Single Bed Cotton Mattress

Single bed cotton mattress: the familiar panju methai, sized for one

For many people in India, the first mattress they ever slept on was a cotton one: a rui gadda or panju methai, firm enough to lie flat on, soft enough to sink into a little, made by a local craftsman and aired on the terrace every few weeks. The single bed cotton mattress from Soft Souls keeps that familiar feel in a modern, fixed size. It measures 36 × 75 inches, weighs about 5 kg, is filled with natural cotton fibre inside a 100% cotton cover, and comes with one pillow.

How a cotton single mattress feels

We describe it as medium. You lie on the surface rather than in it, and the cotton spreads your weight evenly from shoulder to heel. There is no bounce when you move, and no slow sinking like memory foam. Our product notes list it for back, side, stomach and combination sleepers, which makes it one of the easiest mattresses to choose for someone else: a student leaving home, an elderly parent, or a child getting their first proper bed.

Who it suits

• Students in hostels and PGs. A steady, natural mattress that you can carry home in the holidays. At about 5 kg one person can manage it.
• Elders. Many grandparents prefer the familiar firmness of cotton to anything springy, and a single bed is easy to get in and out of.
• Children's first beds. A level surface for a child who sleeps in every position through the night.
• Guest divans and day beds. A cotton mattress holds its shape when it is sat on during the day.

Fit: will it suit your cot?

Our single cotton mattress is 36 × 75 inches. Measure the inside of the cot or frame. A standard single bed is usually 36 inches wide and 72 to 78 inches long; if your cot is an older 3 × 6 foot (36 × 72 inch) frame, the mattress will be 3 inches longer than the frame. In that case our 36 × 72 inch foldable kapok mattress for single cots is the exact fit. For a divan, measure the seating area between the arms.

Cotton or kapok for one sleeper?

The single bed kapok mattress is the same size and also about 5 kg, so the choice comes down to feel. Cotton is medium and steady; kapok is medium-soft and springier. If the sleeper often lies on their stomach, or simply likes a firmer bed, choose cotton. If they sleep curled on their side and want more give at the shoulder, kapok will feel kinder. Both are natural plant fibres, and both come with a pillow.

The weekly and monthly routine

Cotton is a living material in the sense that it responds to how you treat it. A few minutes a week keeps it even and fresh:

• Every week: pat the surface firmly where you sleep, so the fill spreads back out.
• Every few weeks: turn the mattress end to end, so your head and feet rest on different parts of the fill.
• Every month: carry it to a shaded, breezy spot for a few hours of fresh air.
• Always: keep it dry. Never wash or soak the mattress, avoid long hours in strong sun, and spot clean the cover with a damp cloth.

Natural cotton becomes more compact with regular use. That is expected, and these habits are what keep a cotton mattress comfortable for longer.

Why cotton rather than foam for a single bed

A thin foam mattress on a single bed can feel hot and can sag in the middle where you sit. Cotton fill gives a natural surface that lets air move through the fibres, and when it settles you can bring it back by patting and airing rather than living with a permanent dip. It is also a material most families know how to look after, because their parents and grandparents did the same.

Completing the bed

Add a single bedsheet: ours are 60 × 90 inches with one matching pillow cover, which leaves enough fabric to tuck under a 36 × 75 inch mattress on all sides. The mattress already comes with a pillow; if the sleeper prefers a natural fill pillow with a little more height, our cotton pillows match the feel of the mattress.

Moving it between home and hostel

Students often take a mattress back and forth between a hostel and home. Roll the cotton mattress loosely from the foot end, tie it with soft cloth strips rather than rope that cuts into the cover, and slip it into a large cotton bag to keep it clean on the journey. Unroll it as soon as you arrive and pat it flat; air it for a few hours before the first night.

Single cotton mattress questions

Is it firm? It is medium: firmer than our kapok mattress, much less springy than foam.

Can I fold it? You can fold it loosely to carry it, but store it flat or rolled, not tightly folded, so the fill does not crease.

What comes in the box? The mattress and one pillow.

Can I use it on the floor? Yes. Air it more often, because the underside gets less air on a floor.

Price and delivery

Orders are dispatched within 1 working day, cash on delivery is available, and unused products can be returned within 7 days.

Part of our Mattresses range. Also see Single Bed Mattress, Double Bed Cotton Mattress, Single Bed Kapok Mattress, Cotton Mattress, Double Bed Mattress, Queen Size Cotton Mattress.