How to Buy a Green Mattress
Buying a new mattress was once a lot simpler than it is today. In the past, the only options were innerspring mattresses—ones with a coil base and a soft top fabric layer. The main factors you had to consider when buying a mattress were price, firmness, and comfort. These days, you can purchase a foam mattress that doesn’t have springs, and many buyers are looking for eco-friendly mattresses that are safe to sleep on and better for the planet.
Conventional mattress concerns
Many mattresses are made of synthetic materials that aren’t biodegradable. They may also contain chemical flame retardants, toxic formaldehyde, and petroleum-based foam. Traditional mattresses often contain synthetic foam, as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These VOCs are manmade chemicals that can be released into the air. Even mattresses made from natural fibers like cotton or wool can contain harmful pesticides or other chemicals.
Pitfalls of shopping for a green mattress
If you want a new mattress that’s healthier for you and the planet, you need to keep an eye out for misleading information. There is currently no government certification in the US for green mattresses. This means that mattress companies can decide on their own what “green” or “eco-friendly” means when they label their products. A mattress touted as green might be made with fewer harmful materials, but that doesn’t mean it is good for your health or the environment. Mattresses are sometimes “greenwashed,” or marketed as being more environmentally sound than they are.
However, there are labels and certifications that you can look for when buying a green mattress. Two of the best are the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label and a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) label.
An OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label means every textile component, including the threads, buttons, and other materials of your mattress, have been tested for harmful ingredients and certified as harmless to human health. You can check whether an OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label is valid on the OEKO-TEX website.
A Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) label means that at least 95 percent of the fibers in your mattress are organic and were processed sustainably. This also means that your mattress doesn’t have polyurethane, which is in most memory foam mattresses, or chemical flame retardants.
Another label to look for is the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) label, which identifies mattresses made with organic latex. For a more extensive list of labels to look for, check out this useful Consumer Reports green mattress guide.
What else to consider in a green mattress
If you want a spring mattress, look for mattresses with coils that aren’t coated in chemicals. If you prefer a foam mattress, go with a brand that has organic latex foam made from the natural sap of rubber trees. For mattresses made of cotton or wool, look for options that are sewn together instead of glued with potentially toxic chemicals. Before shopping for a green and healthier mattress, check out the company online and read its reviews.
Consider keeping your old mattress
Even if your current mattress doesn’t meet today’s health or eco-friendly standards, it doesn’t mean you should toss it, especially if it’s comfortable. Products release the most fumes when they are new, but this process diminishes over time. Your old mattress might not be emitting harmful VOCs into the air anymore, depending on how long you’ve had it.
If buying a new organic mattress is out of your budget, as green mattresses tend to be more expensive, you can start by swapping your bed linens, pillows, and bed topper with ones made of organic materials. And if you suspect that your bed, sheets, comforter, and pillows contain VOCs, add spider plants and ferns to your bedroom. Both houseplants can soak up airborne pollutants and clean the air, creating a healthier space.