Are firm beds the best mattresses for kids?

[phoenix]

Hi Samsmum,

We are also looking for a full size mattress for our 4 year old. The sales person had mentioned that we should get her a firm mattress because kids are having issues with proper spinal development due to sleeping on softer mattresses. She actually recommended the cheapest mattresses that they sell. It’s the kind that if an adult sits on the side, the adult sinks way down and the sides kind of go up around you a little. I’m not convinced.

I would completely agree with Jeff that children tend to do much better with firmer mattresses (medium firm or better) that in many cases would be firmer than many adults would be comfortable with and I would tend to avoid softer mattresses for children.

I just started reading some of the mattress for kids threads on here. I am in a rush because I want this mattress right away as the current bed is being used by a guest at the moment. In any event, I will also sleep in this bed from time to time, as has become our routine, so the cheapy mattress is not going to work for me. I would love to purchase from the same shop, but am at a loss as to what to buy and of course, I don’t want to compromise my child’s spinal development!!

Has there been discussion about required mattress firmness for proper spinal development? Any thoughts in this regard?

Post #2 here and the posts it links to have more information about mattresses and children including a link to some general guidelines for children in post #2 here.

I would also agree with Jeff that I would avoid the lowest quality promotional or “throwaway” mattresses for children. If you buy a reasonable quality mattress in a firmer range (which are generally available in lower budget ranges) then if they need some additional pressure relief as their body starts to develop into the more “curvy” shape of an adult your mattress would still be a suitable “base” for a good quality topper and you won’t have to buy a completely new mattress when they are older.

In many cases a mattress that would be “comfortable” for an adult that prefers thicker or softer comfort layers wouldn’t be the best choice for a child.

Phoenix