Help with buying mattress for 2 year old in DC area

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi,

I have read through quite a few of the materials on this site but am still very confused on what to get for my 2 year old. We went to Ikea to try out the Sultan Heggedal (Pocket Coil / Latex hybrid) and the Morgongava (Latex) but weren’t too happy with either. The edges didn’t feel firm and for the price (both in the $800 region), we felt we should be able to get a better mattress.

We are open to both pocket coil and latex, or a hybrid. It has to be on the firmer side, as it is for my 2 year old. I have read your topics on how to choose a mattress for a child, but we are hesitant to buy something without trying it out first. This is especially since I end up sleeping next to him quite often. So this rules out all the online mattresses. I did call one or two stores around us that sell more organic/natural mattresses but they are all above the $1500 price point. I was hoping to stay in the $1000 price point or less. Is online purchase my only option? I really feel the need to try them out first, both because my child needs a firm mattress and also because i already suffer from a sore back.

Thank you for helping out a confused mom!

2

Hi gerberasai,

I’m assuming that the guidelines you have read are the ones in Post #2 here and the topics it links to which have more information about mattresses and children and “safe” materials including a link to some general guidelines for children in post #2 here. It also includes a number of links to the better forum posts and topics about mattress and children as well which have more information about many good mattress choices for children.

Since a 2 year old doesn’t have the ability to provide any meaningful feedback about which mattress is best for them for most parents testing a mattress in person is often less important because any sleeping surface that is in a medium to medium firm range and that uses materials that are “safe enough” would be suitable for a child.

The first step in choosing a mattress for a child is to use the guidelines about “how safe is safe enough for me” to decide on which materials and components you are most comfortable with.

I personally think that some combination of latex, natural fibers, and innersprings can all make good choices for a child and if a lower budget choice is a major consideration then polyfoam that is CertiPUR certified can also make a good lower budget choice as well but just like buying clothes for your children or deciding on the type of diet you feed them and are most comfortable with this would be a choice based on the parent’s “best judgement” and their lifestyle choices. A latex comfort layer is also a very durable choice so a mattress that uses it can maintain its initial comfort and support well into their teen years and would still be in good enough condition to add a topper as they grow and develop more adult proportions if they need some additional softness and pressure relief to extend the useful life of the mattress.

In your case how suitable the mattress is for you is also a bigger consideration that will affect your choice and in this case I would be a little bit cautious because a mattress that would be soft enough for many adult’s preferences may be too soft for a child and I would prioritize the needs of your child over your own.

If edge support is important to you for when you sit on the edge of the mattress for “story time” or even for the times when you sleep on their mattress then I would make sure that you test any mattress you are considering to make sure that the edges are “firm enough” for you either when you sit on them or when you lie down on the mattress in the area that you would normally sleep in. If a latex mattress isn’t firm enough for you on the edge then an innerspring that has specific edge support may be worth adding to your criteria since latex mattresses don’t normally have (or need) edge support (see post #4 here for some comments about a latex mattress for a child and edge support).

Once you have decided on the specific materials you are comfortable with then it’s just a matter of starting the process of narrowing down your options from there based on the criteria that are most important to you (including your testing) along with budgetary and lifestyle considerations because there are so many mattresses that would be a suitable choice for a child that your own criteria and preferences will be the only way to choose between them.

If you are only looking at local options then post #2 here includes the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Washington, DC area but I would suggest checking their websites and calling to talk with them first before you visit to make sure that they carry a mattress on their floor that meets all the criteria that are important to you in terms of materials, budget, and edge support.

Phoenix

3

Hi Phoenix,

Thank you so much for your detailed response to my query. Your valuable feedback was much appreciated by my husband and I. Over the weekend, we visited Savvy Rest in Rockville, MD. The mattress we liked the most was a 10in mattress, Organic Serenity (LibreNMS):
top 3in of medium dunlop
middle 3in of firm dunlop
bottom 3in of firm dunlop

We also tried another one with the top being 3in of talalay but didn’t find it any more comfortable than dunlop.

The casing is organic cotton with wool in the middle. After a 15% discount, the price was coming out to $2200 (before tax), well above my $1000 budget.

My question is this: Now that i have a better sense of what i like and how it feels like, can i purchase something online with the same configurations? Is there a chance it could vary greatly?

We looked at Spindle online for the same configuration (Spindle Mattress) and found the Abscond 10" latex mattress. The price quoted is $1150. That’s $1000 less than at Savvy Rest! I am trying to figure out why the price difference would be so great. Would it be safe for me to assume that the quality, comfort and feel would be similar between the two?

My husband also likes the natural Escape organic mattress at mygreenmattress.com. It’s priced at $1380 for a full Natural Escape Mattress. Details as follows:
⁃ 1068 individually pocketed coil spring system with lumbar support
⁃ Heavy gauge perimeter coils for a firm seating edge
⁃ 2 inches of 100% natural Talalay latex in a medium firmness (32 ild)
⁃ All natural Joma wool and organic cotton cover

What are your thoughts on both of these online mattresses? The sales person at savvy rest was knowledgeable, but also warned me that the zipper on the casing needs to be of high quality. He said we might have to be careful as some of them online come with plastic zippers and can break easily. The zipper at Savvy rest was all metal.

Thanks again for all your help! It’s much much appreciated!

Regards,
Gerbera

4

Hi gerberasai,

Thank you so much for your detailed response to my query. Your valuable feedback was much appreciated by my husband and I. Over the weekend, we visited Savvy Rest in Rockville, MD. The mattress we liked the most was a 10in mattress, Organic Serenity (LibreNMS):
top 3in of medium dunlop
middle 3in of firm dunlop
bottom 3in of firm dunlop

We also tried another one with the top being 3in of talalay but didn’t find it any more comfortable than dunlop.

The casing is organic cotton with wool in the middle. After a 15% discount, the price was coming out to $2200 (before tax), well above my $1000 budget.

My question is this: Now that i have a better sense of what i like and how it feels like, can i purchase something online with the same configurations? Is there a chance it could vary greatly?

There is more about the different ways that one mattress can “match” another one in post #9 here.

Savvy Rest is in a higher budget range than other very similar mattresses that are made by members of the site that also have a very similar design and wool quilted cover (see post #3 here for some examples) that would be similar both in terms of firmness and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and in terms of durability but I would talk with each of them individually to confirm that their firmness levels are similar to Savvy Rest (most of them will be familiar with how their mattresses compare to the various Savvy Rest options).

We looked at Spindle online for the same configuration (www.spindlemattress.com/products/latex-m…-8?variant=283574962) and found the Abscond 10" latex mattress. The price quoted is $1150. That’s $1000 less than at Savvy Rest! I am trying to figure out why the price difference would be so great. Would it be safe for me to assume that the quality, comfort and feel would be similar between the two?

There is also more about the different types and blends of latex (including organic Dunlop) in post #6 here. Spindle uses a slightly different type of 100% natural Dunlop latex that is made with a continuous pour process but like the others I mentioned it’s certainly in the same quality and durability range as the organic Dunlop latex used in the Savvy Rest.

Spindle also has their clearance “B” Stock latex mattresses here that may be worth considering as well.

My husband also likes the natural Escape organic mattress at mygreenmattress.com. It’s priced at $1380 for a full (The Best Natural Mattress | Natural Escape from My Green Mattress). Details as follows:
⁃ 1068 individually pocketed coil spring system with lumbar support
⁃ Heavy gauge perimeter coils for a firm seating edge
⁃ 2 inches of 100% natural Talalay latex in a medium firmness (32 ild)
⁃ All natural Joma wool and organic cotton cover

This would also be a great quality/value choice and there are also no lower quality materials or weak links in this mattress either. It would have more of the traditional “feel” of an innerspring vs a latex support core. It would also have firmer edge support than most all latex mattresses. While any innerspring/latex hybrid would be a durable choice … a two sided mattress will also be more durable than a similar mattress that only has one sleeping surface (as long as you flip it on a regular basis). There is more about innerspring/latex hybrids in post #13 here and there is more about two sided mattresses in post #3 here.

What are your thoughts on both of these online mattresses? The sales person at savvy rest was knowledgeable, but also warned me that the zipper on the casing needs to be of high quality. He said we might have to be careful as some of them online come with plastic zippers and can break easily. The zipper at Savvy rest was all metal.

I haven’t heard about any significant durability issues with any of the zippers that any of them are using whether they are nylon or metal and for most people the difference certainly wouldn’t be enough to justify the significant price differences IMO.

I would also keep in mind that a two layer latex mattress (6" thick") would easily be enough thickness for a child and you could still add a topper if and when they need it as they get older and develop more adult proportions although a 6" mattress may not be as comfortable for you to sleep on.

Arizona Premium also makes a 6" mattress from their “fall off” material (see here) that is also in a very budget friendly price range.

Some of the lower budget latex and latex hybrid mattresses I’m aware of are also listed in posts #3 and #4 here.

You are certainly looking at some very high quality options that would all make suitable choices for your son and for you as well for the times you also sleep on the mattress.

Phoenix

5

Hi Phoenix,

Thank you so much for your quick and detailed reply. My husband hopes that we will buy our 2 year old a mattress before he heads off to college. :slight_smile: So we have decided on the Abscond 10" latex mattress from Spindle (Spindle Mattress).

I just have one additional question:
What would you recommend in terms of a foundation? We are placing the mattress on a convertible crib (full size) and need the foundation to be very low since it’s for a toddler. Is it necessary to have a foundation or are slats by themselves sufficient? The one at spindle is almost 8in high and that will not work for us.

Thanks for all your help!
Gerbera

6

Hi Gerberasai,

I just have one additional question:
What would you recommend in terms of a foundation? We are placing the mattress on a convertible crib (full size) and need the foundation to be very low since it’s for a toddler. Is it necessary to have a foundation or are slats by themselves sufficient? The one at spindle is almost 8in high and that will not work for us.

A flat support surface that has no flex and has either a solid surface (although I would consider adding some ventilation under it in this case … see post #10 here) or that has slats that are no more than 3" apart will be fine. There is more about the different types of foundations that are most suitable for different types of mattresses and some good options for each of them in the foundation post here.

I’m not sure what the specifics of the support system are in the convertible crib but if the support surface of your convertible isn’t suitable for using directly under the mattress without a foundation and you need a very low profile support system then a bunkie board or slat conversion kit would probably work well. There is more about choosing a bunkie board in post #4 here and there are some good options listed in post #4 here.

Phoenix