Initially revealed on Mamavation: November 24, 2024
It looks as if day by day I am seeing a brand new natural mattress firm pop up in my newsfeed. And now that there are such a lot of, that are one of the best ones primarily based on components, trustworthiness, and certifications? This investigation wasn’t straightforward as a result of the natural mattress {industry} is de facto the Wild West of promoting claims.
How is a median individual presupposed to make sense of this? By no means worry, Mamavation is right here! You have trusted Mamavation to deliver you subjects like finest water filters to filter PFAS “without end chemical substances,” most secure cookware, and the finest air purifiers, now be part of us as we take you thru one of the best and worst high-quality natural mattresses so your loved ones can keep away from dangerous chemical substances and go for pure supplies.
Disclosure: This publish was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. Donations had been offered by Environmental Well being Information and Mamavation group members. Be aware that Mamavation has solely “spot-checked” the {industry} and thus we can’t make predictions about manufacturers and merchandise that we’ve got not examined.
Merchandise and manufacturing aides can change with out discover so purchaser beware. This publish accommodates affiliate hyperlinks, with most to Amazon, which suggests Mamavation will obtain a portion of these gross sales. You can even give a tax-deductible donation to our shopper research right here by means of Environmental Well being Sciences.
Why Purchase an Natural Mattress
The very first thing to grasp is with regards to issues like natural mattresses they reside in a nebulous world with little or no checks and balances concerning what they will say about their merchandise. That finally ends up which means they will principally say no matter they need. The USDA does not get into the enterprise of certifying mattresses, so the time period “natural” does not have a which means.
Why? Effectively, the USDA is de facto solely within the enterprise of agriculture, and something past that’s the wild west of nebulous advertising and marketing claims throughout the manufacturing processes. Are there actual natural mattress corporations? Sure. Who’re they? We’re completely happy to indicate you what we found on this investigation. However earlier than we do this, let’s undergo some fundamentals.
Typical mattresses are known as “100 lbs. of poisonous chemical substances” and that is a good way to explain them. From petroleum-based polyurethane foam to harmful adhesives and flame retardants, the traditional mattress {industry} creates a fairly poisonous product. However the principle cause to buy a licensed natural mattress is to guard your loved ones from harmful chemical substances like those under:
- Formaldehyde — These chemical emissions are present in materials, adhesives, and foams. It off-gasses from the adhesives used and the petroleum-based polyurethane foam. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen.
- Flame retardants — These chemical substances off-gas for years after the mattress is bought and are harsh endocrine disruptors and potential carcinogens.
- VOCs (Risky natural compounds) — Well being results vary from complications and dizziness to cancers and central nervous system issues. VOCs additionally bond to ozone in your house creating smog within the daylight.
Another excuse to buy an natural mattress is that polyurethane foam is extremely flammable. Polyurethane foam can also be known as “gasoline” by firefighters as a result of it is manufactured from petroleum and catches hearth in a short time.
So you probably have a traditional foam mattress, fires are extra of an issue. That is the rationale why they’ve so as to add chemical flame retardants to the mattress to guard you. So in different phrases, natural mattresses is not going to be foam mattresses or a “reminiscence foam mattresses.”
The video under will exhibit what we imply by being extra flammable. Right here you may see a legacy room with supplies containing cotton and wool with trendy furnishings manufactured from polyurethane foam.
Natural Mattress Certifications and What They Imply
If you hear phrases like “pure,” “natural,” and “sustainable,” keep in mind these are unregulated phrases. The mattress {industry} is just like the wild wild west of promoting claims. Simply since you hear the phrase “natural” doesn’t suggest that you simply will not discover hearth retardants, poisonous adhesives, or polyurethane foam.
Some manufacturers might use polyurethane foam and poisonous adhesives with natural cotton on high. So issues can get complicated. However there are some certifications on the market to search for that may make a few of this simpler. Be aware, these aren’t all of the certifications you will discover on a mattress, however they’re a very powerful ones. I put these certifications so as of significance.
GOTS Licensed (International Natural Textile Normal)  The International Natural Textile Normal (GOTS) certification is the golden commonplace of the natural mattress {industry}. They certify mattresses, however additionally they individually certify particular person supplies like cotton cloth made by a cotton cloth firm. It mandates that the cotton or wool contents used are USDA licensed. Additionally they decide how merchandise are processed and manufactured and what chemical substances like chemical adhesives can be utilized throughout that course of. And at last, additionally they decide what different sorts of supplies can be utilized with the product that isn’t natural like metal coils and zippers. This certification restricts hearth retardants, however not all of them. However here is the catch! If you see this image, ensure that the corporate’s title is on the certification. We caught some corporations passing off one among their provider’s certification as their very own. Not the identical. That is like delivering another person’s work as your individual. It is also potential some components could possibly be GOTS natural whereas the remainder of the mattress aren’t. We discovered the next components natural whereas different components not: pillow-top, natural cotton cowl, natural New Zealand wool, consolation layer, and so forth. one of the best natural mattresses will likely be completely GOTS natural. |
International Natural Latex Normal (GOLS) Mattress and Parts Latex  The International Natural Latex Normal (GOLS) certification is an ordinary for licensed natural latex and completed latex foam. The usual additionally determines what different sorts of processing and supplies are prohibited. The product has to keep up a minimal of 95% licensed natural uncooked materials of the full weight. |
MADE SAFE Certification  MADE SAFE certifies that merchandise aren’t made with cancer-causing and hormone-disrupting chemical substances. The usual from this group is without doubt one of the strictest within the market. Supplies in mattress merchandise have been scrutinized by scientists and consultants to make sure they don’t include dangerous components, off-gas harmful vapors, or create byproducts that would influence human well being. |
OCS 100 Natural Cotton Normal  The Natural Change Certification Program tracks the natural materials from the supply to completed product. This certification provides you extra piece of thoughts that the product accommodates what it says it accommodates. They solely certify natural cotton or wool parts of the mattress, not all the factor. They act as a monitoring system. This certification is not as robust as a certification as GOTS. A product can’t include each GOTS and OCS 100 Natural Cotton emblem on the product to guard the customers from confusion. |
UL GREENGUARD Gold Certification  GreenGuard was not too long ago acquired by Underwriter Laboratories (UL) and has modified the parameters of their commonplace. They not carry the bottom emission “Choose” class and have launched a extra watered down “Gold” class as a substitute. Inexperienced Guard is an air high quality environmental testing firm. They’re wanting into off-gassing of particular contaminants. However right now they’re not contemplating flame retardants, PFAS chemical substances, phthalates, and microbes. This commonplace does check for about 350 widespread VOCs. We simply want they went additional to get a few of the worst offenders. Inexperienced Guard will certify all the mattress or any of the parts as a substitute. |
OEKO-TEX® Normal 100 Certification  The OEKO-TEX® Normal 100 Certification is a European certification that verifies textiles are free from sure dangerous substances like allergenic dyes, bisphenols, heavy metals, and formaldehyde. |
CertiPUR-US® Licensed Foam  The CertiPUR-US® title and emblem are registered emblems of the Alliance for Versatile Polyurethane Foam, Inc., a enterprise league based by polyurethane foam producers. They state that this certification was created by the froth {industry} “in shut collaboration” with environmentalists, chemists, and analysis scientists, however any modifications to the certification program can solely be made with the consent of its board of administrators. As of 2017, its tax filings point out that each single member of its board is straight concerned with the polyurethane foam {industry}. This makes it seem like the {industry} creating an ordinary for themselves. This certification does NOT imply that all the mattress (and even the froth) is chemical-free, secure, unhazardous, or freed from carcinogens. And polyurethane foam can by no means be licensed natural. Whereas this certification does ban sure substances (like CFCs) and so they do conduct some testing for VOCs, the opposite {qualifications} they require may not make a lot of a distinction in any respect. For instance, they are saying that their licensed mattresses are free from heavy metals and formaldehyde. Nonetheless, they additionally admit that heavy metals or formaldehyde are not often present in polyurethane foam within the first place. Listed here are their technical tips. UPDATE January 9, 2020: We acquired two stop and desist letters from CertiPUR-US® and adjusted copy barely. |
Humorous Enterprise You may Discover Whereas Researching Natural Mattresses
Throughout our investigation, we realized in a short time why the natural mattress {industry} is just like the wild west of promoting claims. The quantity of humorous enterprise made our heads spin. Listed here are a few of the issues we discovered.
• Authorized claims are nebulous — “Natural” is not a authorized time period within the natural mattress {industry}. Principally, anybody can name themselves natural. There are natural certifications, however they’re personal certifications, and the federal government does not become involved. As a result of the federal government does not become involved, there isn’t a one policing what could be stated. So purchaser beware!
• Firms misuse natural certifications — Some corporations are claiming to be GOTS or GOLS licensed manufacturers, however aren’t. That is vital to grasp. They’re claiming another person’s certification as their very own. This took me a while to determine, however as soon as I began searching for it, I discovered it industry-wide. Some corporations are passing off the certification of a provider as their very own.
Utilizing a portion of GOTS licensed natural cotton is not the identical factor as getting your manufacturing facility GOTS licensed. So meaning it isn’t a GOTS licensed mattress. That solely signifies that one among their suppliers is a GOTS licensed producer. However why do not they’ve their very own certification? Getting their very own certification would imply they’d ALSO be restricted on different supplies they utilized in that mattress. However with no certification, we will not make sure what else is inside.
It could possibly be potential that 10% is from this natural provider and 90% is one thing else. Certification makes all that clear. This is without doubt one of the the explanation why we determined to make use of MADE SAFE certification as the usual for this publish. That certification prevents all hearth retardants from getting used.
• Some corporations are nonetheless utilizing hearth retardants, polyurethane foam and adhesives and being coy about it — Some corporations are utilizing what they name “flame obstacles” however not being clear about these being constructed from hearth retardant chemical substances. In a few of these accounts, the corporate says they do not include sure sorts of hearth retardants, however does not specify about ALL hearth retardants typically. So in that case, what are they not telling me?
In my analysis on on-line boards, I discovered that some corporations have been recognized to place natural cotton covers over polyurethane foam. Whereas different corporations are saying issues like they do not use adhesives in between layers of the mattress, however by no means say something in regards to the 800+ coils they used adhesives on.
These corporations are being very coy about what they’re NOT saying, so it is all about what shouldn’t be stated. Once more, this makes the MADE SAFE certification all of the extra vital to determine whether or not they have problematic chemical substances inside or not.
• Why would an natural firm want CertiPUR-US® certification? — We oddly discovered that some “natural” corporations bothered to additionally get CertiPUR-US® certification. The explanation that is odd is that this certification is for corporations utilizing polyurethane foam. Wait, I assumed an “natural” mattress did not have polyurethane foam? Hmmmm, that is odd …
The Fundamentals of Natural Mattresses
• Latex mattresses — All natural latex beds are a unhazardous different to reminiscence foam constructed from pure latex sourced from rubber timber. Natural latex has nice temperature regulation, good help and stress aid for again and shoulder ache with a medium-firm really feel, and has a great bounciness.
They’re additionally denser and heavier, making them extra secure for heavy sleepers. However this mattress has no coils, so the bounce feels totally different for again sleepers, facet sleepers, and abdomen sleepers.
Sadly, issues aren’t at all times what they appear within the latex mattress {industry}. After Avocado Mattress was sued for having artificial chemical substances inside their “pure” latex mattresses, Mamavation took a deeper dive into pure latex mattresses and latex mattress topper merchandise you may learn about right here. Most manufacturers are utilizing pure Talalay latex or Dunlop latex.
• Spring mattress allergenic-free no latex (coils) — This can be a mattress produced with coils solely. About 6% of the inhabitants is allergic to latex, so having a mattress free from latex can be an vital factor to have. Most manufacturers use adhesive to connect the encased coil, which we frown upon. The most effective manufacturers will warmth seal the encased coils to one another. These manufacturers will usually use licensed natural wool, natural cotton cloth, and natural cotton fill.
• Spring mattress hybrid mixture of latex and coils — That is the preferred choice, combining the 2 totally different attributes of squishy latex with the bounce of coils. Folks usually desire a mixture primarily based on how tender it’s and bouncy it’s.
Once more, as a result of this can be a combo, there are extra alternatives to be careful for adhesives (glues), polyurethane foam and hearth retardants. The most effective mattresses could have natural cotton cloth, natural cotton fill, natural wool, and natural latex.
• Skinny mat — These are extra like a skinny mattresses. It is not very fashionable, however I needed to verify to say it as a result of they’re kinda neat. These skinny mats are usually filled with wool, cotton, and/or latex and could be stiff when positioned on the ground.
Mamavation Investigation of Natural Mattresses
Mamavation checked out the preferred “natural,” unhazardous and eco-friendly mattresses to prepare them into easy classes primarily based on all our analysis.
To be in one of the best class a number of issues had been thought of: (1) a mattress would wish to come back from a manufacturing facility that’s GOTS licensed, (2) if latex is within the product, the latex must be GOLS licensed, (3) all the product must be GOTS licensed, (4) all of the mattresses they produce are GOTS licensed (or on the very least would not have sister corporations producing polyurethane foam mattress) and (5) they aren’t deceptive the general public.
Bonus factors for lifetime guarantee, a decrease carbon footprint, luxurious, and sturdiness. Most manufacturers had all sizes from California King to Twin XL.
• Not our favourite natural mattress manufacturers — Natural claims are unclear and largely unverifiable. For instance, one straightforward technique to inform is to examine to see who the certification is made out to. If it does not have their title, then you already know it isn’t their certification however a provider’s certification. Simply because some supplies had been claimed to be purchased from an natural provider doesn’t suggest all the mattress is a licensed natural mattress.
You possibly can very simply check this out on the GOTS web site to seek for manufacturers which can be licensed. One other potential drawback is the totality of the certifications. Simply because a manufacturing facility is GOTS licensed, doesn’t suggest that each one the merchandise that they produce are GOTS licensed. One other factor we discovered on this class was corporations solely getting licensed to supply mattress equipment, however not the mattress itself.
As well as, corporations that declare to be natural, however do not have certification made our not favourite class. We’ve got NO thought what declare is actual or not. With out certification, we actually cannot be sure about different issues like flame retardants, harmful adhesives, or polyurethane foam. That is simply the class the place issues had been messy and never verifiable.
Amerisleep | Amore Beds | Awara Natural |
Bear Mattress | Mattress and Wooden | Brooklyn Bedding |
Colgate | Cozy Pure | Customized Consolation Mattress |
EARTHSAKE | EcoBaby Organics | EcoChoices Pure Residing Retailer |
EcoCloud | Eco Terra | FloBeds |
GOLD BOND | Idle Sleep | Pleasure Mattress |
LA Child | Latex For Much less | Layla |
Leesa | Loom & Leaf (By Saatva) | Luma |
Moonlight Slumber (Moonlight Medical) | Pure Dwelling by The Futon Store | Naturalmat USA |
Nectar | Organique | Pure Relaxation Organics |
Saatva Latex Hybrid Mattress | Sleeplily | Hovering Coronary heart |
Spencer’s Mattress (Churchill & Smith) | Spindle | Suite Sleep Inc. |
Candy ZZZ | The East Coast Natural Mattress Retailer Inc. | Wool Mattress Firm |
Zenhaven (by Saatva) |
• Higher mattress manufacturers — These natural mattress corporations are higher. They’ve all their natural certifications of their names. However as a result of the mattress {industry} is as nonsensical as it’s, we began to take a look at possession and what the factories had been doing as effectively.
This record has manufacturers with factories which can be affiliated with or additionally promote different nonorganic merchandise or produce different mattresses constructed from polyurethane foam. So in different phrases, they’ve one foot within the natural world and one foot within the typical world making polyurethane foam.
◦ Avocado Inexperienced Mattress — (Avocado is manufactured with Brentwood Properties which additionally produces mattresses constructed from polyurethane foam.) (Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale, 10% off furnishings, pillows, yoga and extra, as much as 50% off bedding, as much as 50% off attire. Free transport on most objects (besides mattresses and furnishings).)
(GOTS licensed below Brooklyn Bedding and Helix which additionally produces mattresses constructed from polyurethane foam.)
◦ Brentwood Dwelling — (Brentwood House is manufactured with Avocado throughout the similar manufacturing facility the place they produce polyurethane foam.)
◦ My Inexperienced Mattress — (GOTS certification below a traditional mattress firm referred to as High quality Sleep Store which additionally sells mattresses made with polyurethane foam.) (Take 10% off merchandise through the use of “mamavation” at checkout.)
◦ White Lotus — (Try their GOTS natural futon mattresses! Use low cost code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off through the use of at checkout. This firm additionally produces mattresses with a Certipur certification.)
• The most effective guys — Mattresses bought by these corporations are GOTS-certified natural in a manufacturing facility that doesn’t additionally produce mattresses constructed from polyurethane foam. As well as, these corporations meet the best requirements of nontoxicity and sustainable forestry administration ideas.
Every certification is related to all of the supplies within the mattress. Every certification pertains to the manufacturing facility that produces the mattress and never simply any of the suppliers. We did not discover any humorous enterprise or claims that had been exterior actuality.
◦ Happsy — (SPECIAL BLACK FRIDAY DEALS: Use low cost code “BLACKFRIDAY” for 20% off + PILLOW with Mattress Buy) (On a regular basis Low cost for Mamavation: Use low cost code “MAMAVATION10” for 10% off your complete buy. Whereas provides final. Can’t be used with different promo codes. Can’t be utilized to previous purchases. Legitimate one time per buyer. Different restrictions might apply.)
◦ Naturepedic — (SPECIAL BLACK FRIDAY: Use low cost code “BLACKFRIDAY” for 20% off merchandise! Plus FREE Pillow(s) with Each Youngsters or Grownup Natural Mattress Buy) (On a regular basis Low cost for Mamavation: Use low cost code “MAMAVATION15” for 15% off your complete buy. Whereas provides final. Can’t be used with different promo codes. Can’t be utilized to previous purchases. Legitimate one time per buyer. Different restrictions might apply.)
◦ Obasan — (Use low cost code “MAMAVATIONBED” for 2 free complimentary pillows of your alternative whenever you buy an grownup mattress. Be sure they’re in your cart.)
In regards to the Creator
Leah Segedie is the President and Founding father of Mamavation.com. Mamavation produces award-winning content material and unbiased shopper research analyzing the intersection of endocrine-disrupting chemical substances (EDCs) and on a regular basis merchandise introduced into American households. She’s been referred to by many as “the true FDA.”
Since 2008, Mamavation has been serving to on a regular basis mothers navigate the grocery retailer by commissioning shopper research on meals, drinks, private care merchandise and different such merchandise and thus democratizing science and testing for everybody.