Q: I just ordered my 2 1/2 year old a "big boy bed." I'm shopping for waterproof mattress covers/pads to protect our newest investment (his mattress!). I want something that's completely or at least very waterproof, but want to avoid pvc, vinyl, and other nasties. There are so many confusing options out there, I'd just like to go straight to the parents to ask what the best thing to get is.
Sent by Regan
Editor: You heard it readers, Regan's coming straight to you for help! If you know of a good one, leave a comment below.
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(Image: Piper Bed by Room and Board)
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What about this?
http://www.naturepedic.com/products/pads/organicmattresspads.php
I just did a bunch of research on this and decided I wanted "puddle pads" made from wool. But they are SO EXPENSIVE to buy? So I'm making my own out of army wool blankets.
I bought a twin sized blanket on ebay for about $20. I'm going to lanolize, and then cut it down to various sizes for my 5 month old.
Here are some instructions:
http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/921666/anyone-use-a-wool-puddle-pad-with-a-potty-learning-toddler
I am planning on ordering mine from Holy Lamb Organics. Can't comment on how well they work but they don't have any harsh chemicals.
http://holylamborganics.com/mattress_tops.html#Anchor-HAPP-51226
I use a wool army blanket from the surplus store with a thick 100% cotton mattress pad on top. If there is accident the mattress pad typically catches it all, but both the blanket and the mattress pad wash up well.
I bought the naturepedic one - luckily so far haven't had much test of its waterproof-ness but it is soft (no plastic crinkle sound) and safe (no plastic, no bad smell, even right out of the package).
I was originally going to buy wool puddle pads from earthsake, but the price at green mountain diapers was a bit more reasonable. http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/other.htm. But now I wish I'd know about using army blankets. That's brilliant.
We used cheapo closely woven cotton pads from Babies R Us on top of expensive wool matress pads or puddle pads. Make sure you buy the all cotton version instead of the version with pvc. That way, if you have an accident you usually don't have to deal with cleaning the wool. If the wool is just a little damp, it will just dry.
You could also felt a wood blanket, but it will never be as dense as commercial versions. Hot, too, which the commercial versions aren't.
Does anyone know where the bed in this picture is from?
Apologies, it is cited at the bottom of the post as the Piper Bed from Room and Board.
This will be a future purchase of mine. http://www.bynature.ca/mattress-protector-for-twin-size-bed.html
It's a Canadian website but they ship internationally and the customer service is excellent.
I was on the hunt for wool puddle pads before my son was born but was also reluctatant to shell out the big bucks for them. However, I came across the same wool melton used for puddle pads on the Plum Project fabric website:
http://shop.plumproject.com/
The material is not exactly cheap, but you can make it to the exact size you want, plus if you have time to wait they have some decent sales from time to time. I lucked out and bought mine 40% off! Good luck!
PS. It's also a Canadian website with great service and speedy delivery!
I use these wrap-around waterproof sheets with my daughter & love them. I don't have to pull everything off the bed in the middle of the night to change them!
http://www.brollysheets.com/
We've just always bought the wool mattress protectors that were made by the same company which manufactured our kids' mattresses. Their crib mattresses were by Obasan (http://www.obasan.ca/en/main_nav/our-products/comforters-and-protectors/nahanni/4000/ ), and their big beds by Vi-Spring.
You can also make a sheet from PUL (polyester Urethan Laminate) which is used as the waterproofing part of cloth diapers. It is a knit fabric so it will be soft and quiet. Joannes sells it and you can find it on Etsy.
I would just do the lanolized wool blanket though.
Thanks for the comments. The bed is "Webster" from room and board. It comes in a bunch of different colors.
Protect a bed
http://www.protectabed.com/content/ProtectABed/CustomPages/about.htm
They do such a great job! I don't know how "organic" they are, but I have them on all ours beds and pillows and love them. Depending on the ones you get, they not only protect against liquids (I can't tell you how great a job they do. They have saved our mattress so many times between kids and dogs), but they also protect against dust mites and even bed bugs.
They are as soft and thin as a regular sheet. They wash beautifully and make no noise (like PVC covers). I know a lot of hotels and cruise ships have these on their mattresses. They come in sizes from crib to california king.
We have the naturepedic one and have been happy with it. I spent a lot of time looking for a cheaper alternative because they're so pricey but I couldn't find one.