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How to choose children’s bedding? Materials, sizes and practical tips
When setting up a child’s bed, you quickly realise that choosing bedding is about more than colour and pattern. The right dimensions, a material that feels comfortable against the skin and is easy to care for, and a few practical details can make everyday bed changes much easier.
For a baby, the situation is slightly different than for an older child. During the first months, you mainly need a well-fitting sheet and practical mattress protection, while a duvet, pillow and covers for them come later.
That is why, when choosing children’s bedding, it is best to start with your child’s age, the size of the bed or mattress, and the actual dimensions of the duvet and pillow you use.
What do you need for a baby’s cot?
To begin with, a properly prepared sleep surface is more important than a complete bedding set. For a baby, this primarily means a firm, flat mattress and a sheet that fits it properly. A baby’s sleep space should be free from soft objects, pillows, cot bumpers and other accessories.
As your child grows and begins using a duvet and later a pillow, choosing suitable covers also becomes important. This quickly leads to the next question: what size do you actually need?
How do you choose the right size of children’s bedding?
When choosing children’s bedding, do not rely solely on an age label or the term “children’s bedding”. First check the actual dimensions of the duvet and pillow. Children’s bedding sizes are not the same everywhere. Several different dimensions are available across Europe, and sizes can also vary between brands and countries.
It is therefore important to distinguish between three measurements:
- the mattress dimensions, which determine the sheet size,
- the duvet dimensions, which determine the duvet cover size,
- the pillow dimensions, which determine the pillowcase size.
For example, if your child’s cot has a 60 × 120 cm mattress, this does not mean that you can determine the correct duvet and duvet-cover size from this measurement alone.
The most reliable rule is therefore very simple: before buying bedding, measure the duvet and pillow your child will use and choose covers designed for those dimensions.
MIMELO TIP
If you are buying bedding before you have chosen a duvet and pillow, check the measurements of the entire set. This will help you avoid ending up with beautiful bedding only to discover later that your duvet does not fit inside it.
Baby or larger children’s bedding – what is the difference?
Smaller children’s bedding is designed for the smaller duvets and pillows used in first beds and cots, while larger sets accompany a child as they move to a bigger bed and duvet. Even within these categories, sizes are not completely universal. Terms such as baby, junior and senior can therefore be useful as a guide, but always check the measurements in centimetres.
With smaller sets, for example, you may find a 70 × 100 cm duvet cover and a 40 × 45 cm pillowcase, as with the smaller Nuuroo Bera sets. This is one of the children’s bedding sizes found on the European market, but it is not the only one.
When your child moves to a larger duvet, you will need correspondingly larger bedding. When buying, the name a manufacturer gives to the set is therefore less important than its actual dimensions.
Which material should you choose for children’s bedding?
For children’s bedding, it makes sense to choose a material that feels comfortable against the skin, is breathable and is suitable for frequent washing. Cotton is one of the most common choices, although different weaves can create a noticeably different feel.
Classic cotton bedding is practical for everyday use because it is generally easy to care for and pleasant to the touch.
Another option is cotton muslin. This is a lightweight, breathable fabric with a soft, relaxed feel created by its distinctive texture. Muslin is therefore popular for baby and children’s products, especially during warmer months or whenever you prefer a lighter feel.
Do not look only at the name of the material when choosing. Check the washing and drying instructions as well, as children’s bedding will generally be washed much more frequently than your own.
Why is a mattress protector so practical?
A mattress protector helps protect the mattress from liquids and dirt and can make everyday care of a child’s bed considerably easier. With babies and young children, leaking nappies, spills, vomiting and, later, occasional nighttime accidents can happen quickly. A sheet can simply be changed and washed, while cleaning an entire mattress is much more time-consuming.
When choosing a mattress protector, check which mattress size it is designed for and how it is fitted. It is important that it remains flat together with the sheet and fits the sleep surface properly.
MIMELO IN PRACTICE
Mattress protectors worked particularly well for my boys. With a baby, sooner or later there will be a leaking nappy, a spill or another little accident, and it is much easier to wash a protector and sheet than to clean the entire mattress. I also found it very practical to always have a clean spare sheet close at hand – especially at night, when you simply want to change the bed as quickly as possible.
How many sheets and bedding sets is it practical to have?
There is no single number that will suit every family. Much depends on how often you do laundry, whether your child still wears nappies, how often nighttime accidents happen and whether you also need bedding elsewhere.
In practice, it is useful to have at least one clean spare sheet or bedding set that you can use immediately. If you need to change the bed in the middle of the night, waiting for another wash and drying cycle is not particularly practical.
With older children, the need for frequent changes usually decreases, but a spare set is still useful while another is being washed, during illness or on holiday. Rather than asking how many sets a child “should” have, it makes more sense to consider how many you need for your everyday routine to work smoothly.
How often should you wash children’s bedding?
Children’s bedding should be washed regularly and whenever it is visibly dirty, wet or has come into contact with bodily fluids.
How often this is needed in practice depends on your child’s age and how the bedding is used. With a baby, you may change the sheet more often because of spills or leaking nappies, while with an older child you can generally follow your household’s usual bedding-change routine and change it sooner when necessary.
Always follow the manufacturer’s care instructions on the label, particularly the permitted washing temperature and drying method. Ease of care is an important feature of children’s bedding – a beautiful set that requires very demanding care may not be the most convenient choice for everyday use.
Do you need different bedding in summer and winter?
You do not necessarily need completely different bedding for every season. It is more important to adapt the sleep environment to the room temperature, your child’s age and the way your child sleeps.
For a baby sleeping in a sleeping bag, an additional duvet or blanket is not needed. Warmth is regulated by choosing an appropriate sleeping bag and TOG rating, together with the clothing your baby wears underneath it. You can read more about choosing the right size, TOG rating and clothing according to room temperature in our guide Baby sleeping bag: how to choose the right size and TOG?.
For an older child who already uses a duvet, you can adjust the sleep environment primarily by choosing an appropriate duvet, while the bedding itself should be made from a comfortable and breathable material. Lighter fabrics may feel more suitable in summer and slightly denser ones in winter, but the duvet cover itself is not the main way to regulate warmth during sleep.
What else should you consider when buying children’s bedding?
Once you have chosen the right size and material, it is worth looking at a few additional practical details. Check how the duvet cover closes and whether it will be easy to remove and put back on. Look at the care instructions and consider whether you can wash the bedding in a way that suits your everyday routine.
With fitted sheets, a proper fit on the mattress is particularly important. The sheet should be the correct size and fitted so that it remains smooth and taut.
And, of course, appearance matters too. Bedding makes up a large part of a child’s room, so there is nothing wrong with choosing a colour or pattern you like once the practical requirements have been covered. When the basics are right, design can be the more enjoyable part of the decision.
So how do you choose the right children’s bedding?
Start with the basics: check the dimensions of the mattress, duvet and pillow, choose a comfortable and easy-care material, and consider how you will use and maintain the bedding in everyday life.
For a baby, the focus should primarily be on a well-fitting sheet and an appropriately prepared sleep space. Once your child starts using a duvet and pillow, you can gradually choose bedding that matches their actual dimensions.
And if I had to choose one thing that is very easy to overlook before the first nighttime accident: a mattress protector and a clean spare sheet are often at least as important as the bedding itself.
