Can a mattress pad protect you from foam?
While many say that protective encasement made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or aluminum is the only way to protect you, I disagree. It is true that a vapor-proof encasement with a zero-micron pore size can seal harmful VOCs inside of the mattress as they passively off-gas from it. However, I believe a pad can help in two ways:
Reducing mattress foam breakdown by reducing the amount of friction on the foam. Foam degradation releases semi-volatile organic compounds (sVOCs), which are relatively heavy molecules, meaning they don’t readily vaporize or off-gas into the air like VOCs do. An example of sVOCs are Flame Retardants, a very common foam additive in mattresses, which settle into dust. Having an organic and safe mattress pad between your body’s movements at night and the mattress containing sVOCs may help.
Decreasing body heat in contact with the foam. Body heat in contact with mattresses is known to speed up the off-gassing of VOCs. A mattress pad can reduce the amount of heat transfer between your body and the polyurethane foam.
Encasements have issues of their own— some off-gas their own VOCs, some break down easily, and some are noisy. While also imperfect, a mattress pad can be an alternative, or used in combination with an encasement. It can also provide a level of added comfort on an older mattress, and is a more affordable, accessible solution for those not in the market for a full new mattress.
Brands for healthy, organic mattress pads I recommend are here.