Aug 15, 2018 • Hali Reynolds

Don't Buy Camp Mattresses Without Telling Your Seller These 4 Things

Camp directors There's an art to shopping for camp mattresses — a method to the madness, if you will. As a buyer, there are specific things you should look for in a camp mattress, and on the flip side, there are also things your mattress seller and manufacturer should be looking for as well.

A good mattress vendor will get the necessary information from you before selling you a mattress, but if they don't, you may need to volunteer certain information on your own.

Here's what you should be sure to mention to your mattress manufacturer while you're still in the shopping stages and before you actually purchase camp mattresses...

Your mattresses are for a camp

This seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people buy mattresses without ever explaining to their mattress manufacturer what type of facility the mattresses will be used in.

Why is it important to tell your mattress vendor that you're buying mattresses for a camp? Because camp mattresses require very different features and characteristics than residential or even hotel mattresses do.

For example camp mattresses should be:

Bed bug proof
Waterproof and fluid resistant
Antibacterial

For more on the above list, check out our blog article, Are Your Camp Mattresses Mom-Approved?

What age group your camp serves

A good mattress salesman will know to recommend different types of mattress materials based on the age range of your campers. For adults, nylon is preferred, but for kids, vinyl is a great option.

If you've never had to choose between nylon and vinyl mattresses, it would be a good idea to do some research prior to making a purchase.

How many weeks out of the year your camp is open

Don't assume that because you've told your mattress vendor that you're buying camp mattresses, they know that you only need your mattresses 10 weeks out of the year. Every camp is different, meaning some camps go year round and others run only through the summer.

Mattresses are designed with usage in mind. Typically, nylon mattresses are good for long-term wear, and vinyl mattresses are best for intermittent use, such as at a summer camp.

What mattress size you need

If you're getting your mattresses at American Bedding Manufacturers, you'll have the option to customize them. From the material (vinyl or nylon), to the size and dimensions, our mattresses are built to order. You can base your preferred mattresses size off of our standard mattresses sizes and dimensions, but make sure your first measure your camp's wooden or metal bunks to ensure a perfect fit.

Sometimes it helps to know what other camp directors like yourself are using. Here's a look at the camp mattresses and mattress covers we're selling to other camps like yours...