KATY cot mattress review: the cot mattress which outlasted the cot

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When it comes to new baby purchases, a cot mattress is about as essential as you can get, and current safe-sleeping guidelines advise that you replace for each individual child. With that in mind, many parents will want to go for a cot mattress which is safe, comfortable and inexpensive. That's where the KATY Superior Deluxe Spring Cot Bed Sprung Mattress shines.

How we tested the KATY Cot Bed Mattress

As young parents-to-be, we didn't really have a clue when it came to purchases for our first baby over ten years ago. While our daughter spent the first five months or so sleeping in a Moses basket, we decided a cot bed would be the best bet for longevity once she outgrew this, and we ended up buying a standard size Obaby cot bed - but it didn't come with a mattress. Having seen the wealth of options for cot bed mattresses out there, we chose the KATY because it complied with all the safety regulations, fitted the cot bed we'd chosen and had a reassuring number of excellent reviews and five-star ratings. It was one of the best baby purchases we made, hands down.

Ten-and-a-half years and two more children later, our latest KATY cot bed mattress still lives under the bunk bed of our youngest (now five) - despite the cot bed itself being relegated to the loft about a year ago. We use it mostly for sleepovers these days - it's small enough to slide easily under the bed when not in use, but big enough to fit a visiting child as old as eight or nine, depending on their size.

How comfortable is the KATY cot mattress?

All three of our babies slept really well on the KATY cot bed mattress (or as well as the average baby sleeps anyway!) We didn't have any difficulty transitioning from the smaller newborn crib to the larger cot, and they all continued to sleep well on the mattress right from day one in the cot, through each lowering of the base and to conversion into a cot/toddler bed.

As mentioned, we've since used the mattress as a spare bed for visiting children who have all slept well on it. I've also used it myself when one of the kids was poorly overnight and I needed to be close to them. At the time the child in question was in a full-sized bed (ironically) and I used the cot bed mattress on the floor of their room - my feet were on a slightly different level to the rest of me but at the time I'm fairly sure I was too exhausted to care and thanks to the KATY, I was able to sleep fairly well with the added reassurance of being near enough to tend to the sick child as and when they needed me.

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Does the KATY cot bed mattress represent good value for money?

In a word, yes. If you search for cot bed mattresses online, you'll find a huge range of options from as little as £25 all the way up to the hundreds. Sure, the KATY isn't made from natural fibres like The Little Green Sheep Twist and it's not got dual sleeping surfaces like the Snüz SnüzSurface Duo, but for us, it's done everything it has needed to. When the time came to replace it for our second child, the decision was a no-brainer.

How safe is the KATY Cot Bed Mattress?

The KATY Cot Bed mattress is manufactured using high grade density foam CMHR28 which encases the Bennelli spring unit. The quilted, removable cover is made from 'Just-Tec' breathable polyester designed to keep baby cool at night. It fits snugly within most standard (140cm x 70cm) cot beds and toddler beds without any gaps.

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How easy is it to clean the KATY Cot Bed Mattress?

The KATY comes with a removable quilted cover which is machine-washable. However, ours has still got a small stain on it (from a late-night Calpol spill if I recall correctly) so while you can wash it, it may still absorb some stains.

KATY Cot Bed Mattress: Overall verdict

Our KATY cot mattresses have survived bouncing, spills, tantrums, illnesses, sleepovers, and probably a whole lot more night-time baby/toddler happenings that I can no longer recall now the days of having children small enough to use it on a nightly basis are behind us. Having said that, it still remains a staple fixture in our youngest child's bedroom and once we're at the point where our more frequent sleepover guests are too big for it, it will probably be relegated to the loft with the cot bed for use in the future.

Related: Find more of the best mattresses, Moses basket mattresses and mattresses for kids according to Mumsnetters

About the author

Jenny Wonnacott is a Content Editor for Mumsnet, specialising in writing, editing and optimising pregnancy, baby care and general parenting-related content. As a parent of three primary school-aged children, Jenny is passionate about making Mumsetters' lives easier through rigorous research of all items recommended in reviews, features buyers' guides.

She regularly reviews a wide range of parenting and lifestyle products for Mumsnet, from breast pumps to kettles, cot beds and cribs.

About Mumsnet reviews

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All prices correct at time of publication