When it comes to your child's sleep, few elements are as important as the mattress they rest on. The Silentnight Kids Bonnell Bunk Mattress (sold as the Silentnight Healthy Growth Eco Bunk Mattress when this review was first written) claims to offer not only a comfortable resting place but a sustainable one as well. But does it live up to those promises?
Design and Features
The Silentnight Kids Bonnell Bunk Mattress has a gamut of promising features. Using traditional open coil spring design, the mattress aims to evenly distribute body weight, consequently lessening pressure build-up and promoting spinal alignment. This, from my personal standpoint, is essential in a child's mattress as it aids in their growth and development.
What sets this mattress apart is its layer of Silentnight's Air Plus fibres, soft polyester fillings designed to provide breathability, aid temperature regulation, and ensure a comfortable night's sleep.
The mattress is wrapped in a soft knit cover, hypoallergenic and chemical treatment-free, ensuring a safer, more health-conscious sleep for those vulnerable children with allergies. However, the mattress is single-sided, requiring only occasional rotation thereby reducing the fuss often associated with flipping.
How We Assessed It
The build is a simple one: traditional open coil springs under a layer of polyester fibre and a knitted cover, 14cm deep, in a medium to firm tension. I'd expect a springy, fairly firm bed from that, and owners describe much the same: one called it "sturdy and bouncy", another wrote that it "was a little hard to start with, but has now eased over time". This mattress claims to have been approved by the National Bed Federation, a stamp of reliability we've come to endorse, and it comes with a 5-year guarantee, indicative of Silentnight's faith in their product's durability.
Mattress Comfort
As reviewers, we understand that comfort is subjective and dependent on factors such as body type, preferred sleeping position, and personal taste. Nonetheless, the medium firm tension of the Silentnight Kids Bonnell Bunk Mattress, from our experience, should be suitable for both back and side sleepers of average weight. Those with an hourglass figure, however, might want to consider a mattress with a slightly softer tension for improved sinkage. On the other hand, back sleepers can expect supportive comfort from this medium firm mattress.
Suitability
This mattress, at a depth of 14cm, seems tailored for use in bunk beds, fitting comfortably within the safety barriers. Its breathable materials make it a prudent choice for health-conscious parents. However, my personal feelings caution against using this mattress for anything other than its intended purpose - as a bunk bed mattress. Its thinner profile, while perfect for a bunk bed setup, might not provide the support and comfort required for a standalone bed. This shouldn't deter parents seeking a sustainable, comfortable, and firm mattress for their child's bunk bed.
What Customers Thought
Owners mostly like it, and the comment that comes up again and again is that their children sleep well on it. One parent wrote simply, "My children sleep well on them." Bunk and high-sleeper buyers say the depth is just right. One wrote, "Perfect fit and not to thick for the top bunk." Some adults who lay on it were surprised too, with one calling it "comfortable even for an adult, surprisingly good considering limited depth".
The complaints are in the minority, but they come up more than once. Some owners can feel or hear the springs. For one, the support is fine lying down, "but we can feel the springs when sitting on it". Opinion on firmness runs both ways. A few found it harder than they expected (one wrote it was "Slightly on the firmer side"), while one parent felt it was "Not too firm as a support for a growing kids" and another wrote, "It's a bit weak. I don't think it will last long".
The Verdict
The Silentnight Kids Bonnell Bunk Mattress offers tangible value for parents looking for a comfortable and firm solution for their children's bunk bed. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, its breathability and hypoallergenic features make it a compelling choice.
It is important to note that this mattress, despite carrying 'comfort' in its core ethos, does have its sceptics. Its suitability largely depends on your child's sleeping habits, weight, and personal comfort preferences. Its thinner profile may not suit every need, but for a bunk bed setup it's a sound investment.
Owners mostly back up the comfort and the depth. While the mattress has received its fair share of criticism, it's also abundantly clear that the mattress shines in its niche: providing a comfortable and supportive sleep surface for a bunk bed setup.
Remember, the perfect mattress is not only about fulfilling the essential function of sleep. It needs to satisfy personal comfort levels, be supportive and hypoallergenic. The Silentnight Kids Bonnell Bunk Mattress, in my opinionated assessment, substantially checks these boxes and would bring a refreshing and comfortable change to your child's bunk bed.
