Tips for Choosing a Natural Mattress & Bedding

Eco-friendly, non-toxic bedding is one of the best long-term health investments for you and your family, and it’s also a great long-term move for the environment.

Mattresses and Bedding: What’s Healthy and What’s Not

The mattress is the center of our sleep environment. Unfortunately, many traditional mattresses are made with harmful substances such as chemical flame-retardants (e.g., antimony), boric acid, formaldehyde, ozone-depleting substances, and phthalates that breakdown and release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air. Long-term exposure to these toxic substances can cause mild to serious health effects including allergies, respiratory issues, reproductive problems, damage to the lymphatic system, liver and kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, and even cancer.

There are safer mattress options that are made with certified natural, organic materials free of chemical compounds. When purchasing a new mattress, be mindful of certification labels. A product might claim to be made of “natural” materials but may still contain undisclosed man-made chemicals. To help guide the consumer, mattress companies use green certifications; however, it’s important to note that not all green testing is the same. Some certifications may provide more rigorous testing than others or focus on certain health and environmental standards.

Look for labels such as the following to verify that the mattress materials are organic: Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS). A certified organic label means the specified mattress material is made of 95% certified organic fibers while the other 5% of non-organic materials do not contain certain toxic substances including polyurethane and chemical flame retardants.

Another dependable mattress certification is the Made Safe seal. This independent certification indicates the mattress product has undergone meticulous and scientific screening and is free of over 6500 toxic substances restricted or banned by Made Safe. The review process is intensive and requires a company to comply with full transparency from start to finish. As well, the Eco-INSTITUT certification ensures independent verification that the mattress is free of harmful gasses and toxic substances. Other certifications address specific emissions limits and/or the banning of harmful chemicals: The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 tests and ensures products are free of harmful substances while GreenGuard and Greenguard Gold test for chemicals emitted from products and CertiPUR-US conducts safety testing on foam products.

The ideal toxic-free mattress is one made of certified all-organic wool, cotton, and/or latex. Here’s why certified all-organic is the gold standard:

• The organic wool label provides a lot of value. Sheep farmers who produce certified organic wool must adhere to the federal standards and practices required for raising organic livestock without the use of harmful chemicals. Another benefit is how the sheep are cared for when producing a sustainable, renewable resource, as organic wool is shorn from sheep annually for the duration of the sheep’s life. Wool is also a natural fiber that absorbs perspiration, is non-allergenic and mildew-resistant, and is naturally flame resistant, meaning you avoid toxic flame-retardant chemicals. PureGrow and EcoWool are two US-based wool labels that provide reassurance their wool is sourced humanely and ethically and with sustainable practices benefiting the environment.
• Like organic wool, organic cotton must meet organic agricultural standards in order to receive the certified organic label. No GMOs (genetically modified organisms) or harmful chemicals, such as pesticides and insecticides, are used during the organic cotton farming and production process. Organic cotton is also 75–80% rain-fed thus promoting water conservation. Cotton produced without chemicals means less impact to the soil and air, and ultimately, the final product you sleep on is toxin-free.
• Natural latex is derived from the milky sap harvested from the rubber tree. An organic latex mattress with a certified GOLS label ensures that the latex comes from trees harvested without chemical fertilizers for at least four years. A certified organic pure latex mattress does not contain man-made latex and is also free of chemicals during the production process. If any non-latex materials such as wool or cotton are used, GOLS requires that they are also certified organic.

Wiseman Health Take-Home Advice

• Find a natural mattress company in your area whose brand aligns philosophically with natural bedding. Most conventional mattress stores do not place much importance on this issue. Remember, there are many natural mattress and bedding online store options for your convenience.
• Though the up-front cost of purchasing a natural mattress tends to be more than a traditional mattress, there is a cost-savings benefit over time because a natural mattress, especially all-organic, typically needs to be replaced less frequently than a conventional mattress. While traditional innerspring mattresses might need replacing every 5–7 years and memory foam 7–10 years, a high-quality cotton or wool organic mattress will last several years beyond the lifespan of a traditional mattress while an organic latex mattress lasts the longest, up to 20 years, depending on care and use.
• A certified all-organic mattress is the gold standard; however, purchasing one may not always be feasible or you may not be in the market for one at this time. At the very least, we recommend using as much natural and organic ancillary bedding (e.g., pillows, sheets, and comforters) as possible — particularly pillows because they are just as important as your mattress. When purchasing these bedding items, look for pillows made of the following natural materials: organic wool, cotton, latex, or organic buckwheat hull. Use organic cotton sheets and an organic wool or cotton comforter.
• Look for certification labels such as those shared by Austin Natural Mattress, as these labels provide important information about eco-friendly, safe bedding.
• When washing bedding items, use a gentle and natural fragrance-free laundry detergent such as Seventh Generation Free and Clear.
• Popular types of natural mattresses include organic latex, organic innerspring mattresses, organic cotton, organic wool, organic coconut coir mattresses, and green memory foam mattresses.
  • Some recommendations for natural mattresses (non-memory foam) include: Evaya Organics, Naturepedic, OMI, Avocado Green Mattresses,Plush Beds, Happsy, My Green Mattress, Savvy Rest, Eco Terra, and Birch Mattress.
  • For eco-friendly memory foam mattresses, here are some options: Brentwood Home Mattresses, Loom and Leaf by Saatva, Dream Cloud, Bear Mattress, and Essentia.
• To learn more about natural, non-toxic mattresses and bedding, watch our Wiseman Health Video: Natural Mattresses and Bedding.
• In addition to using organic ancillary bedding and sleeping on a natural mattress, there are many ways to improve your sleep hygiene. To optimize sleep the natural way, read 12 Tips for Better Sleep.