Parents paying more attention to mattresses

High Point— Gone are the days when parents saved the cheapest mattress for their child's room; today's parents are savvier and more concerned with materials and health issues when it comes to what their little ones sleep on. With a plethora of new mattress choices on the market, and the marketing materials to support them, consumers are becoming more and more willing to part with some extra cash to ensure a quality product for their children.

Whether it's fashion-filled ticking on a youth mattress, the latest in high-tech waterproof capabilities on a crib mattress, or natural organic materials beneath their slumbering children, parents are taking a closer look at juvenile mattresses.

"The trend is for better quality," said Dennis Schuetz, national sales manager at Colgate. "Parents don't want to sacrifice value, but they're willing to spend more."

Schuetz said that the hottest trend in juvenile mattresses mimics that of adult bedding: memory foam. Colgate's Viscoe Classica foam mattress is "selling like hot cakes," at $199, said Schuetz.

The company's newest crib mattress is also its top-of-the-line: the 2-in-1 Memories, which launched at September's All Baby and Child Expo and features the dual firmness of an innerspring on one side and memory foam on the other. With a $299 retail, it's also doing very well, said Schuetz.

But because mattresses are what Schuetz calls a "blind purchase" — meaning the real quality is on the inside, where consumers can't see it — Colgate is constantly looking for new ways to help its retailers sell mattresses. Some of the latest developments include a new in-store mattress display and brochure.

Youth mattress manufacturer Kids Clubhouse has tackled the blind purchase in an innovative way, by designing mattress covers in a variety of patterns designed to stand out on the retail floor.

"We have a very original story to tell and the challenge was getting people to stop and listen," said Ron Galardo, president of Vintage Bedding, the manufacturer of the Kids Clubhouse line.

He also noticed the change in consumers' buying habits, and noted that high-end quality mattresses are grabbing a higher percentage of overall sales.

The mattresses have a patented Flex & Flow Air Support system that features supportive foam channels that allow the mattress to gently flex, causing air to flow throughout the core, which is designed to provide balanced support and comfort without springs.

Simmons Kids launched its new line of juvenile mattresses last year, and Brand Manager Anne Kozel said both the youth and crib lines have been very well received. The company's best-selling Sparkle Sky twin mattress, with a $299 price point, features Allercare fibers to reduce allergens and a moisture-ban technology that means liquids bead up on the fabric and can be wiped away — all done with the construction of the fabric, and not with chemical treatments.

"Our goal is to take the commodity out of mattresses and make it an emotional purchase and an exciting purchase for moms," said Kozel.

To do that, Simmons has designed point-of-purchase materials that talk to the consumer in an informative way but also in a fun, entertaining way.

Other companies like GreenLife Distributors and Natura World are capitalizing on the new wave of organic products, bringing all-natural materials like organic cotton and wool to juvenile mattresses.

GreenLife Distributors specializes in organic and chemical-free home furnishings, and its product lineup includes both a natural rubber crib mattress and an innerspring crib mattress. The natural rubber mattress has a 6-inch core of firm natural rubber surrounded in quilted layers of wool and encased in an organic cotton fabric, with a retail price point of $398. The innerspring crib mattress uses traditional Bonnell-style coils surrounded with layers of organic cotton and wool and has a retail price point of $288.

The Baby Natura collection from Natura World includes a mattress made of sheep's wool, 100% unbleached cotton and fully breathable Talalay latex foam, and the company touts the fact that no chemicals are used in the mattress.

To combat the inevitable diaper leaks, consumers use a Puddle Pad on top of the mattress — a 100% wool woven fabric that is water-resistant and creates a barrier between baby's accident and the mattress. The Puddle Pads are fully washable and dryable, and retail for around $38, while the mattress retails between $200 and $250.

"Juvenile mattresses are going the same route as adult mattresses did," said Ralph Rossdeutscher, president of Natura World — meaning that both price points and quality have gone up. "It's just a matter of the education, and getting people aware."

Kids Club-house mattresses feature prints.

Mattresses from GreenLife Distributors are organic and chemical-free. Retail prices are $288 and $398.