What to do with kids' mattresses when your kids grow up

As a recent college graduate, I've just moved into my own place. Although I love the independence, I couldn't wait to stay at my parents' place over the summer. Everything feels better at home – except for my twin-sized bed, which is now a bit of a squeeze.

Since I moved out, my kid's mattress has been gathering dust. My parents would love to swap it out for something bigger or donate it to a local shelter, but they aren't quite sure where to start.

That's why I asked the experts. I've consulted a panel of mattress makers and professional movers, each of whom knows how to give your kid's mattress a new lease of life. Follow their advice and learn how to recycle and repurpose an old sleep surface or replace it with the best mattress for your sleep needs.

What to do with kids' mattresses when your kids grow up

To streamline your shopping experience, I've picked out a few of my favorite products to help you on your journey to replace your kid's mattress. I've found mattress encasements to protect old beds and brand-new kids' beds if you've still got little ones. I've also devised ingenious ways to repurpose your kid's mattress − all you need is one of the best bed frames.

Should you replace your kid's mattress?

As H&G's resident sleep writer, I'm often asked: 'how often should you change your mattress?' My exact answer depends on the mattress type, as well as the extent of wear and tear, but it's often somewhere around the seven-year mark. That's about as long as it takes for springs to sag and foam to deform.

When you're shopping for a kids' mattress, it's a slightly different story. Kids grow so fast that they can easily move from a crib to their first big bed into a true-to-size Twin within seven years.

Your kids may not have grown up and left home just yet, but they might just need a bigger bed and a better mattress. If your little one is going through a growth spurt, they'll appreciate the spare legroom you get from a Twin XL. Teenagers might sleep more comfortably in a Full or even a Queen-sized bed. Before you buy, it's worth double-checking the dimensions against our mattress size chart.

How could you repurpose your kid's mattress?

Tweens and teens should sleep more comfortably in bigger beds. Now you're the one spending sleepless nights, wondering what to do with that old kid's mattress.

Nick Valentino has a few ideas. As VP of Market Operations at Bellhop Movers, Nick has helped hundreds of families restore and repurpose their old mattresses for new homes. 'If your kid no longer needs their Twin or Twin XL mattress, consider repurposing it as an extra bed for guests,' says Nick. 'This is especially useful if you don't have a full-sized designated guest room, since Twin beds don't take up as much space.' When you reuse your kid's mattress as a guest bed, you can make an instant upgrade for a fraction of the price of the best mattress for a guest room.

If you've got a couple of kids' mattresses lying around, and you're keen to create more comfortable sleeping quarters, then you could set two Twins together to make a Split King mattress. It's a great solution for couples who share a bed, but not a sleep style. You could combine a firmer mattress with a plusher surface to suit front, back, and side sleepers.

Once you've assembled your Split King mattress, you should be able to place each piece on top of a standard King-sized bed frame. Here are a few of my favorites to suit every style of room and size of budget.

How could you store your kid's mattress?

If you want to keep your kid's mattress, but you already have a spare bed, then you might be wondering how and where to store it. Although Twin and Twin XL are the smallest mattress sizes, they're still big bits of foam, weighed down by steel and springs. You shouldn't just shove the mattress uncovered into your closet and hope for the best.

Expert mover Manny Sahmbi has a few tips for anyone struggling to find a space for a spare mattress. 'If you want to store the mattress for a later date, vacuum storage is the best way,' says Manny, 'as it will keep out mites and dust. Make sure that you have a vacuum storage bag in an appropriate size so that you can shrink-wrap your mattress effectively. Storage bags don't have to be expensive: you can pick up a Twin-sized mattress bag for less than $30 when you shop at Walmart.

If you'd prefer to keep your mattress flat, Manny reckons 'under the bed is another great spot, where you can store your mattress trundle-style if you need to. Just make sure it's covered to keep dust and other objects away from it.' The best way to protect your mattress from all angles is to invest in a six-sided mattress encasement − I recommend the SureGuard Mattress Encasement on Amazon. That way, your kid's mattress should stay good as new until you're ready to use it again.

How could you recycle your kids' mattress?

Maybe your kids have flown the nest – you're looking to downsize, and you really don't want to bring their old beds into your new home. If you don't want to reuse or repurpose your kid's mattress, then it's a good idea to recycle it.

As the founder and CEO of MyBespokeMattress.com, Angelo Albertini knows a thing or two about making and breaking down mattresses. Angelo recommends that you 'look for local recycling programs that can break down and repurpose the materials in the mattress, preventing it from ending up in landfill.'

If you've got a bit of time on your hands, and you like to get crafty, you could 'consider creative ways to repurpose the mattress'. Angelo suggests that 'the foam from your kid's mattress could be used for pet beds, in cushions for seating, or as part of a DIY home project.'

There's so much you can do with your kid's mattress, which means that there's no excuse for fly-tipping. When you dump an old mattress by the side of the road, you risk spoiling our urban and rural areas and disrupting local ecosystems.

Kid's mattress FAQs

Why can't you throw away a mattress?

While you could drive your old mattress down to the dump, I'd urge you to reconsider. Out of the millions of mattresses that end up in landfills each year, the vast majority are made with non-biodegradable foams and fibers. Mattresses resist compression and take up space in landfills, where they off-gas into the atmosphere. Where possible, you should seek out a specialist mattress recycling plant or donate your old mattress to a local shelter.

Where can I buy the best kid's mattress?

I've written an entire article locating the best places to buy a mattress. Not every sleep store stocks Twin and Twin XL sizes, though, so you might have to search to find the mattress that suits your tween or teen.

Final thoughts

It feels good to declutter. Once you've started clearing out your kids' old bedrooms, you might not want to stop, but some things hold too much sentimental value to throw away.

If you're keen to keep old toys, clothes, and books, but you want to store them out of sight, then you should try out our kids' bedroom storage ideas. When you follow our top tips, you can get rid of clutter and keep hold of the good stuff.