How to Sleep More Soundly on an Eco Mattress
Photo: Trunk Archive
Shopping for a mattress is a far cry from buying a new winter coat. It’s a uniquely dull experience, lacking joy and the thrill of the find. Whatever motivates you (bad back, your partner wants something firmer), it’s generally a process you want over with already. If you haven’t bought a new one in a while, get ready for endless sales pitches about “eco friendly” options. Gone are the days of merely trying out umpteen beds and forming an opinion about foam vs. coils.
Pay attention to these pitches! Organic mattresses can be just what you’re looking for: comfortable (no, they’re not made of straw) and free of harmful chemicals. But false “green” marketing claims abound because regulation is scarce. There are no laws; outside of food, organic is not a regulated term. So if you prefer your mattress to lack pesticides, and/or you’d prefer not to breathe flame retardant chemicals for about 8 hours daily (and, really, who wouldn’t?), here’s what you need to know.
Then you can take a well deserved—and nontoxic—nap.
WHAT’S AN ORGANIC MATTRESS?
In the most basic terms: it’s a mattress made without harmful chemicals, allergenic materials and made with organic and renewable materials. An organic mattress meets federal flammability standards without the use of flame retardant chemicals, which have been linked to health issues including cancer, reduced IQ, and hyperactivity. Organic cotton is less flammable than petroleum derived foam. An organic mattress should not have antibacterial agents or treatments and it will—critically—have third party independent certification to back up its ecoclaims.
LOOK FOR TRUE THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION
The most important certification to look with an organic mattress is the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) —one for fabric and one for latex (this comes from a natural rubber tree and is not synthetically created). Beyond these, there are many other certifications on mattresses. Some are solid (i.e. Greenguard’s certification for low VOC emissions), and others just sound good. Familiarize yourself with any standard to see if it’s actually a third party one, and if the claims are even possible or meaningful.
AVOID FOAM, GET TO KNOW LATEX
A truly organic mattress won’t contain foam but take note, not all latex is created equal. “Natural” latex comes from a rubber tree, it’s not synthetically created in a lab. The sap is then processed in one of two ways—Talalay and Dunlop. If this seems way too inside baseball, here’s what you need to know: Talalay manufacturing requires more machinery and chemicals and cannot be certified organic. Dunlop requires less, and can be certified GOLS. Beware of soybean or biobased foams marketed as “eco.” These are polyurethane foam with a small amount of soybean oil mixed in. Because poly foam is highly flammable, this “eco” mixture still requires the use of chemical flameretardants. Memory foam is likewise never flame retardant free or organic.
LEARN ABOUT OTHER MATERIALS
By now you’re probably getting the point that every material that goes into a mattress falls somewhere on a sliding scale of pureness. Cotton can be certified organic—which means GMO free and grown without pesticides and fertilizers—and it can be grown in the USA or elsewhere. Waterproofing materials (usually found on crib and some kid mattresses) can be vinyl/PVC (considered pretty toxic, especially to sleep on) or food grade plastic (much better). And all this before you’ve even learned about moisture wicking fire resistant wool, coconut husks, horsetail hair, batting, stain proofing, dust mite barriers just to name a few. It’s totally exhausting. It’s also worth it: Do the research now and you won’t have to lie awake nights wondering if you’re sleeping soundly.
OTHER SUSTAINABILITY SELLING POINTS
Ok, you’re almost ready to get under the sheets (we like Coyuchi and SDH). If you’re choosing between two brands, head to their websites. If you’re going to drop this sort of cash (most of these mattresses around $3000 dollars), it’s worth taking the time do the research. Is the manufacturer offering anything new and innovative that doesn’t seem like just spin? Are they trying to tap fewer rubber trees? Do they care about fairtrade? Are they manufacturing in the USA? Then think about all of the above. If anything sounds too good to be true,—and is not backed up by third party certification—it likely is.
STORES WHERE YOU CAN FIND A PURE MATTRESS
ABC Carpet and Home
The Clean Bedroom
Dax Stores
The Organic Mattress
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