Stokke cot mattress named Which? Don't Buy due to risk of smothering

We're warning parents against buying or using the Stokke Home Bed cot mattress after a failure in one of our recent tests, which we believe makes this mattress a smothering risk, especially for babies under six months.

We've made it a Don't Buy and we're calling for it to be removed from sale and for the manufacturer to recall it.

We've asked the government's Office for Product Safety and Standards to immediately step in.

Why a risk of smothering?

A key part of our cot mattress tests, which became part of British Safety Standards in September 2017, investigates whether a mattress is firm enough to prevent your baby from being smothered if they roll onto their face while sleeping.

The Stokke Home Bed Mattress didn't pass this test at our lab and we are advising parents not to buy this mattress while the manufacturer investigates further.

The Stokke Home Bed Mattress passed safety standards in force when it first went on sale in 2015.

What is the Stokke Home Bed cot mattress?

The Stokke Home Bed Mattress is a medium-firm mattress designed to fit the unique-looking Stokke Home Bed. It's made from high-density PU foam and has a removable and washable cover.

We tested this cot mattress in three places to assess whether it's firm enough to stop your baby from being smothered if he or she is lying in a prone position. It failed twice, in two key areas, which indicates there's potential for a baby to suffocate if he or she rolls from back to front.

A newborn baby is unable to turn over by themselves, but from the age of 4-12 weeks a baby will begin to roll over in one direction, which increases the risk of smothering if they are unable to right themselves.

Read our Stokke Home Mattress review to find out more about this issue and what our tests uncovered.

Stokke's response to Which?

Stokke told us: 'The safety and wellbeing of the babies and children using our products is our number one priority and we take your concerns very seriously.

'While we meet mandatory safety requirements in UK with our mattress, we have still ordered an additional risk assessment by a third party.

'We can confirm thatStokke^u00aenever received any report of any injuries related tothis mattressor its' firmness on any of our crib designs.'

Stokke also said it would take immediate appropriate measures ifthe third-partyrisk assessment pointed to the cot mattress being hazardous.

If you've bought this mattress, read our advice which details your rights if there's a safety warning or product recall on an item you own.

Safe sleep advice

The UK's foremost organisation on baby safe sleeping,The Lullaby Trust, recommends the safest place for your baby to sleep is on a firm and flat mattress.

There must be no pillows, quilts, duvets or soft toys if your baby is under 12 months old. Instead, use cotton sheets, lightweight blankets, or alternatively a baby sleeping bag instead of bedding.

These are just a few of the steps parents can take to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS), which is a term used to classify any sudden and unexpected death of a baby 12 months of age or younger.

Read our baby bedding safety advice for more information about how to make sure your baby's cot is safe from hazards.

Sign up for our freeBirth Choice baby safety alerts plus expert advice and support for parents.

Research into SIDS

A case-control study conducted over 2.5 years in the US reported that a soft sleep surface (defined as the infant's head sinking one inch or more into the surface) led to a five-fold increase in the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

This same study showed that placing infants to sleep in the prone position may be especially dangerous when combined with unsafe sleep environments, such as a soft bedding surface, with the risk of SIDS increasing by 21 times.

You should always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, not on their front or side (unless your doctor advises otherwise). Your baby's feet need to be at the foot of the cot or cot bed, so he or she can't wriggle down under the covers and cover their face with them. If your baby rolls onto their tummy, you should turn them onto their back again.

Read our baby safe sleeping tips for more advice on the best way to put your baby down for a nap.

How Which? tests cot mattresses

Our cot mattress tests investigate the firmness of each cot mattress and how well it supports the body of a baby and a toddler, which we assess using a 12kg and a 20kg dummy. We use two heavy weights for the head and the bottom, which shows us whether a cot mattress will sag or be supportive.

Babies sleep a lot, so we check whether it's durable and will offer a good level of body support night after night, as your child grows bigger.

Find out more about how we test cot mattresses, and why it's important to opt for a cot mattress that is easy to clean and resistant to moisture.

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