How do I choose the best toddler mattress?
When choosing the best toddler mattress for your child you’ll need to consider safety, support, durability and the materials the mattress is made from, as well as keeping your child’s comfort in mind. Here's what you need to look out for:
Firmness: For toddlers, always choose medium-firm to firm mattress to support spinal alignment.
Materials: Look for non-toxic and hypoallergenic materials.
Breathability: A breathable cover or core helps regulate temperature and reduces the risk of overheating.
Thickness: An ideal mattress thickness for toddlers is around 10cm – thick enough for comfort but low enough for safety on toddler beds. If you’re transitioning to a larger bed, you may want something a little thicker, but not too plush. If you are shopping for a bunk bed or high sleeper the mattress will need to be thinner, so that your child doesn't roll over the safety barrier and out of bed.
Size: Most toddler mattresses are cot bed size (70 x 140cm), but you may prefer a single bed mattress (90 x 190cm) or a European single mattress (90 x 200cm).
Waterproofing and cleaning: Toddlers are prone to accidents, drink spills and all sorts of nighttime disasters. Look for mattresses with a removable, washable cover or buy a separate waterproof protector.
Durability: If you want a mattress that lasts, choose one with strong edge support and quality springs, or a strong, springy core.
What type of mattress is best for toddlers?
Just like adult mattresses, there’s a wide range of mattress types available for toddlers and children, each offering different benefits. These include:
Foam
These mattresses are typically the lightest and most affordable.While high-quality foam can offer decent support, cheaper versions may wear out more quickly. Some foam mattresses, particularly those containing fire retardants or other chemicals, can pose a risk to young children due to their developing bodies being more susceptible to harmful effects, so always check the mattress is chemical-free.
Memory foam mattresses are not recommended for toddlers as they do not provide the required support and can retain heat and pose a suffocation risk for very young children.
Open coil
This is where the springs are interconnected and run up and down the mattress to form a Bonnell spring unit. This structure can help distribute body weight across the mattress evenly while providing support and firmness. While this type of mattress is often cheaper than pocket spring or memory foam mattresses, the nature of the interconnected springs can make the whole mattress shift under movement and can squeak after a while, so not always ideal if your toddler is a wriggly sleeper. On the plus side, open coil mattress are often lightweight, breathable and offer a good level of firmness.
Pocket spring
This type of mattress typically has each spring individually wrapped in fabric, meaning each one can move independently, allowing the mattress to respond more precisely to pressure so it's less likely to shift as a whole when your toddler tosses and turns. While this can offer more targeted support to a toddler's developing body, pocket spring mattresses are usually heavier than open coil and foam mattresses so can be more tricky to maneouvre. Pocket spring mattresses offer a good balance between firmness and softness and are generally good for breathability, but tend to be more expensive than open coil and basic foam. Pocket spring mattresses are often recommended for toddlers because they provide more even support, adapt to movement and tend to hold their shape better over time. They’re especially good for growing children who need consistent spinal support.
Natural spring mattress
These are mattresses which use either pocket spring or open coil springs combined with natural, eco-friendly core materials such as latex, wool, bamboo or coconut coir. These mattresses are often marketed as naturally hypo-allergenic, chemical-free and sustainable. They're a good choice for toddlers who suffer with allergies or hayfever due to their natural anti-allergy properties, and tend to offer a good level of firm support for growing children. On the other hand, they tend to be quite heavy and more expensive than their foam or open coil counterparts and it's worth making sure the firmness has been designed with a toddler in mind as some natural mattresses designed for adults can be too soft for a growing toddler.
Hybrid mattress
Hybrid mattresses tend to combine one or two of the above types, typically its spring type and its foam layer. These can offer the support of a spring mattress with the contouring or pressure relief properties of foam or latex. While combining pocket springs and foam can help reduce movement of the mattress as a whole if your toddler tends to toss and turn, most hybrid mattresses are designed for adults and may be too soft to adequately support a growing toddler's body.
Ultimately, the best toddler mattress for you depends on your budget, how long you plan to use the mattress and your child’s specific needs.
What mattress firmness is best for toddlers?
Toddlers need a firm to medium-firm mattress to support their growing bones and keep their spine aligned. Softer mattresses can also pose a suffocation risk, especially for younger toddlers or babies transitioning from cots. The Lullaby Trust states, “The safest mattresses are firm, flat and protected by a waterproof cover. They should be completely flat with no raised or cushioned edges or sides.”
A cot bed mattress that's firm on one side for babies and medium-firm on the other for toddlers is ideal for transitioning.
When should I start using a toddler mattress?
You should start using a toddler mattress when your child transitions from a cot to a cot bed or a single bed. This is typically between 18 months and 4 years old, but it depends on your child’s size, development and their sleep habits and preferences too.
If you have a cot that transforms into a toddler bed, the mattress will be the same size – 70 x 140cm, also known as 'cot bed size' – in which case, a dual-sided mattress with different firmness levels could be ideal to transition from baby to toddler.
If your child is moving up from a traditional cot into a new bed, they will be going from a smaller 120 x 60cm cot mattress to either a cot bed mattress (70 x 140cm), a single mattress (190 x 90cm), or a European single (200 x 90cm). Always measure carefully to ensure there are no gaps between the mattress and the bed frame.
What is the best mattress for a toddler bed?
For a supportive toddler mattress that will go the distance, the Katy Superior Deluxe Spring Cot Bed-Junior Bed Sprung Mattress offers a lot of impressive functionality at an incredibly reasonable price.
If you prefer natural fibres and fabrics for your little one, the Naturalmat Coco Mat and The Little Green Sheep Twist Cot Bed Mattress are both fantastic options too.
If you’re shopping for a cot bed mattress that can be used for both babies and then toddlers, the dual-sided functionality of The Little Green Sheep Twist Cot Bed Mattress and the Mamas & Papas Premium Dual Core+ Cotbed Mattress offers longevity and a reassuringly safe night’s sleep.
How we chose the best toddler mattress
Mattresses are a big investment and even budget models don’t come cheap so we wanted to be sure that the ones we recommended came with real-life recommendations.
We went to the Mumsnet forums in the first instance to find out which brands and models Mumsnetters rated most highly. We then cross-referenced that list with the mattresses that had won industry awards and accolades.
After that, we created a shortlist of those that made it onto both lists, and scoured the internet for verified customer reviews to tell us more about each one. Using those, we whittled our choice down to our top eight, which we think offers something for every little sleeper.
About the author
Clemmie Millbank is a freelance writer specialising in parenting and women’s lifestyle. She is a mum to two boys and together they have tested hundreds of kids’ products and gadgets including everything from mud kitchens and paddling pools to changing bags and mattresses.
Her work has been published in The Independent, The Evening Standard, Stylist and MadeForMums.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.