Mattresses for kids - lifespan?

My 2 littlest need mattresses. Ages 6 and 1. I want something with as little toxins as possible. Typically, either my husband or I are sleeping with one of the kids and we don’t sleep well on spring mattresses at all so it has to be something that an adult can sleep on comfortably for the next few years at least (more important for the 1 year old).

Questions are:

  1. Is there any chance of getting a mattress for each of them that will last until they move out? If not, what lifespan should I expect?
  2. Should I be looking at something like a shikibed for the next several years, then getting something more expensive later on? Overall cost is a factor.
  3. My teenager has a Natura Eco Haven we bought in 2009 for her, right about 4 years old now. I was hoping this would last her for at least another 6 years to cover the rest of high school and university. Am I dreaming? I can also pass this mattress down to one of the littler ones (probably not the 1 year old as it’s too soft for her IMO).

Any suggestions as to what to do? I just don’t want to end up in a situation where I’ve spent $5000 on latex mattress with organic wool toppers for the younger kids and they’ll need replacement soon and it wasn’t something they really needed.

I’m in Canada and I live in a place where there are zero places to try organic mattresses; we had to order the Eco Haven sight unseen and untried. And that store closed down so not even sure I can get Natura locally anymore. Any place we do have that carries organic mattresses has a “no return” policy as they have to order it in for you and they are teeny, non-chain stores, and there may only be one…LOL. So, I think I’m going to have to order online.

Hi CeruleanBlue,

Post #2 here includes links to the better threads in the forum about mattresses and children including some good information about firmness choices and sources.

Children need a firmer mattress than most adults for best alignment so I would lean towards a firmness choice that was closer to what they needed than what you are likely to be more comfortable with. At the very least I would choose a firmness level that was the very firmest that you would be comfortable with.

This depends on the quality of the materials and the other durability factors that are mentioned in post #4 here and the post it links to but if you buy a mattress that uses very durable materials like latex in firmness levels that aren’t too soft then it could certainly last that long yes (you can see a video here of a thinner and firmer single layer latex mattress here that is over 40 years old).

My answer to almost all “should I” types of questions is that it would be up to you and would depend on the specifics and circumstances and on your personal preferences. In most cases I can’t answer these because they are a matter of preferences. A shikibed can certainly make a good firm choice for children although it may not be as comfortable as they get older and as the cotton compresses and becomes firmer or if they become side sleepers (which is much more common in western culture than it is in eastern cultures where the majority of the population are back sleepers). Of course you can always add a topper to it if necessary as well. It’s advantages are firmness and durability (it won’t break down although it will get firmer over time as the cotton compresses) and breathability and ventilation. It would take more care and maintenance though to make sure it has a chance to ventilate and release any moisture buildup that may happen with the cotton.

The Ecohaven is made from a Dunlop latex core and a 2" Talalay latex topper with wool qulting so it could easily last 10 years or longer yes.

That would certainly be an “ouch” and would be significantly more than you would need to spend IMO. I would tend to avoid brands like Natura this time around though because they are good quality but not great value compared to many other mattresses that use the same or similar materials and sell for less. They may also not be as widely available anyway since they have been dropped by a lot of retailers since their bankruptcy and purchase by Spring Air / Sommex.

Online purchases can be a good choice for children where it’s easier to determine what they need (medium firm to firm and generally thinner mattresses because of their lower body weight). If you let me know the city or postal code where you live though I may be aware of some local options that are within reasonable driving distance.

Phoenix

Thanks for the links to information. I’ve read all the threads and got some good information.

The only natural latex mattresses available to me locally are by Sleeptek. I can get either the Classic line or the kids’ line. The kids mattress would be this one http://sleeptek.ca/products/kids-natural-rubber-mattress and it runs $1200. It says it works for sleepers up to 150# so should be just fine for the kids. My hubby weighs around 140# and me 115#, so I’d think it would be reasonably acceptable for us as well? I just don’t want us sleeping on it to wreck it or wear it prematurely. Also, I am not able to test the mattress before buying as the store does not have displays. You just order and then wait a month for it to be made and sent to the store for pick up.

If I buy online, I’m looking at minimum of $2200 for a double for something like this http://www.tmasc.ca/latexmattress/greensleepsienna.html or I can go up in price by choosing a different model. I also can not try these prior to buying due to purchasing online.

The IKEA Edsele is the cheapest option at $799 for the double size. Shipping would add another $269, bringing the price to $933 for each mattress. I can offset the shipping cost by ordering some other items I need from IKEA at the same time though.

My budget likely won’t allow $2200+ for a mattress for each of the kids. We are also in need of a new mattress so $3000+ for ours (king size likely) plus $5000 for the kids is too big a of a bite to chew right now. I could probably do the Sleeptek kids at $1200 each and I can definitely do the Edsele. Are either of these quality enough to last 14 years? I’d like to not have to replace the 6 year olds, but I’d be fine with replacing the 1 year olds in the future if required.

Hi CeruleanBlue,

If you are thinking of an online purchase anyway that you can’t test in person … then some of the options listed in post #21 here may be worth considering.

Sleeptek certainly uses good quality materials but they are not the best value in an apples to apples comparison with other choices you have that use the same or very similar materials.

I would say the odds of a “good latex mattress” (Talalay or Dunlop) that didn’t have very soft layers on top lasting 14 years or longer are much higher than with any other material and barring any “unknowns” it’s very likely yes (see post #2 here which compares different types of latex along with post #4 here and the posts it links to about the factors involved in durability).

Phoenix

Well I guess it’s not that I’m thinking of an online purchase…it’s really that I have no choice. There simply is nowhere to buy a natural mattress here other than one store that sells Sleeptek and I can’t try before buying anyway.

I had already looked at the list you provided and came to these conclusions:

Doesn’t provide any pricing or other info on what their natural mattresses are made of or can include, other than they make them 'custom".

Looked promising, but again, didn’t state prices or shipping and said their latext mattresses had a cotton cover. Nothing about wool. So it left me wondering what they were using for flame retardants which wasn’t stated in an obvious location.

Has nothing listed under their latex category?

All the latex mattresses seemed to contain bio foam as well? I found their web site wasn’t very clear and it was hard to tell which were latex without clicking on each and every mattress and reading what it was made of (no latex section? weird). Maybe bio foam doesn’t matter to me if it’s below the latex, but I found $900 minimum for latex/bio foam and the Edsele is comparable priced yet no bio foam.

These guys don’t seem to carry anything natural unless I missed something (only memory foam, regular foam and gel?)

Already mentioned that their cheapest natural, double sized bed is $2200. Which it may be worth, just out of budget at this time for kids 6 and under.

I started checking the US web sites listed in that post but duty and fees were unknown and some didn’t state shipping, etc. so no matter how cheap something looked, I’m guessing it will end up close to or more than buying something directly from Canada anyway.

[quote]
Sleeptek certainly uses good quality materials but they are not the best value in an apples to apples comparison with other choices you have that use the same or very similar materials.
[/quote]Okay. Sleeptek’s pricing doesn’t seem to be any better or any worse than the other natural brands. They are pretty much priced the same in Canada unless you find one using part memory foam or bio foam in addition to the latex.

I’m open to other options, but it seems that from what I’ve found, any truly natural mattress in a double size is a minimum $2200. And if that’s out of my budget, I’m stuck with the Edsele or with the kids SleepTek.

I’d be totally happy to be missing something though and be able to get a quality, natural, double sized mattress for less than $2200 other than the Edsele or kids Sleeptek.

Hi CeruleanBlue,

You will need to talk with the various options on the list to ask questions and find out more information than just the basic information on their site (or pricing if necessary).

There are also some very good options on the list that will be much less than some of the options you are looking at including any shipping, taxes, and brokerage fees that may be involved (there is no duty). Again there is no substitute for talking with them and asking questions.

You will find that this is not the case unless you are comparing Sleeptex to brands like Natura … both of which are not particularly good “value”. There is certainly much better value available to you than SleepTek for the same materials.

Phoenix

[quote=“Phoenix” post=18293]Hi CeruleanBlue,

You will need to talk with the various options on the list to ask questions and find out more information than just the basic information on their site (or pricing if necessary).
[/quote]

Okay. I guess I have an issue with businesses that aren’t transparent. I don’t currently have the time, nor do I like talking on the phone. I deal almost exclusively online. And I am not unique in this, I know many people who have this preference. I am unavailable to speak on the phone while at work from 8am-5:30 and then I spend the next 3 hours picking up kids and driving them to activities, then supper, then bed, and none of these store are available to speak to at 10:30 at night.

I’m willing to email and talk to them, but if they can’t help that way, then they’ve lost my business unfortunately. If they’ve got an online presence, they need to be willing to provide information and do business that way.

Okay so can you tell me what other brands are less? Any natural brands I have found cost the same or more. Green Sleep, Obasan, Sleeptek, Natura…there are more, my mind is just blanking right now. But I did find several that used natural latex and organic wool, all virtually the same pricing within Canada.

I’m not trying to be a pain in the ass, although I may seem so…:wink: I’m just annoyed that this info isn’t easier to find. I’ve been digging for 5 years and it hasn’t got any easier or better where I live…

Hi CeruleanBlue,

In almost all cases when you are dealing with mattress manufacturers or retailers (especially smaller ones) … you will find that your communications are much more effective on the phone than with email which I would discourage with anything other than questions that have single sentence answers or morer “black and white” answers. In most cases … mattress questions are more complex than people realize and it usually includes several “it depends” in the answers which means that long and more complex replies can take much longer to write than they can be spoken on the phone. In many cases as well information or mattress models or products change and this is usually not a matter of disclosure but a matter of dealing with smaller manufacturers who often don’t have separate staff to look after each area of the business or to put every detail on their websites.

In my experience I would say that the majority of websites that list mattresses are not complete or don’t include all the information (which can quickly become out of date as things change) and good research should always include conversations on the phone IMO. Without this … you will be limited to larger businesses who may have more staff to always keep websites up to date but don’t have the same quality and value available.

Several of the options on the list I provided are less (some significantly) as are many local manufacturers (although I realize you may not have any of these close to you). You will need to look at their websites or talk to them. The brands you are using for reference are all in the higher price ranges (and some much more so) and not the best value comparisons in Canada or in the US…

Phoenix

I finally had the opportunity to call one of the Canadian mattress stores you provided me in your list. It was a bit of a circus finally getting to speak to someone as the person I spoke to initially for 30 minutes, ended up not being able to suggest any mattresses for me and needed someone else to call me back with information. That person didn’t call until the next day when I was not home, and then when I finally had 10 minutes during their business hours to call the person back several days later, I had to leave a message and then it took the person several more days to get a hold of me again. Both people I spoke to were very pleasant though. My call with the second person was 45 minutes long though and with children and work, I don’t really have that much time to speak to someone on the phone. My best options are email or info on a web site so I can do my part after the kids are asleep at night. I really, really think, these companies need more information on their web sites. I was frustrated by the process and was very anxious when I got off the phone as I was juggling looking after children at the park. I should have mentioned it wasn’t a convenient time to talk but I really needed pricing and information. Because I was out, I didn’t have all my questions with me so I didn’t even get everything answered that I wanted to know.

Once I got their pricing, I was quoted about $1475 per double mattress for my kids. If I purchased more than one, there was a 20% discount, so just under $1200 per mattress for 5" of latex and cotton/wool casing. Plus a few hundred dollars shipping. Now the Sleeptek kids mattress that I was quoted on by a store in my city, was $1200 for a 6" latex mattress with cotton/wool. And I wouldn’t have shipping costs, so the Sleeptek would actually be cheaper for me. The Sleeptek has only one firmness in the 6" though and the one I was quoted on had 3" of one firmness and 2" of another, so is that what would make it a better value? (although with shipping it would still cost me more)

Now, I am not saying that the price I was quoted was high or was not a good value. I am going to make the assumption that the price is fine for the product quoted. We’ve had a life change though and that price has suddenly become out of our budget. The IKEA Edsele is now on sale for $679 for a double and we barely have the budget for 2 of those but will make it work if that is a good value and the mattress is reasonable for children. If they’d last 7-10 years, I’d be okay with having to replace them then.

Hi CeruleanBlue,

I don’t know of a single mattress site on the internet that provides enough information by itself to make an informed mattress choice. If a manufacturer was to put this kind of information on their site then it would overwhelm 99% of consumers. Too much information that consumers don’t generally understand anyway can lead to just as poor choices as too little information. No matter what the information on a site it also won’t tell you how the mattress feels and performs or whether it would be suitable for your specific circumstances anyway. This type of information needs experience and knowledge that can really only be communicated with a conversation. While I understand that there are many people that prefer to use email or written communications to make a purchase and you are not unique in this … a mattress is not one of the products that lends itself to this kind of purchase. It is a combination of technical and subjective information that changes and is relative to each person and this just can’t be explained or communicated effectively on a website or written communications. I certainly would never buy a mattress without talking with the people or business who sold it and I think it’s fair to say that if I couldn’t make a suitable choice this way (and I really couldn’t) that it would be very unlikely that most other people could either.

You have many good options available to you but I don’t believe that there is any way to avoid talking to people if you want to make the best possible choices.

You are certainly looking at some high quality mattresses (latex, cotton, and wool are high quality materials) but there may also be better value available to you than most of the options you have mentioned (although the Ikea is certainly good value) but this would also depend the criteria that are the most important parts of your personal value equation because the extra time it would take to make the calls and find them may be more important than the money you would save and all of this is part of the many tradeoffs that every person buying a mattress will face.

In terms of the cost of materials generally no … the materials would be the same (assuming the latex was the same type and blend as another mattress you were considering). Value has many components though and in terms of better value for “you” … it could certainly make a difference if the two layers were more suitable for your specific needs and preferences than a single layer mattress of the same material although it’s also true that a single layer may be more suitable as well depending on the specifics of the design and materials. The suitability of a design as well as the help and guidance of a retailer or manufacturer is all part of the value of a mattress purchase and is part of what I call your personal value equation even though it may not be reflected in the cost of materials.

The one advantage you have is that when you are shopping for a mattress for a child then options aren’t as variable and personal testing doesn’t play as big a role (because they do best with medium or firmer mattresses) so much of your shopping can be done from home once you have a good sense of the type of mattress you are looking for and most comfortable buying. This gives you the chance to make many more comparisons between similar mattresses because you don’t have to visit each one.

It seems to me based on your feedback that you are most interested in a mattress that has about 6" or so of latex (give or take) and a wool quilted cotton cover. If this is the case then it makes your job easier because a phone call where you can ask if they have this available and how much it would be doesn’t tend to take as long as more detailed discussions about all the other options they have available. The Ikea would certainly be a good reference point as long as it was firm enough. Their latex is a “mostly natural” Dunlop which is good quality (although not quite the same quality as 100% Dunlop made in a mold) but it is a good quality material and it’s not likely you will be able to find an all latex mattress with wool quilting for much less.

Phoenix

[quote=“Phoenix” post=22243]

It seems to me based on your feedback that you are most interested in a mattress that has about 6" or so of latex (give or take) and a wool quilted cotton cover. If this is the case then it makes your job easier because a phone call where you can ask if they have this available and how much it would be doesn’t tend to take as long as more detailed discussions about all the other options they have available. The Ikea would certainly be a good reference point as long as it was firm enough. Their latex is a “mostly natural” Dunlop which is good quality (although not quite the same quality as 100% Dunlop made in a mold) but it is a good quality material and it’s not likely you will be able to find an all latex mattress with wool quilting for much less.

Phoenix[/quote]

Well I’m not sure that’s what I want, I just think it’s all we can afford right now. :wink: My oldest has a Natura Evo Haven, purchased prior to Natura being bankrupt and she’s super happy with it so ultimately I’d like something like that for my other kids. It has a 6" natural latex base and a separate 4" topper made from 2" natural latex/2" wool. (although my little kids would probably need a firmer topper) But something like that will definitely be out of my budget right now if it’s minimum $1200 for 5-6" of latex from the Canadian mattress manufacturers.

I did call TMASC as well, but they didn’t have anything priced less than what was on their web site. I also called a local manufacturer we have but they have no latex right now but may be getting something in the next 3-6 months, but they don’t know what they will be getting or how they will be designing the mattress if they decide to go ahead and make them.

Thanks for all of your feedback thus far.

Hi CeruleanBlue,

You really won’t need more than 6" (or even less) for a younger child and the only reason to add an additional 2" of latex would be to add more softness which they won’t really need until they are older (and perhaps not even then). If you wanted thicker layers of wool I would also consider adding it as a separate topper rather than as part of the mattress because wool will compress over time and become firmer and if it’s part of the mattress and you want to replace it you would need to replace the whole mattress or at least the whole cover but with a topper you could just replace the topper. Thinner layers of wool in a quilted cover (or no wool) would be more practical.

I think that the Obason 1.0 6" latex mattress from SleepTek is one of their better values. It’s less than at $1200 (double) and it’s less than half the cost of their 8" 2.0 mattress which is $2999. Of course the 2.0 also has customizable layers and a much more flexible design but this wouldn’t be necessary for what you were looking for. Your best value is likely to be either a single 6" layer or two 3" layers of 100% natural Dunlop in medium firm or the same in blended Talalay in the range of 32 ILD (top layer if there are two) with a wool cover (or without the wool and you can add your own if you wish in the form of a topper).

I would talk with …

both of which ship to Canada and would make a good value reference to compare others against along with the Ikea mattress (although it may be a little on the soft side).

Phoenix

My reasons for wanting thicker were selfish…I am getting beds with headboards and the headboards tend to look better with taller mattresses. You sometimes get a gap at the head with a shorter mattress. I think I may be lucky with the beds I have chosen though, and can put the headboard at a height I want. And sheets are so big and bunchy at the corners because they are all designed for 10-12" mattresses nowadays!

Adding the wool as a separate topper would work fine for us. That was one of the things I liked about the Evo Haven, that if she wore out the top, I could just replace the topper; although at more of an expense since it has some latex in it as well. We didn’t buy hers for her until she was 13 t hough so my guess is we won’t need to replace it before she moves out.

Awesome. Thanks so much. I will look into that Obasan and I’ll find some time in the next few weeks to call the two places you mentioned.

Hi Cerulean Blue,

I thought that’s the one you were referring to when you mentioned …

which is the reason I wanted to make some comments about it. It’s better value relative to their other mattresses … not necessarily to other options you may have (which would depend on making apples to apples comparisons with other 6" dunlop latex mattresses to determine the best value available to you).

Phoenix

[quote=“Phoenix” post=22336]
I thought that’s the one you were referring to when you mentioned …

which is the reason I wanted to make some comments about it. It’s better value relative to their other mattresses … not necessarily to other options you may have (which would depend on making apples to apples comparisons with other 6" dunlop latex mattresses to determine the best value available to you).

Phoenix[/quote]

The one I was quoted on was the Sleeptek Kids line, this one http://sleeptek.ca/products/kids-natural-rubber-mattress

So Sleeptek makes Obasan? If so, maybe the two mattresses are the same?

Hey CeruleanBlue, I’m in the same boat, looking to buy a twin mattress for my 3 year old. I’m basically moving him from the baby/toddler convertible bed straight into a twin. I was almost 100% sure I’m going to buy the latex mattress from Ikea for $509, but yesterday I changed my mind. Until now he’s been sleeping on an organic latex mattress from Obasan, so Ikea would be a bit of a downgrade. I think in the long term considering how many years it will be used it’s worth getting something a little nicer, so I decided to get the Naturalux mattress from here: https://www.mattresses.net/twin-naturalux-latex-mattress-only.html

Phoenix do you agree that the Naturalux is a better quality mattress than Edsele from Ikea? Also, I was going to get the firm model, considering it’s for a child. Does this make sense? Is there anything else you would recommend at that price point ($695) with similar components? I think the shipping is going to be ~$150, so another idea is to find something locally at under $850, but I’ve looked around and I don’t think that is possible anywhere in Calgary. Everywhere I looked it’s over $1000 for a latex twin, if anyone else knows better, please post here.

Hi ciuvak,

They are both similar materials but I would give a slight edge to 100% natural Dunlop yes (see post #2 here).

For a child I would also ask Ken about a 6" 100% natural Dunlop mattress and then wait till they were older to add any softer latex on top as a topper (or you could purchase a thicker cover and use the core and the topper inside the new cover).

Kids won’t need the extra 2" of soft latex.

I don’t recommend specific mattresses (just help the members here identify weak links, eliminate their worst options, and help connect them to better retailers and manufacturers) so they can make final choices based on their own personal value equation but post #2 here includes links to most of the better forum threads about mattresses and children which includes links to many options that would be good choices for children. If you have already decided on a latex mattress then post #21 here has a list of the members of the site that sell latex mattresses online in a wide range of designs and styles.

There is also a list of online sources that ship either from or to Canada in post #21 here.

Arizona Premium is certainly one of the “value leaders”.

Phoenix

ciuvak, did you decide on anything yet? I ordered the IKEA Edsele today as I have been away on vacation without much for cell service so couldn’t make any calls and didn’t want to miss the sale. I’m going to see if I can call a couple other places tomorrow and cancel my IKEA order if I find something that I think is a better value and still in budget.

Are you worried about the extra UPS charges ordering from the US? The mattresses are made in USA so no duty, but depending on which UPS service they use to ship, UPS may still charge brokerage fees (for brokering it into Canada for you and collecting GST/PST, etc.). UPS fees are the worst in the business!

Have you talked to the store about shipping at all?

Another thought…if a mattress is just straight latex with no wool, won’t it need flame retardants? I was under the impression that wool met the standards for flame retardancy in the USA so you could avoid chemical flame retardants. I seem to recall that Canada has different regulations, but am not 100% certain…I do know that wool meet our standards. I definitely would like to avoid any chemical flame retardants.

So I guess I have 2 questions:

  1. if I buy a straight latex, no wool mattress from the USA, will it have flame retardants?
  2. if I buy a straight latex, no wool mattress in Canada, will it have flame retardants?

Phoenix, first of all thanks for taking time to reply. I went through and read all the links that you posted. I totally agree with you in regards to not needing the extra 2". Basically what I should’ve wanted from the beginning is what my son has now (obasan crib mattress: 6" dunlop with some wool on top), but in larger twin size.
CeruleanBlue, here is what I’ve found so far at under $1000 (my budget):
USA (have to add additional shipping costs and customs/brokerage/whatever…maybe $150, maybe more, I’m not sure?), but there is an additional 5% off, so that’s also something to consider:
$595 6" special, 3"+3" natural Dunlop, cotton stretch cover.
$595 “Twin Solid Core Latex Mattress Only” the latex is a 60/40 blend, it’s not I’m looking for, I need 100% natural
$658: 6" Dunlop core ($529) + organic cotton cover with wool ($129). Buy both and make a mattress?
$695 Naturalux: 6" nat. Dunlop + 2" nat. Talalay + organic cotton cover I could get this one and take out the 2" layer or put it on the bottom?
$750 7000 model, 3"+3" natural Dunlop, cotton + wool, bonus 2 free pillows
Canada:
Edit: deleted the product from naturessleep, because of fraud concerns.

WARNING ADDED BY ADMIN: See post #39 here and the rest of the thread before making any purchase from NaturesSleep.ca !

$999+gst Sleeptek: 6" Dunlop + organic cotton cover, free shipping, or I could just drive to the store and pick it up.

There is also halstead.ca, but Martin is on vacation. I’ve already bought a queen mattress from him last year, so maybe he can get me a good price on a twin. I’ll have to contact him again next week.