Newborn babies will spend a lot of their time relaxing within their cot and it’s crucial that you purchase the correct cot bed mattress. This improves the chance of them having a good night’s sleep as well as supporting their growing body.
Most mattresses used for cots are 140 x 70 or 120 x 60 cm in size but most have a tolerance in size of a few millimetres. If you own a baby travel cot, you may need a smaller mattress size to accommodate the internal space inside of the cot.
If you require a quick answer, the best cot bed mattress is the Little Green Sheep Natural Twist, which is an award winning dual sided mattress that’s built to the highest of standards. However, if you are on a tight budget, the Mother Nurture Classic is the best alternative that’s available in two different sizes.
In terms of rating the cot bed mattresses within this article, we based our recommendations on our experience, plenty of research and several factors. The factors that we took into consideration included the available sizes, waterproof qualities, construction, UK safety standards, cover quality, additional accessories and value for money.
Best Cot Bed Mattress Overview
- Best Dual-Sided: The Little Green Sheep Natural Twist
- Best Value: Mother Nurture Classic
- Best Quality: Silentnight Safe Nights
- Best Breathable: Clevamama ClevaFoam
- Best Soft-Touch: Obaby Natural Coir Wool
- Best Budget: Kinder Valley Flow
Before purchasing any of the mattresses recommended, we highly advise you to double check the cot’s dimensions. You’ll want to measure the internal dimensions to find a mattress that’s best suited to your requirements.
Below is a list of the best cot mattresses that provide excellent comfort and support for your baby as they sleep.
The Best Cot Mattresses
1. Best Dual Sided: The Little Green Sheep Natural Twist
By far the most expensive cot bed mattress within this article is by the Little Green Sheep brand. It’s a dual sided mattress with one firm side for babies up to 12 months and another natural latex side for babies older than 12 months.
A unique fact about this mattress is that the construction is handmade and uses only four natural ingredients, which include cotton, coconut coir, wool and natural latex.
- Award winning in the UK
- Dual sided – one firm side and the other is natural latex
- Suitable from birth to 5 years of age
- Breathable cotton and comfy natural latex
- Standard size of 140 x 70 cm
- No chemicals used in the construction
- Requires a protector as it’s not waterproof
- Most expensive option within our roundup
Due to the expensive price tag, this cot bed mattress won’t be suitable for everyone. However, when you consider that it can be used from birth up to 5 years of age and its superior handmade quality, it makes it a worthwhile investment.
2. Best Value: Mother Nurture Classic Spring Cot Mattress
Another highly popular mattress for a cot bed is by the reputable Mother Nurture brand. It’s professionally manufactured in the UK and the brand states that it meets all of the latest British standards for complete peace of mind.
As a bonus, included with the cot bed mattress is a hypo-allergenic luxury bound cover, which is water resistant and removable for machine washing.
- Hypo-allergenic luxury bound cover
- Bound edges for extra resilience and durability
- Removable zip covers
- Contains no organophosphate fire retardants
- Meets all the latest UK safety standards
- Water resistant and machine washable cover
- During our testing, we found that it wasn't as high quality as the premium alternatives
If you are worried that your baby may suffer from allergens, this cot bed mattress is an excellent option. It focuses on protecting the baby with a hypo-allergenic cover and toxic-free construction. Overall, the Mother Nurture mattress offers excellent value for the money and it can be easily washed thanks to the removable zip coves.
3. Best Quality: Silentnight Safe Nights Luxury Mattress
Silentnight is a highly reputable brand across the UK and they specialize in mattresses. This luxury cot bed mattress is a standard 140 x 70 cm size that’s suitable to use from birth with a firm construction that doesn’t dip or sag.
For complete peace of mind, the brand state that it’s constructed of chemical free fibres that are free of any nasty chemicals or odours.
- Available in a 120 x 60 or 140 x 70 cm size
- Completely flat and firm for newborns
- Filled with mini pocket springs
- Breathable fabric and fillings to promote airflow
- Removable and washable cover
- Handmade in the UK
- Includes a 3 year guarantee
- Foam and chemical free
- Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives
As you would expect with any Silentnight mattress, it does come with a premium price tag but it’s one of the best available. It’s handmade in the UK, tested to the highest of UK standards and even comes with a three year guarantee.
4. Best Breathable: Clevamama ClevaFoam Cot Mattress
The Clevamama ClevaFoam is a highly rated option that the brand states is “pure luxury” with a comfortable construction that provides plenty of support. It has a unique six part breathable composition that supports the development of a fast growing baby and relieves pressure on their joints.
In terms of the “ClevaFoam” branding, it’s Clevamama’s patented technology that’s scientifically proven to prevent flat head syndrome and remain breathable for a relaxing night’s sleep.
- Available as a 120 x 60 or 140 x 70 cm size
- Proven to reduce flat head syndrome
- Breathable and hypoallergenic
- Includes a machine washable cover
- Safety certified and non-toxic
- Very lightweight
- Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives
Clevamama is a very popular brand that is known for their high quality products and this cot bed mattress follows that great reputation. It ticks all the boxes in terms of safety, comfort and support and it’s an excellent all-round option.
5. Best Soft-Touch: Obaby Natural Coir Wool Mattress
Another premium mattress for a cot bed is the Obaby Natural Coir Wool option, which is backed by a 5 year guarantee. In terms of construction, the inner core is made from coconut coir, which is bonded with latex. The core is then wrapped in lambswool that helps to protect against anti-dust mites and regulate the baby’s body temperatures.
- Organic bamboo removable cover
- Coconut coir and lambswool inner core
- Guaranteed for 5 years in the UK
- Meets or exceeds various safety regulations
- Only available in a single size
Although expensive, the Obaby Natural mattress is a soft and breathable option that helps to ensure your baby has a good night’s sleep. The brand also produces other cot bed mattresses that are suitable for moisture management, all seasons and so much more.
6. Best Budget: Kinder Valley 140 x 70 Flow Mattress
If you require a cheap cot bed mattress that meets the latest safety standards and is comfortable for the baby, the Kinder Valley Flow is perfect. It’s constructed of a high density polyester pad that offers support and is soft to touch.
- Nursery grade polyester pad insert
- Suitable to use from birth
- Protective cover that protects against dust mites
- Water resistant but still breathable
- Meets BS1877 part 10 and BS7177 standards
- Only available in a single size
Overall, the Kinder Valley Flow is a cheap and safe mattress that slots straight into the cot and can be used for newborns and toddlers. Unlike similarly priced alternatives, it’s a nursery grade mattress and it even comes with an anti-allergenic cover to complete the package.
How We Rated
As there are hundreds of cot bed mattresses to choose from, picking the best can be quite a task. However, we based our recommendations upon testing, our experience of purchasing multiple for our children, the latest research and several factors.
During testing, we always look at the mattress’s safety and comfort because in the past I have found that although some mattresses are marketed as safe, the comfort element is just not right and I have found that this has impacted my children’s night sleep.
As you can see in the images below, during our testing of cot mattress’ we really liked the little green mattress as it clearly stated which side is best for your child, in the photo you can clearly see they have indicated the supple side up for supporting your toddler.
To keep up with the change in markets we are continuously researching, testing and updating our mattress article to ensure that we are giving you the latest and best options available. When we are testing these products some of the factors that were considered included the available sizes, waterproof qualities, construction, UK safety standards, cover quality, additional accessories and value for money.
Conclusion
All of our recommended mattresses for cot beds are designed to be comfortable and support the growth of your baby. We’ve also tried to include a variety of mattresses that are suitable for all budgets and requirements. After you’ve bought a mattress, we highly advise that you purchase a waterproof cover if there isn’t one already included. This is because it makes it easier to keep the mattress clean and also prolong its life.
If you require further information regarding any of our cot bed mattress recommendations, feel free to contact us; we will try to provide our assistance where possible.
