confused about cot mattresses!

[roundabout1]

I'm looking into buying a new cot & a crib mattress & am so confused by the choice. When I originally bought the items they came with the mattress so last time round didn't have to give it much thought. Is it just be & my dim pregnant brain that finds the choice overwhelming? Don't know whether to go with coolmax or memory foam or just the normal foam ones that seemed fine for my dd!

I went for a half way house and bought a traditionally sprung one, more supportive and better quality than a cheapy foam one but not as expensive as the coolmax/memory foam ones here: www.babymattressesonline.co.uk/products/cot-mattresses/traditional-fully-sprung-products.html

Can I add that the website MrsGeek has linked to has excellent service. Very helpful if you want to email them about anything (not affiliated, just very impressed after terrible experience with certain large department store).

Thanks Mrs Geek & Walnut, I was looking on ebay earlier & found them on there. May be useful as I also have a pram mattress to buy which has funny dimensions. Good to know that they offer excellent service.

I went for halfway option as well and have been very happy with it. Grandparents got cheap version which is fine for occasional use but glad we didn't get it.

Your cot mattress only has to last 2-3 years so it seems more appropriate to save the money for their first full size mattress than spend on memory foam - I don't even have that on my bed.

I also bought from the website Mrs Geek linked to and found the process very painless.
The mattresses i ordered - cot, bugaboo, moses basket all arrived yesterday 7 days after ordering.

I should have said that I have used the company I've linked to and, like the others have said, they were really great.

I'm about to put in another order as baby2 is on its way and I need to order a crib and a cot mattress. I'll buy a cheap crib mattress because they won't be in it long and will go for the fully sprung mattress again. The mattress we bought 13 months ago is still in excellent condition and shows no sign of wear really so think it was a good buy, she'll be fine on it until she moves into a bed.

BTW, the cot mattress we bought was made to fit the dimensions we needed as we are using an old family cot which is not a standard size. It was no trouble and it arrived really quickly.

I have one of these if you want to go the natural route. They're gorgeous.

The fully sprung mattress my DD and DS used is still in good condition so plan to use for DC3 - I found a company who offer a hospital standard cleaning etc service to remove bedbugs and anything else and of course I will wash the cover which comes off... this is is much cheaper than buying a new one... of course some people still prefer to buy a new one for each baby.

The current NHS cot death leaflet doesn't even mention new mattress at all. Read somewhere that ok to use older siblings mattress. RE: moulding - because mattress is sprung there doesn't seem to be any moulding.

link

Besides read somewhere that babies sleeping in car seats is much more of a risk, yet most people seem to thing this is ok judging but the number of people I see pushing travel systems with sleeping babies in them.

Thanks for that link MuminNWLOndon . I think that I'll use the same mattress for DC3 as I did for DC2. It has a washable cover and has been stored well, and as you say they don't even mention the need for a new mattress.