Hi there,
I’ve done a lot of research on picking a latex bed for my four year old, but I’m confused about firmness for her. I’m looking at the Sleep on Latex 9" mattress. Originally I was thinking to go with the medium, but when I called them to get more info, they suggested I go with the firm. I’m worried the firm will be too hard based on reviews. Specs for their 9" are as follows:
9" Soft : 6" base Dunlop 24 ild, 2" comfort Dunlop 20 ild
9" Medium: 6" base Dunlop 34 ild 2" comfort Dunlop 24 ild
9" Firm: 6" base Dunlop 44 ild, 2" comfort Dunlop 30 ild
What would you recommend for a child, she’s light at 31 lbs? I know kids need a supportive mattress, I’m just wondering if the medium is sufficient support or do I have to go with the firm? I’ve also read that lighter people should have softer beds, but that may not pertain to kids. Arizona premium mattresses says to use softer mattresses for kids, so that’s a bit confusing. Can you help? Do you have any suggestions?
There is no specific firmness that is “right” for every child but there are some firmness guidelines in post #2 here that should be helpful.
Their firm would be a typical firmness choice for a child because the comfort layer is in a medium firmness range (although with a 2" comfort layer and a very firm support core underneath it most adults would sink into the mattress more and would feel more of the firmness of the support core and would probably consider it to be firm) but Dunlop latex is a more supportive material than other types of foam because it has a higher compression modulus than other types of foam (compression modulus is the rate that a material becomes firmer as you compress it more deeply) so with your daughters lighter weight and because girls often prefer a little softer than boys their medium would also be a suitable choice as well even though 24 ILD is approaching the softer end of the firmness scale…
Thanks Phoenix! If we go with the medium is that a firmness that could last her into her teens? Or is the firm better for longevity? I think what I’m trying to say is as she gets bigger will she need more support?
Thanks for such a quick reply! There isn’t much on the internet about children and beds other than a few sentences.
I neglected to add the link to the firmness guidelines for children in my last reply which I’ve now corrected.
Both mattresses would be very durable choices that should last your daughter well into her teens.
As you daughter gets older and develops more adult proportions she may need or prefer a softer topper to provide some additional comfort and pressure relief but this will also depend on her body type and on her sleeping positions (side sleepers generally need thicker and softer comfort layers than back or stomach sleepers) so it’s not really possible to predict yet. The odds that she may need a softer topper would be higher with the firm mattress than it would with the medium mattress.