As a mum of two boys, aged 13 and 10, I know just how quickly household items can get destroyed by young, boisterous children.
Items in their bedrooms are no exception, and that’s why I’m so pleased I came across this £7.99 Amazon buy. It may not be the most glamorous purchase, but it’s protected one of the most expensive purchases we made for the boys’ rooms.
Plus, having tested it on the beds in our house, I’m not surprised it has over 11,000 mostly 5-star reviews.
What is it? A humble waterproof mattress protector. And if you haven’t yet invested in one for your child’s bedroom, let me explain why this purchase could be the best thing you’ve ever bought for under a tenner.
Amazon
Caroline Shatuik 100% Waterproof Mattress Protector
This budget buy can solve a lot of potentially expensive bedtime mishaps.
We all know that the best mattresses don’t come cheap, so this isn’t an item you want to buy twice, and let me tell you, children’s mattresses really do take a beating!
Although my children only had the occasional bedwetting accident when they were small, there have been occasions over the years when guests came to stay, and an accident occurred, and I struggled to shift the stain afterwards.
More recently, the big problem is food and drink being spilled on the bed and seeping through onto the mattress. We’ve had a bowl of cereal tipped over, a bedtime drink of water sent flying onto the mattress, and even bright pink Calpol splodged everywhere.
Plus, I find one of the worst offenders for staining the mattress is when fake tan and sweat seeps through, leaving a horrible brown stain (and I confess I can’t blame that on the kids!).
Despite following all the top tips on how to clean a mattress, each time I do my best to scrub the liquid or stained patch off, but no amount of scrubbing and drying will completely remove the watermark and discoloured area.
It makes an expensive mattress look unsightly and means it needs replacing more often.
The answer, of course, is adding a good mattress protector to the bed. However, as a child of the 80’s, I had vivid memories of scratchy waterproof mattress protectors which crackled more than a packet of crisps if you dared to roll over at night! That was enough to put me off for life.
Fast forward forty years, however, and it turns out waterproof mattress protectors have come on a lot in terms of effectiveness and comfort.
I took a punt, and convinced by the number of positive online reviews, I gave this £7.99 Amazon mattress protector a go.
There are more expensive options available, of course, and I’ve rounded up some of the best we’ve tested below, but I wanted to see how this budget buy compared.
Shop alternatives
Soak & Sleep
Waterproof Coolmax Mattress Protector
As one of the thickest waterproof mattress protectors we’ve tested, this buy can really handle large spills. As a result, it can be one of the best buys for bedwetting.
Panda
Bamboo Mattress Protector
Or, if discretion is the name of the game, this super-thin waterproof mattress protector is very discreet and virtually silent.
Dunelm
Fogarty Terry Towelling Waterproof Mattress Protector
Alternatively, if you prefer the option to shop in-store as well as online, then this affordable terry towelling protector is another budget-friendly buy.
In contrast to more expensive options, my £7.99 buy may have arrived in very no-frills packaging, but on opening it I was struck by how soft it is – a world away from the scratchy waterproof mattress covers of yesteryear!
The terry towelling top layer felt soft and thick, and it didn’t make a loud crackly noise when I pushed and scrunched it.
Fitting it onto the mattress, I was also impressed by how deep it is; it fitted easily over my thick mattress and even on a mattress with a topper on it.
The elasticated edge also keeps the cover in place well, so it doesn’t wriggle out of place in the night, and both my sons and I can report that there’s barely any noise when moving or rolling over.
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I put it to the test by pouring some water onto it and was impressed by how it completely prevented the water from seeping through to the mattress below, making it ideal to guard mattresses against spilled drinks or accidents, as well as unsightly fake-tan stains!
Plus, it’s washable at 40 degrees and suitable for being tumble-dried at a low temperature.
The only downside I found is that the ‘skirt’ around the sides is quite thin and not much thicker than a pair of tights. I do worry a little that it will get easily snagged or laddered, but with a fitted sheet over the top, we didn’t have any issues.
And it seems I’m not alone in being a fan of this budget buy. As one 5-star Amazon review says, ‘I have to say I’m so impressed with this product, I immediately purchased another.’
‘The toweling side is soft, and the waterproof side makes no annoying crinkling sound,’ shares the happy owner. ‘The main bonus is the fact you can tumble dry it! Something I’ve never been able to do with these types of sheets before.’
‘I’ve bought several of these mattress protectors over the years,’ says another reviewer. ‘They work so well and really are waterproof. They definitely help to preserve your mattress. They wash really nicely and can be tumble dried, which is so convenient. Fantastic value for money.’
Clearly I’m not alone in thinking that this budget buy is a lifesaver when it comes to protecting the most expensive thing in my children’s bedrooms! For our needs, this budget buy does the job perfectly.
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