Best mattresses to help kids sleep in their own beds

“Worth every penny. My daughter LOVES this mattress. After a week of using it, she went from waking 1-2x a night to sleeping 12 straight hours!”

We love the Newton Baby Crib Mattress because the core of this mattress is 90% free air and 10% food-grade polymer, making it a key winner if you’re looking for a breathable, temperature-controlled mattress for your baby. The wraparound fabric — featuring a cloud pattern and available in your choice of four colors — is breathable too and easy to unzip and remove for washing, though it’s worth noting that the whole mattress, not just the cover, is 100% washable so you’ll never have to worry about mold, bacteria, and allergens. You can also get it with a waterproof mattress cover if you’re worried about potty training time. 

While the mattress is on the pricier side, especially for a crib mattress, it comes with a lot of perks: it contains no polyurethane foam, no adhesives or glue and no springs, making it non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and super comfy. It’s also recyclable, Greenguard gold certified, and verified by a CPSC accredited lab to reduce the risk of CO2 breathing and suffocation. 

Reviewer Danielle L. writes:

“Perfect for my four year old. This mattress fit the loft we bought for my son like it was made for it. If he falls asleep in there, he’s out for the night. Comfortable for me to lay on it too.”

“Went straight to this for my toddler from her crib and it’s absolutely heavenly. She loves it — sleeps great in it. When my husband and I lay in there with her for story time it makes us doze off almost because it’s so comfortable! We made the perfect decision in getting this."

Transitioning from a toddler bed to a “big kid bed” is a huge milestone. That’s why that first bed deserves a good, comfortable mattress and Nest was the first online company to make a bed-in-a-box model specifically designed with kids in mind. 

Only 7 inches thick, it’s thinner than an adult mattress, but it’s also more affordable than most adult mattresses and it doesn’t skimp on the quality. Plus, the narrower width makes it a good choice for bunk beds. The multi-layer memory foam mattress is designed to be responsive while conforming to little kid bodies, helping relieve pressure points. It’s also built to last and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Nest reviewer Heather W. writes:

And another reviewer, Gladys A. writes:

“We purchased this mattress almost 4 years ago and just this month our toddler grew out of it. It’s definitely a comfortable medium firm and good thickness for little ones… It’s gone through a lot the last 2 years with potty training and still in great shape, plus it’s easy to clean. I totally recommend it to friends who are expecting their 1st baby as it’s a fantastic price, has a decent warranty and quality is great.”

Lightweight and breathable thanks to its foam core, the Graco Deluxe Foam Crib and Toddler Mattress is a solid choice for its price point. It is Greenguard Gold Certified and made of non-toxic materials and it’s backed by a 6-year limited warranty, so parents can rest easy knowing it’s a safe choice for their little one. Parents will appreciate that the mattress comes with a water-resistant, removable cover that is machine-washable too. 

Target reviewer Frugal_Mommy2 writes: 

It does come rolled up in a box and expands once you unpack it. This means that for optimal use, it’s best to unroll it at least two weeks before the baby uses it for the first time. That way it will have time to expand properly and adjust to the nursery’s temperature. 

Saatva’s Youth Mattress is a high-quality, luxury hybrid support mattress that ships free to your home. As a dual-sided innerspring mattress, it adapts to your growing kid. One side is softer and designed for smaller kids ages 3-7 and the other side is slightly firmer, thanks to denser foam, to offer more support to children ages 8-12. 

The mattress is covered in organic, hypoallergenic, and antimicrobial cotton and it has a water-resistant finish to help protect the mattress core from accidents during potty training time. It is also made with CertiPUR-US certified foam, though because of its inner spring, it’s good for kids who sleep in all different positions, whether that's on their backs, sides, or stomachs. 

The Saatva’s Youth Mattress comes with a 15-year warranty and a 120 day trial, though if you decide to return it, you will have to pay a $99 return fee. 

“Got this mattress for our daughter with the cover and it’s great! Very comfortable for us if we fall asleep with her and the cover has been great for preventing any accidents from ruining the mattress.”

Nectar is a popular mattress brand for a reason: With 5-layer foam construction and a tencel long staple fiber removable cooling cover, the mattress is built to keep you cool and comfortable all night long. It’s also incredibly comfortable as a medium-firm memory foam mattress and it is designed to minimize motion transfer. It comes with a cover designed to keep out dust mites, as well as a 365-night trial period. Best of all: it does this for a pretty affordable price. 

Nectar reviewer Alyssa C. writes:

“This mattress was purchased for our first baby. The mattress is so soft!”

“We love that it is all natural, no nasty chemical smell and that it is super comfy!”

If you’re looking for an eco-friendly (or even vegan) mattress for your little ones, then Avocado is a great place to shop. They offer two organic crib mattresses for baby, as well as Twin, Twin XL, or Full green or vegan mattress for older kiddos, both of which feature the option to add a permanently attached pillow-top with two additional inches of plush organic latex for an extra $300 dollars.

All the mattresses, except their vegan one, are made of organic latex, organic cotton, pocketed support coils, and organic wool. (The Avocado vegan mattress replaces the wool with cotton).  The crib mattresses also feature dual-sided designs — one for infants and one for toddlers. And none of them use any polyester, polyurethane foams, or toxic fire retardants. 

Reviewer Erin L. writes about the crib mattress:

And reviewer Sara D. writes:

“Got this for my 7 yo son. The mattress feels soft and firm at the same time! Hugs and supports the body! Love it!”

If you live in a warm climate, you know how important a cooling mattress is so your child doesn’t wake up sweaty (and smelly). That’s why we love the T&N Original Mattress. Its core is made of two layers of open-cell foam to keep the mattress breathable and the foam has added graphite and cooling gel to help absorb and wick away body heat and moisture. 

In addition, the mattress is durable and firm to keep your little one’s spine supported and weight evenly distributed for a comfortable sleep. The foam also means that the mattress is comfortable for back, side, or tummy sleepers — a perk since kids sleeping patterns have a tendency to change as they grow. 

T&N reviewer Derin writes: