Best mattresses for kids 2024 - supportive, comfortable mattresses approved by parents

Choosing the best mattress for your child is an important purchase and one you’ll want to feel confident about. Kids do most of their growing at night so, just as you wouldn’t shove any old shoes on their feet without checking they were comfy and fitted well, you should ensure that their mattress will offer great support at night and continue to support them as they grow.

Here at Mumsnet, we know how important sleep is for parents. Drawing on the expertise of over 8 million Mumsnetters, we've got you covered with tried-and-tested recommendations for every stage. We helped you choose the best cot mattress for your little one, showed you our pick of the best swaddles and gave you inside knowledge on gadgets like white noise machines to save your sleep - and your sanity - in those early days.

When we set out looking for the best kids’ mattresses, we started with the most important people - parents who’ve been there and know which mattresses are really worth their salt. In our search for the best mattresses for kids' beds - from toddler beds to bunk beds - we trawled the Mumsnet forums with a fine-toothed comb looking for Mumsnetters that were so happy with their mattress buys that they wanted to recommend them to others - as well as information on which mattresses to avoid.

We also took note of expert and consumer reviews - how pleased customers were with their mattresses and also how well the company responded if parents decided the mattress wasn’t for them after all. Mattresses are one of those purchases where the aftercare really matters and longevity is key.

So which mattresses do parents really rate? After extensive research, these are the best mattresses for kids.

How do I choose the best kids' mattress?

Many of your decisions will need to be made before you even start shopping, so the main things for you to consider are:

Size

Before you look at the different types of springs, fillings and foams, you need to know that your mattress is going to fit your child’s bed.

If they’re about to transition into a bigger bed, you'll be pleased to know that most beds and mattresses are a standard size. However, it’s always worth measuring your frame properly to ensure you buy the correct mattress length and width.

Be aware that, while you’ll probably be shopping for a standard single once your child is out of a cot bed or toddler bed, there's also such as thing as a ‘shorty,’ which is shorter than your average single bed, as well as European singles which are a bit narrower.

Remember to also check the depth of the mattress. While most mattresses will sit in a box frame, the mattress will need to be thinner if it's a bunk bed or high sleeper so that your child doesn't roll over the barrier and out of bed.

Type

The choice for children is pretty much the same as for adults. You’re looking at springs (pocket spring, open spring and coil spring), latex or memory foam, or a hybrid of springs and foam.

Spring mattresses offer good bounce and support, while memory foam is softer and typically hypoallergenic. Latex retains its firmness well, so can be good for children's beds, however a hybrid mattress offers both the comfort of latex and memory foam but the bounce of a spring mattress.

How your child sleeps

Do they tend to run hot at night? Look for springs with breathable covers. Or do they wake up with chilly extremities? In which case, memory foam might offer more cosiness.

And how much do they move around in their sleep? Generally speaking, memory foam is good for fidgeters as they’re more cocooned and less likely to wake themselves up.

Also consider how often you end up in your child’s bed to settle them. It might be worth getting a larger mattress if you regularly end up spending a few hours in it with them.

Allergies

If your child suffers from allergies, a memory foam mattress is the best bet as it doesn't trap dust and dust mites as easily as spring mattresses. Look for one that is labelled as hypoallergenic.

Mattress protector

If your child is toddler age, check whether the mattress comes with a removable, washable cover as accidents definitely can happen.

Once you’ve worked out the measurements and decided which type of mattress your child needs, go and try some out. Check that it's comfy, not too bouncy, won't lose its oomph too fast, and that your child will feel safe and secure on it during the night. The mattress you choose should also adhere to UK safety standards.

What is the best type of mattress for a child?

Experts, rather unhelpfully, disagree on whether springs or foam is best for growing children. Some claim that springs are best because memory foam lacks breathability and also moulds to a child's body, which isn’t good when their body is growing so fast, while others feel memory foam offers superior orthopaedic support.

If you’re going for springs then a pocket sprung mattress is best and most supportive option. The higher the spring count, the more support there is. Also look at the gauge - the lower the gauge number the thicker the springs and the firmer the feel.

Tension is also worth considering and is usually described as either soft, medium or hard. The only real way to tell what’s best for your child is to let them try different mattresses out and see what they prefer.

What mattress firmness is best for a child?

Firmness will ultimately come down to how your child sleeps and what they feel most comfortable laying on. Lots of children like the cosiness of a soft mattress, while others will prefer a medium-firm option if they move about at night.

A medium or medium-firm mattress will suit most kids when it comes to comfort and structured support, particularly for their spine, however this may be even more important as they hit the teen years.

How thick should a toddler mattress be?

Once your toddler is out of their cot (at around 18 months to 36 months), you should use a kids' mattress, which tends to be 12 to 20cm thick. What’s important is that the mattress offers the correct support and won’t come up higher than the bed’s sides. A mattress that's too thick could lead to your child rolling out of bed.

What's the best mattress for kids?

Mumsnets' best mattress for kids is the Silentnight Healthy Growth Junior Mattress. It's a brilliant all-rounder that makes bedtime comfy and cosy, while it's clever design supports kids' growing bodies while they sleep soundly - all for under £250.

How we chose our recommendations

Mattresses are a big investment and even budget models don’t come cheap so we wanted to be sure that the ones we recommended came with real-life recommendations.

We went to the Mumsnet forums in the first instance to find out which brands and models Mumsnetters rated most highly. We then cross-referenced that list with the mattresses that had one industry awards and accolades.

We then created a shortlist of those that made it onto both lists, and scoured the internet for customer reviews to tell us more about each one. Using those, we whittled our choice down to 10, which we think offers something for every little sleeper.

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She's been researching and reviewing baby and child products for 2 years, with a particular focus on baby essentials, toys and books for toddlers and outdoor play equipment. From potties to paddling pools and bunk beds to bedtime stories, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the best products out there.

Poppy is also an award-winning, best-selling children's and parenting author of books such as Don't Worry, Be Happy, The Extraordinary Book That Makes You Feel Happy and Mother Power. She specialises in children's mental health and her books are used by therapists, teachers and SENCOs across the UK. She won a The Week Junior Book Award in 2023, her books have been translated into several languages and she's been featured in The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Sun.