Single Bed Kapok Quilt Mattress

Single bed kapok quilt mattress: a soft Illavam Panju layer for one

A single bed kapok quilt mattress is a slim, quilted mattress filled with kapok, the light, hollow fibre known in Tamil homes as Illavam Panju. It is made to soften: a hard cot, a cold floor, a firm old mattress, a guest's corner of the living room. The Soft Souls single kapok quilt mattress measures 36 × 75 inches, weighs about 3 kg and comes in a 100% cotton cover, without a pillow.

Why kapok in a quilt mattress

Kapok fibres are fine hollow tubes, so the fill is springy and loose. In a quilt mattress that means a medium-soft layer that cushions the shoulder and hip, even on a hard surface. Our product notes list side, back and combination sleepers as the best match. For a flatter, steadier layer, compare the single bed cotton quilt mattress, which is the same size and weight.

Softening a hard single bed

Many homes and hostels have cots with wooden planks or a thin, firm mattress that has gone hard over the years. Laid on top, a kapok quilt mattress adds a soft natural layer without replacing the bed. Tuck a single bedsheet (60 × 90 inches) around both layers so the quilt stays in place, and pat it flat each morning.

Floor sleeping, softly

On hot nights many families sleep on the floor. A kapok quilt mattress makes that more comfortable for side sleepers, whose hips and shoulders feel a hard floor most. Roll it out on a clean, dry floor, add your pillow, and roll it away in the morning.

For children and guests

• Afternoon naps. Light and low, it makes a soft nap spot in any room.
• Sleepovers. Children love a floor bed; at about 3 kg it is easy to set up and put away.
• Guests. A soft, clean bed for a visiting relative that lives in a cupboard the rest of the year.

Size and handling

The quilt measures 36 × 75 inches, the same footprint as our single mattresses. At about 3 kg, one person can carry it easily to air it. Roll it loosely from the foot end to store it; avoid folding it tightly for long periods, because kapok can settle along a crease.

Caring for kapok

• Air it regularly in a shaded, breezy spot, and after every guest's stay.
• Keep it dry. Never wash or soak it, and do not roll it out on a damp floor in the monsoon.
• Pat it flat each time you set it up; kapok spreads back out easily.
• Turn it head to foot every few uses.
• Mind the seams. Kapok is a fine, loose fibre; repair any small opening in the cover early.

Natural kapok fibres settle and compress with use; patting and airing restore much of their loft.

Kapok quilt or full kapok mattress?

The single bed kapok mattress holds more fill, weighs about 5 kg and includes a pillow, so it is the choice for someone's everyday bed. The quilt mattress is the choice when you need something light, quick to air and easy to store.

A natural pillow to match

Because the quilt mattress comes on its own, choose the pillow separately. Our kapok pillows use the same Illavam Panju fibre, so the whole bed has one soft, natural feel; for a child, pick a kids pillow.

How kapok compares with a cotton quilt on the floor

On a hard floor the difference between the two fills is easy to feel. A cotton quilt mattress gives a flatter, steadier surface: your body stays level, which many back and stomach sleepers prefer. A kapok quilt mattress gives a softer surface that lets the hip and shoulder settle in, which side sleepers usually find kinder on a floor. If you are buying for a guest whose habits you do not know, cotton is the safer middle choice; if you are buying for yourself and you sleep on your side, choose kapok.

Storing it between uses

Roll the quilt loosely, wrap it in a clean bedsheet or a cotton bag, and store it on a shelf rather than at the bottom of a cupboard, so air reaches it and damp from the floor does not. Before a guest arrives, unroll it a few hours early, give it some air, and pat it flat.

Before the first night

The single quilt comes rolled with the kapok compressed. Unroll it on a clean floor or cot, lift and pat it all over so the hollow fibres spring back, and let it rest in an airy room for a few hours. It is light enough to hang over a chair back in the shade for a while, which helps the fibre loosen faster.

Single kapok quilt mattress questions

Is it softer than the cotton quilt mattress? Yes: kapok is medium-soft, cotton is medium.

Is it lighter? No. Both single quilt mattresses weigh about 3 kg on our product sheet.

Does it include a pillow? No, it comes on its own.

Can I wash it? No. Air it, keep it dry and spot clean the cover with a damp cloth.

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 Quilts range. Also see Single Bed Cotton Quilt Mattress, Double Bed Kapok Quilt Mattress, Double Bed Cotton Quilt Mattress, Queen Size Kapok Quilt Mattress, King Size Kapok Quilt Mattress, Queen Size Cotton Quilt Mattress.