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Original poster

Are waterproof mattress covers necessary for toddlers - worried will be hot and sweaty

26 replies

33goingon64 · 21/05/2013 11:11

My inclination is for 100% cotton all the way but when DS starts potty training I expect a waterproof cover will be handy. Just worried he will get sweaty with the polyester and propylene. Or would a pampers mat under the sheet suffice (with a nice soft cotton mattress cover under as well of course). I did search for similar threads but not they weren't quite the same question.

OP posts:
buzzielizzie · 21/05/2013 11:40

You can get some mattress protectors with a polyurethane layer in the middle so it doesn't feel too "plasticky" and does not make a rustling sound when the child turns over. My experience is that you need to cover a decent area of the bed to protect against nighttime accidents so a pampers disposable mat might not give enough protection.

Cloverer · 21/05/2013 11:43

I have one (clevamama) I think that doesn't seem plasticky or sweaty.

Though saying that, we only had a few accidents in the first week or two, just used pampers bed mats during that period or if we stayed away overnight.

Original poster
33goingon64 · 21/05/2013 11:53

Great, thanks. Lizzie I don't suppose you know where you can get those?

OP posts:
lynniep · 21/05/2013 11:57

clevamamas are great. I get mine on amazon

lynniep · 21/05/2013 11:58

(thats for a single bed btw - you can get toddler bed size too)

DorisShutt · 21/05/2013 12:06

We have the hippychick one and it's brilliant.

Had previously had the bog standard Asda variety which made DS far too hot, but this one is absolutely fine, and tumble dries Smile

buzzielizzie · 21/05/2013 12:11

I have the Bibs and Stuff mattress protectors from Kiddicare but the clevamamas ones that other poster have referred to look very similar - and a good bargain, too!

HappyAsEyeAm · 21/05/2013 12:11

These www.boots.com/en/Mother-Baby/Nursery/Baby-Bedding/Baby-mattress-protectors/ are absolutely fantastic.

I got mine in Boots as part of an offer, but I'm sure you can get them other places. They don't rustle at all, are very soft, and they wash and (very importantly!) tumble dry. Mine haven't shrunk at all (one of the reviewers on the Boots website said that hers did) and mine as as new despite countless washes. They don't move around the bed at all either. I put them under the fitted sheet.

I would 100% recommend. You can buy cot bed and single bed size. Basically you only need them to be in the part of the bed that is underneath the child's bottom.

HappyAsEyeAm · 21/05/2013 12:12

Cross post with buzzie - I think we're recommending the same item.

idlevice · 21/05/2013 12:54

Brollysheets are all cotton but the weave makes them totally waterproof. We have them as large pads with bits on the side you can tuck in like a normal flat sheet. They go over the normal sheet so if there is an accident you can just whip it off & replace with another, no full change needed. The one time my DS did have an accident it absorbed all the wee so well he didn't feel wet & didn't wake up til morning (not sure if that's actually a good thing tho...). As they are not full-size bedding we take them when we stay away from home. I really rate them.

wonkylegs · 21/05/2013 15:08

I think it depends on the child as to whether or not you need it just under their bottom. Mines a wriggler and does full 360s in bed so a full cover is needed.

Original poster
33goingon64 · 21/05/2013 16:16

Wow thanks all. Will definitely look into these suggestions.

OP posts:
Rooble · 21/05/2013 16:25

John Lewis have rubber(?)-backed towelling fitted undersheets which are excellent. Even though DS is several years past potty-training I still use them to protect the mattress against the occasional projectile vomit that occurs...
Definitely not sweaty!

GenericDietCola · 21/05/2013 19:28

I just put a bath towel folded in half between the mattress protector and bottom sheet. Having said that, DD has only wet the bed once anyway.

Fresh01 · 21/05/2013 19:58

Another vote for the hippychick mats. We have them double layered on the bed so mat, sheet, mat then sheet. Means if bed gets wet in the night you can remove top layers without remaking bed in night. I have had 2 that have night trained with only a few accidents each and another one who at 5.5 can't do more than 3 dry nights a week. So we needed a wash/dry option rather than disposable.

Princesspond · 21/05/2013 20:16

Another vote for Brolly sheets they sell good non-rustle waterproof bedding. Also bed mats with tuck in wings (to hold it in place) in plain or gingham that are useful, if DC has an accident it will absorb it all and just goes in the wash.

OnFoot · 21/05/2013 20:30

We have the hippychick fitted sheets. DS is all over the bed and a pad would never cover enough. I find them invaluable for both wee and vomit.

Pumpkinette · 21/05/2013 23:46

At the first stage of potty training I used the disposable pads over a waterproof matress cover.. Of course being a cheapskate I didn't use the expensive pampers or Huggies pads. I got some puppy training pads from b&m. They done the same job for less than half the price.

schooldidi · 21/05/2013 23:49

I kept dd2 in nappies overnight until her nappies were reliably dry in the morning. Then we took her out of the nappies and she's never had an accident overnight. So we've never had a waterproof cover, although I acknowledge that we probably should have and we're just rather lucky that dd2 was ready for that step quite quickly.

imip · 22/05/2013 09:23

We have those nice boots ones above.

I've found that I have needed a full mattress cover as one of my daughters tends to sleep against the wall. Even with these she somehow twists the mattress protector so that she still manages to wet the bed. Sad I have 4 dds six and under so we are still massively in the 'zone' for bed wetting. Although two of them are brilliant at nighttime, I'd still recommend the whole covers rather than a pad as it has saved us a lot from vomiting (tummy bug x 4) and even the occasional cup of tea Blush.

plipplops · 25/05/2013 20:53

Just wanted to share my top tip - I make up DDs bed with a waterproof bottom layer (from Dunelm but cottony), then a disposable mat, sheet, then another disposable mat and sheet. If she wets the bed I just whip off the top sheet and mat, chuck a fresh duvet over her and she's back asleep in 2 minutes :)

Obviously the two times she's moved off the mat and weed over the whole lot I've not felt so proud of myselfHmm

lodo · 26/05/2013 19:03

I would really recommend these: www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-quilted-waterproof-mattress-protectors/p119947

My boys sometimes come into our bed and when we got ourselves a new (super kingsize!!- yeah!) bed last year, I felt I couldn't risk an "accident" on our new mattress. Yes, it is expensive but it works and honestly I can say I wouldn't know it was there if I handt put it on the bed myself - absolutely no crinkly, or anything.

Discolite · 27/05/2013 18:04

I'd second the Dunelm mill waterproof mattress protectors. I got one for my bed as I was worried about the mattress if my waters broke in bed! (They did but not in a big gush thankfully). It doesn't rustle and I haven't taken it off as I prefer it with it on.

PigletJohn · 27/05/2013 22:30

the bedmats are really good. As well as Pampers, you can get an unbranded variety (presumably sold to hospitals) from mail-order Care Supplies dealers, in quite big packs, much cheaper. Look out for ones with "wings" to tuck under the mattress.

you can also put a big towel or acrylic blanket over the mattress cover to avoid the sticky/sweaty problem, and easy to cool-wash.