Are all mattresses created equal?

[Astrid]

We pay a decent amount for the girls mattresses as they will be using them well into their teens and we want them to hold decent weight for those odd times than an adult might sleep there.

Also remember they just don't sleep in them, often there will be a number of kids sitting on the mattress, plus there are the bedtime reading sessions with me or DH sitting on their as well.

[HotI]

i bought a king single bed from e-bay for $12, and then paid $700+ for a mattress , but it is an awesome mattress! you can tell the difference with a nice mattress, however kids will also be fine on a cheaper mattress if that's what you decide on. i never had a new mattress when i was a kid. i think my folks were in their 40's before they got their first new mattress.

[toomanyshoes]

We went with cheap singles for the kids, I've slept on them and they are comfy. But we plan to put them into doubles/queens when we stop moving around so much, so in the next couple of years.

I don't think they were as cheap as $100, maybe 150-200?

Also I didn't want an expensive one pee'ed on.

[AwesomeFoursome]

I got DS a cheap one, $100, from Fantastic Furniture and it is awful. We are buying him another one at tax time.

[wysiwyg]

IKEA - have a big range you can lay on and see difference we got about third cheapest from there for our bunks and trundle, all the grandparents have stayed on them and us occasionally and they are really comfortable.