SLEEP is a precious commodity and never is this more true than when you have miniature sleep thieves (i.e. kids) running around sabotaging your time in the land of nod.
As a parent to three energetic boys, any product that promises more shut eye for my children is worth its weight in gold in our house.
So it's no surprise I was eager for my eldest, six-year-old Elliot, to try out the much-hyped Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress, which comes in a single (90x190cm) and is suitable for ages three and above.
But could it really help him sleep more soundly and earn its higher-than-average price tag? We put it to the test to see if it's as good as many shoppers claim.
Are you looking for an adult-sized Simba mattress instead? Check out our reviews of the Simba Original Hybrid, Simba Hybrid Pro and Simba Hybrid Luxe to find out how they fare under our testing.
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We've also reviewed the Simba pillow and the Simba Hybrid Duvet - so you can complete your Simba sleep set for great sleep guaranteed.
- Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress, £299.40 (including 40% discount) - buy here
Tested: February 2022
Pros
- Easy to manoeuvre
- Supportive for growing bodies
- Comfortable
- Safe to use with almost all bed bases (including mid-sleepers and bunk beds)
- Breathable
- 200 night trial
- Ten-year guarantee
Cons
- Expensive
- Has a plasticy smell for around a day
- The cover isn't removable, so a mattress protector is advisable
Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress review: quick summary
Throughout the last six years of being parents, we've worked our way through a surprising number of beds and mattresses: from bedside co-sleepers and cots with corresponding pint-sized mattresses to cot beds and bunk beds, and now a robust grey mid-sleeper that holds a full-sized single mattress for our six-year-old.
While sleep is important to everyone, for children, it's the time when they do most of their growing, both physically and mentally. They also spend a lot more time asleep than adults, so it's really important the environment in which they rest their head every night is conducive to quality sleep.
Priced at £439 for a standard single (90x190cm), the Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress is by far the highest-priced mattress we've ever tried, but having racked up close to 700 glowing reviews on its website from parents lauding its comfort and ability to settle and soothe restless children, it's also one of the most celebrated products we've ever used.
We swapped out six-year-old Elliot's Silentnight Imagine Sprung Bunk Mattress (£149) – a bouncy yet firm, open-coil, affordable mattress – to make way for the Simba.
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With a hybrid five-layer construction that includes foam and springs, the Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress has the same level of design and quality as an adult's mattress and it's extremely comfortable and supportive of a child's growing body.
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It feels cool, pleasingly squashy and it did a fantastic job of regulating Elliot's temperature and keeping him soundly asleep in bed for much longer than usual.
While the price of this mattress is definitely at the top end of the market, if it's looked after well, the quality of the design and construction means it can easily see kids well into their teen years, making it a fantastic investment.
Plus, it helped Elliot (and therefore us) sleep much better – and you really can't put a price on that.
- Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress, £299.40 (including 40% discount) - buy here
Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress review: delivery and unboxing
The delivery of the mattress was extremely straightforward – we were given a time slot and I was impressed with the level of updates the courier gave us: half an hour before the mattress arrived the delivery driver phoned us to check we'd be home.
I've received a mattress in a box before, but I was very surprised by just how compact the Simba box looked when it arrived. It was pretty light too, and I was able to haul it upstairs on my own without breaking a sweat. I found the whole process so much easier than trying to squeeze a traditional mattress up the stairs and into a small room.
After opening the box, the rolled-up mattress, which is wrapped in plastic, easily slid out. Inside, there are instructions and a handy cutter so you can open up the plastic wrapping with ease.
Once out of its packaging, the mattress pops out into shape. While initially it appears rather flat, straight away it started to expand until it reached its full 16cm thickness around three hours after unboxing.
Simba says it can take anywhere up to six hours to completely inflate, but we thought it looked thick and felt squashy in half that time.
While there were instructions with the mattress, we didn't need them – it's so easy to unroll and get it ready for bedtime.
Simba warns the mattress gives off a slightly unusual smell after unboxing, and while many shoppers dislike this odour intensely, we hardly noticed it and found it dissipated after just a few hours.
Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress review: first impressions
After slotting the mattress nicely into Elliot's mid-sleeper bed, we took turns sitting on it and giving our verdict.
Elliot said it was "soft and comfortable". Personally I liked how it had a very slight bounce to it, but felt much less springy than our previous mattress.
Experts recommend children sleep on a medium to medium-firm mattress in order to keep their developing spine aligned, and the Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress fits within this bracket.
While it's slightly squashy on the outside, there's an underlying feeling of support, so it strikes the perfect balance between offering a comfortable night's sleep and providing the sort of firmness growing children need.
- Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress, £299.40 (including 40% discount) - buy here
Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress review: performance
From the first night Elliot bedded down on his new Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress, his sleep was less disturbed.
Like many children, he struggles to regulate his temperature and often kicks off the covers when he's hot, then wakes up cold later in the night.
This didn't happen with the Simba Hybrid – the breathable surface and patented titanium Aerocoil springs kept him cooler than his previous mattress and whenever we checked on him before going to bed, he was sleeping peacefully and wrapped up cosily in his duvet.
The mattress is packed with technology aimed at improving comfort and support for small sleepers, including two layers of foam and pocket springs that move side-to-side and back-to-front.
We found this meant Elliot had a more restful night's sleep overall, too – when checking on him, he'd often not moved from when he first went to sleep.
In addition, the Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress is equipped with an extra layer of foam to make it grown-up friendly. One night when Elliot had a bad dream and wanted me to lie next to him until he fell back to sleep, I got to try out the mattress myself. It performed well with the weight of both of us on it and I felt supported and cushioned.
The foam layers envelop you and while it felt firmer than the Emma Hybrid Mattress that we have on our bed, it was very comfortable and offered a joyful combination of support and gentle bounce.
While previously I would wait until Elliot was asleep to slide out of his bed and back into my own, I actually fell asleep for two hours as I was so comfortable.
Once awake, I could also slip away more easily on the Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress as it has a lot less spring to it than his previous mattress, and I found I disturbed him less as I clumsily reached for the ladder.
It's worth noting that the Simba Kids Hybrid Mattress, at 16cm thick, is also suitable for mid-sleeper beds and bunk beds, which is a fantastic feature.
For safety reasons, special slimline mattresses are usually needed for these beds, which can mean compromising on quality, but the Simba Kids Hybrid Mattress offers a superb level of support in a slimmer form.
Another innovative feature is the clever edge support, which helps to prevent children rolling off the bed.
How much is a Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress?
The price of the Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress is £499, which is higher than the majority of mattresses aimed at children. However throughout the year, the brand runs various promotions and the price has dropped as low as £263.40, so it's possible to bag a bargain if you keep your eye on the website.
Bookmark our mattress deals and sales page to stay up to date with the latest sales running across all major bed brands.
To put the price of the Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress into context of the wider market and other bed-in-the-box options, competing product Stompa S Flex Airflow Pocket Mattress is priced at £229 and is also a hybrid model, offering layers of foam and pocket springs.
While leading brand Emma doesn't market any mattresses specifically for children, its Original Mattress comes in a UK Single (90x190cm) and is priced at £311, although it is currently on offer at £264.35.
Other hugely popular kids' mattresses that don't come in a box include The Little Green Sheep's Natural Junior Mattress (£345.95), which is great for children with allergies as it's made using only natural materials, and the Silentnight Imagine Mirapocket 600 Mattress (£279), which has 600 pocket springs and is a deep 24cm compared to Simba's fairly shallow 16cm depth.
Does the Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress have a removable cover?
No, it doesn't have a removable cover and this is one of the main downsides to the mattress, especially considering its price. For children having nighttime accidents, a protector is an essential bit of kit for prolonging the life of your mattress and to generally make life easier, especially during middle-of-the-night sheet changes.
The brand recommends investing in its Performance Mattress Protector, which at £99, does up the cost significantly.
We used it alongside this Bamboo Waterproof Mattress Protector from Amazon, which repels liquids excellently and at £14.99, is a major bargain.
Are Simba mattresses good for kids?
Yes, the Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress is excellent for growing kids. Its multiple layers of foam, springs and the breathable outer layer is engineered specifically to help support children as they grow and keep them cool and comfortable, which inevitably leads to less night waking.
Multiple glowing reviews from parents report an almost instant improvement of sleep quality as soon as their child starts sleeping on a Simba mattress.
How long do Simba mattresses last?
Simba proclaims their mattresses are built to last and they offer a ten-year guarantee on all mattresses, which covers things like faulty zips, significant dipping and cracking foam.
To keep the guarantee valid you'll need to regularly rotate your mattress 180 degrees and use it with an appropriate base.
The Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress is suitable for children aged three and above, so in theory it can last them into their teen years. Elliot is six, so if he uses it until he's 16, it's fair to say it will have more than earned its price tag.
What's the difference between the Simba hybrid kids mattress and a Simba single mattress?
There are many different types of Simba single mattresses - with varying depths and numbers of springs - and a range of sleep enhancing features. Browse the full range of Simba single mattresses.
The Simba hybrid kids mattress is the same size as the standard Simba single and has similar features such as the Aerocoil® springs for support and cooling CertiPUR® foam layers. However, it is slightly slimmer, with a depth of 16cm, so it's also suitable for bunk beds.
Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress: the verdict
Children's sleep is crucial for so many reasons and like all parents, we've been on an endless quest for more shut-eye ever since Elliot was born six years ago.
The Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress has helped transform Elliot's sleep (and subsequently ours) immeasurably – night waking has reduced significantly, he overheats less and the time he is asleep appears to be more restful.
There's something really comforting knowing your child is sleeping on a multi-layered mattress that's supporting them on every level and, if looked after well, is a sound investment.
Is the mattress cheap? No. But if you time your purchase right, it's possible to buy it at a competitive price. Plus, if it lasts 10 years cushioning your child's rapidly-developing body, it's a bargain in our eyes.
- Simba Hybrid Kids Mattress, £299.40 (including 40% discount) - buy here
Where to buy Simba Hybrid Mattress in the UK
You can buy the Simba Hybrid mattress directly from the Simba Sleep website - we also found Simba Hybrid mattresses available at the following retailers:
- Argos
- Mattress Online
- Habitat
- John Lewis
- Mattress Next Day
How much does the Simba Hybrid Mattress cost?
Simba are currently offering 40% off the Simba Hybrid mattress so you can get a single Simba hybrid mattress for £482.40, a double for £653.40 and a king for £755.40.
The brand are also offering 40% off the Simba Hybrid Pro - and the Simba Hybrid Luxe.
