Rating the Top Organic Mattresses of 2023

Do you like breathing in harmful toxins and chemicals while you sleep? If not, then you should probably do a little more research on the type of mattress you are sleeping on. Most of us have never really thought about it but it’s entirely possible that harmful chemicals are seeping out of your mattress while you sleep! That is why you should be looking for the best natural organic mattress.

Volatile organic compounds, or VOC’s for short, are gaseous chemicals that are released in very small amounts from some mattresses. These gases mainly come from polyurethane used in mattresses as well as flame retardants and plastics.

Now, the amount of VOC’s that are coming from your mattress would admittedly be a small amount. But if you are someone who would rather not take the chance of breathing in any of these toxins while you are catching some zzz’s then a natural organic mattress is what you are looking for.

Best Natural Organic Mattresses

Naturepedic Serenade Organic Mattress

It’s always nice to know that a company is family-owned. It adds a personal touch to your buying experience that most people can relate to. Sometimes it’s even better to know why a company started.

Barry Cik founded Naturepedic because he couldn’t find a suitable and safe crib mattress for his grandchild. Since that time, he and his two sons have been dedicated to safe and sustainable mattresses for kids and adults.

The Naturepedic Serenade Organic mattress is a hybrid organic mattress. It utilizes a coil support system and also uses 2 inches of organic latex to relieve pressure points. All of these materials are completely organic as the latex is sourced directly from the sap of rubber trees.

The Serenade model is available in either medium or firm options. You are going to find that the medium option is probably the preferred option for most people. It’s going to give you a great blend of firmness for support and still feel plush enough for maximum comfort.

The firm Serenade is not the most firm we have seen. On a scale of 10, you are looking at a around 7. It is not hard and most people would still find the firm mattress to be comfortable and supportive. The medium option is definitely the way to go if you are looking for a more plush feel.

The Naturepedic Serenade is certified organic and non-toxic. It is hand-built in a certified organic factory. So, every material is certified organic, the manufacturing facility is certified organic and the finished product is also certified organic.

It is GOTS certified, Made-Safe certified and UL/GREENGUARD certified. There is no second-guessing when you buy a Naturepedic Serenade mattress. There is no question that Naturepedic makes one of the best and most comfortable organic mattresses available.

Plushbeds Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress

The Botanical Bliss organic latex line from Plushbeds is top of the line and you get what you pay for. This is not the cheapest option but you can be assured that you are getting a top quality organic mattress that will last you for many years.

The Botanical Bliss Organic Latex mattress is unique because there are many options for ordering this organic mattress so you are sure to find one that suits your needs. They offer sizes from Twin up through split California King and everything in between. You can choose between a medium and a medium-firm level of comfort and either a 9, 10 or 12 inch thick mattress.

Botanical Bliss is a 100% natural latex mattress that uses organically certified materials. Quality is the name of the game for PlushBeds. Botanical Bliss features an organic cotton cover for excellent breathability and an Organic New Zealand Wool layer under that to help with temperature regulation. The organic latex layer is anti-microbial, resistant to dust mites and contains no toxins at all.

There are very few organic mattresses on the market today that can live up to the quality and purity standards of a Botanical Bliss bed from PlushBeds.

Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress

When looking for the best natural organic bed the Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress should be on your list of considerations. You won’t find any formaldehydes of phthalates in this mattress as only natural organic materials are used.

We personally like the Awara because it is a hybrid style organic mattress. The top layer is made from organic wool and cotton with 4 inches of natural latex foam underneath. Then under the foam and cotton you get individually wrapped coils. This provides incredible support and comfort.

The Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid has more of a medium firm feel. It is a great option for back sleepers to help relieve back pain.

Avocado Green Mattress

The Avocado Green Mattress is another organic mattress that features a hybrid design that features individually wrapped coils. The Avocado mattress boasts various organic certifications and contains no polyester, no polyurethane foams or any fire retardants.

One nice option that is available with the Avocado Green mattress is that you can get it with a pillowtop version if you prefer. The standard model features a 3 inch thick top layer but the pillow top version adds another 2 inches to that.

With this natural organic mattress you get free shipping as well as a 1-year free trial. The Avocado Green mattress is handmade in the USA and also features a 25 year warranty.

Going with the Avocado Green mattress is a low risk option when buying an organic mattress. They are a well established company and there are thousands of positive reviews online.

Nest Bedding Natural Hybrid Latex Mattress

The Natural Hybrid Latex mattress from Nest Bedding features a design that really provides good responsiveness and comfort while still giving your body the support it needs to get a good night of rest.

It utilizes natural latex and organic cotton and this mattress also feature 6 inches of individually wrapped coils. Their coil system does a very good job of supporting your body and also gives very good edge support.

The Nest Bedding Natural Latex mattress is available from Twin size through California King. You also have your choice of various levels of firmness. They give you the choice between Plush, Medium and Firm so that you can choose what suits you the best.

One other nice feature is that they offer an internal split option in the King and California King sizes. This means that each side of the mattress can have different firmness levels.

Nest Bedding mattresses are made in the USA and they do offer a 100 night trial period. This does fall short of some other manufacturers but should still give you ample time to determine if this mattress is the right one for you.

What Makes a Mattress Organic?

There is a lot that goes into the process for a mattress to be considered truly organic. If you want a truly natural organic mattress that means that every material must be certified organic and the entire assembly process must be completed in an organic environment.

There are third-party companies that will come in and inspect a factory to make sure there is no contamination with non-organic materials or processes. As you can imagine this is not an easy task for a mattress company.

It’s also expensive because in some cases it means that the mattress company may have to duplicate their assembly location to make sure there is no cross-contamination. To our knowledge, there are very few mattress companies who claim that their entire mattress is certified organic (this would include the manufacturing process as well as materials).

A finished product, in this case, a mattress, has to be made from raw materials. Raw materials are what the USDA is willing to certify as being organic. The USDA doesn’t actually certify the finished product as being organic. The Global Organic Textile Standard(GOTS) is recognized by the USDA. If a textile meets the standards set out by GOTS then that product may be sold in the US as an organic product but it may not display a certified USDA organic label.

In the pursuit of a natural organic mattress, most mattress companies do not actually grow their own raw materials such as wool and cotton. Because most companies procure these materials from somewhere else they need to rely on a third-party organic certification for those materials as opposed to cultivating them ‘in-house’ and gaining their own USDA organic certification.

This is probably not a big deal to most consumers but it does provide a bit more transparency if the raw materials have been grown by the mattress company and they obtain their own USDA organic certification. There are very few companies that do this so you know those companies are really going the extra mile.

Are Traditional Beds Safe for Adults?

Maybe you are like so many others who have heard about organic beds but are wondering if an eco-friendly mattress option is right for you. What are non-organic mattresses made of that would necessitate a natural organic mattress in the first place? Will those materials have a negative impact on yourself or your loved ones?

The biggest concern of harmful toxins being released from a mattress comes from something called Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOC’s. These VOC’s in mattresses come in the form of things like acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and benzene.

The main culprit of these VOC’s in a mattress comes from polyurethane foam that is used in many different mattresses from various manufacturers. These VOC’s are also produced in small amounts by things such as flame retardants or plastics that may be found in small amounts in a non-organic mattress.

We want to be clear when we say the amount of VOC’s produced by most non-organic mattresses has been shown to be a very small amount. So far, research has shown that the levels of VOC’s produced by many traditional polyurethane mattresses is well below a level that is thought to have any negative impact on a healthy adult.

Are Non-Organic Mattresses Safe for Children?

Even though non-organic mattresses produce low levels of VOC’s there is more concern when it comes to children. The allowable safety levels of VOC’s is much lower for children than it is for adults due to their size and what a child’s body needs for development.

A study in Environmental Science & Technology showed why researchers are more concerned about children, and especially infants when it comes to these VOC’s. The younger and smaller a child is the more vulnerable they are to these toxins being released by a mattress. When you think about how much time babies spend on their mattresses that may be excreting small amounts of toxic gas you start to ask yourself how much impact that may have on your child.

It’s important to note that we aren’t aware of any direct connection between these VOC’s and any direct health impact on a child. At least not that can be directly traced to a mattress releasing these toxic gases. Researchers do have some concern about the long-term impact as some of these toxins are known carcinogens. They are concerned that it could lead to the risk of cancer for that child down the road.

It is for reasons such as these that many parents are starting to look more closely at the type of mattress that they are buying for their children and infants. Many parents are coming to the conclusion that spending a little extra money for a quality organic mattress gives them a peace of mind that is well worth the extra cost of the mattress but it’s something that each family needs to examine and decide for themselves.

Pro’s and Con’s of Natural Organic Beds

Natural Organic Mattress Pros

No toxins or harmful substances
Materials often last longer because they are natural and held to higher standards
Eco-friendly using sustainable processes

Natural Organic Mattress Cons

The main downside to an organic bed is that they cost more. A cost difference of 50% – 200% over traditional mattresses is not uncommon which makes them unaffordable for many people.
Another issue you will run into is that your options for finding natural organic beds are more limited and in many cases you may have to order it online. This means you may not have an opportunity to go to a local store to give it a try.

Organic Mattress Certifications

There are a host of organic mattress certifications out there. We will take a look at some of the more popular ones that you might see as you are looking for the best natural organic mattress to fit your needs.

OEKO-TEX

OEKO-TEX is made up of 18 independent research facilities, mainly based in Europe and Japan. Their goal is to provide a standardized way of testing products for a global perspective. This gives consumers and companies around the world a level playing field.

For products related to mattresses, there are two OEKO-TEX certifications that may come into play, Standard 100 and Made in Green.

Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX is probably its most well-known certification. This is an important certification because it means that every part of the mattress has been tested to make sure they do not contain any harmful substances and is in no way harmful to human health. It certainly provides peace of mind when buying a mattress for you or your loved ones.

Made In Green by OEKO-TEX is similar in that it tests for harmful substances but this one also looks at the manufacturing process. If a product garners the Made In Green certification you know that it is safe for your health and that it has been manufactured using socially and environmentally sustainable practices.

Global Organic Textile Standard(GOTS)

The Global Organic Textile Standard really looks at the full spectrum of textiles from how the raw materials are made all the way through the manufacturing process of the end product.

When we say the full spectrum we mean that GOTS takes into consideration things such as processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, trading and distribution of all textiles.

To gain the GOTS certification standard the end product must be made of at least 70% certified natural organic fibers. We would say that the 70% threshold is definitely a good start but that still leaves another 30% of the materials that may or may not be organic.

Overall, the GOTS certification for a mattress is definitely a good achievement but this certification alone may not be enough to satisfy what you are looking for in your quest for the best organic bed.

CertiPUR-US

The CertiPUR-US certification is administered by a not for profit organization and is specifically geared toward foam.

For foam to be recognized by CertiPUR-US it needs to fall under the following guidelines:

Must not be made with any ozone depleters
Must not contain specific flame retardants
The foam does not contain mercury, lead or any other heavy metals
Must be made without formaldehyde
Must not contain certain phthalates
The foam must contain less than 0.5 PPM Volatile Organic Compound emissions

Something to keep in mind is that a CertiPUR-US certification is not specific to natural organic beds. In fact, most of the beds sold in the US market will have this certification. If the bed you have been looking at does not have a CertiPUR-US certification we recommend that you at least find one that does.

Eco-Institut

The Eco-Institut is a respected company that is based out of Cologne, Germany. The testing that they conduct is mainly based around gas emissions. The eco-Institut label is only obtained after extensive testing in their state of the art facility to make sure a mattress meets their standards for low emissions and low pollutant levels.

The eco-Institut label will not guarantee any kind of organic sustainability in your mattress but if it has this certification and label then you can rest assured knowing any off-gassing from your mattress is not harmful to your health. In that regard this is a worthwhile certification for any mattress to have.

USDA Organic

The USDA Organic certification does not pertain directly to the actual mattress you are buying, but rather to the materials that might go into your mattress. The USDA Organic certification is only for agricultural products. So when we are talking about agricultural products in relation to your organic bed we are talking about materials such as wool or cotton.

These types of products can be certified USDA organic materials. For the materials to be considered 100% organic by the USDA it means that they have been both produced and handled without the use of synthetic substances or nonagricultural substances.

Cradle to Cradle

Cradle to Cradle looks at five different categories when reviewing products. The categories are material health, material reuse, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness.

As they are reviewing the product based on these 5 categories they assign each category a level of achievement. These achievement levels range from basic, bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels. The overall achievement level is then based on the lowest individual level awarded to the product.

GreenGuard Gold

The GreenGuard Gold certification is one that we specifically look for when looking at natural organic mattresses. This certification requires stringent standards from products and materials so that they are safe even for more vulnerable people such as children or the elderly.

If a mattress obtains a GreenGuard Gold certification you know it has been through extensive testing and is found to have such low levels of VOC emissions that you can be confident in allowing any of your loved ones to sleep on it. We feel it is an especially important certification when looking for the best natural crib mattresses as well.

Products that are GreenGuard Gold certified are also accepted for approved use in places such as schools and healthcare facilities. This is the type of trust that GreenGuard Gold testing and evaluating has garnered in various industries and is also why we put an emphasis on this certification as well.

How To Choose the Best Natural Organic Mattress

Finding the right mattress type and right materials plays a huge role in your sleeping comfort and in your overall health. The right mattress can mean you wake up feeling refreshed with energy and a brand new attitude towards life. Choose a mattress that doesn’t go well with your body type or your sleeping habits and you may find yourself feeling tired and having other negative health and social issues.

So which mattress is best for you?

Memory Foam

Memory foam mattresses have become popular choices in recent years. Memory foam mattresses are known to contour to the exact shape of your body. Since it does contour to your body it can definitely help in reducing pressure points on your body while sleeping.

One downside to memory foam mattresses that you may find is that they do tend to sleep hotter than a traditional mattress. On the plus side, memory foam does isolate movement well so you will not be bothered by your partner moving around while you are sleeping.

Memory foam is not made of all natural material so if you are looking for an organic mattress this is not for you. Because of demand some manufacturers are coming up with natural materials to try to address this issue but if you are looking at a memory foam mattress we would suggest to pay attention to the materials and any certifications that the mattress may or may not have obtained.

Innerspring Mattress

An innerspring mattress is what most people would think of when they think of a traditional mattress. These mattresses have metal coils or springs inside of them. Depending on the mattress brand and size there could be several hundred of these springs.

There are even different designs for the coils themselves so not all innerspring mattresses are created equal. The more popular option today is for a mattress to have pocketed coils or pocket springs. These are just coils that are each individually wrapped with fabric and not directly connected to other coils. This allows the bed to more accurately and supportively form to your body and it also helps to isolate motion.

Hybrid

A hybrid mattress utilizes technology and features from different types of mattresses. You will commonly find a hybrid mattress that is built on an innerspring system, often with pocketed coils, and then have something like a memory foam material for the top layer.

A hybrid mattress is appealing to people because you still get the familiar feeling of a traditional innerspring mattress but you also get the support and comfort of new age memory foam or gel. Some would consider the hybrid mattress to be the best of both worlds.

Latex

Latex mattresses have been rising in popularity of late. Latex mattresses are either going to be made of natural or synthetic latex so if you are looking for an organic latex mattress then you will need to gravitate towards those made with natural latex.

There are two distinct types of latex that pertain to both the natural and synthetic latex. One is called Dunlop. Dunlop latex is the most dense so this is a good option if you are looking for firm or sturdy support from your mattress.

The second type is Talalay latex. This is known for its more luxurious and plush feel when compared to Dunlop latex. Because of this it is a good choice for those side sleepers out there.

Cost Comparison – Organic vs Non-organic Mattresses

There is no denying that organic materials are harder to come by. They are not as readily available and they certainly cost more than non-organic materials due to the oversight and manufacturing costs associated with organic materials.

Mattress companies trying to produce a natural organic mattress also have to take into account their own manufacturing process to make sure it meets certain organic criteria. All of these things cost more money so naturally the end product of an organic mattress does cost more than a non-organic mattress that is similar. If you had a traditional bed that costs $1000 it would not be uncommon to see a similar mattress that is 100% organic cost closer to $2000.

Is the Extra Cost Worth It?

Trying to decide whether or not the additional cost of an organic mattress is worth it is really up to each individual but we will try to provide you with some things to consider when trying to make this decision.

We Spend A Lot of Time On Our Mattresses

It is worth noting that we do spend close to ⅓ of our lives on a mattress. When you actually start thinking about how much time we spend in bed then you may start to think about your mattress choice a little bit differently. If your mattress does contain gases or materials that are not completely healthy for your body then it most certainly will have an impact on your overall health. You may not see it or feel it right away but over time it will have an impact.

Budget

Organic mattresses are eco-friendly and safe for your health but they are also more expensive. A high-quality queen size mattress using non-organic materials is a large investment and one using organic materials is even more so. We encourage people to consider going to an organic mattress for multiple reasons but it may not always be feasible because of the cost.

Each individual or family needs to determine if they can financially make the investment into an organic mattress. If you have a wife and five kids at home then switching the family over to an organic mattress becomes a very large financial burden. Many individuals and families today simply cannot afford to make this investment.

If you feel very strongly about trying to get an organic mattress but don’t have the upfront money to spend don’t lose heart. One thing to do is shop around and try to be patient. Do your research and find a few eco-friendly mattresses that you think will be best for you and then price watch them for a few weeks or months. You might find that one of them goes on sale or you may even find a special 0% financing offer that will help to fit your budget.

Your Health Is Important

The health of you and your loved ones is important. Being comfortable on your mattress and getting a good night of rest is also important. But any negative impact on your health because of toxins in your mattress could be detrimental and could wipe away any gains. Something else to consider is that some people are more sensitive to things like VOCs so they won’t have the same impact on every person but why take the chance?

Natural Organic Bed vs Traditional Mattress – Which Is Better?

In the end, each person must make their choice between an organic vs non-organic mattress and decide which is best for them. There are a lot of factors to consider and all of the information can get overwhelming.

We like to keep things as simple as possible so here is how we recommend making a decision on an organic mattress. First, you need to decide for yourself how important it is to you to have an organic mattress and why.

Do you already know you are sensitive to VOCs? Do you only want the most natural and best materials for you or your loved one? How important are natural and sustainable growing and manufacturing processes to you? If you are not willing to compromise on these things then you have already made your choice for an organic mattress.

You also have to consider your budget. Can you responsibly afford the cost of an organic mattress? If you can’t afford the large upfront cost then you will need to shop around to try to find a sale. Are you willing to finance your mattress at a low percentage rate?

If you simply can’t afford an organic option then the next best thing is to seek out non-organic mattresses with certifications with low VOC’s. It may not be organic but you can still keep the toxins to a minimum and have a lower overall cost.

In our opinion, if money is not an object, given two similar mattresses, we would always choose one with organic materials vs non-organic materials. Our thinking is why would you take the chance? If you have an option and can afford it then why choose a mattress that may contain small amounts of toxic gases or materials when you could have one that is just as comfortable and you don’t have to worry about it?

We believe in environmentally sustainable practices as well but when it comes right down to it the biggest factors for us are how comfortable is the mattress and what are we actually sleeping on and breathing in for ⅓ of our lives. We prefer that our mattress materials be as close to nature as possible.

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