What our reviewers found
I like the Little Big Dreams Extra Comfort Pocket Sprung Kids Mattress for a younger child who has moved into a child's bed (Dreams says the single size is ideal from age 4): you get firm support, proper pocket springs and useful protection against the occasional accident. It isn't cheap for its size and depth, so the things to weigh are whether your child likes a solid feel and whether you'll use the washable cover and waterproof layer. A child who wants a softer bed should look elsewhere.
The appeal is how much attention has gone into the less glamorous bits. Pocket springs are a lovely inclusion in a children's mattress, but washable bedding suddenly becomes considerably more interesting when you're changing it in the middle of the night. I think the double-sided construction strengthens the case for spending more here, too: both sleeping surfaces are usable.
Pocket springs give you a firm bed with some bounce
Expect a solid, springy feel with a little cushioning from the fibre fillings, without the slow sink of memory foam. The springs are individually wrapped, so they compress separately under your child's weight. This is the same type of support system used in high-quality adult mattresses, and I'm pleased to see children getting something better than whatever was left after the grown-ups finished shopping.
The mattress is foam-free, with soft recycled fibre fillings and a knitted sleep surface. Those fillings soften the contact with the springs, but this remains a firm mattress. The distinction matters if you're picturing a deep, squashy bed: your child will lie more on the surface than sink into it. I prefer this responsive construction for a younger child's bed because changing position should feel straightforward.
Firmness makes sense here for practical reasons. A relatively level surface gives a young child a steady place to settle, without a deep hollow around them, and makes it easier to roll over. It also suits the way a child's bed gets used for sitting up with a book as well as sleeping. Firm still needs to feel comfortable, though. Nobody needs to recreate the nursery floor with a fitted sheet over it, so take complaints that it feels too hard seriously.
The double-sided build is another strong point. You can use both faces and spread wear between them instead of repeatedly loading the same surface. That is particularly welcome at this price level, where I expect more than a pleasant cover over a basic support layer. It gives you a practical way to manage wear, although how long the mattress stays comfortable will also depend on its use and care.
The internal waterproof layer sits beneath the washable cover and helps keep accidents from soaking into the mattress. I think that combination is more useful than a washable cover alone: removing the cover for a wash is only half the job if moisture has already reached the fillings. Waterproofing does involve a trade-off in airflow, so don't buy this expecting the most open, airy construction available. For a child still having occasional accidents, the protection is the better compromise.
The strongest fit is a younger child with occasional accidents
This mattress makes most sense when you need a firm children's bed that is straightforward to freshen up. The pocket springs are the part I particularly like, while the washable cover and waterproof layer address the realities of a younger child's room. Being officially past the toddler stage doesn't always mean being officially past the emergency sheet change.
You don't need to choose between the spring construction and practical protection here. The cover comes off for washing, and the moisture barrier is inside the mattress. That matters if you're comparing it with a simpler pocket-sprung mattress and planning to add protection separately: compare the whole setup you'll actually use. A lower mattress price is less exciting once you've added the things you need alongside it.
Owners mostly describe a comfortable, supportive bed and give the washable cover a lot of credit: one owner wrote that it "is easy to clean at home when she’s had an accident in the night". Parents who wanted a firm bed are happy with it, and one called it a "Firm pocket sprung mattress suitable for young children". That fits the firm-but-cushioned feel I expect from this construction. My habit is to start with the three-star reviews, where you have a better chance of finding the awkward detail between the compliments. For this mattress, look particularly for comments about whether a child found it too hard and how manageable the cover was to remove.
Both complaints turn up. One parent sent it straight back, writing "This mattress was too firm and very uncomfortable", and another found it too hard for a 10-year-old. Owners disagree about the cover: one said it comes off and goes back on very easily, while another found it "DIFFICULT to put back on by yourself". Owners who put it on a top bunk or into a bed frame wished it had handles, because it is awkward to lift into place, and one owner reported "Springs protruded within a couple of months".
The expense needs weighing honestly. This is a children's mattress, and for its size and depth it is a substantial purchase. Even so, I strongly prefer a good pocket-spring support system to a basic linked-spring build for a child's everyday bed. If you'll also use the waterproofing, the extra spending has a clear purpose. If you only need a comfortable spring mattress and already have a protection setup you like, there is less reason to pay for this particular combination.
There are a few readers I would steer elsewhere:
A child who dislikes a hard surface. The light cushioning won't turn this firm mattress into a soft one. Choose a softer pocket-sprung model if your child finds firm beds uncomfortable.An older child or teenager who wants more cushioning. This solid feel is less suitable if they want their shoulder and hip to sink further into the surface when lying on their side.A family whose main concern is sleeping hot. The internal waterproof layer is useful protection, but a pocket-sprung mattress without that barrier is a better starting point when airflow matters more than accident protection.A buyer who doesn't need built-in waterproofing and is stretching the budget. Look for a simpler pocket-sprung children's mattress before paying for features you'll barely use.
A softer pocket-sprung mattress is the step across for an older child
Choose a softer pocket-sprung children's mattress with more cushioning if your older child finds a firm surface uncomfortable; growing out of this feel needn't involve a graduation ceremony. Keep the individually wrapped springs, which are the part I most want to retain, and change the comfort layer. If accidents are firmly in the past, a simpler model without built-in waterproofing is also worth comparing: you can retire that particular piece of bedtime admin and put the budget towards the feel your child prefers.
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Corrections When we get something wrong, we fix it and say so here. All corrections
11 October 2026 We've added Dreams' age guidance for this mattress. Dreams says the single size is ideal from age 4.
