Little Green Sheep mattress review: A comfortable kids’ mattress with eco-credentials

Buy now £345.95, Thelittlegreensheep.co.uk

• Sizes available: UK single, continental single and custom
• Mattress depth: 13cm
• Materials: Wool, natural latex, coconut fibre, cotton
• Guarantee: 5 years
• Rating: 7/10

Design and features

We were pretty underwhelmed once we took the organic junior mattress out of the box. This may be shallow of us, but we felt it looked rather skinny. And it is... it’s only 13cm deep, and for a child’s mattress that’s a little shy of the “normal” 15cm. But that’s not to say it’s not mighty. In fact, lying on it, you forget all about the thinness.

Let’s start at the core. It’s created using thousands – yes, thousands – of coconut fibres that have been blended with natural latex to mimic tiny springs. This prevents the classic dip you can get with sprung mattresses over time. Our mini tester wanted to tell all her friends that her mattress is made from coconuts, which is not completely false. Coconut fibre is extracted from the outer husk, and you can actually find it in a range of products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes and perhaps less obviously, mattresses.

Sitting on top is a layer of natural latex, which serves to mimic memory foam. It works in harmony with the coconut core to provide the correct support. You’ll know this is on the top and the mattress is the right way up when the mattress label is on show.

With a name like Little Green Sheep, we weren’t surprised to learn that a layer of wool had been added to the inside on the cover. The addition of this natural material means it’s breathable, hypoallergenic and temperature regulating, plus wool is anti-dust mite and a natural fire retardant. To pass the UK and European fire regulation tests without the need of any chemical fire retardant sprays is pretty impressive.

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The last component is the herringbone cotton cover, which has the role of providing durability, breathability and holding everything in place. It feels super soft against the skin, although it’s worth bearing in mind a cover will be on it in seconds anyway.

Comfort and performance

Like we said, despite our initial concerns, once you’re on this mattress, you don’t feel like it’s too lean. To lift it feels just as heavy as a deeper mattress and to lie on it feels rather luxurious – naturally the adults had to test it too. In comparison with other children’s mattresses, it feels much firmer, so our tester didn’t get much satisfaction when jumping on it.

More importantly, though, there were no complaints in the seven nights she slept on it and her little body looked well supported. Admittedly, she is a good sleeper, but as the testing took place in the hottest month of August, we were happy with the mattress’s breathability, which kept our tester’s temperature under control. And it was reassuring knowing that she’s sleeping peacefully on an entirely natural mattress.

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Given the firmness of this mattress, and the depth, it makes a perfect transition from cot to the first bed. With our tester’s previous mattress being from the same brand, it would have been seamless when she first moved into her big bed from her cot bed.

Practicality and flexibility

This mattress has been designed for use from 12 months to 12 years, and we are more than satisfied that it provides our mini tester plenty of support and comfort. However, I can’t see us using it until she’s 12. We just wish we’d started using it earlier as it’s a superlative mattress for toddlers up to around seven years. If you’re considering a bunk bed, the Junior Mattress is safe to be used on UK bunk beds too.

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As the mattress cover is non-removable, the brand strongly recommends purchasing a mattress protector, and if you’re using it for a young child or someone who suffers with bedwetting, you’ll definitely need one. Ultimately, the last thing you want when investing almost £350 on a mattress is for it to be ruined by an accident. Given the age recommendation and reality and practicality of parenting, we think the brand should look at this to be included as part of the package.

You don’t need to flip this mattress, just turn it regularly and air it out when possible. The mattress should be turned from top to toe while being used, with the label always facing the top.

The verdict: Little Green Sheep mattress

If you’re looking for a mattress with green credentials for your child, this natural junior mattress from Little Green Sheep is a great choice. It offers a luxury sleeping space that, supports growing bones and helps to keep kids cool at night. We’d just recommend getting it from toddler age when they’re transitioning from a cot, rather than waiting until they’re a bit older.