant deaths. Until now, there has been no standardized way to test whether a baby mattress marketed as “breathable” actually reduces CO₂ buildup around a sleeping infant’s face.
This new Australian standard changes that. For the first time, parents and caregivers can have confidence that infant sleep products marketed as breathable have been certified to provide a safer sleep environment for babies. It’s a meaningful step forward in safe sleep for babies and sets a new benchmark for the entire breathable baby mattress industry.
Breathe Easy Baby Breathable Crib Mattresses Meet the New Standard
We are proud to announce that our Breathe Easy Baby breathable crib mattresses comply with this new CO₂ Rebreathing Standard. Our suffocation-proof crib mattress is engineered to allow air to flow freely through the sleep surface, helping to prevent the dangerous buildup of CO₂ around a baby’s face. This is what sets Breathe Easy Baby apart: our mattresses don’t just claim to be breathable—they are tested, certified, and proven to support safer sleep for infants.
Every Breathe Easy Baby mattress is designed with a two-part breathable system featuring a removable, washable sleep surface and a sturdy mattress base—made in Detroit, USA. Our breathable baby mattress helps prevent CO₂ rebreathing, reduces airflow resistance, helps regulate a baby’s core body temperature to prevent overheating, and contains no harmful chemicals or toxic materials.
A Wake-Up Call for the U.S. Breathable Baby Mattress Industry
This standard should serve as a wake-up call for the U.S. breathable baby mattress industry. Not all mattresses marketed as “breathable” deliver the same level of protection. Leading brands such as Newton do not meet the new Australian CO₂ Rebreathing Standard. When it comes to your baby’s safety, the difference between a marketing claim and a certified breathable crib mattress can be significant.
As parents, caregivers, and child care centers look for the safest crib mattress for their little ones, it’s more important than ever to look beyond marketing language and choose products that are backed by rigorous, independent safety testing. At Breathe Easy Baby, safety isn’t a selling point—it’s our mission.
What This Means for Parents Choosing a Safe Sleep Mattress for Baby
For the first time, this new CO₂ Rebreathing Standard gives consumers real confidence that infant sleep products marketed as breathable have been certified to provide a safer sleep environment for babies. If you’re a new parent, an expectant parent, or a caregiver searching for the best breathable crib mattress to reduce the risk of SIDS and infant suffocation, look for products that meet this new standard—not just ones that use “breathable” on the label.
Your baby deserves to breathe easy—even face down. Shop our certified breathable crib mattresses at breatheeasybaby.com and give your family the peace of mind that comes with choosing the safest sleep for your baby.
