More About the Best Organic Pillow Options

Are organic pillows worth it?

Yes! Your pillow is probably the object you’re in the closest contact with in your entire house — even your toothbrush you only spend a few minutes with every day. Meanwhile, your pillow is snuggled right up against your face for one third of your life, including your nose and mouth, which of course lead to your airway and gut. With skin contact as well, the materials its made of have a huge impact on your health. For these reason, I even recommend buying organic pillows before investing in an organic mattress when budgeting is a concern.

Are memory foam pillows toxic?

In short, yes. The first step in making memory foam is mixing diisocyanates and polyols (they come from petroleum) to make the basic structure of foam. The EPA is concerned that these two ingredients aren’t fully cured in pillows and mattresses and shed out, impacting health (read about it here.) Additional chemicals are mixed into foam to change its reaction speed, density, smell, fire resistance, and other properties. One of these 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. All of the above are linked with various health issues, which you can read more about here.

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.

What does GOTS certified organic 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 OEKO TEX?

OEKO TEX certification applies to the finished product only, and is for both natural and synthetic textiles. Organic fibers, as well as man-made fabrics like polyester can both qualify, depending on what chemicals, and how much of them, are left in the final product. It does allow for some harmful chemicals, but in much lower quantities than are used in standard textile processing. It bans flame retardants in almost all cases, with exceptions for requirements like being added to clothing for fire fighting). You can see their limits and rules, which are updated annually, here.

What else is in my pillow fabric?

Making fabric is a surprisingly chemically-intensive process. For natural curtains, if the fibers are grown conventionally, pesticides and fertilizers are used. Synthetic sheets (polyester, microfiber, etc) come from petroleum. Acids, scouring chemicals, and other processing agents used to wash fibers. Fiber-strengthening chemicals are aded to turn the fibers into sheets of fabric. Detergents, solvents, bleaches, acids, and enzymes are used to remove chemicals from previous steps, make the fabrics lighter, or prepare them to accept dyes in the next step. Pigments, binders, plasticizers, PVC, and other polymers (plastics) are used in this step, to make the dyes stick to the surface of the fabric. Finally, chemical treatments are added to make the fabric perform a certain way. Formaldehyde resins offer wrinkle-resistance, other resins work for anti-pilling, PFAS for stain-resistance, polyglycols for anti-pilling, acrylates or PVC with plasticizers for protective coatings, and flame retardants for fire resistance. Read more about this process and fabric in general in my Textile Rating Guide.