Mattress Forum

First ... I don't believe it is an appropriate construction since with body heat they can sink in too far even with a lighter body weight which could make movement and turning and proper alignment difficult.

Second ... They don't breathe very well (even the more breathable memory foams are less breathable than other options) and they can create sleeping conditions that are both not breathable enough for a child and possibly too hot.

Third ... while they are generally "safe" for an adult in terms of offgassing and the better ones have been tested (within the limitations of the testing), I personally would not put a child on a mattress where there was even a slight possibility that their more sensitive nature could be affected by either the offgassing or the breakdown of the foam itself into particles that they would then breathe in.

I normally wouldn't say something like this but ... please reconsider your options.

Phoenix

In general children need a mattress that offers more support as they are sensitive to any "errors in construction" given that they are still growing and more "pliable".

I personally would tend to use materials that are more "natural" as poly and it's variant memory foam are made with some rather nasty chemicals and since they are so close to it for so long with an immune system that is not yet fully developed, I believe that going with something more natural is just a safer and healthier choice for a child. Between poly and memory foam ... I believe that memory foam is the least suitable as it has even more of the "nasty stuff" in it.

I would be making choices that involve cotton, wool, latex, and similar materials. I also would use either an innerspring or latex (more expensive) core. The good news is that with their lower weight, you would not need as thick a mattress if you were using higher quality materials in the core (meaning less expensive) and could add to it later on as they grew.

As I come across some choices that I believe may be suitable or see some in my list that look good ... I will post them here

Phoenix

2. Probably your least expensive "all latex" option would be to buy 2 of these http://www.mattresses.net/3-twin-natural-latex-mattress-pad.html and then buy a 6" cotton mattress encasement here http://www.sleepez.com/mattresscomponents.htm and you would have a 6" all latex mattress for $358 plus a bit of shipping.

3.Don't forget though that you will need some kind of waterproof barrier in case of accidents and in the case of the latex option #2, since the mattress encasement is just cottton and I personally believe that sleeping on wool leads to a deeper sleep, I would probably add this to it http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=11530558&hierPath=90608*28683*492*&whse=BC&topnav=&Browse=&lang=en-US I have one of these myself and they are waterproof, breathable, and washable. There was an odour for a couple of days when it came for some reason but it went away quickly. These are made by Natura and generally cost much more than they currently do at Costco.

4. Another place worth looking at for 3" layers of foam is http://www.foamorder.com/organic-cushions.php. They are slightly more but they have a selection of different firmnesses which would allow you to put a firmer layer of latex under the softer layer in #2. For example a 3" layer of N31 firm would be $222.35 or an additional $73.35. This would give you a more traditional mattress construction of progressive layers of firmness and would probably be more suitable for an older and heavier child or teenager (if you REALLY want to think ahead that far ... shudder :))

They also have a clearance page here http://www.foamorder.com/clearance.html#latex where they sell returned or comfort exchange items that are well described as to their condition at greatly reduced prices.

With option 2 and 3 you are at about $443 including the mattress pad. With #4 you would be about $516. Both would have some shipping on top.

I'll post a few more options as I come across them in my travels.

Phoenix