The best mattresses your can buy for kids

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The best mattresses your can buy for kids

the best mattresses for kids

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  • The better the kids sleep, the better the parents sleep. So help your little sleeper slumber well by getting him or her a great mattress.
  • The Naturepedic Verse Organic Kids Mattress is our top pick because it's comfortable, durable, and guaranteed not to exacerbate allergies, illnesses, or any sensitivities.

The United States National Institute of Health (NIH) recommends that the average adult get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. For your kids, NIH advises even more slumber. Children ages 3 to 5 should get at least 10 and as many as 13 hours of sleep each night, while kids aged 6 through 13 should get nine to eleven hours whenever possible. Taken as an average, that means children between the toddler and teenage years should aim for 10.75 hours of sleep on an average night.

In theory, then, your child will be spending about 3,923 hours on his or her mattress each and every year. And as many mattresses last for seven, eight, or even ten or more years, the numbers only add up as time goes by. So go ahead and get the kid a good mattress.

Our guide to the best mattresses for kids includes everything from lower cost but decent quality choices to top-of-the-line options that are guaranteed to serve well and last for years. I've included a travel mattress that's comfortable enough for extended use and a gel-topped memory foam mattress for the truly discerning young sleeper.

If I've learned one thing from my first four-plus years of being a parent, it's that good sleep really is important for everyone in the family. While no mattress is going to guarantee a child sleeps blissfully for 13 hours each and every night, you can be certain that a poor mattress is going to cause sleeping issues. So choose a good one and make every night more restful and every day more peaceful.

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Here are the best kids' mattresses you can buy:

Updated on 07/01/2019 by Les Shu: Updated selections, prices, links, and formatting.

Keep scrolling to read more about our top picks.

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The best kids mattress overall

The best kids mattress overall
The Naturepedic Verse Organic Kids Mattress is free of formaldehyde, phthalates, vinyl, and multiple other potentially harmful compounds. Plus, it's extremely comfortable.

Yes, this is a $900 twin-sized kids mattress, and yes, that's the same price as many decent queen- and even king-sized mattresses.

But remember those numbers we discussed earlier? The 3,923 hours a year your kid may well spend on the thing? Well, assuming you kept the Naturepedic Verse Organic Kids Mattress for the full 10 years that its warranty covers, and assuming for the sake of argument that your family never travels and your kid never sleeps anywhere else, that would mean a grand total of 39,230 hours spent sleeping on this mattress.

Or another way to look at it is a cost of this mattress: If you keep it for 10 years, it costs 24 cents per day. Isn't your kid's great night of sleep worth that? That was my thinking when I bought my son's first mattress, which was a Naturepedic.

Here's what the Naturepedic Verse Organic Kids Mattress has going for it: 100% organic cotton, encased seven-inch coils that provide support while minimizing motion transfer, and a padded top that maximizes comfort and helps regulate body temperature. Also, it's made in America in case that's important to you.

The mattress does not contain formaldehyde, polyurethane foam, vinyl, phthalates, PFCs, glue, GMO-sourced components, or PVCs.

HackToSleep blog called this top-quality, durable mattress one that will "last your child well into young adulthood." In a review, Green Child Magazine said it offered "firm support ideal for growing children."

Pros: 100% organic and free of chemicals, comfortable and supportive, lasts for years

Cons: Very expensive

Buy the Naturepedic Verse Organic Kids Mattress (Twin) from Bed Bath & Beyond for $899

The best baby and toddler mattress

The best baby and toddler mattress
Your child could comfortably sleep on the Simmons BeautyRest ComforPedic Convertible Crib Mattress from her very first nights home from the hospital through her fourth year.

Here's a little secret you might not know: Toddler beds are the exact same size as standard cribs. Therefore toddler mattresses? Yep, they're the same size as crib mattresses. In fact, often enough one mattress serves just fine for both. Such is the case with the Simmons BeautyRest ComforPedic Convertible Crib Mattress, which has a firmer side designed for use with infants and a softer side for use as your child grows older.

At 52-inches by 27.5-inches, the Simmons BeautyRest ComforPedic Convertible Crib Mattress is the perfect size for standard cribs and toddler beds. But it's large enough to accommodate kids several years past the toddler phase, and at six inches of depth, it will provide comfort and support even as the child grows heavier, too. Most kids don't pass 50 inches in height until age eight, for reference, though you probably shouldn't try to keep them on this small of a mattress for that long.

The Simmons BeautyRest ComforPedic Convertible Crib Mattress is GreenGuard certified to be non-toxic and chemical-free, so you can trust the brand when it comes to a child's safety. At just $130, the mattress is still a worthwhile investment even if you do replace it shortly after the toddler years.

A write up on The Baby Bed called the Simmons BeautyRest Convertible Crib Mattress safe and supportive and labeled it a "best selling crib mattress." Reviewers have also said that the softer side of the mattress "keeps toddlers comfortable all night long."

Pros: Suitable for infancy through early childhood, dual-sided design, certified nontoxic

Cons: Kids will outgrow it by elementary years

Buy the Simmons BeautyRest ComforPedic Convertible Crib Mattress at Target for $129.99
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The best travel kids mattress

The best travel kids mattress
The AeroBed for Kids Inflatable Mattress inflates in minutes and is large enough for kids well into their elementary years, but small enough to roll up and stow in the car when deflated.

Whether you're a grandparent with grandkids who visit from time to time or the parent in a family that loves to travel and wants your kid to sleep in comfort on the road, the AeroBed for Kids Inflatable Mattress is a great choice for temporary bedding for a little sleeper.

When fully inflated, the mattress measures 50-inches long by 25-inches wide, and one side is recessed in the center to create a narrow wall around the perimeter. This lowered area helps prevent smaller kids from rolling out of the bed, but it does also reduce the amount of comfortable sleeping area. Fortunately, there's an easy solution: Just flip the thing over.

My son has spent many nights on an AeroBed for Kids mattress when we have traveled, and once a soft blanket was laid across the top of the PVC surface and then covered with a fitted sheet, he loved the bedding. I will say, though, that he found the mattress material less than cozy before we added the additional padding.

That said, for $80 and a quick fix from a throw blanket, this thing has proved a fine investment. It's durable, it's easy to inflate using the included AC air pump, and it packs down small when the travel is done.

Travel Crib Reviews praised the AeroBed for Kids' "rapid inflation" and said it was "very portable once deflated." And the Cloud Surfing Kids blog called it the "most comfortable air mattress" they had tested.

Buyers have said the AeroBed for Kids is "quick and easy to inflate" and perfect for younger kids. Others appreciated the raised walls that meant they didn't "worry about [their child] falling off of it."

Pros: Inflates quickly, packs down small for travel or storage, raised walls prevent rolling out

Cons: PVC surface may need padding for comfort, does not work with standard sheets

Buy an AeroBed for Kids Inflatable Mattress at Bed Bath & Beyond for $79.99

The best low-cost kids mattress

The best low-cost kids mattress
The Linenspa Innerspring Twin Mattress is supportive thanks to tempered steel coils and comfortable thanks to a layer of foam and a quilted top.

At less than $90, the Linenspa Innerspring Twin Mattress is, by all accounts, what you can fairly call a cheap mattress. But it will come as a pleasant surprise to know that the cheap there refers to the price, not the quality. Low cost or not, this mattress nonetheless comes with a 10-year warranty and has received glowing reviews from thousands of satisfied buyers with well-rested kids.

The Linenspa Innerspring Twin Mattress features dozens of heavy-gauge springs made of coiled steel. These provide enough support for youngsters who sleep in any position and help to minimize the transfer of motion, which can help someone stay asleep even if he or she tosses and turns. Above the coils, a layer of foam adds cushioning for comfort, and a soft quilted exterior tops off this layer.

Some sensitive kids probably won't find this mattress as soft and comfy as one featuring three inches of memory foam or gel padding, frankly, but for most kids, it's a fine choice. And for the frugal family, it's a great choice.

TwoMomsReview praised the Linenspa mattress as being "affordable" and "comfortable" and loved how lightweight and easy to unroll and set up the new mattress was.

Pros: Great low price, backed by long warranty, fire-resistant materials

Cons: Not as soft and comfortable as many options

Buy a Linenspa Innerspring Twin Mattress on Amazon for $84.99
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The best memory foam kids mattress

The best memory foam kids mattress
Even kids prone to tossing and turning will quickly settle down and drift to sleep atop the soft, supportive, and comfortable Modway Aveline Gel Memory Foam Mattress.

Modway makes an Aveline Gel Memory Foam mattress in just about every standard bed size out there, including king, queen, full, and of course this twin. If this mattress is good enough for a discerning adult sleeper, then it's a safe bet it will satisfy even the discriminating young sleeper in your family.

The mattress measures eight inches in depth, and much of that depth comes from open cell memory foam. This foam lets the different parts of the body sink in as needed to create a supportive, comfortable sleeping environment whether your child slumbers on his back, chest, or side, or whether he shifts around all night like mine does.

Atop the memory foam core, the Modway Aveline Gel Memory Foam Mattress features a denser layer of gel-infused foam that adds support and also helps regulate body temperature. This gel foam layer draws heat away from the body and can even reduce perspiration in hot or humid weather, further adding to the sleeper's comfort.

The mattress is made using low VOC materials, so there is no period of unpleasant odor off-gassing when it is new, nor will sleeping on it exacerbate allergies or medical conditions.

The Sleep Judge called the Modway Aveline Gel Memory Foam Mattress "not too soft, not too firm," but "just right" for most sleepers, while a Super Comfy Sleep review called it an "affordable" and "popular choice."

Pros: Soft and supportive, regulates temperature and perspiration, good price point

Cons: Lacks edge support

Buy the Modway Aveline Gel Memory Foam Mattress on Amazon for $144.99 (originally $278.25)

Check out our other great bedding guides

Check out our other great bedding guides
The best mattresses you can buy

A great mattress can be the difference between a good night's sleep that results in a productive day or a horrible night that makes you feel like you didn't sleep at all. We've tested and researched dozens of mattresses and the Leesa Hybrid (Sapira) and the Leesa Mattress are the best ones you can buy because they suit all sleeping styles. Check out the rest of our picks for the best mattresses you can buy:

The best pillows you can buy

A good pillow means a good night's sleep. We reviewed dozens of pillows to narrow down the choices to the ones you'll love best. The Adjustable Shredded Memory Foam Pillow from Coop Home Goods is our top pick. You'll enjoy sweet dreams on this supremely comfortable pillow. You should also consider the following options:

The best duvet covers you can buy

Your cozy down-filled duvet needs a stylish cover to keep it clean and add some spice to your bedroom's décor. Our favorite is the Classic Duvet Cover from Brooklinen with its reasonable price tag and high-quality fabric. Here are all the duvet covers we'd recommend you consider:

The best cotton sheets you can buy

At the perfect intersection of comfort and value, our pick for best cotton sheets are the 280-thread-count Pima Cotton Percale Sheets from L.L. Bean. Crisp, cool, and soft to the touch, they make bedtime an affordable luxury. We also like the following options for you to consider:

The best bed frames you can buy on Amazon

Your bed is not only the highlight of your bedroom, but it's also the only furniture you spend 33% of your life on. The Zinus Upholstered Square Stitched Platform Bed Frame is our top pick because it's well-crafted with strapping strength and attractive design. You should also consider:

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