Best Kids' Mattresses (April 2024) - Rated by CherryPicks' Experts

What to Consider Before Buying the Best Kids Mattress

You kid can only get the ideal amount of sleep if and only if you choose a mattress that meets his or her needs. You need a mattress that you can trust with your child’s growing spinal column and physical and mental growth.

Here are the most important things we urge you to consider:

Age

Age is a very important consideration. Boys mostly experience growth spurts from the ages of ten to fifteen, while girls undergo major growth changes from the ages of eight to thirteen. If your kid is approaching an age of significant growth, then you should opt for a longer mattress.

Alternatively, you can consider a smaller mattress to cut down on cost. However, you should plan to make the necessary upgrades when your child outgrows the cheaper mattress. In most cases, this is not a reliable choice for parents on a budget because it ends up costing more over time.

Size

Once you have considered your child’s age, the next important factor to consider is size. Your child is growing, and there will come a time when he or she will grow too big for the mattress. Therefore, you may want to settle for a mattress that is more spacious.

You have three amazing choices as far as your child’s mattress size is concerned: Twin, Twin XL, and Full. These three sizes can comfortably accommodate your kid during his or her growing years, and save you a significant amount of money in the long run.

The twin size is the most popular choice for kids, and normally the most cost-effective option. A standard twin mattress measures 39 by 75 inches. This is a good choice for lighter and smaller kids, especially middle school children. It is also the ideal choice for tight spaces and bunk beds.

The twin XL is a less popular choice, but a great one for fast growing kids. It is 5 inches longer than a standard twin bed. This is an outstanding choice for taller kids. It does also save on space over a full-sized mattress. When compared to the twin, the twin XL is a better investment.

If your child’s room has adequate space, you should consider a full or double mattress. It measures the same length as twin size, but it is 15 inches wider than a twin or a twin XL. This option allows enough room for your child to grow, but may not be ideal for taller kids. If you have plenty of room and you expect your child to be tall, consider a queen mattress.

Support

Support is a key buying point when shopping for the best mattress for your child. Normally, support indicates how well a given mattress can maintain an even, flat sleeping surface to allow for proper spinal alignment and bone health for your child.

A growing child requires optimal support, especially around his or her spine.  We strongly advise you to settle for a mattress that will provide unquestionable support. Mark you, a too soft or too firm bed is unsupportive for most kids. 

In this case, the best mattress is one that features comfort zones that match your child’s body shape and promote restful, therapeutic sleep.

You need to choose a mattress that holds your child’s body in a neutral posture and redistributes pressure during sleep. Bones that have too much pressure on them don’t grow as much.

Sleeping Positions

Kids who sleep mostly on their backs are less restricted as far as choosing a mattress firmness is concerned.  Luxury firmness may be ideal for their growing spinal column. Side sleepers may be most comfortable on relatively soft mattresses. 

A firmer bed may not be the best choice for side sleeping children, since it does not provide the ideal sinkage for proper contouring and alignment. On the other hand, a medium firm to firm mattress may be ideal for stomach sleepers

Materials

As a parent, you have to consider an organic mattress for your kid. Healthy sleep is critical for your kid’s wellbeing. Kids sleep a lot, so they come into direct contact with mattress materials for many hours each day.

Therefore, the mattress materials should be organic, non-toxic, and safe. The developing toxin elimination systems and fragile organs of your child are susceptible to the toxins released by unsafe mattress materials.

When sleeping, your kid’s body strives to recuperate from stress and toxin accumulation from his or her day. The body attempts to get rid of toxins and regenerate body cells. Therefore, introducing more toxins during his or her sleep may interfere with these processes.

The best mattress materials should not release harmful chemicals, such as flame retardants, phthalates, VOCs, polyurethane, or any other fumes.  You can ensure that the foam mattress you are buying for your kid is safe by buying OKEO-TEC® Standard 100, Class 1 mattresses which is the requirement for beds for babies and toddlers. You will also want to look for CertiPUR-US certified models if it is not 100% organic latex .

Firmness

The mattress market is filled with different firmness choices, from very soft to very firm. Every child has a different firmness preference. Although, the most popular firmness option is medium firm.

As a parent, you should know that kids who weigh less than one hundred pounds tend to favor soft to medium firmness, while heavier kids normally prefer beds that have a firmness setting of medium to firm

Generally, children need a firmness that promotes proper postural alignment. A bed that is too soft might cause improper spinal alignment, causing back and posture problems. Therefore, the ideal choice should be cushion firm or medium firm.

The bed has to be firm and supportive, but with adequate cushioning for comfort. You should also know that proper postural alignment is not mainly determined by the firmness, you also need to choose a bed that will distribute the weight of your child evenly.

As your kid grows, he or she may start to favor a softer mattress. In our opinion, we advise you to start with a firm and supportive mattress. You can buy a soft topper for the bed as your kid grows older. You can easily make a firm bed softer, but not the other way around.

Anti-bounce

Are you concerned about your kid bouncing on his or her bed? Are you worried he or she is going to get hurt? If you are, then you need to select a kids mattress made of latex and/or foam with soft to medium firmness. Also, the bed should not be made of spring components. Innerspring mattresses have enough bounce to tempt your child to use them like a trampoline which poses dangers to your child and the mattress.

Sleeping Hot

Sleeping hot is a major concern when dealing with some polyfoam and memory foam mattress although many new styles sleep cool. However, innersprings and hybrids with thick foam layers may also sleep hot. Temperature neutrality is a very important consideration, especially for children who are hot sleepers.

Consider a kids mattress that has superior cooling properties. The best mattress for kids is one that sleeps cool by integrating unique cooling technologies for better airflow and breathability, such as gel-infused (or copper-infused) foam and open-cell structure.

Off-Gassing

This refers to the harmful odors released by mattresses made of synthetic materials, including PVS and vinyl. You don’t want this in a kids mattress. In most cases, off-gassing is easily detected during unboxing. However, there are some situations when off-gassing may go unnoticed, especially when it occurs in minute amounts.

 Some off-gassing may be safe after the mattress is exposed to fresh air after a day or two. However, exposure to some off-gassing has been associated with skin irritations, headaches, forgetfulness, asthma attacks, allergic reactions, dizziness, coughing, and fatigue. . 

With that said, there is absolutely no reason for you to risk the health of your child. Instead, you should consider buying a kids mattress that is made of materials that are CertiPUR-US certified, made purely of green materials. For added assurance with mattresses that aren’t made from latex and organic ingredients, look for an OKEO-TEX® Standard 100, Class 1 certification

Editor's Picks

Nectar is not the most expensive kids’ mattress in our listing, but we believe it ticks the most boxes for kids who are transitioning from a crib or a toddler bed. Its premium foam materials provide superior contouring, conformance, and support for growing children.

If your child sleeps hot most of the time, then you should settle for the Nectar mattress. It is the best gel memory foam kids mattress in our collection. Our best innerspring bed for superior spinal alignment is the Saatva mattress, which also offers three firmness levels to suit a variety of preferences.

Round Up of the Best Kids' Mattresses (Verified to Buy)

• 1. Bestmart 30D Foam Soft Mattress for Children House Frame Bed,...
• 2. Naturepedic 2-in-1 Organic Kids Mattress, Natural Mattress with Quilted Top...
• 3. Linenspa 6 Inch Innerspring Twin Mattress with Foam Layer -...
• 4. Ashley Furniture Signature Design - iKidz Children's Mattress and Pillow...
• 5. Memory Foam Mattress for Kids Toddler Bed and Baby Crib
• 6. MLILY Twin Mattress for Kids, Memory Foam Bunk Bed Mattress...
• 7. Linenspa 5 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress, Firm Mattress, Low...
• 8. Signature Design by Ashley iKidz 7 Inch Firm Memory Foam...
• 9. Lucid 6 Inch Twin Mattress - Firm Gel Memory Foam...
• 10. Sealy 8" Firm Adaptive Memory Foam Mattress with CopperChill Technology,...

Top 10 Kids' Mattresses Brands on Amazon

Here is the list of top-rated brands that were evaluated by CherryPicks.

• Bestmart
• Naturepedic
• Linenspa
• Signature Design by Ashley
• Bold Tones
• MLILY
• LUCID
• Sealy
• Avenco
• Novilla

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