Concerned about harmful chemicals in your mattress? Manufacturers of organic mattresses suggest that their products are safer, and this product category—though still niche—is growing. But figuring out whether these mattresses are partially or completely chemical free can be a challenge because there are so many different labels making various claims. Take the term "natural" on a mattress. It's meaningless, with no standards behind it and no required verification. Even a mattress labeled “organic” may have only some materials that are actually certified organic. For a mattress to be truly organic, it should have at least 95 percent certified organic materials. It should also prohibit potentially harmful chemicals used in processing. You might even notice a mix of the labels, with some applying only to part of the bed. Casper mattresses, for instance, are compliant with Oeko-Tex Standard 100 for its top latex layer alone; the rest of the bed is labeled CertiPUR-US (more on what those mean in a moment).
If you’re in the market for a mattress made without potentially harmful chemicals, here’s what you need to know about the labels you’ll see and their claims based on our in-depth analysis. Before you buy a new bed, check our mattress buying guide and Ratings. You'll find shopping tips, reviews of nearly 50 mattresses, and Ratings of retailers and brands. Best: GOTS and GOLS Only two mattress labels precisely meet the most stringent qualifications: the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and, for mattresses that contain latex, the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS), which is found on the OrganicPedic by OMI Flora Nouveau we’re currently testing. GOTS requires that at least 95 percent of the materials in the mattress be certified organic, and it prohibits outright the use of certain substances even for the other 5 percent, such as chemical flame retardants and polyurethane, the chief ingredient of memory foam. GOLS ensures that a mattress with latex is made of organic latex, with restrictions on the other 5 percent of the mattress’s components.
Natural-latex mattresses may have both the GOTS and GOLS labels. Good: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 While Oeko-Tex Standard 100 doesn’t ensure that a mattress’s fiber is produced organically, it does set limits for the emission of harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are linked to ozone, smog, respiratory illnesses, and memory impairment. It also bans the use of certain chemical flame retardants, colorants, and allergenic dyes. Some Value: CertiPUR, Greenguard, Greenguard Gold, Organic, and Organic Content Standard 100 We found these five additional certifications only somewhat meaningful since many address certain components and are more limited than the labels above. Still, you may find a certification that addresses a particular concern, such as use of chemical flame retardants. None of these, however, address the sourcing of raw materials. • CertiPUR-US applies only to the polyurethane foam in a mattress. While other standards such as GOLS bar this foam altogether, CertiPUR-US prohibits certain substances that are in many foams (such as polybrominated diphenyl ether, or PDBE, flame retardants) and requires testing for formaldehyde and other chemicals.
• Greenguard requires testing of a finished mattress for specific emission limits of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds. • The related Greenguard Gold has more stringent emission limits on the above VOCs. • The U.S. Department of Agriculture allows the term “organic” on mattresses (for instance, “made with organic cotton”) if only a portion of the components are certified organic. Other components, in fact, not only don’t need to be organic, but can be processed using potentially harmful chemicals. • Organic Content Standard 100 refers only to the percentage of certified-organic materials, not to the presence of flame retardants, VOCs, colorants, or dyes. Prices for mattresses with green claims run from as little as $600 to more than $25,000 for luxury versions. In general, expect to pay around $2,000 for a queen-size mattress—more for one meeting GOTS or GOLS. Whatever mattress you buy, air it out for at least 48 hours before using it to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals.
That likely means you’ll have to dispose of the old mattress yourself (rather than letting the retailer haul it away when they deliver the new one), but you might thank yourself in the long run. What's in your mattress? If you're concerned, share your thoughts below. ContentsBest 100% Natural Latex MattressTop 3 Latex HybridsBest Latex Hybrid Mattresses ComparedGhostBedCasperHelixTop 3 All Latex MattressBest All Latex Mattresses ComparedBrooklyn BeddingPlushBeds Botanical BlissSpindleWhat to look for in a latex mattressNatural vs Synthetic/BlendDunlop vs TalalayLatex mattress warrantyLatex Density/ILDFinal Recommendation Latex is a great sleeping surface because it offers a lot of the benefits of without some of the drawbacks. You can get great comfort and support, but latex generally and has , which some people really appreciate. Though latex mattresses are generally less popular in terms of number of bed sold, people are starting to realize the benefits of latex with a lot of new bed-in-a-box models making their mattresses at least part latex (think Casper or GhostBed).
As time progresses, I fully expect latex to become more and more popular. The other potential benefit of latex is that it can be all-natural. Most companies opt to make their latex mattresses at least part synthetic due to cost, but there are some – which can never be the case for memory foam. As people start to move towards more natural products, I think latex will become more popular. I’ve slept on a lot of latex mattresses at this point (with more on the way), so I’ll highlight a few of my favorites by category: all latex, latex hybrids, and all-natural latex options. Unfortunately a “natural” mattress doesn’t necessarily mean 100% natural in this industry. Sometimes companies will use 10% natural latex and 90% synthetic latex and still call it a natural mattress. The reason is that natural materials are significantly more expensive, and at the end of the day people frequently choose their wallet over fear of chemicals or desire for an eco-friendly product.
That being said, my absolute #1 in the all-natural category is PlushBeds. They make a very comfortable mattress (classic latex feel), and because of their manufacturing process they are able to bring the cost down significantly. They have a number of options, but my favorite is the 10″ Botanical Bliss. Other mattress brands of note in this category are SavvyRest and Habitat Furnishings, though they end up being significantly more expensive. The latex hybrids are right now the most popular type of mattress (of any kind), aiming to offer the (namely pressure-relieving yet responsive at the same time). Hybrid simply means there are other types of foam, most often memory foam, in the mattress. My favorite three are: These are overall high quality mattresses, rating well in my general mattress reviews page. These three happen to be similarly priced as well, making it easy for you to choose the mattress just based on the brand and slightly different feels.
GhostBed is a relatively new brand, but is made by long time mattress veterans Nature’s Sleep. As I said this latex-over-memory-foam construction is very popular right now, but GhostBed used their mattress experience to do it better than most. Compared to similar models, GhostBed rates #1 for two reasons: durability and price. The mattress foam specs are better than nearly all of the similarly constructed competitors, which gives me confidence that the mattress will retain its feel for much longer (note: most of these brands are relatively new, so this is my assessment based on the specs, not personal experience). The price is also incredibly competitive, and only possible because it is manufactured by a company that is already doing such large scale mattress manufacturing. The company clearly leveraged their industry connections to get a very competitively priced product to market (use a coupon for even more savings). Learn more in my full GhostBed review. Casper is certainly one of the most well-known mattresses today, with their launch really bringing attention to the online-mattress category.
Buy Casper on Amazon Here Casper claims that it has the “one perfect mattress,” which I don’t believe to be true (there is no mattress that suits everyone). However if you have average sleep preferences, particularly in terms of firmness, I think that Casper is a really good option. If you’re interested in Casper, look at my Casper review or Casper coupon pages for more information. Helix is a latex hybrid, though the construction of the mattress changes based on your personalized preferences. The company actually makes you take a quiz and then changes the mattress construction based on your responses. I’m a pretty average person when it comes to sleeping preferences, but I thought that Helix did a great job of using the quiz information to suit my preferences. The comfort is definitely there, and they use quality materials as well (no matter the construction details of your custom mattress). You can read more about the customization options and company in my Helix Sleep review and Helix coupon page.
Though the hybrids are popular, some people will prefer an all-latex mattress (by all-latex we mean all comfort layers, though some of these options will still use core foam as the base layer). These tend to have a lot of bounce (for a foam mattress) and can potentially be all-natural/organic as well. My top 3 latex mattresses are: The Brooklyn Bedding (also named #bestmattressever) is very similar to the Love Bed in feel, and actually is made in the same factory. The mattress has a lot of spring to it as well, making it very easy to move around or get out of the bed. A big perk with the Brooklyn Bedding mattress as well is that it comes from a very well-known mattress manufacturer, so I actually trust in the quality and durability of this mattress as much as any I have reviewed. To learn more about this mattress visit my Brooklyn Bedding review and Brooklyn Bedding coupon pages. The PlushBeds Botanical Bliss is one of my top overall picks. The mattress is one of the few all-natural mattress (yes, 100% organic) mattresses available on the market.
On top of that, I think it’s very comfortable and offers great support. The mattress is definitely not cheap, and is by far the most expensive on this best latex mattress page, but compared to other 100% natural latex mattresses, this is actually priced incredibly low. The company is fully vertically integrated (they even import their own latex from Sri Lanka), so they pass on a lot of value to the consumer. Learn more about this company in my PlushBeds review. Spindle is a really unique mattress, providing natural latex at an incredibly affordable price. You do need to assemble the mattress yourself, but once assembled, I daresay you have one of the best mattress values on the market. An advantage to the mattress is that the layers can be re-organized as well to give you different firmness options. This mattress company is less-known, but after learning more about their manufacturing and methodology, they are one I really like to recommend because they are really the only natural latex mattress available at an affordable price point.
Learn more about this mattress in my Spindle Mattress Review. When you look at a latex mattress, you will be exposed to an entirely new terminology compared to other types of mattresses. Key decisions will be natural vs synthetic/blend, Dunlop vs Talalay processing, unique warranty considerations, and density/ILD. The latex in a mattress can be all natural latex, synthetic latex, or a blend of natural and synthetic. Natural latex (from rubber trees) and synthetic latex (made through chemical process) actually feel quite similar, though in general natural latex mattresses are preferred. Generally the decision here comes down to price. People prefer the feel and eco-friendliness of natural latex, but even the most reasonably priced all-natural mattresses (think PlushBeds) start at around $2000. If you can afford it, go natural, but otherwise synthetic/blend will offer a pretty similar sleeping experience. Dunlop and Talalay are two different types of latex processing.
In general the two types of processing result in different feels, with Dunlop leading to a firmer feel and Talalay leading to a softer feel. I don’t think that one type of processing is better than another, although it is true that talalay produces a more consistent latex. I recommend that you think about the feel of the mattress, rather than the processing method, to make your final decision. Related: see common latex mattress complaints You’ll want to look at the warranty carefully (as with any mattress), but the thing to be concerned about with latex is compression/body impressions. This is the most likely issue that will come up with a latex mattress, so just be aware of the terms and how you expect your mattress to behave over time. With latex you will commonly hear two measures of the foam, density and ILD. The density will be communicated in lbs, and is a measure of weight per square foot. To generalize, the higher the density the higher the durability of the foam.