Core Kids mattresses are manufactured by Jay-Be, one of the most established bed and mattress manufacturers in the UK, and are available through Bensons for Beds as part of their kids range. What stands out with the Core Kids Mattress range is that although the mattresses are marketed toward children, the fillings, comfort and fabric relating to the mattresses is all on par with those of a standard adult size mattress. When I ran my hand over the cover in-store it felt nicely finished, not scratchy or 'cheap' like some kids mattresses can be. The core range all feature pocket springs, a far better alternative to open coil mattresses that normally get pushed towards the children's segment.
What’s more impressive is that while the mattresses from Core don't have a huge amount of reviews with which to dissect their performance, we do have a coveted 5 year guarantee, showing that both the manufacturer and retailer are both willing to put their confidence behind this product. Sitting on the edge, it held up better than I expected for a kids model, although it is still not as solid as some adult mattresses if you are perching there for ages doing bedtime stories. What’s more is Core Kids mattresses are all environmentally friendly and also built within the UK to extremely high standards. That said, if you're after something with loads of 'sink in' cushioning, these can feel a bit on the firmer, bouncier side because of the pocket spring build. To that end, if you are looking for a new mattress for a child, you can't go much wrong with the Core range of products, after all, with this price point you are unlikely to find anything close to the level of quality, comfort and support elsewhere.
About Jay-Be CoreKids
The CoreKids range is manufactured by Jay-Be, a Yorkshire-based company founded in 1901 that has built specific expertise in the children's sleep category alongside its well-known folding bed range. The Jay-Be CoreKids lineup includes the CoreKids E1 750 E-Pocket Roll Up Mattress and the CoreKids E2 750 Memory E-Pocket Roll Up Mattress, both of which use Jay-Be's e-Pocket spring technology rather than standard open coil springs.
The E2 model won Best Overall Children's Mattress from the Independent Indy Best Buy awards, and the range has also received a Highly Commended Sustainability Award from the National Bed Federation. Jay-Be uses its e-Fibre recycled material technology across the CoreKids range, which means the mattresses carry real environmental credentials rather than marketing-only sustainability claims.
Why CoreKids Uses Pocket Springs
Most children's mattresses use open coil springs because they are cheaper to manufacture. Jay-Be chose to use pocket springs in the CoreKids range because each spring responds independently to pressure, which provides better support for a growing body than a connected coil system. For parents choosing between a budget open coil kids mattress and a CoreKids pocket spring model, the spring type is the single most important difference in the build and the one most likely to affect sleep quality.
What We'd Flag About CoreKids
The Jay-Be manufacturing heritage adds real credibility here. Jay-Be has been making beds since 1901 and has specific expertise in the children's and guest bed categories that most general mattress manufacturers don't have. The CoreKids range benefits from that focused experience, and the NBF Sustainability Award and Independent Indy Best Buy recognition back that up with third-party credentials.
Rolled delivery suits the kids market well because a parent can carry the mattress upstairs and into a child's bedroom without needing a second person or a delivery team. And the pocket spring construction produces a bouncier, firmer feel than foam alternatives, which children who prefer a softer surface may need a short adjustment period for. For growing bodies that need proper spinal support though, the firmer pocket spring feel is the better long-term choice over cheap foam.
Pricing sits above the cheapest kids mattresses on the market, but the pocket springs, the Jay-Be build quality and the 5 year guarantee through Bensons make the case that you get what you pay for. For parents who want to invest in proper support for their child rather than the cheapest option that'll need replacing in two years, CoreKids is where the value sits.
