How Long Should a Cot Mattress Last?

Well, as you can imagine, I'd say you get what you pay for. But let's look at some options.

How Long Will Your Baby Be in a Cot?

For a cot, your baby will be in it from around 6 months (when they can sit up) to 18 months to 3 years at the most.

If you have a climber, you're nearer 18 months to change to a cot bed. But consider that you may have another child - why wouldn't this mattress do for both?

If you're only using the mattress for one child, the cot will last years, and so will the mattress if it's of superior quality. Maybe a family member or friend might make use of it - if it's in good condition, don't commit it to landfill!

The Waterproof Essential

Whatever you buy, the mattress MUST have a waterproof cover. If urine gets to the core or base of the mattress - whether coir, fibre, or foam - then your mattress needs replacing.

Check if your mattress comes with a waterproof cover - "NOT water resistant." Don't fall for that! If it says "water resistant," you have to buy a separate waterproof cover.

Comparing Core Materials

Fibre - The Worst for Durability

In terms of durability, fibre is the worst for sinking and offers poor support because of its structure. Yes, you can increase the life of a fibre mattress by turning it every few days.

Foam - It Depends on Quality

Top-quality foam won't shrink, whether it has springs or not. Poor-quality foam will dip and sink regardless of whether it has pocket springs.

You're right to be concerned about dipping or denting. If your mattress isn't firm and supportive and is denting, it's not safe - and it needs to go.

Fibre in Detail

Fibre is very, very cheap - it's changed the cot mattress industry and made every company go into a price war. Even John Lewis has had to compete and sell a cot bed mattress for £39. They guarantee their mattress for a year. I doubt very much you'll get a year's wear out of it without it denting.

After the first year, you'll realise fibre is a temporary measure and you won't buy another one - you'll invest in something better.

Between 3 and 5 years, your child is treating their mattress as a trampoline - and quite right too! "Enjoy, life is fun." Fibre won't cut the mustard.

Foam Quality Matters

Foam comes in a huge variety of qualities, and to be honest, you won't know from the advert description how good it is. You need to know the density of the foam, and very few retailers offer this information.

However, if a manufacturer offers you a five-year guarantee, the mattress will be good quality.

Coir

Coir is the hair of a coconut. Currently, I'd say 95% of coir imported into the UK is good quality. The companies that import coir aren't making cheap products (well, not yet - until coir becomes much more popular). So the mattresses are firm, supportive, and will last.

For Cot Beds (5 Years)

For cot beds, you need the mattress to last 5 years.

Let's go straight to what you need for a quality cot bed mattress that will last 5 years:

The sprung unit is 6cm deep, and the mattress should not be more than 10cm deep to pass British Standards. So that means only 2cm of foam each side: 6 + 2 + 2 = 10.

Think about a 5-year-old child (average weight 42lbs) - you want 2cm of foam with that weight pushing down and the springs pushing up not to dip!

This is only achieved with top-quality foam: 35/133 minimum. (I know you might not understand that measurement, but I've explained it elsewhere on the site.)

You'll find mattresses advertised as having "top quality nursery foam." Trust me - it means nothing. Just marketing words. Unless they're proud of the foam and give you the rating or guarantee.

The Problem with Reviews

The problem with reviews is that customers are pressured into giving a review as soon as the mattress arrives, instead of after a year's wear. So a review tells you nothing!

When you buy a cot or cot bed pocket sprung mattress, look for actual details of the quality of the foam and the guarantee.

The Bottom Line

I'd say for a top-quality mattress to last you 5 years and above, you're looking at £180 to £250. Still better than five mattresses at £39 that don't offer the best sleep anyway!

In 5 years, your child could spend well over 20,000 hours on a cot bed. That's less than 20p a day for an absolute top-quality mattress.