Read MNers reviews of Little Big Dreams children’s mattresses

[JustineBMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the 60 Mumsnetters who tested mattresses from the Little Big Dreams range with their 5-15 year olds. Each tester was given one of the below mattress to test with their children:

Moon Chaser (Traditional Spring) - The traditional spring mattress gives fantastic support with the advantage of an anti-allergy fabric treatment for a healthy night’s sleep, and helps to keep your child dreaming for longer. This mattress has a medium comfort.

Star Gazer (Foam) - The foam mattress has a removable, washable top panel to ensure your child always has a hygienic sleeping environment. The mattress has a water repellent layer underneath the removable panel to keep the mattress clean and ensures a hygienic sleeping environment for your child at all times.This mattress has a firm comfort.

Dream Catcher (Pocket Spring) - The pocket spring mattress provides outstanding support for the developing child. The mattress has a luxurious cover with both anti allergy and heat regulating treatments to make sure your child sleeps well every night. The top panel is removable and washable, with a handy waterproof layer underneath, keeping the mattress clean and fresh for its entire lifetime. This mattress has a medium firm comfort.

Here’s what Dreams has to say: ‘’We are delighted to be working with Mumsnetters on the launch of our new children’s mattresses, Little Big Dreams. The brand encompasses everything that is needed to give children the best nights sleep, after all a good night's sleep is the best sleep of all.’’

Tester’s please answer the following questions:

First impression questions:

1. Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why?
2. What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress?
3. What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child?

Final review questions:

1. Overall how satisfied were you and your child with the mattress?
2. Has the mattress improved the quality of your child’s sleep? If so, how?
3. After testing the mattress what did you think about the quality?
4. What were your and your child’s favourite features of the mattress?
5. Would you recommend the Little Big Dreams mattress range to friends looking at purchasing a mattress for their child? If so, why?

All testers who leave their feedback on this thread and fill in the feedback survey will be entered into a prize draw where one tester will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why?

We were allocated the Moon Chaser mattress. I probably wouldn't have chosen that one myself if I'd purchased a mattress.

What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress?

The mattress was quite light so it was easy to carry upstairs. I liked the look of it although I know that doesn't really matter.

What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child?
Comfort first of all. Then something that is easy to keep clean - the removable cover appealed! My son rarely has accidents but on the odd occasion it does happen I like to be able to clean up thoroughly.

We chose the dream catcher pocket sprung mattress for my growing active teen as we thought this would provide the level of comfort and support she was after. She hasn't yet quite caught on to sleeping in and I was hoping a more comfortable mattress than our admittedly cheap ikea one might help stay in bed longer at the weekends.

Our first impressions were that the mattress looked quite luxurious. The removable cover is soft to the touch. To lie on, it was immediately very comfortable and not too firm which is exactly what's we wanted. It had slightly more depth than I was expecting. 2-3 weeks on the teen is loving it and as the summer holidays start is looking forward to lying in on a regular basis.

The most important thing if we're buying a mattress would be to get the right physical support for a growing child.

Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why?
I was assigned the Star Gazer mattress it was not the one I had chosen (dream catcher) as i usually buy spring mattresses but really don't mind

What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress?
I really liked the removable , washable cover .DD is 13 so is just finding make up & occasionally has period accidents so I liked the fact if anything gets dropped/marks the bed I can just zip off the outer cover and pop it in the machine.
DD loves her new mattress , she had been nagging me for a while to buy her a new one she says its very comfy and she likes to lounge in bed at the weekend now

What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child?
I look for comfort and support so Dd gets a good nights sleep. She is a fussy teen so it really must be comfy or im sure she would have let me know by now.

We chose the Star Gazer mattress as the removable cover really appealed. Would’ve liked one like this when my dc were younger.

First impressions of the mattress were tarnished by the fact that prior to delivery someone had cut through the plastic packaging which had in turn cut a hole in the mattress. Overall though the look of the mattress was appealing - the purple and grey makes a refreshing change. My daughter (9) was slightly underwhelmed as it was thinner than the mattress her sister had recently been bought but otherwise no complaints! It seems very comfortable - I admit I fell fast asleep the first time I lay on it!

I look for comfort and value for money when purchasing a new mattress.

Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why?
Phone's broken - will upload a photo asap though. It's a Star Gazer; I chose it for the removable cover and the fact that it is water repellent (also handy for the bowls of cereal that get sneaked upstairs ). Although my child is a teenager, he sometimes still wets the bed so I felt this would be ideal for him to try. Also, because of the bedwetting, his last few mattresses have been cheap as we can't afford to constantly replace.

What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress? DS1 loved the simplicity of the purple and grey - he felt it was quite grown up in that respect. He said it's incredibly comfortable. We've had it about a month now and he hasn't wet the bed once, so can't review the cover quite yet, but happy with that! He's sleeping well on it.

What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child?
As above, for DS1 it's been cost. We've been through a lot of waterproof sheets and mattresses. We prefer not to have memory foam - DH and I have this and there are big dents in the mattress, especially the edges where I sit to eg pull on tights. But for DS2 we looked for firmness, thickness and cost was an element, although we replace his mattresses much more rarely than DS1.

First impression questions:
Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why? I was assigned the moon chaser , I was happy with this though as liked the idea of the anti allergy treatment as my daughter is prone to being affected by dust etc and she’s been suffering with her hay fever.
What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress? It felt like there was plenty of give it had a feel of quality about it. My daughter was really excited and couldn’t wait to get to bed the first night for a change !
What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child? It obviously needs to be comfortable , I’d go for spring she moves around a fair amount and I think this mattress allows for this better. A long life without sagging, allergy resistant would be my top things

We were given the moon chaser as i wanted the one that would fit well on his mid sleeper bed.

Our first impressions were quite negative as the delivery company threw it over the back fence and ripped a hole in the protective packaging in the process. However the mattress itself was fine and seemed good quality in great condition. It was a bit heavier than I was expecting.
My son's first impression was utter joy as it meant he could finally move our of his toddler bed which he'sI'd massively outgrown. I look for a mattress that is good quality with safety testing certificates as I'm constantly panicking that he will leave his reading light on and set fire to the bed!

We have the dream catcher because I prefer pocket spring, and 'medium firm' sounded perfect. I didn't want something too firm or too soft.
We love the mattress! It is the perfect firmness and I actually find it more comfortable than mine. The removable cover and waterproof layer are so practical, especially as my kids managed to spill fruit compote on it only a few days after it arrived. It's also quite lightweight so easy to move around.
Comfort is the most important thing for me, but something cleanable is essential with kids (and in parents' beds too actually!). I previously had a child's mattress with a similar waterproof layer, but no cover on top, and it felt cold and much less comfortable. The removable cover is a great idea.

First impression questions:
Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why?

Here's ours. Sorry for the rubbish photo but I forgot to take one when we first unwrapped it. We chose the dream catcher as my child is ten and it seemed a more grown up mattress compared to the two others.

What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress?

First impressions from me were that it looked quality compared with what he had.

First impressions from him were pure excitement (easily pleased 😃) and couldn't wait to go to bed that night (bonus!).

What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child?

The most important thing when he was young was waterproof but now he's older that doesn't apply. Most important thing now is that he find it comfortable which he already has confirmed that he does. Win win.

Please share a photo of your child’s new matteress explaining which matteress you choose for your child and why ?

We choose the Dream Catcher, which I thought was ideal given that we are just about to stop using pull ups overnight. I wanted a matteress that was going to remain in good shape after a few months of accidents with its waterproof layer this was an ideal choice.

What were yours and your child’s first impressions of the matteress?

I was initially concerned that the material was of poor quality but on closer inspection it was lovely and soft and really easy to keep clean. The top foam layer was super comfy my daughter said it felt like sleeping on a cloud. The wash proof layer is a great idea to ensure the matteress has a long life , my daughter also really liked the purple trim and child friendly design, it looks inviting for a child and is a good quality matteress.

What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a new matteress for your child?

Comfort, so soft layer but it also needs to offer ongoing support for physically developing and always busy child. From a practical perspective for my daughters current age group I would also seek the extras offered around being easy to clean and maintain.

First impression questions:
Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why?
The mattress I received was a star gazer foam mattress I think I was late being assigned one and this is what I was given.

What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress?
My son was over the moon to have a new mattress, he had his brother's old hand-me-down prior to this.
He was very excited to try it out on the first night! When we unwrapped it and he laid on it on the ground he said it was hard. But I like it!
What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child?
The most important thing I look for is comfort, and if money was no object then that would be all I'd worry about, but cost unfortunately does come into it.
All testers who leave their feedback on this thread and fill in the feedback survey will be entered into a prize draw where one tester will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

First impression questions:
Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why?
I don’t remember choosing a mattress, I think I was assigned the star gazer.
What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress?
My first impression was that it was extremely light and thin, and I was a bit concerned about the quality.
My son proceeded to jump on the mattress where it was laying in the hallway, and shouted “it’s quite hard but I like it”
He slept brilliantly on it the first night, he said it was firm but really comfortable.
What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child?
The most important thing is comfort, and if money was no object that would be the only consideration but I need it to be within budget as well as comfortable.

Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why?
We were allocated the moon chaser - my daughter had a very old mattress and we were pleased to replace it with anything! As she doesn't have any allergies, we didn't need to be too specific.
What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress?
The mattress was very soft and clean, but didn't have a chemically smell that sometimes new products like this have.
It is very comfortable and my daughter (7) really likes it. I don't know how comfortable it would be for a heavier teenager/adult as it is quite soft but she is very pleased with it.
What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child?
Comfort and longevity. In practice, it also needs to survive being bounced on a lot.

We were allocated the moon chaser mattress , I can’t remember if we chose it.
My DD loves the mattress, she had been sleeping on a siblings old foam mattress and she likes this because it’s bouncy and has purple in it.
My first impression was that it was firmer than I expected but seemed comfortable. The top covering under the mattress looked a bit wrinkled but it hasn’t effected its use.
Most important factors for us are comfort, longevity and ability to clean!

1. We have the moon chaser although I seem to remember choosing the dream catcher as it was heat regulating and that sounded great for us as my son is always super warm at night! However, the moon chaser has been good.

2. Delivery impressions weren't great. The grumpy man left it outside even though I was at home. It was covered in plastic obviously for protection but it was COVERED in dirt and dust which went all over my hands and my hall. However, once that was delt with I was impressed with the mattress. My son had a very cheap one before as I refused to get a decent one until he had stopped having accidents. The difference was amazing. You can't feel a single spring, it doesn't make any noise and it's so super soft! My son wasn't home when It was delivered but his first impressions once he saw it was that it was more bouncy than his old one! (He had to jump on his bed to test this out!) After his first night sleeping in it I asked how it was and he loved it. I had a shot myself and it's really REALLY comfortable. It feels very thick and the memory foam really makes a difference.

3. Personally for me, while purchasing a child's mattress I would look for the price and if it's quiet! I don't want to be buying an expensive mattress for it to be ruined during the accident stages! It has to be quiet as nobody wants their child woken during the night, especially by a squeaky mattress!

As an added extra in here I would like to say I would definately regiment this mattress. It's super comfortable for both child and adult, it's quiet but it's still bouncy enough to jump on! My son had a little accident with a chocolate yoghurt during changing the sheet and he spilt it on the mattress. It took barely any effort at all to wipe it off and you would never have known it was there!

Sorry, I’m a little late as work got in the way!!

I have the Dream Catcher to try. I was open to trying any of the mattresses so didn’t choice a specific one.

First impressions were:
easy enough to carry up three floors to my daughter’s bedroom
Nice to look at with clean white cover, waterproof without being hard
Little bit shorter than daughter’s bed frame
Daughter says softer and more comfortable than her previous traditional sprung mattress so she’s happy!

Important things in a mattress to me:
Good support without being overly firm. Also need something that would support adults weight if guest came to stay.

First impression questions:
Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why?

Hopefully the photos have uploaded correctly.
I chose the Dreamcatcher pocket sprung mattress. Mainly because I love pocket sprung mattresses and find them the most comfortable type. Seeing as ds has spent 5 years pretty much sleeping in our bed, I wanted a really comfortable mattress that would encourage him to want to sleep in his own!
What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress?
He was so excited! We had decorated his room for him, so he was really excited to have a new bed and a new mattress. He went straight onto his bed with all his cuddly toys, once we put the mattress on the bed.

My first impressions were really positive. It looks great, and fits the bed perfectly. It feels very comfortable, and the best thing I think is the removable waterproof cover (I've tried to take a photo of this bit) It think it's such a clever idea to be able to unzip the whole top bit of the mattress. Wish we'd had this through the potty training years!

What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child?

That it meets the latest safety standards - and of course that it's comfortable. Good support and easy to clean!

Sorry, actually have MoonChaser, not Dream Catcher!

I am on holiday, so can’t share a picture, but can do so later in the next round of feedback.

I chose the dream catcher mattress, as my DS 7 has excema and asthma, so the anti-allergy layer and heat regulation were both very positive points. As he has a younger brother who is not yet dry at night, the waterproof layer will also come in handy - I might swap what they sleep on once his brother stops wearing a nappy at night.

First impressions me: good mattress with top layer very easily removable, quite a bit firmer than his old memory foam one. Him: agrees on firmness, but finds this more comfortable, about the same in terms of warmth and how much he sweats. We’ve not yet noticed a difference in terms of his excema, but have been on holidays for two weeks now.

As for the most important things when choosing a mattress for him: comfort first, then special features like anti-allergy treatments, then price.

Sorry, I can't take a picture at the moment but I will post one a soon as I can.
I chose the Star Gazer for DS(8) as I was very keen for him to try out a foam mattress to see if it would stop him waking up with a sore back every morning. DS has a mid-sleeper and his current mattress is too thin to provide the support he needs (mid to high sleepers can only have mattresses with a maximum depth of 16cm). The depth of the Star Gazer is 15cm so it seemed ideal.

DS was so excited when the mattress arrived. He couldn't wait to go to bed, which is unheard of in these here parts! DH unpacked it - we were pleasantly surprised that it hadn't arrived vacuum packed and rolled up. DH tried it out and loved the firmness, he wants one for our bed now ! DS was not so sure, as he thought it was too firm. I think it was just because it felt quite different to his previous mattress. I think the removable, machine-washable top panel is a great feature.

Having made a mistake previously with my son's mattress choice, I will now look for quality and support when buying a new mattress.

Please share a photo of your child’s new mattress, explaining which mattress you chose for them and why?
I didn't select a preference, and was sent the Moon chaser.
What were your and your child’s first impressions of the mattress? DS just said Wow, as it was very tall to him! I liked the firmness of the mattress, and we both foundit very comfortable to lie on.
What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a mattress for your child? Price is a major factor, I try and get the best quality mattress for a reasonable price.

Argghh. Bit late, sorry.

We chose the Moon Chaser mattress for DD. We wanted a pocket sprung mattress as it's our preferred type.

Her first reaction was that it looked really interesting and she tested it and declared it comfy!

We thought it looked like it would be comfy and was a good quality mattress.

Price is a huge factor for us; we want a good mattress for a reasonable price.

I mean we wanted the spring type! I'm not with it yet today!

Child was excited about getting a new mattress - we went for the dream catcher as they are pocket sprung and I think better for your spine.

Child liked the mattress and climbed straight on it - I think she liked the purple edge.

Most important things are i) that it is supportive, ii) that it has cool topping (her room is south facing and gets hot in summer)

Not questions asked, but comments that may be helpful:
The mattress delivery was with ParcelForce who made a single delivery attempt with no advance warning - I had to collect the mattress from the depot. As the mattress is not compressed and rolled, this was an issue - I had to fold it to get it in the car. If I didnt have a car I wouldn’t have been able to take this on the bus