How to choose a children's mattress?

The baby’s sleep must be serene and complete. From the very first days of life, it is of great importance. It is important that the rest was not only comfortable, but also correct. Therefore, the purchase of a mattress is a prerequisite for healthy sleep. It will provide full relaxation of the muscles and will contribute to an excellent state of health.

Children's mattress is a special product. It differs not only in size, but also takes into account height, weight and age. The main objective of such models is to support the correct position of the spine, because from birth, the skeleton begins to form. It is necessary to help maintain proper development, otherwise it can lead to problems such as poor posture and even scoliosis.

It is worth considering that the child’s mattress should be new and own. The bed on which the parents sleep, it does not suit him at all, as if this would not be desirable. Mattresses for adults differ in structure, and often they are completely performed on the springs, which is completely inappropriate in any child's age. Even if the growth of the child is small, the springs will not give the necessary support to the weak, emerging baby skeleton. Therefore, the first thing you need to know is that you cannot do without a cot and a personal mattress.

Children's mattresses have a number of their features:

• they are made of hypoallergenic materialtherefore they do not irritate the delicate skin of babies and are suitable not only for babies, but also for teenagers;
• due to the materials in such mattresses fungus, dust mites and rottenness are excluded;
• such constructions have good air exchange and are often resistant to moisturee;

• they are designed for different weight loads, therefore, they have a long service life (the weight of babies is not so big as to deform or bend the mattress);
• designs for children are made of various materials, which allows choose an option for different ages, taking into account the peculiarities of health and recommendations of orthopedic surgeons;
• designs for children in most cases perform with orthopedic effectm, which contributes to the correct development of children's posture and does not harm the formation of the musculoskeletal system during sleep;

• such models do not creak and do not have an annoying sound when loadede, because in their construction there are no steel elements (they will not cause the child to wake up);
• due to the absence of springs for children mattresses preclude falling through, wavy effect and springiness, however, may have an anatomical effect, adapting to the features of the body;
• despite the apparent hardness, such models provide not only a full, but the correct sleep of the child, relieving tension in the joints, back and limbs;

• in view of the small weight of the child, children mattresses do not clot;
• due to the variety of models that differ in price, You can choose the right option, which will be affordable, and to taste.

The second rule of choice - the moderation of the stiffness of the mattress. The time for cotton products is gone,manufacturers produce different options with the use of gaskets of natural origin. Moreover, the structures differ not only in the degree of rigidity, but also in the structure method.

The approach to choosing a children's mattress should be solid: you can not just buy the first thing you like, because the choice of stuffing will depend a lot.

There are two types of mattresses: springless and springs. Spring options are not designed for children, no matter how the sellers would prove the opposite. Even if the store offers a model with independent springs, in which the correct position of the spine is created, you cannot buy such a product for a child: at best, it can be useful when the child is 14-15 years old.

Spring mattresses have steel elements. In some designs they are attached to each other, in others they are connected by means of textile covers. However, in each variant they are arranged vertically, and if you take into account the activity of the kids and the fact that they like to jump and jump on such surfaces, there is a risk of injury.

In addition, steel elements accumulate static electricity. Therefore, they can have a negative magnetic effect on the child. And due to the large internal cavities in such mattresses dust accumulates rather quickly, which is accompanied by the appearance of dust mites. There can be no full rest here, even if the manufacturer assures that it is completely safe and recommended by orthopedic doctors.

However, the spring remains. Even if they do not bend under the weight of the baby, they are not recommended by orthopedic physicians. If you really want to buy a mattress with springs, you should choose the filling of an independent type with a combination of base material and rigid packing. However, it can be used no earlier than adolescence, as it is necessary to allow the spine to form correctly and to get stronger, easing the daily load on it, associated with carrying a heavy satchel with textbooks.

Choosing a mattress according to the type of construction, it is necessary to give preference to springless versions.They will support the correct position of the spine better than others; on such a bed the child will not fall down and slide into the center. You should not think that a hard mattress is an analogue of an oak surface, it is not. It is comfortable and comfortable and better than soft structures that harm the spine, forcing the body to take unnatural postures.

If we proceed from the degree of rigidity, it is important to build on age:

• Mattresses in the crib for infants recommended hard, pre-school children 5, 6 and 7 years old it is worth acquiring designs with less rigidity.
• Baby 2-3 years What is needed is a mattress that can not bend and eliminate the prerequisites for the curvature of the spine. Therefore, springless hard coatings (preferably with a pad of natural origin) are shown to infants up to three years old.

• Starting from the age of three and up to the school itself, you can change the mattress, picking it up so that its surface is softer. therefore for children 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 years choose the filling medium hardness.
• At school age (8, 9, 10, 11 years and older) The bones continue their formation, so the density and rigidity of the mattress remains average.However, you can purchase a bilateral block with an anatomical effect that will adapt to the peculiarities of the body contours of the growing organism.

When buying a children's mattress for an infant and a one-year-old baby, you need to choose a filler from a hypoallergenic material that passes air well. You should ask the seller for a hygienic certificate testifying to these qualities. Purchase must be carried out in a trusted store with positive customer reviews.

If the child is allergic, it is better to choose a mattress of synthetic fibers. For a child from four months to one year old, he must fit snugly to the sides of the bed. There should be gaps in which tiny children's hands or feet can get stuck: this can cause injury to the infant's limbs.

Schoolboy recommended to buy a full mattress with antimicrobial and anti-allergic impregnation.It will be convenient for teenagers to sleep on it, because such models provide a good reserve in length and width, which does not restrain the comfort of the bed, and are suitable for children of different ages.

The convenience of many models of children's mattresses are removable mattress covers. This allows you to simplify the care of him, and if necessary, remove the cover and wash, returning the mattress to its original appearance. Such accessories are made of natural material, so they will not have a negative impact on the children's body.

The cover is made of different materials:

• calico, cotton with a children's drawing - a budget option;
• teak - fabric, more dense and pleasant to the body, but not practical;
• StressFree ("anti-stress") - two-layer textiles with breathable porous bottom layer and cotton upper;
• Bamboo - bamboo fabric with high strength and hygroscopicity.

The basis of any design is the filler. According to the type of structure, the children's mattress can be:

• monolithic;
• polyurethane foam;
• combined.

First option is a solid block made of the same material. As a rule, such a mattress is always hard, no matter what kind of stuffing it consists of. Top filler closes textile cover. They come in simple designs and with cylindrical holes. The first ones are designed for light weight, the second ones are designed for teenagers, so the product can have zones with varying degrees of pressure.

Foam mattress - budget alternative to expensive models of natural origin. In its structure, it is a monolithic block, characterized by excellent performance characteristics, but has no division into zones, therefore, it is performed without holes. The advantage of this mattress is dust tightness: it has no holes into which dust can clog.

Combined type the filler retains a monolithic base, however other layers of stuffing are added to it. This allows you to achieve the desired softness, not excluding the orthopedic effect.As a rule, the thickness of the main substance is greater, and the additions are no more than 3-4 cm (each layer).

The padding of a children's mattress is the main determinant of its characteristics and service life. Despite the fact that the materials for filling the mattress are quite high quality and are designed for a period of 8 to 15 years, it has to be changed, because children grow quickly. The rocking crib is replaced by a full bed, then its size increases so that the child can sleep comfortably.

With the size of the bed varies and the type of filler. For children's mattresses use the following types of stuffing:

• Natural latex - the filler obtained from hevea tree sap, having a structure with cells, due to which it has excellent ventilation (air is able to circulate), does not absorb moisture and has the longest service life (15 - 20 years).
• Polyurethane foam - An analogue of natural latex, which has some differences.Compared with natural packing, this filler is somewhat simpler, does not have a cellular structure and is characterized by a shorter service life (up to 10 years). It is more rigid, but it has excellent elasticity and elasticity, it is not deformed under the weight load and does not rot, like ordinary foam rubber.
• Coconut fiber (coir) is a material that guarantees the correct growth of the skeletal system and the full development of the body, which is a plexus of coconut fiber. This filler has a characteristic brownish tint, lack of springiness, it is absolutely unbending, it has been serving for about 10 years.

Dimensions of children's sizes depend on the age of the child and the specific standards of each furniture company. On average, the indicators of a mattress bed for babies are 120 x 60, 125 x 60, 140 x 70 cm, for older children - 180 x 90 and 180 x 140. Such constructions are convenient, and they are designed in such a way that they take into account the necessary headroom in length and width so as not to disturb the comfort of sleep.

The thickness of the mattress depends on the age of the child..

• To babies no need for lush designs, enough 8-10 cm in height. This is the usual thickness of models for children with orthopedic effects.
• Teenagers You can choose thicker options. In this case, the height of the mattress will depend on the type of construction of the block (monolithic, combined) and the number of additional layers. On average, the thickness of the bed for schoolchildren is 15-18 cm.

In order not to get lost in a wide choice of children's mattresses, you can pay attention to the products of manufacturers, which are in particular demand from buyers:

1. "Ormatek" Kids Classic " - construction of a monolithic plan of latex coconut fiber with a ventilation system and antibacterial impregnation. Differs in excellent operational characteristics and big service life. The average cost is a little more than 8,000 rubles.
2. Sakura Bambini - a similar analogue of the previous construction, made of coir and natural latex. According to its characteristics, it is rather durable, practical and resilient, not subject to the formation of fungus, dust mites and mold. There is a mattress of about 8,000 rubles.
3. Askona Mediflex Star Kids - mix of natural latex and orthopedic foam.According to the characteristics of the mattress is different density and practicality, it is not deformed with a daily load, distributing it evenly. Its price is much higher than analogs: it costs about 15,000 rubles.
4. Perrino "Baby" - the combined block consisting of coconut fiber and natural latex, having in the configuration a removable anti-stress cover with hypoallergenic impregnation, ensuring a restful sleep of the child. The price of this product is quite high: its purchase will cost approximately 16,000 rubles.

Rating of any products create reviews of real buyers. It is thanks to them that it can be said that children's mattresses are a special type of bedding, which really contributes to the formation of the correct posture of children. Parents' comments left in child development forums speak of the importance of such mattresses for the health of children at any age.

It is noted that designs with orthopedic effect are good prevention of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. For children who have problems with poor posture, hard mattresses help to relieve tension and relax muscles overnight. This significantly reduces the load on the spine and prevents its curvature.

Specialist recommendations on how to choose a children's mattress, see below.