It can be difficult to comprehend why children require high-quality mattresses Shop the best value twin size mattress for your kid’s bedroom or guestrooms when we consider the strange places and cramped positions in which we have all witnessed children fall asleep, only to awaken as fresh as daisies before 6 in the morning. Even though they don’t often wake up with back pain or insomnia like adults do, they need to sleep for about half of their lives (ideally) for their physical health, good behavior, and ability to think clearly in school. As a result, we put dozens of mattresses through their paces at home with our own children to select the best ones to share with you.
Of course, there is no one best mattress for kids of any age or size. Hard mattresses should be fitted into bassinets and cribs for newborns and older children to ensure a safe SweetNight sleep. To get through the years of potty training, toddlers can have slightly softer crib mattresses, but they should be as waterproof and/or washable as possible. Larger children still have accidents at night, so you might not want to spend a lot of money on a high-end mattress just yet. Then, as they become tweens and teens, they begin to express their preferences regarding the degree of firmness or softness they prefer, and some of them may be getting too tall for their standard twin-size beds.
Nilong Vyas, M.D., a pediatrician at Sleepless in NOLA and medical review expert for the Sleep Foundation, tells Parents, “The mattress firmness shouldn’t influence a good night’s sleep if children have good sleep habits and know how to sleep independently.” However, if an older child complains about the mattress’s comfort, a different mattress should be considered.
We selected options with varying degrees of firmness and softness after taking into account all of the aforementioned sleep stages. In addition, we discovered the best bunk beds and trundle beds, options for people who like to sleep hot, and even a mattress that can be inflated in a pinch. We are confident that you will find the best mattress for your child among the ones we have selected after questioning our children about how they slept and sometimes even crashing on their beds ourselves.
Which kind of mattress is ideal for children?
Bed for a Crib: According to the most recent safe sleep guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, infants should only sleep on flat, hard surfaces designed specifically for babies.1 If a crib mattress is intended for both infants and toddlers, the toddler side may be softer or more waterproof than the infant side. Before using the mattress, make sure you read all of the safety instructions. Shop the best full size mattress for single sleepers at a fair price.
Innerspring: Innerspring mattresses are a safe choice for kids who have graduated to full-size mattresses because they provide the best support to prevent them from sinking. Whether your child is sleeping or jumping on their bed, traditional innersprings are extremely durable thanks to their interconnected coil onstruction.
Pocket coils or coils encased: Although this term refers to coils that are individually wrapped in materials, it is sometimes used interchangeably with innerspring mattresses. Because of this, they are able to move independently of the other coils, which could theoretically provide more support and less movement that isn’t needed.
Foam: Because they are portable, quieter than innerspring mattresses, comfortable, and typically less expensive than other models, foam mattresses are an excellent choice for children. Mattresses made of memory foam can provide relief from pressure for older children.
Hybrid: Layers of foam and coil systems are combined in hybrid mattresses. Despite being significantly more expensive than all-foam or innerspring mattresses, these are becoming increasingly popular due to their reputation for being supportive and comfortable.
Overall Best (Foam): We like Nod by Tuft & Needle because: With a 100-day trial and a very low price, you can get supportive, breathable foam for any size bed.
But keep in mind: The cover cannot be machine washed, and there is not much edge support for adults
Even for children, mattresses are such a subjective subject that it is difficult for us to recommend one that is absolutely ideal for all sleepers. Still, in our real-world testing, the Nod, an Amazon exclusive mattress from Tuft & Needle, performed the best among all-foam mattresses. It ticks a lot of boxes, especially in terms of value for a mattress that will be used by a young child for a long time.
How we rested: The most crucial of all: Our editor’s 10-year-old daughter said she doesn’t want to get out of bed once she’s on this mattress, and her mother said she really noticed her falling asleep faster and staying in bed for longer with it, even after testing it for months. She even made the choice to sleep in her top bunk over the full-sized bottom bunk on a mattress that was the size of a twin.
How a mattress is made: The Nod is more of a medium-firm mattress, despite our young sleeper praising its softness. There are two foam layers in this: a “comfort” top layer that is softer and allows for more airflow in addition to a supportive, dense bottom layer. The Nod mattress’s top layer does not have fancy “cooling gel” or graphite like the original Tuft & Needle mattress, but we still think it is airy enough for hot sleepers and conforms to their bodies without restricting them. Compared to many other mattresses of a similar quality, the one we tested is 8 inches thick, which is more than enough to accommodate a child or smaller adult. If you need something thinner for a top bunk or trundle bed, it also comes in a 6-inch size. We are aware that adult sleepers complain about the Nod’s lack of edge support, but we did not experience any issues for a child’s body in that area. The mattress has a cover made of polyester that can be removed and is only spot-cleanable, so if you have young children, you might want to get a waterproof cover for it.
Setup: We discovered that the Nod expands to its full size within 24 hours of being received as a bed in a box. When we opened it, there was no odor that stood out to us.
Value: For the price, The Nod really stands out from the competition. If parents are purchasing a mattress for their child’s first “big kid” bed, the fact that it is not quite as high-tech as some of the other mattresses available is perfectly acceptable. You won’t regret spending the money on this one if, in a few years, they decide they need a bigger bed or a mattress that is softer or firmer.