There are many types of cot and cot bed mattresses on the market, and they come with many different styles and features. Broadly speaking, here the five main types of cot mattress and cot bed mattresses: Your mattress should come with instructions on how to clean it, so read these carefully. Be especially careful not to shrink the cover, if it has one, as this may lead to it compressing the mattress, creating gaps around the outside. Some mattresses come with a removable, washable cover, which is great, but it’s still worth buying a protector to pop on as a spare, in case the cover has to be washed suddenly. A cover will also help to prevent dust mites and other allergens from building up. Why you should trust us verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ At Mamas & Papas, we understand the importance of sleep for your little one. In the first two years of their life, a baby will sleep for thirteen months, helping to develop their cognitive skills and nervous system, so a good night's sleep is important. Mamas & Papas Mattresses are designed to support a good night's sleep, so both your little one and you can enjoy a silent night.

Silver Cross is a much-loved brand but it’s branched out beyond its iconic prams and is now turning out equally iconic cot mattresses. Whether you’re buying a cot mattress, a travel cot mattress or a cot bed mattress, you must make sure that, as a minimum, it’s protected by a waterproof cover to help keep the mattress clean and dry.The average lifespan of a cot mattress is anything between 0 to 48 months. After that point, it's time to move into a big kid bed. Best practice is to always buy a new cot mattress for each child. How do I clean a cot mattress? This does make them more expensive, however, so if you’re going for a budget model and it doesn’t have a removable cover, it would be well worth buying a separate protective cover for it. Eco-credentials For the first two years of their life, your baby will sleep for around 13 months. That's a lot of sleep, but it's vital for developing their cognitive skills and nervous system. So, it's fair to say that sleep is essential, especially as it gives you chance to catch up on some much-needed rest as well. For support, your choice of cot mattress should be no thinner than 8cm. However, a minimum of 10cm is what most experts, including Which?, recommend.

There’s no getting around it. Cot mattresses aren’t a buy for life, so lots will end up in landfill. But if you’re fully committed to a green-friendly solution, be careful to read the small print. With features including perspiration control and temperature regulating additives, baby will be cool and comfortable all night long. With a water repellent and a wipe-clean inner, you can keep your mattress clean and protected against nighttime incidents. Great peace of mind. Like the Snüz Surface Duo Cot Mattress, above, this mattress has two surfaces: the firmer baby surface and, on the other side, a softer surface for when your baby grows into a toddler. The main difference is that this mattress is a cot bed model only, which we think is a more natural fit for this type of baby-to-toddler option. It also has a waterproof cover that's removable and washable, like the Snüz - a very practical addition. You should also ensure that the mattress fits well, with no gaps between the mattress and the cot, and that the mattress itself is both clean and dry. What size should a cot mattress be? As a rough guide, foam mattresses are cheap and cheerful and not especially hardwearing, but that might be no bad thing if you’re planning to replace it when those little night accidents stop happening.Before we recommend new products, we always ask our trusted Mumsnet users, of which there are more than 7 million each month. That’s a lot of honest, impartial advice. Expert guidance Spring-interior mattresses are mini versions of a typical adult mattresses and coir and Purflo mattresses are part of a subset of innovative, premium-priced ‘green’ products. Their advice, and ours, is to scrutinise the small print of product specs to ensure that materials used are truly what they purport to be. Budget Truthfully, the look of a baby cot mattress should always be secondary to safety. There’s no getting around it. You might like ribbons and frou frou around your four-poster bed, but where a child sleeps should be kept simple and unfussy.