The baby or kids mattress segment is still at a nascent stage in India but industry experts are quite hopeful about its growth in the coming years. Currently, the demand for this segment is primarily from tier 1 cities.
New parents in India with higher disposable income and better awareness regarding their children’s safety, health and well-being, are not shying away from getting the best for their children. Upon the birth of the new member in the family, couples are not only spending on baby products like baby grooming products like creams, oils, powders or cribs and bathtubs. Indian consumers who have just become parents are also buying the right mattresses, cribs, cots and sleeping aids for their babies that would facilitate their growth and development during that delicate phase.
Better access to healthcare facilities is empowering new parents with the right set of knowledge to provide special care to their newborn infants. A part of the special care for newborn babies also includes providing a good sleep environment for babies. These factors are driving the demand for cribs or Kids mattresses in India. For the appropriate development of a newborn baby, he or she should sleep up to 17 hours a day. Therefore, kids’ mattresses should be different from other mattresses. While adult mattresses can be soft or hard depending on a customer’s requirement, kid’s mattresses should be.
- Provide proper support for growing babies, including their spines and bones.
- Comfortable to facilitate good sleep for the baby or toddlers.
- Durable enough to endure any damages attempted by kids and should last until they grow up.
- Hypoallergenic to prevent allergies and asthma in children.
- Easy to clean and maintain.
- Breathable enough to help regulate the temperature and prevent overheating of the mattress.
- Provide appropriate space for children to move around comfortably.
- Made of non-toxic and safe materials.
Indian parents are becoming aware of the need for proper sleep for children and this is propelling the adoption of children’s mattresses. They are realizing that lack of sleep could lead to issues related to their children’s development. The kids’ mattress segment is likely to grow in India due to the parental demand for children’s sleep comfort solutions. However, it is still at a very nascent stage in India with kids’ mattress makers witnessing demand from tier 1 cities.
Demand for kids’ mattress in India
A growing number of consumers are realizing the importance of sound sleep for better development of their children. However, the demand for kids’ mattresses is still at a nascent stage in India. Currently, in India, most of the parents sleep with the baby on the same bed. They have yet to realize that the sleep requirements of babies are different. As they sleep for close to 18 to 20 hours a day, there must be a comfortable sleeping solution for them.
More number of Indian consumers who have just become parents are also buying the right mattress, cribs, cots and sleeping aids for their babies that would facilitate their growth and development during that delicate phase.
Meanwhile, new parents in tier 1 cities are showing an inclination towards buying kids mattresses suiting their babies’ requirements. Rohan Patel, Director -Sales at Refresh Mattress says that this category is still at a nascent stage in India but it has the potential to become the highest-growing category in the coming years. “The young generation has some spare money and they want to do the best for their kid. So, this will be the highest growing category, at least to me, in the coming years. Currently, we are seeing demand (for kid’s mattresses) coming only from tier 1 cities, namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. We are seeing good mileage but only from these 6 cities. I am sure, in the next 20 years when more ppl shift to mattresses, people will be more aware of creating a separate sleeping solution for their kids,” explains Patel.
Additionally, urbanization and nuclear family systems have also contributed to the demand for kid’s mattresses. The rise of online shopping platforms and the availability of a wide range of kids’ mattresses from both domestic and international brands have also made it easier for parents to find and purchase suitable mattresses for their children.
Kids mattress market: India’s pie in the global market
According to a Future Market Insights report, “The children’s mattress market is estimated to be valued at US$ 2,594.5 million in 2024. In 2023, the value of the market was US$ 2,446.8 million. Sales of children’s mattresses are expected to increase at a CAGR of 5.6 percent over the period from 2024 to 2034. The value of the children’s mattress market is expected to be US$ 4,473.4 million by 2034.”
If we further segregate the global market into specific geographies, the Asia Pacific region is again the most promising geography for the global mattress industry. According to a Transparency Market Research report, “The crib mattress market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand rapidly during the forecast period due to the large population in countries such as China and India. The increase in the population of children and an increasing number of nuclear families are boosting the demand for children’s cots and crib mattresses. Hence, companies are influenced to undertake continuous product innovation and contribute towards the growth of the crib mattress market in the Asia Pacific region.”
Indian parents are becoming aware of the need for proper sleep for children and this is propelling the adoption of children mattress
If we concentrate our focus further on the Asia Pacific region, “India’s Children’s Mattress market size was valued at USD 1.14 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 2.27 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 9 percent from 2023 to 2030,” states a report released by market research firm GreyViews. However, in the Asia Pacific region, India fails to compete against China, where the “Children Mattress market size was valued at USD 1.52 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 3.76 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 12 percent from 2023 to 2030,” according to the GreyViews report that mentions, China as the largest market for children’s mattresses in Asia-Pacific region.
Road Ahead: Opportunities for this segment in India
The baby or kids mattress segment has a lot of potential for growth in India, wherein the growing middle-class population with higher disposable income is willing to invest in high-quality products for their children. Parents are increasingly becoming more conscious about the growth requirements of their babies and hence, it presents immense scope for mattress manufacturers to research and innovate more in the baby mattress segment. There is a growing demand for organic, natural and eco-friendly baby mattresses as parents seek products that are safe, non-toxic and offer better support, comfort and breathability for their infants. Additionally, if the baby mattress is customisable according to the growing size of the child, parents would prefer investing in those mattresses. As the GreyViews report mentions, “It is projected that changing consumer dynamics and growing product awareness would considerably influence the industry.”
According to a Future Market Insights report “The market in India is expected to record a CAGR of 8.2 percent from 2024 to 2034.” The report figures out that “Indian children are attracted by fancy designs on mattresses. Thus, suppliers in India are incorporating designs into an increasing number of mattresses, which is stimulating the children’s mattress market growth.”
This segment is a good opportunity for kids mattress makers. “A child’s growth varies every six months and people give a lot of importance to their child’s growth and development. They want to keep their child in luxury. There is good demand for baby mattresses and it is expected to grow,” says S Sundaresan, Secretary, of the Indian Sleep Products Federation (ISPF).
Meanwhile, kids mattress manufacturers are tying up with hospitals to cater to the sleeping needs of newborn babies. People from higher income groups do not hesitate to invest in a good mattress especially designed for babies or kids.
The Asia Pacific region is again the most promising geography for the global mattress industry. The primary concern surrounding around the baby mattress segment is the existence of unorganised players in this segment
awareness of the importance of quality sleep for children’s health and development, rising income levels and easy availability of baby mattresses across various channels. Indian consumers are also ordering customized baby mattresses through online channels. This segment has a lot of opportunity to grow and therefore, brands are increasing their focus on this segment. However, there are some set of challenges that mattress makers may face to increase sales of baby or kids mattresses.
The primary concern surrounding the baby mattress segment is the existence of unorganised players in this segment. As the GreyViews report explains, “In India, the market for children’s mattresses is mostly unorganised. Included in this segment are a street-side shop and the local ginner. Since cotton filler is the most affordable of the several options presently available, it is frequently utilised in mattresses from this unorganised market.”
Another major challenge is creating awareness about the importance of baby mattresses among Indian parents. Many Indian parents may not fully understand the importance of investing in a high-quality baby mattress. Educating consumers about the benefits of safe and supportive sleep products for infants can be a challenge. Other challenges include dealing with safety regulations, price-sensitive markets, distribution strategy and sourcing eco-friendly and sustainable raw materials. Mattress manufacturers must navigate through these challenges to drive growth for baby or kids mattresses in India.