Learn More About Organic Mattress Toppers

Click on bolded statements for links to research and more information.

What are mattress toppers?

Organic mattress toppers are typically made of soft materials like latex or wool. They don’t contain any springs. They’re usually between 1-3” thick, and add a layer of softness to your mattress.

Why use a mattress topper?

Mattress toppers can provide a softer feel to your bed without sacrificing the good foundational back support that a firm mattress provides. Mattress toppers can also relieve pressure on your shoulders if you’re a side sleeper, can revive the feeling of an old mattress underneath if it’s not time for replacement yet, and an organic mattress topper can potentially protect you from some of the chemicals in a standard foam mattress.

Are mattress toppers and mattress pads the same thing?

No. Mattress pads are thinner, and are usually constructed like a fitted sheet with extra batting on top. They are usually washable, and act both to add a small layer of comfort and protection between you and your mattress.

Does a mattress topper go under the mattress pad?

Yes. The topper should be placed directly on the mattress, and they can be treated as one thing from then on. Place your mattress pad, protector, or encasement on top of, or around, the mattress and topper. The sheets go on last.

Do organic mattress toppers protect you from the regular foam mattresses underneath?

It’s possible, yes. A mattress topper may help in two ways: 

1. Reducing 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 vaporize or off-gas into the air. An example of sVOCs are Flame Retardants, one of the most common foam additives in mattresses, which settle into dust. Having an organic and safe mattress topper between your body’s movements and the mattress containing sVOCs may help. 

2. Decreasing body heat in contact with the foam. Body heat in contact with mattresses is known to speed up off-gassing of VOCs. A mattress pad should reduce the amount of heat transfer between your body and the polyurethane foam.

Will the chemicals in my mattress actually jump out and harm me?

Yes! Sort of. I know it sounds ridiculous. There are two ways chemicals used in mattress processing leave the mattress, and three ways they get into your body:

The two ways chemicals leave the mattress are into the air and into dust. Polyurethane foam (including memory foam) is made with 2 chemicals as the main building blocks, polyols and diisocyanates. They bond together very tightly, so other additives in foam (like flame retardants and other propriety chemical ingredients) are integrated, but only temporarily— they’re not bonded together tightly, and over time, as foam degrades via friction, they fall out. If they’re lightweight, they can be suspended in dust in the air, and if they’re heavier (like flame retardants are) they settle into dust on the ground. The other way chemicals get out of mattresses is by being volatile— so, a VOC or odor— these are lighter than air. The “new mattress” smell comes from foam and the adhesives used to keep the layers together, and they can off-gas VOCs for quite some time.

The three ways these chemicals get into your body are through inhalation, ingestion, and absorption. You inhale and ingest VOCs and lightweight chemicals suspended in the air — they come in through your breathing passages and are swallowed, as well. You ingest about 50mg of dust daily (children ingest 100mg daily!) by touching dusty surfaces and hand-to-mouth contact. Finally, flame retardants and other chemicals are very small and as they make their way out of mattresses, can pass through skin and be dermally absorbed.

A study done on crib mattresses explains all of this, as well.

What does GOTS certified mean?

GOTS is short for the Global Organic Textile Standard.

It is the gold standard 3rd party certification for organic fabrics made from natural fibers like wool, cotton, linen, and others.

Fabric with the GOTS-certified organic label means that at least 95% of the starting fibers are certified organic, and ensures that the fabric remains healthy throughout the entire manufacturing process. This means the dyes and other chemicals used are safer for human and ecological health than standard fabric processing methods. No harmful finishes may be added to the final product.

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.

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.

For GOLS certified Dunlop, 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 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 Talalay latex?

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.

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.