Hello. I am going crazy trying to find safe, non-toxic and affordable mattresses for bunk beds that will be arriving soon. I am trying to stay under $500 each, if possible.
I have found the following and would greatly appreciate your opinions on each and alternative suggestions I could find locally (Madison, WI) or with free or very reasonable shipping:
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Naturepedic: $649 for the Quilted Organic Cotton Delux (http://www.naturepedic.com/our-products/kids/kids-mattresses/quilted-organic-cotton-deluxe-mattress) and $749 for the 2 in 1 (http://www.naturepedic.com/our-products/kids/kids-mattresses/2-in-1-organic-cotton-ultra-quilted-mattress) My 9 year old who will be in the top bunk tried the 2-in-1 and thought that it was too firm 
But if I can not find another better option, I may just buy it regardless.
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My Green Mattress: $479 Pure Eco Organic Cotton – I found this via your mattress forum, so thanks! The problems is that it is 8.5inches thick and my bunk bed says that the mattresses should be a max of 8inches. Does the half inch really pose a safety hazard for the top bunk?
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Little Spring Mattress: $839 (but found at $799 at a local store). (http://www.suitesleep.com/little-spring-hybrid-mattress/) Pricy. My son tried it and loved the comfort, of course. But I would really like to find something similar at a lower price point.
Thanks in advance for your advice and assistance!
Hi madisonwl,
You may have read this already but post #2 here and the topics it links to also has much 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 also include more information about many good options for children which may also be worth considering in a wide range of prices.
For younger children any mattress that uses durable materials that you would consider to be “safe enough” and is in a medium firmness range or firmer would generally be suitable for a child but with an older child that is beginning to develop more adult proportions then I would give them a little bit more input into the mattress you choose and a slightly softer comfort layer would generally be fine (although as with anyone I would be cautious about choosing a mattress that is too soft for a growing child).
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Madison, WI area (subject to the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #5 here.
I don’t keep a record of the specific mattresses that each retailer/manufacturer carries on their floor (keeping up with the specifics of all the mattresses on the showroom floors of all the retailers or manufacturers that are listed throughout the hundreds of forum lists would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking the websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the list to see if they carry mattresses that fit your criteria is always a good idea before you visit any store. This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria about thickness, materials, firmness, and price and are transparent about the type and quality of the materials in their mattresses. These initial calls will also give you a good indication of the type of knowledge and service you are likely to encounter at the stores you plan to visit as well and can save you a significant amount of time and frustration compared with waiting to find out whether to provide you with the information you need to make an informed choice until you actually visit them only to find out that they either can’t or won’t provide it.
All of the mattresses you listed use good quality and “safe” materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in any of them so if they are in a suitable firmness range then they would all be a suitable choice.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance about firmness levels is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for your child based on the information you provide them about your child and any local mattresses they have tried and “liked” that they are familiar with. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattresses to the needs and preferences of your child or to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else.
This would really be a “best judgement” choice. The reason for the 8" height restriction is so that the side rails on the bunk are at least 5" above the sleeping surface to prevent a child from rolling out of the bed and harming themselves. An extra 1/2" would be slightly “less safe” but you would be the best judge about whether you would consider the extra thickness to be a cause for concern.
Phoenix