John and Yoko famously had their bed-in, in which they spent two weeks in bed as a way to promote peace. Fast forward to 2010 and our own Maxwell Ryan spent a year in bed to promote better sleep. OK, he didn't actually spend an entire year in bed — but he did spend a year testing a new mattress in his own home every month. Let's look back at his findings... As Maxwell pointed out at the beginning of this series of posts, "Bed shopping rarely leaves room for much testing, and too often we buy beds after reading the promotional literature, getting carried away by the marketing (TRUMP bed anyone?) and, perhaps, lying on the bed for a few minutes, but how many of you actually get to really TEST a bed over a good period of time before buying it?" With that, he set about testing mattresses in his own home. Danny Seo Natural Care Mattress by Simmons The hottest deals voted on by our community. Selected and verified by our team of deal editors.One of the biggest complaints by owners of memory foam pillows and mattresses is the unpleasant, and potentially unhealthy chemical smell.
Memory foam is manufactured using polyurethane and several other chemicals, so it isn’t surprising that it emits a chemical odor. This “off gassing” of volatile organic compounds is a common and well-documented property of memory foam pillows and mattresses. The fumes are often compared to those experienced in a freshly painted room. If you are experiencing this odor, the good news is you may not have to endure the smell for long. The bad news is that some of the chemicals used in memory foam aren’t entirely benign.Many memory foam mattress owners report that the off gassing period ends after a number of days.(1) Of course there are many factors which influence this including the product, the type of foam, the sensitivity of the person, the room ventilation and more. Even if the initial odor goes away, it is natural to wonder if there are health issues related to off gassing.Most people do not report any health issues resulting from their memory foam pillow or mattress. However, there are various reports of headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions resulting from the odor produced by memory foam.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you’ll want to avoid sleeping on the foam during the initial off gassing period. You can leave the pillow or mattress in a well-ventilated area for a week or two and see if that helps eliminate or reduce the odor and symptoms. If after several weeks, the issue persists, it is probably time to consider an alternative to memory foam.Many many people use memory foam products without reporting any side effects or related health issues. That said, there are various reports and studies which indicate that memory foam may be somewhat toxic. Reports include carcinogenic chemicals and formaldehyde gas. To manufacture memory foam, chemicals are added to polyurethane to make it more dense and viscous at the same time. Additional chemicals are required to make the polyurethane flame retardant. One of these, Pentabde (of the polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) family), was used until 2004. Pentabde is now known to be toxic to the liver, thyroid, and nervous system.
(2) A study in 2000 specifically found mattress emissions to be toxic to the lungs of labratory mice.The long-term effects of memory foam and its toxicity is not fully understood, but there clearly is some reason for concern. Aproximately one-third of your life is spent in close contact to your sleeping surface, so it is important to consider you and your family’s health when selecting a pillow or mattress.Are you interested in the support and comfort provided by memory foam, but want to avoid that chemical smell? There are several natural pillow options for those looking for a new pillow. Of course, our favorite is our buckwheat hull pillow. Besides being natural and chemical-free, buckwheat pillows are a great alternative to memory foam for a couple of other reasons.Memory foam is not breathable and this can result in a hot and sweaty pillow. The shape and particulate nature of buckwhat hulls leaves a lot of air space in your pillow between all of the hulls. This airspace allows warm moist air to escape, leaving your pillow cool and dry.
While a memory foam pillow conforms to the shape of your head, the overall shape and thickness of the pillow is fixed, making the pillow less adaptable to your sleeping position. The fill in a stuffed pillow can be shifted and adjusted for a wider variety of shapes and sizes.If you’ve decided against a memory foam pillow and a buckwheat pillow isn’t right for you, other natural alternatives to memory foam include pillows filled with down, cotton, wool, latex, kapok or millet hulls.We receive free products to review and participate in affiliate programs, where we are compensated for items purchased through links from our site (at no cost to the buyer). See our disclosure page for our list of comped products and affiliate programs. I slept on the Loom & Leaf Relaxed Firm mattress for several weeks and got a really good sense for it. The mattress is quite comfortable, and overall my experience was positive, though I have a few words of caution. This mattress isn’t for everyone, but definitely an intriguing option for certain mattress buyers.
It has a distinct memory foam feel that some people will love while others won’t love. For those that are looking for a memory foam mattress, this mattress can give you a great value. It uses quality materials that you will see in mattresses that cost you a lot more money. Read on for my full Loom & Leaf review (see HERE for a direct comparison to Tempur-Pedic). Who Should Be Interested in Loom & Leaf? You’re Considering Tempur-Pedic– If you are looking at the Tempur-Pedic models or other high-quality memory foam mattresses, I would definitely give a strong look at Loom and Leaf. The specs of the mattress are comparable to some of the mid-range Tempur-Pedic models. See direct comparison to Tempur-Pedic HERE. You Are Value-Conscious and Luxury Loving– Loom and Leaf provides great value, and is priced well for a mattress competing at the luxury level. The price tag is steep for some buyers, but a steal if you compare it to the major mattress brands.
You Are Looking For A Great Comfort/Support Trade-off– The high-density memory foam conforms nicely to the body and supports proper spinal alignment, upholding the known standard for high-quality memory foam. This is great for relieving and/or preventing back pain. At the same time, the mattress is quite comfortable and I think you’ll find it’s a very cozy sleeping experience. You Sleep With A Partner– The high-density memory foam is great for motion isolation. That means when your partner moves around, you generally won’t feel it. You’ll both get a better night of sleep because of it. You’re Willing To Take A Risk– This is a new brand and you can’t try the mattress out ahead of time. The trial period and return policy should alleviate any concerns you have, but some people would naturally think they are taking a risk in buying such a mattress online. Buy Loom & Leaf at direct from factory prices Why You Might Not Want To Look At Loom & Leaf
You Don’t Plan On Owning Your Mattress Very Long– I think Loom and Leaf is fit for someone who wants a great medium or long-term solution. If you are just planning on owning your mattress for 2-3 years, then maybe you don’t want to invest in a mattress of this quality. There are definitely some lower-priced options that will do the job. You Generally Don’t Like The Memory Foam Feel– I have come across a number of people who don’t like the memory foam feel. As good as a memory foam mattress may be, some people will just never like the feel. I’ve seen people make the mistake of thinking that since they’re upgrading to a high-quality mattress they’re going to of course like the feel – but tastes for memory foam rarely change, no matter the quality. You Like To Really Sink Into Your Mattress– This mattress is made with high-density memory foam. As such, it has a strong sense of stability and you don’t get the feeling of sinking into the mattress.
You feel that you are sleeping on the mattress rather than in the mattress. I prefer this, but you may prefer that super plush feeling that a softer mattress provides. Want to see the full specs of the mattress? You can see that the mattress behaves much like a high-quality memory foam mattress, as expected. The foam is fairly slow to respond, similar to what you would expect from a Tempurpedic. This is the medium firm option shown in the video, Loom & Leaf also offers a firm option. Unless you are a stomach sleeper or prefer a very firm mattress, I would go with the medium firm mattress. What Are The Main Things You Should Know About The Construction? High-Quality Memory Foam– The mattress uses 5lb memory foam that is plant-based. The density and quality compares favorably to some of the mid-range Tempur-Pedic models. Organic Cotton Cover– They used organic cotton and it is really soft and nice to the touch. You probably don’t think that much about the cover when you consider a mattress, but this is a really nice touch that gives the extra feeling of luxury.
Gel Layer– There is a gel layer on top of the memory foam. This keep the mattress cool and comfortable (in my experience). I would encourage you to look at the specs of the mattress and compare them with the specs of other top memory foam options. There’s a few objective measures of comparison that make Loom & Leaf an interesting purchase. One Thing That Is Very Unique To Loom And Leaf Is The Cool Sleeping Surface Most agree that sleeping on a bed that feels hot is not comfortable at all. I’ve personally had some terrible nights of sleep while at a hotel or a friend’s place because the mattresses generated too much heat. Unfortunately, some memory foam mattresses experience this effect because of the way they are constructed. There’s a lot of debate about what companies can do that will actually keep a mattress cool. Some companies will have a spiffy name for some system that is meant to have you think their mattresses will be extra cool at night.
In my experience, the two ways to keep a mattress cool are to include a gel-laminated layer within the foam or to use bio-based foams. Studies back up this claim too. Loom & Leaf has both of these features, and from my experience, the sleep surface is very cool and comfortable. As expected of a high quality memory foam mattress, Loom & Leaf does very well in the motion transfer test. This mattress should be a good option if you are sleeping with a partner (especially if they move around a lot during the night). Is Their Claim About All The Cost Savings You Get Accurate? The claim the company makes about its mattress is that you get for $999 a mattress that would cost 2 to 3 times that amount at a retail store. After examining this claim and understanding how the traditional retailer business model works, this claim actually is true. There are so many costs involved in the retail model that get eliminated with the online business model. The Loom and Leaf mattress really does present an enticing value by removing the physical retailer aspect of the sale.
But Isn’t Buying A Mattress Online Risky? This issue always comes up. In this case, you can’t try the mattress out beforehand, but you do get a 75-day risk-free trial period. That’s more than enough time to figure out whether you like the mattress (typically you’ll know after 1-2 weeks). From there, if you don’t like the mattress, you can just send it back. Doesn’t sound like much of a risk to me, especially when you consider all the cost savings you are getting from buying online.No, it’s not risky. So Do You Recommend Their Mattress? I enjoyed the mattress, but it’s definitely not for everyone. If you understand or are used to memory foam, you will love this mattress. If you are looking at Tempur-Pedic or another higher-end memory foam provider, Loom & Leaf provides a great way to get similar benefits of Tempur-Pedic but at a much lower price. The mattress is also great for couples, those who are sensitive to a hot sleeping surface, and those who love getting a great deal.