Choosing a mattress for a child or an elderly parent

Many families buy mattresses for someone else: a child moving into their own bed, or a parent whose old mattress has sagged. The right choice is different at each end of life.

For children, firmness and size matter most. A growing child does well on a firm, even surface that does not sag, so our coir and latex mattress at a firmness of seven or eight suits most children. A single bed of 90 by 190 cm lasts from about age five into the teens. Choose a removable, washable cover and always use a waterproof protector; with children, spills are a when, not an if. For babies and toddlers, follow your paediatrician’s advice on a firm, flat cot mattress and keep pillows and soft toys out of the cot.

For older parents, height and edges come first. Getting into and out of bed should be easy, which means the top of the mattress at about knee height when sitting, usually 50 to 55 cm from the floor. A taller mattress or a raised base can help. Firm edges let someone sit on the side of the bed to put on slippers without sliding off. Many older people find a medium-firm latex, around five or six on our scale, comfortable on hips and shoulders.

Whatever you choose, bring the person to the store if you can. A ten-minute lie-down tells you more than any description, and our staff will help someone with limited movement onto the beds.