Cot mattresses - is it worth getting a good one or should I be a tight git and go for the cheapest option?

[ruthosaurus]

I am just about to move my baby son into a cot as he has (literally) outgrown his moses basket. I have a 2nd hand cot frame and just need to get the mattress but am faced with a bewildering array of choices, from a £20 Ikea foam jobbie to state of the art sprung mattresses that cost more than an adult one. The dilemma is this: splash out more for my big child as he should be in it for more than 18 months or go for the cheapoid foam mattress, as current recommendations are to have a new mattress for each child so there is no reuse value? Money is rather an issue, so I am not going to be getting one of the really expensive ones anyway, but is it worth splashing out on a sprung one rather than a foam one?

Any ideas, apart from keeping DS in a drawer/not having a cot/co-sleeping?

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MNHQ

get one with a zip-off topsheet eg thus
excellent for vomitorama nights as you can bung the top layer in the wash and put a clean sheet on over the waterproof bottom bit.
Then after the second vomit you can still wipe off the waterproof bit and put another clean sheet on.

ones where it zips right off leaving a naked mattress are no good for the 'second vomit' scenario.

(bloody hell, I certainly didn;t pay that much for it though)

maybe get a cheap one and some waterproof sheets...

I was just going to post that MrsB. I wouldn't spend ££££ TBH.

Ikea do one with a zip off cover. I bought it for DS2. It wasn't expensive

We bought the cheapest foam mattress nmothercare did for ds. He has just come out of his cot at 2.5yrs, is a hefty boy and I think we would have been better with a sprung one - the foam one is pretty thin and knackered now with a big dent in the middle despite lots of turning!

I would recommend a sprung, zip off cover one.

The top cover can be washed at 90 degrees so you could use it for another child if you wanted to or alternatively, if you aren't keen on that idea, you can buy a replacement zip-on bit and keep the mattress which isn't expensive. The mattress is pretty good quality too.

Ours is still pretty much in pristine condition even after 2 children so they are a good bet imo.

Thanks, ladies! Now to start the real work of persuading DH to fork out for one...

I think I need to go and look at some IRL rather than just surfing the Mothercare website!

You may find people are still offering to buy gifts of toys and clothes - if they mention it, you could ask for some money towards a decent mattress? That's what we did, and ended up getting a lovely sprung one from mothercare for about £70. We figured he would spend 12-14 hours of every day sleeping on it for the next 18 months so it was worth it, and it does feel lovely, he loves his little bed!

DS was in his cot for 2.5 years and is also quite hefty. We ended up buying two foam mattresses because the first one was knackered before we were ready to move him out of the cot. It was probably still cheaper than a sprung one though.

We bought a sprung one from Ikea (mid 2006) and I think it cost around £25. It is still in daily use and looks good as new and I much preferred it over a simple foam one. I have a cotton mattress cover on it then a waterproof sheet then a fitted terry sheet with the 'proper' sheet on top. Luckily we've never had any major vomit or wee disasters but on the rare occasion DD has been sick, it's just been a case of taking both top sheets off and replacing them.

I have bought a Mothercare one with a zip off top for DD's toddler bed (when she finally goes in it - happy in the cot for now!) and it cost more than the bed!

All good advice - thanks again, MN! What I would do without this place I don't know.

Look on ebay shops for baby equipment, we did all our research in John Lewis/M&P/Mothercare and then bought the products (brand spanking new) from Ebay.

I've just bought a Britax Evolvo 123 car seat for DS which will take him through to age 11 or whenever he gets too big for a booster. I paid 89.99 on Ebay, retails for up to 120 quid in the shops.

I got a Rochingham one from Boots for £37 which has a removable cover - the same size one in Mothercare is £72. Check out boots.com!