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Best Organic Mattress
Non-toxic and natural mattress brands, ranked from healthiest to least healthy, for each category. Click the rating symbols below each mattress for more information about each layer.
Hybrid (Springs + Padding) Mattresses
With a 20-year track record, and every health-centered certification on the market (including the first EWG approved mattress!) Naturepedic mattresses work well for every preference, and from budget to ultra fancy. They have five hybrid mattresses to choose from, and most are customizable. They’re not the newest or the trendiest, but they really know what they’re doing.
Happsy has one organic hybrid mattress offering with all the right health-centered certifications. They do one thing, and they do it very well. Free of harmful chemicals.
Avocado Green Mattress
Avocado offers 4 different hybrid mattresses; their classic version, as well as luxury, eco-affordable, and vegan versions. They’re each made with GOLS and GOTS certified organic latex, wool, and cotton. These are my personal favorite for how clear they are about every ingredient and because I’ve had one for years and love it.
EcoTerra makes one mattress in medium and medium-firm options. All the right health-centered certifications verifying they use GOLS certified organic latex and GOTS certified fabrics. They confirm they don’t use adhesives between the layers.
Silk and Snow
The S&S Organic Mattress is Silk and Snow’s one natural offering amongst their regular foam mattresses, and they do it well. It’s GOLS and GOTS certified, and comes in 3 firmness options; firm, medium-firm, and plush. They use a water-based glue adhesive.
Saatva
Saatva’s Hybrid and Zenhaven mattresses are their two options made 100% without polyurethane foam. They use GOLS latex and GOTS wool, which is great. They use Savare hot-melt adhesive and a natural antimicrobial treatment, both of which are proprietary, so while it’s still likely safer than standard mattresses, and people love their comfort, I can’t fully rate it for health.
Peace Lily
The Peace Lily Latex Mattress is made with natural latex, though it is not organic. Importantly, they still have ecoINSTITUT certification for the latex, confirming that it is truly 100% natural latex without synthetic fillers. They also have GOTS certification for their fabrics, and use latex mixed with water as their adhesive between layers.
Turmerry
These mattresses are all made with GOLS certified organic latex. They state that they use natural wool and organic cotton, though they don’t have certification for this, so I can’t verify it for the healthiest rating. They use a polypropylene fabric around the coils and a water-based adhesive to bind the latex to the coils. Imperfectly healthy, but a step in the right direction, plus they are very detailed and transparent with questions.
Brentwood Home’s Latex Hybrid mattress has the highest quality GOLS and GOTS certified latex and cotton layers. The only less healthy quirk of this mattress is that they add a layer of polyester made from recycled water bottles. I’m not huge on snuggling up with polyester because of all of the chemicals its processed with, but that layer is tucked under a GOTS certified organic cotton layer, so if incorporating a level of recycling is important to you, this could be a good choice.
The Futon Shop (TFS)
One of Interior Medicine’s commitments is to clearly delineate what is good for the earth, from what is good for you. Sustainable doesn’t mean the same as non-toxic. TFS uses a mixture of USDA certified cotton and and GOTS certified organic cotton. Read about the difference here. They do use GOLS certified organic Dunlop latex and OEKO TEX certified wool and coconut coir. I just recommend reading the details about each layer of their mattresses carefully.
IKEA Mattresses
If you need an affordable non toxic mattress, a hybrid one made with springs will reduce the total amount of foam in the product. IKEA is unique for using a rayon/polyester encasement to meet US flame retardant requirements, and only uses chemical flame retardants in some zippers and stitching. Although this is ranked at the bottom of the list, it’s still a step up from a standard mattress, which would have flame retardants throughout, and all black X ratings below.
Springless Mattresses
SleeponLatex
You can choose medium or firm options of their GOLS certified organic latex mattress. All layers are encased in GOTS certified wool and cotton. They use the same latex in liquid form as an adhesive to keep the layers together. Super transparent about all of their materials, with their certifications easily listed on their website. Responsive to questions.
You can choose medium or firm options of their GOLS certified organic latex mattress. All layers are encased in GOTS certified wool and cotton. They use the same latex in liquid form as an adhesive to keep the layers together. Super transparent about all of their materials, with their certifications easily listed on their website.
Avocado’s springless Organic Latex mattress is also a more luxury version. It doesn’t contain any adhesives, and they form their GOLS organic latex specially to minimize bounce, promoting motion isolation from your sleeping partner. Latex is extremely dense and heavy, so they’ve also nicely focused on heavy-duty handles to rotate and move your mattress. Completely GOLS and GOTS certified organic.
If you’re avoiding both springs and latex, these all-wool organic mattresses are amazingly customizable. You can choose GOTS or OEKO-TEX certified cotton, linen or wool outer fabric, and stuffing. They’re the ideal non toxic futon mattress, or you can choose a mattress fit for a standard bed.
Medley Home
Medley makes healthy mattresses with GOLS-certified organic latex, and OEKO TEX certified wool. Made with no springs, it’s a great option for pairing with their uniquely healthy bed frames.
Not seeing the brand or specific product you’re interested in? I may not have it listed for a specific reason, or I haven’t researched it yet. I’m happy to share — just reach out!
Learn More About Foam and Mattresses
What is the best mattress without chemicals?
I have them ranked by health status above, so you can decide what works for you. The first six are equivalent in terms of material health, with the next two very close behind. Ultimately, any mattress on this page is still going to be healthier than a standard one!
What is an organic mattress made of?
Most are made of organic rubber latex, wrapped in wool to act as a natural flame retardant. Some contain cotton, springs, and glues that bind the layers together.
What is natural 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. There are two types, depending on how it is processed— Dunlop and Talalay. Read about the difference here. FYI, natural rubber latex is often confused with synthetic (human-made) latex, which is made of the chemical mixture styrene-butadiene— but they’re obviously very different!
What is in regular polyurethane foam and memory foam?
The vast majority of mattresses are made of polyurethane, which 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.
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.
Beyond just the 2 main building blocks, 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 also include antimicrobials and flame retardants, which are endocrine disruptors. Finally, sometimes synthetic fragrances are added to mask any off-gassing smells.
Does latex last as long as foam?
It lasts longer! Polyurethane foam is typically rated to last 8-10 years before it breaks down and needs replacing, whereas latex lasts 10-12 years.
Is CertiPUR foam safe?
CertiPUR foam still has many toxic substances in it. For example, 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 anymore, this still 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.
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 a major threat.
I get a little riled up about it becuase it is a perfect example of healthwashing— people buying products that appear healthier than they actually are.
Is soy foam non toxic?
Unfortunately, no. This is still polyurethane foam, with a small amount of soybean mixed in to give the illusion of a healthier product. One exception is 100% plant based foam in White Lotus mattresses (listed above).
Are there alternatives to chemical flame retardants?
Flame retardants are required in mattresses sold in the US. Chemical Flame Retardants, which are endocrine disruptors and carcinogens, have been the standard for decades. Luckily, the natural and organic mattress industry has replaced these with wool or graphite powder. You can also obtain a doctor’s note to get a mattress made without any flame retardants, even wool, from certain companies.
What should I do if I can’t afford a non-toxic mattress?
Lots of things: dusting, mopping, and vacuuming weekly can pick up any sVOCs (like Flame Retardants) that come from mattresses invisibly shedding over time. You can ventilate by opening windows daily to help release any VOCs off-gassing from foam. You can check prices for latex-only mattresses (no springs), which tend to be less expensive. And, you can consider an organic mattress latex topper, which is typically much less expensive and may help protect you from anything nasty in the mattress underneath.
I’m allergy to latex and/or wool. Are there any non-toxic mattresses for allergies for me?
Yes! I have them listed here.
What are mattresses made of?
Mattresses typically contain steel springs, foam, fabrics, and glues that hold each layer together. While foam is arguably the most important part of a mattress for health impact, each of these layers matters too: read more about them here.
Whole Home About Shop by Room ➜ Bedroom ➜ Mattresses