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Foam Guide
Detailed information about how foam affects your health — plus a rating system you can use to keep it all organized.
Foam Ratings
I use these rating scales to stay consistent and unbiased as I rank products in the Interior Medicine shop from healthiest to least healthy. You can also use it as a guide when choosing foam and foam-containing products on your own. Scroll down to see all the information behind these scales.
Foam Types
Foam Processing
Why two separate rating scales for one material (foam)?
Having two scales captures a more complete picture of foam’s level of material health by considering two things: first, what the starting material was, and then, how it was processed. For example, organic latex from the rubber tree may be used as a super-healthy starting material, but then heavily chemically processed, or mixed with styrene-butadiene (synthetic rubber) or antimicrobials. On the other hand, a polyurethane couch cushion with OEKO-TEX certification ensures it is less harmful to your health than one without certifications— this helps highlight the nuance and the shades of grey present, which is important from an accessibility and affordability perspective.
Foam Information
Click on bolded statements for links to information and research.
Certifications
What are 3rd party certifications? Why do third party certifications matter for foam?
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. 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. So, third party certifications protect you and ensure you’re spending your money on a truly healthy product.
What is GOLS certified latex?
GOLS, the Global Organic Latex Standard, is the gold standard 3rd party certification for organic 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 in the processing section, below.
What is GOTS approved latex?
GOTS certifies textiles — so, fabrics and upholstery— not latex. But, GOTS will accept latex in “GOTS certified products” if it is either organic, organic-in-transition, or sustainable (see the fine print about this here.) So while it’s legal for a company to advertise their “GOTS certified organic latex mattress” without also having organic certification for the latex itself— which makes up the bulk of the mattress— I think it’s a little deceptive. Considering “GOTS” looks so much like “GOLS,” and GOTS is so well respected, this may be a healthwashing tactic for customers not looking closely. Or, depending on how you look at it, it can also just be another nuanced shade of grey in the evolving natural foam landscape. While it’s not organic latex, it does help meet the rising demand for latex overall, and natural latex is still far better than polyurethane foam.
What is C2C certified foam?
C2C is short for Cradle2Cradle. They certify products for material health (as well as for sustainability and equity.) A product can quality for bronze, silver, gold, or platinum status, depending on how many of the ingredients are disclosed, whether the product has low or very low VOC emissions, and several other chemical safety benchmarks. Even at the lowest level, bronze, no PFAS are allowed. See the details of each level here (expand the “Material Health” section).
For example, a mattress or pillow made with Talalay latex that has C2C Gold certification means that 100% of the ingredients its made with have been declared by the manufacturer, and then assessed by C2C to be verified safe for humans and the environment (no synthetic rubber has been added).
What is ecoINSTITUT foam?
ecoINSTITUT certifies polyurethane and latex mattresses, couch cushions, and other foam products. It requires that the foam makers disclose 100% of ingredients (this is probably why I’ve never seen a polyurethane foam mattress with this certification) and that any harmful substances are under very low percentages, including low VOC emissions. You can see their limits here.
What is OEKO TEX foam?
OEKO TEX certified foam means that the final foam has been tested and verified to have very low levels of 1,000 harmful chemicals. It applies to the finished product only, so they don’t require disclosure of every single ingredient along the way. OEKO TEX can be applied to organic, natural and synthetic products, so a pure latex foam mattress, or even a polyurethane foam mattress. You can see the OEKO TEX limits, which are updated annually, here.
Does OEKO TEX foam have flame retardants in it?
It may have safe, non-chemical flame retardants, like wool or graphite. But, an OEKO TEX certified foam mattress or couch will almost certainly not have chemical flame retardants in it. That’s because OEKO TEX requires a company to apply for a special exception if they are going to use flame retardants in something— for example, firefighters’ uniforms are required to have flame retardants, but can still be OEKO TEX certified if they are otherwise healthy and meet their standards. I say “almost certainly” because it’s always a good idea to just check with the company to be 100% sure (and its sends a message that people care!)
Why do you have OEKO TEX ranked lower than C2C and ecoINSTITUT?
C2C and ecoINSTITUT require full disclosure of every ingredient used throughout the whole process. OEKO TEX focuses on just the finished product.
What is MADE SAFE foam?
MADE SAFE certification has 6,500 chemicals on their banned/restricted list, which is based on a combination of European Union standards, the Red List, and other international agencies setting standards for products better for human health. While this certainly sounds impressive, I have become a bit more wary of it as I’ve learned more. It applies to many consumer goods, including foam, but also cleaning products and others. It’s easier to get to “6,500 banned substances” if you’re including the many chemicals potentially present in cleaning liquids and other things, too.
More importantly, the list isn’t a full ban, and we don’t know what’s on the list. They state that “Some substances may have category specific allowances or technically unavoidable content, in which case either additional testing or threshold requirements may apply” here, but these limits aren’t published, nor is the list itself.
While I’m sure that a MADE SAFE product is safer than one without testing, I now rate it as “OK” until the limits and list are more transparent.
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, like styrene-butadiene rubber (synthetic rubber). I don’t consider it any healthier than standard for this reason.
What is CertiPUR foam? Is CertiPUR foam toxic?
CertiPUR foam still has toxic substances in it. Until late 2023, stannous octoate (which can harm unborn children) was still permitted in CertiPUR foams. In other words, people buying CertiPUR foam until late 2023 were misled into thinking it was safe, and that is clearly not the case. 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.
It is hard to know what else is in CertiPUR foam. It prohibits the use of formaldehyde, heavy metals, some (but not all) phthalates, and some (but not all) flame retardants.
The lack of disclosure 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. 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— on the one hand, this type of healthwashing is very frustrating. On the other hand, it’s exciting that people’s demands are creating baby steps toward change.
What is GreenGuard GOLD certified?
UL GreenGuard certification can be useful when a mattress or couch is made of materials that aren’t organic or natural. It means that no matter what it’s made of— even synthetic foam— that 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 mattress and one with GreenGuard certification. It is still a step in the right direction.
Latex Foam
What is latex?
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 (lab-made) latex, which is the chemical mixture styrene-butadiene.
Dunlop vs Talalay Latex
Natural rubber latex is the starting material for both Dunlop and Talalay latex. Dunlop and Talalay are the names for two different methods of processing the latex.
What is Dunlop latex? How is Dunlop latex foam made?
First, the latex must be from an organic latex tree farm, grown without pesticides. The latex rubber “milk” from the tree is poured into a mold, mixed with Zinc, Sulfur, and soaps to make it a “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, and is from organic trees, it can meet this requirement.
What is Talalay latex? How is Talalay latex foam made?
To make a less dense, softer, 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, chemicals are added to the mixture, and a vacuum seal is applied so that the foam puffs up and the air pockets are dispersed evenly. Then, it is flash-frozen with carbon dioxide to hold its shape, and baked. This process makes an airier foam than Dunlop, which is how it gets its softness.
Talalay latex isn’t organic, so cannot be GOLS certified. This can be OK, and truly natural Talalay is a fantastic choice compared to regular polyurethane foam. The only issue is that some manufacturers do not disclose what additives are used. Unfortunately, and confusing to many, this can still be sold as “100% natural latex,” even with additives.
Unless they have third party certification! Look for ecoINSTITUT, or C2C Gold or Platinum, certification, which ensures that 100% of the ingredients have been disclosed and confirmed that they are safe for humanhealth. If you are choosing a mattress made with Talalay, make sure the company states exactly where it is from, and if it has legitimate certifications like C2C or ecoINSTITUT.
Finally, because Talalay 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. This can be avoided by mattresses that come in slabs that you stack yourself. Or, some brands will use safe adhesives, even sometimes using a liquid version of latex.
To sum it up, Talalay can sometimes be almost as healthy as Dunlop, but you have to make sure it was processed correctly, and that the company isn’t using it as a healthwashing technique.
Polyurethane Foam
Is polyurethane foam toxic?
Yes, for a few reasons.
First, polyols and isocyanates are theoretically 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 this was true, it would be considered safe for humans. 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.
Second, 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.
Finally, foam made with just polyols and isocyanates is pretty uncomfortable. To make it soft enough to sit or sleep on, as well as easily get it out of molds in the factory, many other chemicals are used. See how foam is made, below.
How is foam made?
Polyurethane foam is made of 6 main chemicals, with others added in to change its texture, shape, color, and other properties. The first two, diisocyanates and polyols, combine to make the basic structure of foam, as described above. Surfactants, blowing agents, curatives, and catalysts are always added, as well. The most common catalyst is stannous octoate, which is a Reprotoxic 1B chemical that may damage unborn children (fetuses).
Then, various other (undisclosed!) chemicals are mixed in to change the properties of the foam — to make it a “cooling gel” or “memory” foam. Dyes can be added to change its color. Flame retardants and antimicrobials (both endocrine disruptors) are added to meet flammability standards and to make foam seem “cleaner.” Synthetic fragrances can be added to mask any off-gassing smells, and more.
You can watch a short video I made that traces foam all the way back to its petroleum origins, here:
Is memory foam toxic?
Yes. Memory foam is made of the same things as polyurethane foam, described above, but with various chemical additives to create its signature texture.
Other Types of Foam
Is soy foam non toxic?
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 EVA foam toxic? Is EVA foam non-toxic?
It falls somewhere in the middle. EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) is used to make shower curtain fabric, and in that context, it’s pretty pretty non toxic, as found by various agencies including the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), OSHA, or National Toxicology Program (NTP).
But of course, EVA foam is different; it’s a much thicker version of EVA fabric, and the main chemical people are concerned about is formamide, which is added to make it foam-like and soft. It’s not safe at high doses, and can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled, and ingested, potentially causing various problems. That said, an EVA foam with very low amounts of formamide, as confirmed by a third party, that has had a chance to off-gas, is still better than polyurethane foam or PVC because it doesn’t require phthalates to make it a soft and flexible, and it doesn’t require chlorine in its production.
Blog Posts and Videos About Foam