How to Buy the Perfect Bed for Growing Kids

One of the hangups for parents is the fear that you’ll buy beautiful furniture that is rendered obsolete in a few years because your child has grown. And you don’t want to buy furniture now that isn’t right for your child until they’re a little older in the hope of saving money. Here are a few tips on how to buy the perfect bed for growing kids.

Switch at the Right Time

An infant needs to be on a crib mattress in a crib. It doesn’t matter if the toddler wants to be in a big kid’s bed. Wait until the child is at least 18 months old to put them in a normal bed, though you can wait as long as age 3. Having a good crib mattress is essential for young children to ensure airflow if they roll over and sleep face down on the mattress. Very young children need a more firm and supportive mattress, too, for proper bone formation.

Find Bed Solutions You Can Use for a Long Time

This could be a toddler bed that is much smaller than a standard twin sized mattress. One possible solution to the desire to save money is to buy a crib that converts to a toddler bed, so you don’t have to buy an intermediate bed for the child. Or you could buy a twin bed while supplementing it with bed rails to minimize the chance of the child falling out. Recognize that any mattress is going to be replaced in ten years as it wears out.

Also consider issues your child is dealing with. If the child is still wetting the bed, you should either have a good mattress cover or buy a mattress that can be easily cleaned, though combining these options is wise.

Buy the Right Type of Mattress

You can find children’s mattresses in nearly the same range of materials and styles as adult beds. Spring mattresses are cheap and generally comfortable, though you may not want a super-bouncy one when you have young children. Latex and memory foam can make a warm house or child prone to overheating more comfortable at night. If your child is prone to allergies, especially dust mites, you should consider a mattress with synthetic fill. If your child is allergic to latex, do not get a foam mattress that contains latex.

Conversely, you shouldn’t give the child a thin foam mattress that’s not much more than a blanket over the bed frame; your child’s discomfort while sleeping means they’ll wake up more often at night. You can run into the same problem if the child’s foam mattress is simply too firm and hard, regardless of its actual thickness. Unless your child has issues like overheating or a doctor’s recommendation, the safest solution is a good quality spring mattress.

These tips should allow you to find the perfect bed and mattress combination for your growing child’s needs. Make sure that you choose bedding that is safe and that will be adaptable as your child grows.