dog on bed

Mattress Madness

I had been noticing that our mattress was really starting to show its age (it was 15 years old and was getting very creaky and uncomfortable) and mentioned it a few times to my husband, Rudge.  One night he flipped over in his sleep and it literally bounced me out of the bed.  He woke up to me the next morning gazing lovingly at him (I am not a good sleeper and couldn’t get back to sleep so had now been up for hours) and gently told him, “We’re getting a new F#!%ing mattress!”

We simply cannot live life without sleep. Investing in a necessity like your mattress is sure to improve your time on Earth in more ways than you might realize. 

Today,  there’s a mattress to fit just about anyone’s preferences. Innovative features and new technologies continuously expand the product range. New mattress studies and growing consumer awareness has surged business for natural and organic mattresses over the past couple of years. After MONTHS of research, I’m ready to share everything that I’ve learned!

The common mattress is now deceiving to the eye. Today,  a mix of polyurethane foam, synthetic latex, and conventional cotton are found in typical mattresses. 

Okay...foam, latex, cotton...what’s the big deal? 

Recent discoveries suggest that the combination of fake fibers (like polyurethane, benzene, and formaldehyde)  and body heat causes micro amounts of toxins to release while you sleep. Those toxins are also known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s). The reaction of VOC’s released into the air is known as Off-Gassing. 

If you have purchased one of the trending Bed-in-a-Box mattresses, you might remember a ‘plasticy’ odor that is evident when unboxing the product. Customers have reported experiencing headaches, nausea, and dizziness from the odor, which are actually Off-gassing reactions to those Volatile Organic Compounds!
 
Specifically, in a  2019 study, Eight Polyurethane mattresses were tested by comparing the level of VOC emissions caused by different sleeping variables  (like body temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels in the environment). As a result, eighteen VOC’s were recorded in the study and body heat was found to cause the largest amount of VOC’s.  These considerations are out of sight, out of mind, and minimally regulated; which is why it has been overlooked for so long.
 
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, other health effects caused by VOC’s may range from mild eyes, nose, and throat irritation to more severe issues like an increased risk of cancer from long-term VOC exposure.

Purchasing mattresses that are GOTS/GOLS certified will ensure that the product is held to its highest environmental and safety standards. 

GOTS

GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard which regulates a variety of textile categories like fiber products, yarns, fabrics, clothes, home textiles, mattresses, personal hygiene products, and more. 


There are two levels to the GOT Standard:

  1. Made with organic: Textiles made from at least 70% organic raw material.
  2. Organic: Textiles made from at least 95% organic raw material.

GOTS certified mattresses are often made from materials like organic cotton, wool, bamboo, and silk. Any supplier of GOTS certified products has earned the certification through an extensive series of paperwork processes and personal inspection methods (which recur annually).

GOLS

The  Global Organic Latex Standard was created by the  Control Union- which works internationally to promote sustainable business practices. The GOL Standard provides regulations for products made with organic latex, or latex foam and also warrants an organic production process. GOLS certified products are made with a minimum of 95% organic latex. The remaining percentage of material is required to be GOTS certified. 


When picking out my mattress, I  focused on GOTS and GOLS certification, comfort and value. After researching, the top 3 companies I considered were...Avocado Green Mattress, My Green Mattress, and the overall winner- Naturepedic! 


Here’s why: 

     Made in: California
     Materials: 100% GOTS organic certified cotton, wool, and GOLS certified latex. 

Avocado Green Mattress was co-founded by Alex and Jeff D’Andrea. The couple struggled to find safe, non-toxic mattresses for their family at an affordable cost. So, they took matters into their own hands and started Avocado Green Mattress! 

These mattresses are made with love in sunny California. Avocado owns their entire production facility and has even extended their product line into organic bedding, accessories, and bedroom furniture from natural reclaimed wood!

Avocado Green Mattress also gives 1% of its revenues to an extensive and growing list of vetted non-profits. Even more impressive, in 2020, Avocado Green Mattress was awarded  The Inaugural Pinnacle Award for its outstanding sustainable efforts and business practices.

However I am not a fan of memory foam/latex beds and after several reports (go read This Organic Girl's Mattress Review) of the smell of the beds, I decided to pass.

     Made in:  Illinois
     Materials: 100% GOTS/GOLS certified organic cotton, latex, and wool. 
     
My Green Mattress is family-founded, pure and true! It all started with a mattress craftsman, Tim Masters, who was hired at the original mattress shop as an employee and later bought the company and made it his own. Masters was able to use his expertise to help his daughter, who suffered from eczema and environmental allergies, by creating all-natural, organic mattresses. 
     
My Green Mattress seems to have found the perfect combination between comfort and clean. Of course, all My Green Mattress products are GOTS/GOLS Certified. In an article about touring the MGM factory, sustainability enthusiast, This Organic Girl, wrote “The GOLS/GOTS factory certification allows for 5% of the total mattress to comprise non-certified materials. MGM sits way under that at 2.3% which accounts for things like metal coils.” Can we get a round of applause!
     
It really was a back-and-forth toss-up between this mattress and Naturepedic, but in the end, I was really drawn to the customization of the Naturepedic and was prepared to make that investment with their 20-year warranty.  

     Made in:  Ohio
     Materials:  100% GOTS/GOLS certified organic cotton, latex, and wool.

Founded by an expert environmental engineer, 
Barry A. Cik, Naturepedic was created out of the fact that Barry could not find a safe mattress for his newborn grandchild. Having over 30 years of experience studying and working with toxic chemicals, Barry knew the risks and would not settle with the under-par beds on the market. 
     
Not only are Naturepedic Mattresses all-organic, GOTS/GOLS certified, the children's mattress is also waterproof; which is especially important for infants and young children whose mattresses are more likely to become wet and begin growing mold.

The brand offers 3 different types of mattresses that combine hybrid style, innerspring and latex, or an all-natural latex option. Even better, Naturepedic mattresses are customizable for completely personalized comfort. The company offers a 90-day money-back guarantee with a 20-year warranty!  In addition, Naturepedic has a few select showrooms around the country, one of them being in Denver!

Rudge and I landed on the EOS Pillowtop bed. It is pricey, but with a 20-year warranty, we thought it was a worthwhile investment.  The amazing thing about this bed is that it has 3 levels that you can FULLY customize top to bottom AND side to side - The base is springs (you can choose firm or soft) the next 2 layers you get to pick between firm, medium, and soft microsprings and/or latex.  After several trips to the store and the assistance of LJ at the store in Denver who was VERY patient and VERY helpful, this goldilocks and her bear found the perfect fit for each of them. Firm base coils, medium latex mid-layer, soft microcoils top layer for me and Firm base coils, medium latex mid-layer, medium microcoils top layer for him!  It’s a little nutty, but his side of the bed is built differently than mine (although only minorly different) but you can absolutely tell. 

This bed has made an insane difference in our sleep.  I love that since it’s built as 2 separate halves (but looks and feels like one), when he rolls over in the night I don’t hear or feel it.  I wake up and don’t want to get out of bed and Rudge remarks EVERY MORNING how great he feels and how deeply he sleeps in the new bed. 

AND I AM EXCITED TO SHARE THAT YOU ALL CAN USE THE CODE: 

AILLEA15 FOR 15% OFF

YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE

 

Kathryns dog excited to sit on her new Naturepedic Organic Mattress

 

Sources: 

This Organic Girl:My Green Mattress Review and Factory Tour 2020 
American Chemical Society Publications; Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Polyurethane Mattresses under Variable Environmental Conditions 2019 
Amerisleep, 2021: What Does it Mean To Be GOTS or GOLS Certified?
United States Environmental Protection Agency 2021: Volatile Organic Compounds’ Impact on Indoor Air Quality
Global Organic Latex Standard
Global Organic Textile Standard
Avocado Green Mattress
My Green Mattress
Naturepedic

 

 

I was not paid to write this review.  I purchased this mattress retail after months of research and reached out to Naturepedic for a discount code and affiliate code once I knew I loved it and wanted to write about it.

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