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How I Rate Foam
This guide covers how I rate foams for their impact on your health. It explains what all the little symbols mean under items containing foam in the Healthy Design Shop.
You can use it as a guide when searching for products made with healthier foam anywhere— the same information applies wherever you go.
Read more about why I rate foam and materials here.
I assess foam for its potential impact on your health in two separate ways. First, for its starting material, and second, for the way it was processed. This two-part consideration captures a more complete picture: for example, organic latex from the rubber tree may be used as the starting material, but then heavily chemically processed, or mixed with styrene-butadiene (synthetic rubber) or antimicrobials.
To stay organized and unbiased, I use a Standard Rating Scale to rate foam from healthiest to least healthy. Here’s a quick reminder about what each level on the scale means:
Healthiest option available.
Healthy, but doesn’t meet the strict standards of the blue dot.
Minimal health risk. Verified to be healthier than its standard counterpart.
Caution is warranted.
Well-known harmful effect on health and should be avoided whenever possible.
Here are the foam-specific requirements for meeting each level on the scale. Read on below for more details about terminology and specific examples.
Click on bolded statements to see links to research.
Third Party Certifications
What are 3rd party certifications? Why do third party certifications matter so much?
Third party certifications protect you.
Third-party certification means that an independent group that didn’t make the product, has reviewed, tested, and verified the claims that the company making the product has made. For foam, a third party may test the product for all ingredients (like GOLS), or just for dangerous ones in the final product (like OEKO TEX).
Just like greenwashing makes products appear better for the Earth than they really are, some companies intentionally make their products seem healthier for people than they really are, too.
What is GOLS-certified latex?
GOLS, the Global Organic Latex Standard, is the gold standard 3rd party certification for healthy natural rubber latex. Latex with the GOLS-certified organic label means 95% of the final product is organic latex, and also ensures that the processing stages (mixing, baking, etcetera) of the product are safe for human and ecological health. Only latex processed by the Dunlop method can be GOLS certified. Read more about the difference between Dunlop and Talalay latex below.
What is MADE SAFE?
MADE SAFE certification cares about the entire production process, not just the final product, and has 6,500 chemicals on their banned/restricted list.
MADE SAFE certification requires manufacturing transparency, as well as disclosure of each substance and process involved in the formulation of the product. This means not just the starting ingredients are required to be healthy, but all ingredients used in processing.
MADE SAFE can apply to a mattress.
What is OEKO TEX?
OEKO-TEX Standard 100. This certification applies to the finished product only, and can even be applied to Talalay latex, even when mixed with some additives, depending on what chemicals, and how much of them, are left in the final product (read more about Talalay latex below). While it does allow for some harmful chemicals, they are required to be present in much lower quantities than are used in standard materials. You can see their limits, which are updated annually, here. It is also a higher standard than CertiPUR for polyurethane foam. You can see their limits, which are updated annually, here.
What is FSC-certified latex?
FSC, or the Forest Stewardship Council certification, is focused on responsible management of forests. For latex, it means that the trees the latex comes from meet forest management standards, indigenous people’s rights are respected when harvesting, and old growth forests are not disturbed. It’s a fantastic certification in terms of our environment and community, but FSC-certified latex can still be mixed with many other chemicals that harm your health.
What is CertiPUR foam? Is CertiPUR foam toxic?
CertiPUR foam still has many toxic substances in it.
Until late 2023, stannous octoate (which can harm unborn children) was still permitted in CertiPUR foams. While it’s undeniably a good thing they’re not approving foam made with it now, in general, it shows that their stance on health is conservative and reactionary, rather than health-centered and forward-thinking.
I would much rather see a long list of what is IN their foam, rather than a short list of what’s NOT in it.
People buying CertiPUR foam until late 2023 were misled into thinking it was safe, and that is clearly not the case.
This is in part because CertiPUR is not a third-party certification. It is a second-party certification, meaning the synthetic foam industry itself created the standards and chose a lab to test its products for them. It prohibits the use of formaldehyde, heavy metals, some (but not all) phthalates, and some (but not all) flame retardants.
Protecting the foam industry is in their best interest (valued at $43.7 billion in 2023) and consumers demanding healthier alternatives are an existential threat to them.
What is GreenGuard GOLD certified?
UL GreenGuard certification is useful when a mattress is made of materials that aren’t GOTS or GOLS certified. It means that no matter what it’s made of— synthetic or natural materials— it does not off-gas VOCs excessively.
To meet the standard GreenGuard level, VOCs must be less than 500 ug/m3. To meet the elevated GreenGuard GOLD level, VOCs must be less than 220 ug/m3.
A GreenGuard certification does not mean it is healthy, and it does not mean there are no VOCs off-gassing from the product. Sometimes I see companies say “It’s GreenGuard so it’s healthy!” which is simply not true. There are many harmful chemicals in foam that don’t off-gas as VOCs.
That said, it is still a useful certification when choosing between a standard foam or Talalay latex mattress, and one with GreenGuard certification. It is still a step in the right direction.
What certifications should I actually care about for foam?
GOLS certified is the most important one, because it means the organic latex remains safe throughout the entire process of creating it.
MADE SAFE and GreenGuard GOLD are less stringent, but can be useful when choosing something that doesn’t quite meet the high standard of GOLS.
Starting Materials
What is latex?
Natural latex is the same thing as natural rubber. It comes from the Hevea brasiliensis tree. It is a milky white liquid that can be baked to form a springy, foam-like substance.
It is often confused with synthetic (human-made) latex, which is made of the chemical mixture styrene-butadiene.
Why is polyurethane foam toxic?
Theoretically, polyols and isocyanates are mixed together in a perfect ratio so they become chemically cured. This means they stop reacting together, and the final product is an inert piece of polyurethane foam. If it were truly inert, it would be considered safe to humans because no off-gassing or further reacting is happening. However, this ratio is not always achieved, and the EPA is concerned that foam products being sold to consumers are not fully cured. Read about it here.
In addition, many chemicals are mixed into polyurethane foam to change its reaction speed, density, smell, fire resistance, or other properties.
One such chemical is stannous octoate, a catalyst, that is a Reprotoxic 1B chemical that may damage unborn children (fetuses).
This can include antimicrobials and flame retardants, which are endocrine disruptors. This can also include synthetic fragrances to mask any off-gassing smells, among many other harmful chemicals.
What chemicals are used to make regular mattress foam?
Pollyurethane foam is made of 6 main chemicals. The first two, diisocyanates and polyols, combine to make the basic structure of foam. Then, a blowing agent is added to make it fluffier. Finally, surfactants and curatives are added to keep it stable. Catalysis are the sixth class of chemical used, and they are helpful in timing the above reactions. Read this very detailed explanation here.
What are isocyanates?
Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) is one of the two main chemicals that are combined to make polyurethane foam. Diisocyanates are well known to result in skin and lung sensitization among workers and are documented to cause asthma, lung damage, and in severe cases, fatal reactions. Read about the EPA’s concerns with TDI here.
Is soy-based foam healthy?
Soy-based foams contain, on average, 5% soy by weight. The remaining 95% is polyurethane foam. This is a classic example of healthwashing, and for now is true of all “bio-based foams”. If a mattress company can prove their foam is made with 100% soy or other plant oil, it would be healthier than PU foam.
Is memory foam the same as regular polyurethane foam?
Yes, but with various chemical additives to create a more “gel”-like or firmer texture. For memory foam, these additives include toluene, formaldehyde, and methylene chloride, all carcinogens. Gel mattress include various phase-change chemicals which are derived from petroleum.
Processing
Dunlop vs Talalay Latex
Natural rubber latex comes from the Hevea brasiliensis tree, and is the starting material for both Dunlop and Talalay latex. Dunlop and Talalay are the names for two different methods of processing the latex.
➜ How is Dunlop Latex is made?
The natural rubber “milk” from the tree is poured into a mold, mixed with Zinc, Sulfur, and soaps to make it “gel,” then is baked into shape. It’s washed to remove impurities, and then is baked again to dry it out. This process has been used for about 100 years, and the result is a dense foam. To meet the the GOLS standard, it must be composed of at least 95% organic latex. Because the Dunlop process uses minimal ingredients, it is easy to meet this requirement.
➜ How is Talalay Latex is made?
To make a less dense latex foam, the Talalay method was created in the 1940s. The natural rubber “milk” is poured into a mold, but only filled partway. At this point, unknown chemicals including synthetic styrene-butadiene rubber are sometimes added to the mixture, along with other chemical reagents that ensure that when a vacuum seal is applied in the next step, the air pockets within the resulting latex are evenly distributed. After it is mixed, it is flash-frozen with carbon dioxide to hold its shape, and baked.
No Talalay latex mattress has ever met the strict GOLS requirements for human health, and most manufacturers do not disclose what additives are used. Unfortunately, and confusing to many, this can still be sold as “100% natural latex.”
One exception is Vita Talalay, which does achieve OEKO-TEX certification. If you are choosing a mattress made with Talalay, ask where it is from (latex manufactured by Talalay Global does not have any health certifications.)
Finally, chemicals can be introduced into Talalay foam after processing. Because it is less dense than Dunlop, a large single sheet (the size of a mattress, for example) is harder to achieve. Instead, several smaller pieces may be glued together with adhesives.
What chemicals are used in polyurethane foam?
Polyurethane foam commonly has UV stabilizers, anti-static agents, plasticizers, flame retardants, pigments, mold release agents, antimicrobials, cooling gels, and other fillers added to it to make it a more convenient product.
➜ Plasticizers
Plasticizers are chemicals added to polyurethane foam to make it more flexible. Phthalates and BPA are two well-known examples. They interfere with your hormones and are linked with a variety of reproductive and developmental issues. Unfortunately, these are commonly added to crib mattresses.
➜ Flame Retardants (FRs)
Flame Retardants are well-known endocrine disrupting chemicals, and are linked with immune system dysfunction and neurodevelopmental issues like ADHD. They do not meaningfully reduce flammability, but are still routinely added to fabrics, especially drapes and curtains. Companies are not required to disclose whether their product contains Flame Retardants.
➜ Antimicrobials
Antimicrobials are added to fabrics to make them seem healthier and resistant to germs. But, they do not meaningfully reduce exposure to pathogens any more than regular soap and water. Worse, they disrupt hormone function, are associated with developmental and reproductive effects, allergen sensitivity, and antibiotic resistance.
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