Whether it’s time to move your child to a big-kid bed or replace their uncomfortable bed with something better, searching for the right kids mattress can feel like wading through a sea of endless options. Sometimes it all feels like a bit too much for busy and exhausted parents who have million and one other crucial items on their to-do lists. I joined five other parent testers, along with our kids ages 3 to 12, to spend a year evaluating 14 mattresses in our homes to select the best mattresses for kids. Our verdict: The hybrid is the best kids mattress overall due to its comfortable medium-firm feel and clean, allergy-friendly profile. However, we found eight additional beds to consider below—a nice short list that offers clear differentiators, so you can find the best mattress for your kid.
While infants need a firm crib mattress for safety, toddlers and older children can use soft to medium-firm beds. In addition to a plush to medium-firm level of firmness, I looked for natural materials like cotton and latex and opted for fiberglass-free beds when choosing the top kids mattresses to test (fiberglass is a potential irritant sometimes used as a fire retardant). Below, find the nine best mattresses for kids in 2026, based on our findings, including plenty of bouncing and sleeping by the kids, and guidance from a pediatrician. And if you’re shopping for a tween or older, consult our guide to the best mattresses for teens.
Avocado’s Eco Organic Kids is the first option I recommend to anyone searching for a kids mattress. It’s a hybrid bed, meaning it relies on hundreds of recycled steel-spring coils for strong support and for durability. A 1-inch layer of organic Dunlop latex foam provides the comfort layer, which works together with the coils to provide good edge support.
A Kids Mattress Backed By Green Bona Fides
The mattress uses mostly certified organic materials and is free from many potential irritants and less-than-great things for our environment, including chemical flame retardants, PFAS (forever chemicals) and fiberglass. The company, Avocado, has a more transparent supply chain than is typical of the mattress industry—with practices like fully traceable latex harvesting in India and Guatemala. It’s a certified B Corp, and it has racked up numerous additional eco-bona fides like a rare and Made Safe, too.
Medium-Firm Support With None Of The Yucky Stuff
But how does it sleep? For starters, because it’s a hybrid bed and relies on natural materials like latex, wool and cotton, it stays cooler than the average memory foam mattress. Further, my back-sleeping, snoring son has been sleeping incredibly well in this bed ever since I replaced his much cheaper twin innerspring mattress with it: The organic cotton cover is soft to the touch, the bed has a just-right medium-firm sleeping surface, and the bed’s cleaner profile doesn’t trigger his asthma and dust and mold allergies. Another panel tester with a 6-year-old praises the Eco Organic’s comfort and overall value, too, given its premium and cleaner materials. “My son's sleep has truly improved immensely since he started sleeping on it,” she says.
Supports Kids Ages 2 Through 10
Like most kid mattresses, Avocado’s Eco Organic Kids is perfectly designed to support kids, especially those just graduating from the crib mattress. It’s not a tall bed at 7.5 inches high but that makes it great for bunk beds and younger kids. If you are shopping for an 8-year-old and up, I recommend purchasing the 10-inch tall to get more mileage out of it—at least the 10 years expected of most mattresses. This kids mattress isn’t flippable, but our panel tester liked its lightweight feel and found it easy to maneuver.
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The Helix Kids Mattress hits all the right notes for their first big kid mattress. It’s a hybrid, combining memory foam and steel coils, for durable and firmer support that allows airflow between the layers. This bed is also flippable, with a firmer side of the mattress, which is suggested for kids ages 3 to 7, and a slightly more plush side that’s suggested for kids ages 8 to 12.
Exceptional Comfort And A Kid-Friendly Design
Its two different firmness levels means you could truly buy this bed as soon as your child transitions out of a toddler bed (around age 3) and keep it until they’re ready for their teen mattress. One of our testers uses the Helix Kids for just that purpose and says her toddler son has been sleeping well on it for several years now. Specifically, she gave it a perfect comfort rating, noting that while her son is an incredibly restless sleeper, he never jolts awake in this kids mattress. (Read her full Helix Kids mattress review for more details.)
The Helix Kids also features kid-friendly materials: Its memory foam is CertiPUR-US certified, meaning it’s free of select toxins like formaldehyde, banned phthalates and ozone depleters, and it has lower volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It also carries the Greenguard Gold certification, another sign that it has fewer off-gassing issues, and is fiberglass free.
A Few Potential Drawbacks
Despite its plant-based, water-repellent finish, our tester did note that it sustained a potty-training stain, and while the edge support is excellent at the perimeters, it’s lackluster at the head where the parent slips off the bed during story time. It also doesn’t hold any of the organic certifications or additional certifications like a Made Safe, so natural bed fans might want to look elsewhere. (Read more about what all those mattress certifications really mean from our sleep experts.)
This diminutive 6-inch memory foam mattress from Brooklyn Bedding makes an ideal first mattress for toddlers and preschoolers or a top bunk bed mattress. Its lower height shouldn’t be too intimidating to little kids.
A Great Value For Parents Of Young Children
We liked the BB Kids Mattress for its overall value: The foam is CertiPUR-US verified to not contain the worst offenders; it also comes with a reasonable sleep trial and warranty, a generous weight capacity and an extra-affordable price. Plus, both our panel testers report it sleeps firmer than some but remains cozy and comfortable, especially for their young children.
Easy To Clean, With A Suitable Firmness And Comfort Level
Because it is constructed solely from memory foam, this mattress may not last as long as a hybrid bed that relies on a combination of springs and memory foam or latex. Still, that’s OK for a first bed, in a bunk or on a trundle used for sleepovers and other infrequent guests. It is not flippable, so there’s just one firmness level to select from—still, memory foam tends to be a crowd-pleaser in terms of feel, and our panelists confirmed their kids slept well on it.
“I would consider buying this bed again if I had another child,” says one tester with a 3-and-a-half-year-old. “It’s comfortable and seems like it will hold up well.” He also appreciated the fiberglass-free statement from the brand and the “reasonable cost.” A water spill was easily wiped up, according to another tester, thanks to the stain- and water-resistant finish.
The Birch Kids Natural Mattress uses certified organic materials without any foams or questionable additions, making it a higher-end, cleaner kids mattress. It has kid-focused features like a flippable design and an 8-inch loft—but it has a higher than average weight capacity of 500 pounds.
Responsive Latex, Ideal For Side Sleepers
The Birch Kids mattress uses Talalay latex for the comfort layer on its softer side, which my side-sleeping daughter greatly appreciated. Talalay feels a bit softer and more responsive than Dunlop latex, so it really hugged her body and cushioned pressure points in a way that left her feeling less achy in the morning. (Of course, fewer aches might also be related to removing her six-year-old .) Keep in mind that the Dunlop in the feels a bit firmer overall than the Birch, which works better for back sleepers like my son, who needs that stronger lumbar support.
Final Considerations
I found the edge support excellent at the perimeters of the Birch but too soft at the head and the foot of the bed, so you might want to place this kids mattress on a frame with support in those areas. This bed is generally recommended for ages 3 to 12, so if you have an older child or tween who you know would like a softer bed, I’d suggest the instead. It’s a similar bed but taller and not flippable, making it better for tweens, teens and adults—and it’s the one my teen daughter sleeps on.
The Saatva Youth mattress feels like a big kid bed with its lofty height of 10 inches (most kids mattresses are 7 or 8 inches) and its polished and firm structure. It combines innerspring coils and zoned lumbar support to ensure kids feel that lifted support throughout the mattress, particularly at the lower back.
Comfortable And Lifted, But May Be Too Firm For Some
The brand suggests its Youth bed works for children ages 3 to 12, but note that given its height, this might not be the first mattress you want to start your child off with. However, our tester’s 4-year-old says she felt like a queen atop the Saatva, and her mom reports that it was one of the most comfortable kids beds she tested after trying half a dozen with her four children. She also describes it as feeling more firm than the others and that she could feel some pressure build up on her side at times.
Other Perks (And A Few Things To Note)
This kids mattress is flippable, with one side softer and the other firmer. It carries only the CertiPUR-US certification, so it could leave organic fans wanting. It contains a water-resistant finish and a botanical microbial that some may like and others might prefer being left off their kid’s bed. No odor was reported at delivery or setup. Our tester also appreciated the complimentary white-glove delivery and mattress removal, as did the parent to our teen tester of the adult mattress in a full size. White glove delivery is an often overlooked but much appreciated perk when it comes to schlepping a mattress in an unwieldily box from your driveway to an upper floor of the house.
The My Green Mattress Pure Eco Organic Kids bed is similar to the mattress in several ways. It carries a number of additional certifications that makes it a cleaner bed than most (including its Made Safe Seal). Like the Avocado, it’s not flippable; however, it has a similar medium-firm feel with a comfort layer of Dunlop latex.
A Plush, Pressure-Relieving Top And Sturdy Build
But My Green Mattress stands out because multiple kid testers (and their parents) were drawn to its pillow-top-like feel. And despite its cushy top, testers, including myself, also note its strong support and how the bed rises up to cushion all those pressure points. This is a high-quality, well-constructed bed with nearly 900 pocketed coils—and it has a generous sleep trial and warranty, meaning families can likely pass this bed down to the next child before it expires.
Strong Support Without An Overly Firm Feel
Our tester praises this kid mattress’ edge support and feel. She also calls it a great choice for families who prioritize natural materials. She notes that it’s a good firmness for growing kids who might not want to sleep on an extra-firm bed but need strong support—adding that it cradled her pressure points, too. This panelist also highlights this bed’s higher weight limit of 400 pounds, which meant the whole family could enjoy story time together on it.
Like some of the picks on our list, the innerspring Naturepedic 2-In-1 Waterproof Organic Kids mattress (from the maker of one of our favorite crib mattresses) is flippable. The biggest difference, though, is one side of the Naturepedic has a waterproof layer made from sugarcane and a firmer sleeping surface, making it ideal for younger children who’ve recently transitioned out of the crib (including those still in overnight diapers).
Flippable To A Waterproof Side For The Potty Training Years
The other side of this kids mattress has a softer comfort layer with organic cotton and micro-coils positioned above the main innerspring unit and a quilted organic cover. It may not provide enough cushioning for older children or side sleepers, but it can support more than 300 pounds and has a durable build and 25-year warranty, so we expect it to last a long time.
A Bouncy Feel That’s Great For Kids Who Sleep In Multiple Positions
There are no polyurethane foams, flame retardants, vinyl or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in this bed—and it’s certified vegan. This is a clean, natural bed that’s more firm and relies on its innerspring units for support. And as an innerspring mattress, it is bouncy and has fewer comfort layers, though our kid testers found it extremely comfortable in multiple positions. While its height at 7 inches tall makes it ideal for bunk bed needs, I wouldn’t put it on a top bunk, because of the bounce. You could use it on the bottom bunk for kids or in a trundle bed. The brand also makes this mattress in a 6-inch trundle bed.
A Few Downsides Despite Its Credentials
Although it’s a natural bed, carrying some of the rarer and better certifications like EWG Verified and Made Safe, two testers were turned off by a strong natural odor, which lingered longer than we would have liked. It’s also a heavier bed, and the box it arrives in lacks handles, making it hard to move. You might want to opt to pay for the optional in-home setup, especially if you select the full size or need to get the bed to the second floor of your home.
The Bear Cub Kids Mattress is that just-right find when you’re shopping for a child’s first bed and are not quite sure what to pick. It’s a hybrid combining two layers of comfy foam on top of individually wrapped 6-inch springs.
Not Organic, But Has Reputable Certs To Back It
The Bear Cub is a smidge taller than some of its competitors at 8.5 inches, though it’s not as high as the . While it isn’t an organic bed and it does contain memory foam, this kids mattress carries CertiPUR-US and Greenguard Gold certifications to ensure that fewer VOCs are mixing with your child in bed. There’s a bit of a synthetic smell when first unboxing it, but it dissipated within the day.
A Starter Kids Mattress That Hits Most Of The Right Notes
It felt a bit softer at first than other kids mattresses we tested, but I think this ends up working well for a variety of sleepers. Its motion isolation is surprisingly good, and the pressure relief feels good at the hips. Keep in mind that for those who sleep exclusively on their back, it might sink in a bit too much in that area for that sleep style.
Overall, the Bear Cub is a solid choice for a child’s first bed. It’s more affordable than the highest tier of mattresses, but it’s an ideal height, is backed by a lifetime warranty and offers the winning hybrid construction.
The Lullaby Earth Dream Easy Kids Mattress is another good choice for families who prefer to avoid memory foam and reduce kids exposure to potential chemical irritants and off-gassing. Lullaby Earth is part of the Naturepedic brand, and this kids mattress is the brand’s take on making a more affordable natural bed. It isn’t certified organic, but it’s made in the U.S., just like the in this guide. Its price is on par with its natural mattress competitors and while it doesn’t carry quite as many certifications as the Avocado, it is EWG Verified, Greenguard Gold and U/L Formaldehyde-Free. There is no polyurethane foam, flame retardants or vinyl in this bed. There also isn’t any latex, which although natural, can be a concern for those with allergies to it. It’s composed of a recycled steel innerspring system combined with a polyester fill and cover, instead of the organic cotton and wool in Naturepedic beds.
Comfortable, Firm And Backed By A Lifetime Warranty
During testing, my 6-year-old gravitated right toward the unique leaf print on its cover, calling it her favorite and insisting on keeping it. She loved its comfortable sleep surface, too. It’s a bit bouncy with the innersprings, and I’d put the firmness at that medium-firm to firm range. Kids of several ages and sleep positions, as well as a tween and an adult tester, all found this mattress comfortable. The Lullaby Earth can hold up to 325 pounds in the twin bed or 450 pounds in the full version, the brand told me.
The removable, washable waterproof cover (which is optional for an extra $100) is soft to the touch and is made with polyester fabric, TPU waterproof backing and an elastane elastic band. There was a slight natural smell when unboxing, but it dissipated quickly. It comes backed with a 100-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty, meaning you can likely pass this one down to the next kid.
Other Kids Mattresses We Tested
Our team tested five additional mattresses, and while they didn’t stand out enough to make our final list, we’d still recommend four, depending on your needs. One didn’t earn our recommendation at all.
Kids Mattresses Worth Considering
- This memory foam mattress has a firmer feel but offers the right mix of pressure relief for back and combo sleepers. It’s ideal for bunk beds, as it’s not very bouncy, just 7 inches tall, lightweight and it’s on the affordable side. However, it’s not flippable and only has the CertiPUR-US certification, whereas the similar-priced Leesa Kids Mattress is also Greenguard Gold certified. It also has one of the shortest sleep trials (30 days) and one of the lowest weight maximums of 110 pounds. We named it Best Bunk Bed Mattress for Little Kids given these various factors.
- There's not a lot of give to this memory foam bed, so it only works well for those who prefer a firmer bed—and it’s definitely not for dedicated side sleepers. At $299, this mattress is a solid affordable option that comes with a generous sleep trial and warranty. We liked it for bunk beds as a value pick given its features, size, affordability—and lack of bounce. I found that it attracts quite a bit of dust, dirt and pet hair, but it does come with a machine-washable cover for maintenance.
- This is one of our favorite memory foam mattresses for kids. It has a comfortable medium-firm feel that leans on the firmer side but that softens up a bit over time, according to one of our testers with an 8-year-old. Edge support is a bit lacking but a high weight capacity of 450 pounds means plenty of support for nightly story times. We like that it has both the CertiPUR-US and Greenguard Gold certification, offering strong value along with a 100-night sleep trial and lifetime warranty.
- Combined with the brand’s cooling mattress pad (which can be added on for $116), this hybrid mattress kept our tester’s hot-sleeping son comfortable all night long. It's a bit awkward to maneuver due to its weight (73 pounds in a twin size whereas many others are more typically under 40 pounds), but it's very comfortable and supportive once it's set up. It is not an organic bed but may be a good option for those seeking a durable, flippable (two sides of comfort) hybrid kids mattress. It holds up to 200 pounds and motion isolation was middling.
Kids Mattresses We Don’t Recommend
- : This Wovenaire core mattress was lighter and easier to move in the box than other mattresses I tested. However, it comes in three pieces that you have to insert into a cover to hold together. I found this process a hassle and my kid testers for this one were unimpressed by the feel of it, which was firm. It is only 5.5 inches tall, holds up to 100 pounds (the least of all the beds we tested) and lacks traditional comfort layers of foam or latex. These testers were all ages 6 and up, so school-age. It might be that a toddler, especially one who was previously sleeping on a Newton crib mattress, might enjoy this bed, but then by school age they might prefer something a bit plusher like my testers, so I’d recommend going with one of the other kid mattresses on this list for longevity.
How We Tested The Best Kids Mattresses
The testing process included ample preliminary research and a formal evaluation by a panel of six parents, including myself.
Research
I sought out mattresses made specifically for kids, browsing bestsellers from top and lesser-known brands. Specifically, I compared materials and features like weight capacity; I also considered sleep trial periods and warranties to narrow down the pool of models I felt were worth testing.
Scoring Criteria
When scoring mattresses, we considered several key attributes, meaning, for example, a more natural bed with a longer warranty and extra certifications might score better than an all memory foam mattress with a short warranty. Whether or not a bed is flippable or has other kid-friendly features, as well as its overall value, also factored into our final rating.
Real-World Kid Testing
We considered how well our kid testers actually slept on each mattress based on feedback from real-world testing in our panelists’ homes. We asked all testers who received a bed to rate each mattress on the following attributes:
- Moving/ease of unboxing
- Odor when first unboxed
- Edge support at perimeters
- Pressure relief (does pressure build up when sleeping on back, side, or stomach?)
- Comfort
- Cooling (does it sleep hot?)
- Motion isolation (does your child startle themselves awake in this bed?)
How To Pick A Kids Mattress
I recommend to start your selection process by considering your kid’s age and their sleep position. See our experts’ recommendations below, and reference our extensive explainer on how to choose a kids mattress.
Your Child’s Age
If your child is young and just graduating from the crib mattress, prioritize a mattress made just for children, like those on this list. Dr. Logan Greenblatt, a general pediatrician at Staten Island University Hospital, says kids ages 3 to 7 are ready for a bed that’s softer than an extra-firm crib mattress, and tweens and teens can let parents know what’s most comfortable for them. “As they get older, you start considering their own comfort and their own individual needs.” A kids mattress often has a lower height of between 6 and 8 inches, which can make it easier to climb onto (and hopefully reduce long falls to the floor).
Firmness Level
A majority of the kids mattresses on this list are medium-firm, offering a “just right” feel—they provide ample support for developing spines without being too stiff. However, a mattress designed for kids might also be flippable, meaning it has a different level of firmness on either side. Kids might prefer the firmer side when they’re little and more accustomed to an extra-firm crib mattress, Greenblatt suggests, and kids ages 8 and up prefer the softer side. I’ve found this to be true of my children as well.
Bed Size
Most children’s mattresses come in a twin, twin XL (a longer bed) or full size. Some come in trundle size, too. I personally love the full size for young kids if you have the space, because it allows for story time together in the bed as they fall asleep, or sprawling out on its larger surface, as my then-4-year-old did when I gave her a full kid mattress. My tween and teen children also enjoy extra space to stretch their now-longer limbs in. Still, a twin bed can really maximize your floor space—like I did in the past, when I had three of my kids in one bedroom that had a twin-over-twin bunk bed and a crib.
Sleep Position
Aside from your child’s age, another key consideration when trying to select the right firmness is their sleep position. Side sleepers often prefer a more plush, soft bed that cradles their hips and shoulders, while back and stomach sleepers need a firmer bed that supports them in the lumbar spine and other areas.
Mattress Type
Mattresses typically fall into three main categories: memory foam, innerspring and hybrid beds. Each is made with different materials that behave differently.
- Memory foam: Memory foam mattresses tend to sleep hotter because there is less space for airflow, whereas innerspring and hybrid mattresses generally sleep cooler. This is typically the least expensive kind of kids mattress, because it’s a manmade material that’s less costly to manufacture. Some sleepers really crave the hugging feeling of memory foam.
- Innerspring: An innerspring mattress is going to feel bouncier than a memory foam bed that sinks in a bit more. It doesn’t absorb heat as much as memory foam, which is helpful if your kid runs warm while they sleep. It might have a nice bit of give.
- Hybrid: A hybrid like the Birch Kids Natural Mattress in the video above sits in the middle range of bounce between an innerspring only and a memory foam mattress. These tend to be among the most expensive options, because it has more components with innersprings plus a layer of either memory foam or latex.
Materials
When selecting a kids mattress, I recommend organic materials and lower VOC certifications if you can afford it. Greenblatt recommends “sticking with organic cottons and natural rubbers” to “limit exposure” to things like phthalates, lead and other potentially damaging toxins. “There’s concern that an increased concentration of phthalates in certain products can possibly make it into our own system and could be endocrine disruptors or could have complications with reproduction later in life or development,” he says.
Sleep Trial And Warranty
Brands offering longer warranties on their kids mattresses tend to deliver on more durable products. A longer sleep trial means your little one has more time to consider whether or not it’s the right bed for them, too. Some brands do accept your bed return but may charge a flat return fee, and others only let you swap out your mattress for another one time per address.
Cost
I fully admit to searching for the cheapest mattress before I knew what it takes to build a durable, cleaner and nontoxic mattress (we are now a family of five, so that’s a lot of beds to buy). But now, I advise families to purchase the mattress in the upper tier of their budget—and that meets their individual child’s needs. Organic mattresses tend to cost the most. Greenblatt cautions against relying on hand-me-down beds to save on costs, but if you do, he advises to “make sure that they’re still compliant with the current regulations because regulations change.”
How To Find A Nontoxic Kids Mattress
Sydney Swanson, a healthy living science analyst on consumer safety science at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) with a speciality in baby and consumer products, suggests that parents avoid certain materials in kids mattresses given the amount of time children spend sleeping.
Avoid Certain Chemicals, Fragrance And Fiberglass
“Try to find companies that are transparent with their ingredients and materials,” shares Swanson. “PVCs and vinyl chloride, which contain phthalates and other chemicals linked to asthma and hormone disruption, are commonly used in mattress covers.” These chemicals can be easily avoided if the company discloses the cover composition. She also recommends looking for a mattress without any added fragrance or chemical flame retardants, especially fiberglass. “These flame retardants can cause respiratory irritation, damaging the lungs, and can irritate the skin and eyes if released into the air if the mattress cover is removed or damaged,” she says.
Be Careful With Foams
Swanson also prefers to avoid polyurethane foam, a common material that is a primary material in memory foam beds and included in some hybrids, too, as the comfort layer. “It’s a petroleum-derived synthetic material that can emit VOCs,” she says. Swanson suggests latex as an alternative material if parents are looking for that same soft, comforting memory foam feel. Some of the memory foam beds in this list have earned certifications like CertiPUR-US and Greenguard Gold that require foams and beds to be free of the most concerning toxins like formaldehyde, banned phthalates and heavy metals.
Check For Certifications
For peace of mind, check for certifications that are earned through third-party testing (read our mattress certifications guide for more information). Not only can these seals help you narrow down a kids mattress based on your priorities, but they can also help you pinpoint the best bed choice for your family that’s also within your budget.
Each mattress on this list carries at least one safety certification, with our top pick, the , boasting 10 safety and sustainability certifications.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
Forbes Vetted’s library of kids and baby gear content includes thoroughly researched and tested product recommendations.
- The author of this story is deputy editor Rose Gordon Sala, an experienced parent, journalist, and product reviewer and tester. She oversees the kids and baby gear section at Forbes Vetted and has tested a dozen mattresses over the last several years, including six in this guide with her children, ages 6 to 12.
- Two additional experts were interviewed to share their insights: Dr. Logan Greenblatt, M.D., a general pediatrician at , part of Northwell Health in New York; and , a healthy living science analyst on consumer safety science at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) with a speciality in baby and consumer products.
- We regularly update this story to reevaluate our choices and ensure top picks are in stock and our advice remains up to date. This story was last updated in February 2025 by updates writer Claire Epting who has over two years of experience contributing to content across Forbes Vetted.