Choosing the best kids mattress is clearly an important decision when it comes to the health of your child. Getting the right mattress for your child will form a crucial part of their sleep health and emotional well-being.
The problem is though, choosing a mattress for your kids is no easy task. There are literally thousands of options available, with a huge range of prices. Generally speaking, you can get a very good kids mattress (single size) for around $400, but this will depend on the specific needs of each child.
Another consideration when buying a new mattress for your child, is what ‘bed size’ you will choose (e.g. single, double etc). Below is a set of bed size recommendations for children at different ages. Again, this is just a guide and the right bed size for your child will depend on your individual circumstances (e.g. bedroom space). Here are the standard Australian bed (mattress) sizes.
Recommended bed sizes for kids
0 – 2 years: cot mattress
2 – 12 years: single, king single, or double
12 – 18 years: king single, double, or queen
When it comes to the right ‘firmness’ level, health professionals generally recommend a ‘medium-firm’ feel for children. This will offer a nice balance of comfort and support, and should accommodate growing spines very well.
A good kids mattress should also be well ventilated, hygienic, and non-toxic. This is crucial in terms of healthy breathing and respiration during sleep. Many kids mattresses (including the ones listed below) have ‘non-toxic certifications’ to reassure parents that the product is safe for kids.
So the question remains, what are the best kids mattresses on the market? Well, after testing over 1500 mattresses, Bedbuyer’s expert team of health professionals and sleep experts give you Australia’s top picks for kids in 2020. Be sure also to read to the end for a few handy hints before you purchase!
Australia’s Best Kids Mattresses
Please note: the following products only include the mattress. To see Bedbuyer’s list of Australia’s Best Kids Beds, click here.
🧸 Best Kids Mattress
1. Eco Kids Mattress – $579*
The Eco Kids Mattress was awarded Australia’s ‘Best Kids’ Mattress in 2020. As you might expect, our review team considers this to be the premier kids mattress on the market. It is Australian made, and uses natural bamboo and cotton fibres.
* Use code BBECO100 to claim this price
This mattress has been specially designed for kids. It is well certified as hypoallergenic and non-toxic, and its ‘Chiro Flex ES’ spring system offers excellent back support for growing spines. The Eco Kids Mattress is suitable for children from age 2, all the way up to teenagers and young adults. Here is our full review (which includes a video review).
*Price of a single size mattress after a Bedbuyer discount code is applied. If you have any questions about this coupon, please contact us.
2. Sleep Republic Mattress – $529*
The Sleep Republic Mattress is ideal for growing spines and is a stand out in the kids mattress market. It offers great support for young, active bodies and is well certified as non-toxic.
* Use code BEDBUYER100 to claim this price
This mattress contains a breathable cashmere fabric, memory foam, and latex in its comfort layer. This sits over a ‘high definition’ pocket spring system that offers ample support for kids. This is a definite contender as one of the best kids mattresses in Australia. Here is our full review (which includes a video review).
*Price of a single size mattress after Bedbuyer discount code is applied. If you have any questions about this discount, please contact us.
3. Noa Lite Mattress – $399*
The Noa Lite Mattress is great value and a beauty for kids. It offers a nice combination of comfort and support and is well certified as eco-friendly and non-toxic.
* Click here to claim this price
This mattress uses a Tencel fabric cover that sits over a layer of cooling gel memory foam and a layer of adaptive transition foam. The robust pocket spring system also provides excellent support for kids and young adults. a breathable bamboo fabric, as well as a combination of quality foams. Here is our full review.
If you have any questions about this coupon, please contact us.
4. Healthy Growth Mattress – $359*
The Silent Night Healthy Growth (Plush) is available to try out at Beds n Dreams. It offers a Riley version (for girls) and a Taylor option (for boys), and is a great value kids mattress.
This range is Australian made and offers a very comfortable sleeping surface for kids. Its Ortho Coil™ Spring System should also offer plenty of support for growing spines. Here is our full review.
*To claim this offer, mention ‘Bedbuyer’ at any Beds n Dreams store OR click SHOP NOW and use code BEDBUYER10 at checkout. This is a special Bedbuyer price that may differ from the price indicated on the Beds n Dreams website. Delivery cost will vary depending on your location. If you have any questions about pricing, please contact us.
5. Eva Mattress – $500*
The Eva Mattress offers great value and is a very nice mattress for children. It provides excellent spinal support, and its comfort layer offers lovely pressure relief for growing spines.
* Use code BEDBUYER100 to claim this price
The Eva Mattress uses polyester top cover, along with supportive foams and natural latex. It should suit kids of all sizes and comes with a handy 120 night free trial period. Here is our full review (which includes a video review).
If you have any questions about this coupon, please contact us.
A few handy hints
When it comes to buying a new kids mattress, there are a few things to consider before buying. Here are a few handy hints to keep in mind!
Kids Beds
When we talk about a ‘kids bed’ we are technically only referring to the bed base or bed frame (not the mattress). The products above relate to the mattress only, but if you also need a new ‘kids bed’, here are Australia’s Top 10 Kids Beds in 2020.
Co-sleeping
It is totally normal and healthy for parents to co-sleep with their children at certain times. In these cases, a kids mattress must be able to support the weight of an adult for extended periods. All of the kids mattresses listed above can easily accomodate the weight of an adult if necessary.
Bunk beds
Bunk beds are a popular type of kids bed in Australian homes. They are ideal for sleepovers, and are space saving solutions for small homes and/or large families. Bunk beds often require mattresses with a low height (e.g. 20 cm or less). This is worth noting before you buy a bunk bed, as this will limit your mattress options greatly. Make sure you’re clear on what mattress height a bunk bed can accomodate before you buy.
It is also worth noting the safety considerations when buying a bunk bed. Bunk beds are not suitable for children under the age of 9 years old, as the greatest risk of injury in a bunk bed occurs up until this age. It is also important that you select a bunk bed that complies with the mandatory safety standard based on the Australian Standard for Bunk Beds AS/NZS 4220 outlined by the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission).
Still need help?
Buying a new kids mattress can be very confusing and overwhelming. We hope that the information in this article helps you in your decision, but if you would like to read more, check out our Complete Buyer’s Guide for buying a new mattress in 2020.
If you have any questions for our team, comment below or please contact us. We are here to help you find the perfect kids mattress!
Bedbuyer is Australia’s largest bedding website and leading independent mattress review group. To read our disclosure and disclaimer statement, click here.
Hi, I am looking for recommendations for bunk bed mattresses. What is the ideal height for a bunk bed setting? Should we go for foam or Sprung mattresses? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi VK,
Happy to help – the ideal mattress height for a bunk bed depends on the actual bunk bed as the space for the mattress can vary.
We generally recommend spring mattresses for kids as they provide better air circulation for healthier breathing.
We will send you an email to discuss further – please check your junk folder if it doesn’t appear in your inbox.
Kind regards,
The Bedbuyer team
HI,
I am looking for bunk bed Mattress with maximum height 20 cm. Please send some suggestions. Thanks
Hi Amisha,
We have sent you an email to discuss further.
The Bedbuyer team
Hi there, I’m also in the same boat. Can you please send me some suggestions? Thanks
Hi Barbara,
The Eco Kids Mattress is 21cm high and should be fine for most bunk beds. Once you go below 20cm, your options are limited to basic foam products that we generally don’t recommend for children.
Hope that helps but let us know if you have any further queries.
The Bedbuyer team
Hi,
I’ve worked out our bunk beds need mattresses 15cm or less in thickness. Else there is not enough safety railing above the mattress. Wooden slated bases. So far, I’ve found Clark Rubber options but nothing else. What others have you rated?
Cheers, A.
Hi A,
Yes the Clark Rubber options are the only ones that we have found that are less than 15cm high – for example the Comfort Premium Mattress is 14cm high – linked here.
Unfortunately most mattresses are over 20cm high so choices under this height are limited.
Hope that helps but please don’t hesitate if you have any further queries.
The Bedbuyer team
Hi,
Our 8 yo girl (only 23kg) has been complaining that her (admittedly cheapie) foam mattress is hard. So, we are looking for something soft and plush (in a single bed) for her in the mattress in a box range. As she’s so small she doesn’t sink in to a mattress much and likely needs an extra soft mattress to feel that it is soft.
Any ideas??
Thanks,
Julie
Hi Julie,
Happy to help. As much as your daughter feels that her current mattress is too hard, we still recommend a medium-firm feel for children to provide the necessary support for growing spines.
The best ‘mattress in a box’ options for kids that have a nice balance of comfort and support would be the Sleep Republic Mattress (shop page linked here, use code BEDBUYER100 at checkout) or the Eva Mattress (shop page linked here, use code BEDBUYER100 at checkout).
Hope that helps but let us know if you have any further queries.
The Bedbuyer team
We are moving house and we are upgrading to a king size and looking at giving my 9.5yo our frame but looking at a good mattress for him. He has asd and adhd so some things are harder to find that he likes. Any assistance via email would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Callum,
Thanks for providing that information. We would recommend the Eco Kids Mattress for your son. It has very good spinal support for growing kids, and is very well certified as non-toxic and hypoallergenic.
Our full review (includes discount code/video review) is linked here.
Hope that helps but please let us know if you have any further questions.
The Bedbuyer team
Hi Callum, as requested we just sent you an email to discuss further.
The Bedbuyer team
Hi,
We have just purchased a king single size bed that has dimensions 118cm Wide and 215cm Long. Is there a larger king single mattress you could recommend? The longest we found only comes upto 204cm long.
Hi Amesha,
If you have purchased a ‘king single’ bed, a standard king single mattress should fit just fine. Don’t worry about the small differences in measurement, in fact it’s normal for the bed to be a bit bigger than the mattress.
You can see the full list of Australian bed (mattress sizes) on this link here.
Hope that helps but please let us know if you would like to discuss further.
The Bedbuyer team
Hi, it is often said that foam mattress is not good food kids’ spinal development. However there are a couple of foam mattresses on this list. I was thinking of getting the naptime mattress for my 2yo but I’m a bit concerned about the lack of innerspring. Can you please how it stacks up to innerspring mattress in terms of the support it provide? Thank you
Hi Jo,
We generally recommend spring mattresses for kids as spring mattresses have better ventilation and air flow.
With that said, the Naptime Mattress is still a great mattress for kids and should offer more than adequate spinal support for a child. The Naptime Mattress uses good quality foams and will also even support the weight of an adult very well.
For your reference, the Naptime Mattress shop page is linked here (use code BED-BUYER at checkout to get 10% off).
Hope that helps but please don’t hesitate if you have any further queries.
The Bedbuyer team
Great resources here for mum’s and dad’s. How often should a kid’s mattress be changed? Also was wanting a review on the sleeping duck single. Thoughts on that one for kids please.
Hi Roberto,
Thanks for your kind words!
Assuming that you don’t need to change the size of your kids mattress, a good kids mattress should last 5-10 years.
If wanted to upgrade the size of your kids mattress (e.g. from a single size to a double size), the timing would depend on how fast they grow (you may consider increasing the size of your kids mattress every 5 years).
The Sleeping Duck Mattress (medium) may be a bit soft for kids. The firm version would be a reasonable choice for kids but we found that the mattresses in this list would generally be more suitable.
Hope that helps but please don’t hesitate if you have any further queries.
The Bedbuyer team
Our 14 month old currently sleeps in a floor bed on a cot size mattress. We would like to upgrade to a single to make co-sleeping times easier however the article says under 2 should be on a cot size mattress, is a single still safe for him? Thank you!
Hi Bec,
A single size mattress should still be fine for a 14 month old (for co-sleeping) assuming that:
1. It is a firm (or medium-firm) feel.
2. The mattress is not placed directly on the floor (not good for hygiene or ventilation).
With this in mind, the Eco Kids Mattress would be our best recommendation for your 14 month old with some co-sleeping. Our full review is linked here (includes video review and discount code).
Hope that helps but please let us know if you have any further queries!
The Bedbuyer team
Great thank you!!!
You’re very welcome Bec 🙂