Twin Mattress for Toddler

Hi all,

The forum has been a total blessing in educating me in the whole topic of less toxic, more natural choices for mattresses. I was quite overwhelmed but highly impressed.

I’m looking for a 6"-7" mattress for my toddler to use in his loft bed with the following criteria:

  1. Minimize toxic chemicals, the more “natural”, the better
  2. Durability - hopefully it will last several years
  3. Value - something in a reasonable price range

I think after reading a lot of forums, I narrowed it down to the following three choices:

Mattresses.net Twin Solid Core Latex Mattress Only

  • $595, 5.5" Talalay latex blend core + cotton quilted cover + 1.5" Joma wool quilt. Thickness would be 7" according to Ken, though he offers a 6" version with organic cotton/compressed wool cover. He recommended a medium firmness at most for children.

European Sleep Works Children’s Mattress

  • $549, the same one as shown in the link but includes a 1" latex topper, making the thickness 7". I’m mostly concerned about the coil only version being too firm, which the sales person said that’s why they offer the version with the latex topper (though not advertised on their website).

Sleep EZ Special or the Sleep EZ Natural 7,000

  • $595/$750, 6"/7" respectively. The special has 2 layers of 3" natural Dunlop latex + cotton cover. The 7,000 has a choice of Dunlop or Talalay blend for each of the 3" layers + cotton quilted cover.

Does anyone have any reviews/feedback on any of these three choices (I guess really 4 choices)? I called all three places and Ken from the Arizona Premium Mattress Company (mattresses.net) seemed to be by far the most willing to explain the different options, even customize it free of charge, and answer my endless questions. I’m leaning towards their mattress overall, but wanted to see if I could get some feedback or any additional options that others preferred or found to be better.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Gomdori,

You’ve probably already read this but just in case some of the forum threads that talks more extensively about mattresses and children are linked in post #2 here. They include many links to more information and various options, and sources.

All of the choices you are looking at though would be among the top choices I would also consider and I think highly of all of them. Two of them are manufacturing members of this site and the other (Berkeley Ergonomics) also makes high quality mattresses. When you are down to these kind of final choices that are between “good and good” and there are no cautions to consider … then of course the objective comparisons (the type of materials and components in each mattress and the “raw value” of each of them) along with the more subjective and intangible comparisons between each retailer or manufacturer is the only meaningful way to compare them and each person may have a different idea of what is most important to them. You are in a place where all of them would meet your three criteria and would be a very suitable choice. A mattress purchase includes the mattress itself of course but also includes the benefits and options that come with dealing with a particular retailer or manufacturer before, during, and after the purchase which is just as much a part of the “value” of a mattress purchase as the mattress itself.

I should also mention that all of these will also be durable enough that when your toddler becomes older and begins to develop that any of these choices would be very suitable for adding a good quality topper that could meet the comfort needs of older children as well although if everything else was equal I would tend to lean towards all latex vs an innerspring in terms of durability, performance, and “value”.

So I would trust your instincts and your “gut” with your final choice and be very comfortable knowing that none of these are bad ones and will meet all of your criteria. It’s just a matter of deciding which one best meets your personal value equation.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix for the info. I ended up going with the Arizona Mattress Company solid core version but changed it to 100% natural latex instead of the blend since the price difference was minimal. I initially narrowed it down to the two latex choices, then it came down to the customer service. Had a pleasant experience dealing with both Greg and Ken at the Arizona Mattress Company. And loved the member discount! :slight_smile:

Hi gomdon,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

As you know … I think very highly of mattresses.net and the mattresses they make and I think you made a great choice. If I was choosing a design for a toddler I would also lean towards wool in the quilting.

Phoenix

I’ve spent hours reviewing these forums and am looking for a mattress using similar criteria as the original poster. (Twin mattress primarily for a 2 year old, occasionally used by adults, hoping for non-toxic materials, long-lasting, ideally less than $700). I’ve read through most of the archived posts on children’s mattresses and learned a lot from those. I’m located in Baltimore metro area, but I don’t mind buying online. (I’m not seeing much local besides stores that sell sertas & sealys etc…)

I’m new to this, but based on my initial reading, I’m drawn to latex and I like the idea of wool as part of the cover/top layer. (And seems like the firmer end of the spectrum is probably better for a young child). I have a few questions:

I’ve read that wool is resistant to fire. Does this mean that mattresses with cotton covers (and no wool) would likely have fire retardant chemicals? (I noticed that the Sleep EZ 7000 has wool but the special does not. I don’t see info @ fire retardants on their site)

I’m often seeing a choice between 100% natural dunlop and blended talalay. I’ve read that dunlop latex is firmer. I’ll admit I’m more drawn to the idea of 100% natural latex than one that is blended with synthetic. And firmer seems more appropriate for a child. Would others agree that 100% natural dunlop is a better choice for a child, or is my perception inaccurate? (Ken on the mattress.net site praises blended tally)

Would latex likely hold up over time better than coils? The Pure Echo Latex Enhanced Mattress also caught my eye, though it is a coil mattress. I actually am more familiar with coils- its all I have ever slept on- but my review of the archives suggests that latex might last longer. I’ve noticed some squeakiness develop over time on coil mattresses, but I still feel supported on my 10 yr old one (though I’m only 115lbs).

Right now my search has zoomed in on these companies. Any others with similar features/prices I’m missing?

Sleep EZ (Special or 7000)
Mattress.net (want latex, not sure yet which one)
My Green Mattress (Pure Echo latex enhanced)

Thank you for such an informative site!

Hi lizsky,

It would depend on what they used as a fire barrier. In the case of SleepEz they use an inherent viscose/silica fire barrier which has no chemicals (see this article and more in post #2 here and post #2 here).

Both Dunlop and Talalay come in a wide range of firmness levels. If both of them are the same ILD (softness level) then Dunlop will feel a little firmer for most people because it has a higher compression modulus which means that it becomes firmer faster than Talalay as you sink into the layer more deeply. At 25% compression they would be the same. If a layer is compressed less than 25% then Dunlop would be softer. If a layer is compressed more than 25% then Talalay would be softer. They also have a different “feel” and respond a little differently (see post #7 here). I would treat the choice between them as a preference issue and not a better/worse issue. You can also read more about the different types of latex in post #6 here.

Latex would be more durable than innersprings in theory but the support layers of a mattress are not usually the weak link of a mattress (a mattress tends to soften and break down from the top down) so in practical terms a latex core and an innerspring core would both be durable choices and the materials above the support core would be a more important factor in the durability of the mattress. You can read more about the factors that affect the durability and useful life of a mattress in post #4 here.

I don’t keep a specific record of prices and price is only part of the value of a mattress purchase and each person’s personal value equation but I would say you are looking at most of the better value options yes.

Phoenix

Thank you phoenix for your thoughtful analysis. I spoke to Ken at mattress.net and Shawn at Sleep EZ and both were very helpful. I think a 6" latex twin mattress with a wool cover will be a good fit for my daughter.

Do you have thoughts about the durability of latex mattresses with 2 layers vs. a solid core?

Ken feels that 6" solid is going to hold up better over time than two 3" layers. The physics of this makes sense in my head.

Shawn told me that in his experience, mattresses with two 3" layers hold up beautifully. (He also praised the ability to mix and match and the ease of returning 1 layer- but these benefits seem less important given that the mattress is for a 2 year old).

Hi Lizsky,

In “theory” a single layer may be a little more durable because layer combinations “act” a little bit softer and more independently and softness (and how deeply you sink into the comfort layers of a mattress) is a secondary factor in terms of durability (see post #2 here about the main factors involved in durability) but in practical terms if both of the separate layers were both the same ILD as the single layer then they would be closely equivalent in terms of durability and for me durability would not be a concern with either one in a latex mattress … especially with a younger child. More layers can also provide more options to customize the mattress (either initially or down the road as needs and preferences change) so for example you could use a top layer that was the same ILD as a single layer for the “feel” of it and then use a higher ILD base layer for firmer support. Both have their pros and cons in other words including any price differences between two mattresses and it would really depend on which one overall was the best match for your personal value equation because you would be making a final choice between “good and good”.

Phoenix