This post will review how to choose a non-toxic mattress that is made without flame retardants, formaldehyde, or phthalates, and that doesn't emit VOCs. It also shares the best non-toxic mattress brands.
Disclaimer: some of the links in this post are affiliate links meaning I make a small percentage if you purchase the product through the link. This does not cost you anything extra and helps me keep this website running.
Mattresses are something that we all use on a daily basis. And not only is it important to find a mattress that is comfortable, it's also very important that the mattress you are using be made with safe, non-toxic materials to help protect your health since you are spending so much time in it.
Unfortunately, when it comes to mattresses, there is very little regulation or oversight. This means that brands can make claims about their mattresses being safe, non-toxic or organic, when that may not be actually true. Now, there are some truly safe and organic mattress brands out there and I have spent many hours researching this topic to come up with a list of the safest non toxic mattress brands so please keep reading to see which mattress brands are the safest to consider purchasing.
Table of Contents
- Why choose a non-toxic mattress:
- Harmful chemicals in mattresses:
- Mattress Certifications
- Other mattress issues to be aware of:
- Non Toxic Mattresses (in alphabetical order):
- Other mattress brands that offer some safe options:
- Mattress brands to avoid:
- How to choose a non-toxic mattress FAQs:
- Other health info you will want to read:
- Our expertise:
Why choose a non-toxic mattress:
Before we get into the best non-toxic mattress brands I thought it was important for you to understand why it is so important to choose a non-toxic mattress, and the health risks associated with conventional mattresses.
Conventional mattresses have been referred to as “100 pounds of toxic chemicals” and that’s a great way to describe them. From the petroleum-based polyurethane foam to the chemical adhesives and flame retardants that are often used, conventional mattresses can be pretty toxic.
Studies show that polyurethane foam mattresses can emit formaldehyde and a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-VOCs, including phthalates, isocyanates, and flame retardants. If you aren't familiar with the health risks associated with these chemicals, and why you want to avoid them, I will review them below.
Harmful chemicals in mattresses:
1. Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and can have other negative health effects including causing eye and respiratory tract irritation, as well as skin irritation. Formaldehyde emissions can be found coming from the fabrics, adhesives, and polyurethane foam that are used to make mattresses. Hence you want to be sure to find a mattress that is formaldehyde free.
2. Flame Retardants
Flame retardants are full of harmful chemicals including endocrine disruptors and possible carcinogens. Unfortunately, many mattresses are coated in flame retardants and these chemicals off-gas for a long time after the mattress is manufactured, so you would be exposed to these chemicals for quite a bit of time after your purchase.
The reason why some mattresses are coated in flame retardants is that the polyurethane foam used to make foam or memory foam mattresses is very flammable. This is the reason why they have to add chemical flame retardants to the mattress to protect you.
In other words, non-toxic mattresses cannot be memory foam mattresses because memory foam mattresses always require flame retardant chemicals - to put it more simply, there is no such thing as a non-toxic memory foam mattresses.
3. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Volatile organic compounds or VOCs have many known health risks including but not limited to headaches, dizziness, respiratory issues, cancers and central nervous system problems. I have talked extensively about the health risks of VOCs before in my post about the toxicity of candles so be sure to refer to that post for more information if you are interested.
There are currently no federal regulations in the United States regarding VOC levels in memory foam mattress products, while the European Union Commission established specific emissions limits for individual VOCs in 2014.
Mattress Certifications
If you are shopping for a non-toxic mattress, you will see a variety of mattress certifications and it's important for you to understand what they actually mean.
Remember, when you see words like “natural,” “organic,” and “sustainable,” when it comes to mattresses, these terms are unregulated. Just because you see the word “organic” doesn’t mean that you won’t find fire retardants, toxic adhesives, or polyurethane foam in that mattress. Some brands may use polyurethane foam and toxic adhesives and then put an organic cotton on top, so it can be confusing. But there are some certifications to look for that can make it easier to find a truly non-toxic and safe mattress.
1. GOTS Certified (Global Organic Textile Standard)
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification is the gold standard of organic mattresses. They certify mattresses, but they also separately certify individual materials like cotton and wool fabrics.
GOTS certification mandates that the cotton or wool contents are USDA certified. They also determine how products are processed and manufactured and what chemicals can be used during that process. They also determine what other types of materials can be used in the product that is not organic such as steel coils and zippers. This certification also restricts some fire retardants, but not all of them.
Now, there are a couple important things you need to know when looking at GOTS certifications. When you see the GOTS symbol, make sure the company’s name is on the certification. Some companies have been found to be using one of their supplier’s certification and passing it off as their own (how shady is that?!).
It’s also possible that some parts of the mattress could be GOTS certified, while the rest of the mattress is not. The best organic and non-toxic mattresses will be entirely GOTS certified organic.
2. Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS)
The Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) certification is a standard for organic latex and finished latex foam. This standard also determines what other types of processing and materials can be used. The product has to maintain a minimum of 95% certified organic raw material of the total weight of the product in order to qualify for GOLS certification.
3. MADE SAFE Certification
MADE SAFE certifies that products are not made with cancer-causing or hormone-disrupting chemicals. The standard from this organization is very strict. If a mattress has achieved MADE SAFE certification that means the materials in that mattress have been reviewed by scientists and experts to ensure they do not contain harmful ingredients, off-gas dangerous chemicals, or create by-products that could impact human health.
4. OCS 100 Organic Cotton Standard
The Organic Exchange Certification Program tracks the organic material from the source to the finished product. This certification gives you more piece of mind that the product contains what it says it contains. However, they only certify the organic cotton or wool components of the mattress, not the entire thing. They act like more of a tracking system so this certification isn’t as strong as the GOTS certification and a product cannot contain both the GOTS and OCS 100 Organic Cotton logos so you are better off to look for the GOTS label instead.
5. Greenguard Gold Certification
GreenGuard was recently acquired by Underwriter Laboratories (UL) and has changed the parameters of their certification. Green Guard is an air quality environmental testing company and they look at the off-gassing of specific contaminants. However with their recent acquisition, they no longer use the lowest emission category and now use a less strict category instead. They are no longer testing for flame retardants, PFAS chemicals, phthalates, or microbes. They do test for about 350 common VOCs and will certify the entire mattress or any of the components instead.
6. OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Certification
The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification is a European certification that ensures textiles are free from certain harmful substances like allergenic dyes, bisphenols, heavy metals, and formaldehyde.
7. CertiPUR-US® Certified Foam
If you see this certification I recommend avoiding that mattress. The CertiPUR-US® name and logo are registered trademarks of the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Inc., which is a business league founded by polyurethane foam producers. They claim that this certification was created by the foam industry in close collaboration with environmentalists, chemists, and research scientists, but any changes to the certification program can only be made with the consent of its board of directors, and their board members are directly involved with the polyurethane foam industry. In other words, they are creating a standard for themselves. That is why I personally do not trust this certification.
Other mattress issues to be aware of:
When it comes to shopping for a mattress there are a few other things you need to be aware of. Some brands have started doing some really sketchy things to try and imply that their products are safe and free of harmful materials, when they are not. Specifically, some companies are still using flame retardants, polyurethane foam and adhesives and using confusing terms to try and imply that they are not.
Some companies are using what they call “flame barriers” to try and trick you. Don't be confused, flame barriers are still fire retardant chemicals. As well, some companies have been known to put organic cotton covers over polyurethane foam. These brands are using clever marketing tactics to try and imply their products are safe, when they aren't. It's very frustrating.
Your best bet when it comes to shopping for a safe mattress is to look for the MADE SAFE certification. If a mattress is certified as MADE SAFE I would be comfortable purchasing it.
Now that we have reviewed why mattresses can be toxic and what certifications to look for and avoid, let's review the best non-toxic mattresses on the market.
Non Toxic Mattresses (in alphabetical order):
These mattresses are GOTS certified and each certification is relevant to all the materials in the mattress. Each certification relates to the factory that produces the mattress, and not just any of the suppliers. As well, these companies meet the highest standards of non-toxicity and sustainability practices. Many of these mattresses are MADE SAFE certified as well. I have tried to include a variety of brands so that there are affordable options here, no matter what your budget. I have listed the mattress brands below in alphabetical order.
Avocado Green Mattress
Avocado Green Mattress is a well known mattress brand. Avocado mattresses are all GOTS certified. They use organic cotton and organic wool that is GOTS certified and the latex they use is GOLS certified. They also use responsibly sourced wool. They make a variety of mattresses including some hybrid mattresses that are made with coils and you have the option of getting a pillow top or not on many of their mattresses.
Avocado Green Mattress is also the world's first mattress company to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and in 2020 they became carbon negative, off-setting more carbon than they generate.
Avocado makes crib mattresses, kids mattresses and adult mattresses. They also make a vegan mattress that is made without wool. They also have a few mattresses which are MADE SAFE certified, including their Eco organic crib mattress, Eco organic mattress, and Eco organic kids mattress, so if you are looking for the safest options these are the ones I would recommend.
Avocado also offers a 100-night trial, and a 10-25-year warranty on their mattresses. They also make the most affordable non-toxic mattress on the market, being their Avocado Eco Organic Mattress.
Happsy
Happsy mattresses are fully GOTS certified. All the materials and ingredients they use meet the GOTS organic and non-toxic standard. Happsy only uses GOTS certified and approved cotton, wool and latex. They don't used any adhesives because everything that is attached is hand sewn, clipped or heat sealed. And besides being safe, the Happsy mattresses are also comfortable. Their mattress provides excellent support, and helps dissipate heat for a more comfortable sleep. These mattresses are great for side sleepers, back sleepers or stomach sleepers.
Lifekind
Lifekind mattresses are made with GOLS certified latex, GOTS certified cotton and wool, are GREENGUARD certified and meet the SCS' Indoor Advantage Gold Certification for low indoor emissions. Their organic mattresses are made to order and they offer unique designs including dual-comfort options, sculpted surfaces, floating pillow tops, support for adjustable bases and more. Their mattresses are made in USA and have a 20-year limited warranty and 90-day comfort guarantee.
My Green Mattress
My Green Mattress makes organic mattresses with a goal of making their mattresses safe, affordable, comfortable and sustainable. My Green Mattress offers GOTS certified mattresses as well as GOLS, MADESAFE and Greenguard certified mattress options.
The My Green Mattresses that are both GOTS and MADESAFE certified that I would recommend include:
- Emily organic crib mattress
- Kiwi bunk mattress
- Kiwi mattress
- Kiwi mattress - 2 sided
- Natural escape mattress
They also offer a 20 year warranty, and a 30 day sleep trial.
Naturepedic
Naturepedic mattresses are fully GOTS certified and MADE SAFE certified. All the materials used to make their mattresses including cotton, wool and latex meet the GOTS organic standard. They don't use any adhesives because everything that is attached is hand sewn, clipped on or heat sealed. To make sure you love your mattress they offer a 100-night trial with free shipping and free returns and a 25-year limited warrantee.
Nautrepedic is a family run business and their latex and wool meet Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) standards. Plus all Naturepedic products are UL Formaldehyde Free validated and certified to the GREENGUARD® Gold standard. They also meet the Organic Content Standard (OCS), meaning that the organic fiber in their products has been independently verified. Naturepedic is also a Gold Certified Green Business by Green America® meaning that they meet high standards for social and environmental impact.
Because of their safety certifications and commitment to sustainability they are my overall top choice for non-toxic mattresses.
Shop for Naturepedic mattresses and use code PUREANDSIMPLE to get 15% off your order.
OMI (Organic Mattress Incorporated)
Organic Mattresses, Inc. (OMI®) was one of America’s first makers of certified organic mattresses and bedding and was founded in 2003. Their mattresses are made in the USA and they are committed to ethical businesses practices. They offer GOTS certified mattresses and are also committed to sustainability and focus on raw material traceability, sustainable farming and harvesting and responsible social and environmental practices. They also offer a 90 day free exchange and 10 year limited warrantee.
Savvy Rest
Savvy Rest makes organic mattresses that are made with soft, medium or firm natural latex foam rubber, in a wide range of custom combinations. They have the ability to customize individual mattresses or mattresses for couples. The mattress casings are made with GOTS certified organic cotton with certified organic wool.
The latex they use is certified organic in two ways: the rubber tree plantations are certified organic according to USDA standards, and its processing is certified organic to the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS). They also offer a 20 year warrantee on their mattresses.
Obasan
Obasan mattresses are GOTS and GOLS certified. All the materials they use in their mattresses are organic and they are committed to full transparency. Each mattress is handmade and they will tailor each mattress to your specific sleep needs. They made organic mattresses for babies, children and adults and offer a 20 year guarantee on their mattresses. They also treat their workers well and ensure a safe workplace for all of their employees.
Other mattress brands that offer some safe options:
In this section I share a number of brands that offer some safe mattress options, although in some cases the wording and language they use isn't as clear as the brands in the previous section, or some of their mattresses are GOTS certified, while others are not. That is why I put these mattresses in a separate section and did my best to outline which of their products I would recommend and why.
White Lotus Home
White Lotus Home makes a variety of products including mattresses, bedding, pillows, duvets and more. They offer a number of mattresses which are made with GOTS certified materials and they have a number of GOTS certified mattresses including:
- Organic cotton mattress
- Organic cotton boulder mattress
- Organic cotton and wool dreamton mattress
- Organic cotton and wool dreamton boulder mattress
- Organic cotton toddler mattresses
- Organic cotton crib mattress
Just note that not all of the mattresses made by White Lotus are GOTS certified or made with GOTS certified materials. Please stick with the mattresses in the above list if you are planning to buy a White Lotus mattress.
As well, for some of their GOTS certified mattresses you will need a prescription from a licensed doctor in order to purchase them.
Mattress brands to avoid:
There are a number of other mattress brands on the market who claim to be using organic materials or safe, non-toxic materials, but don't actually have the certifications to back these claims, don't have the safest certifications, or they have been guilty of not publishing negative reviews. As such I can't recommend these brands at this time. These brands include:
- Awara
- Babyletto
- Bear
- Birch
- DreamCloud
- Leesa
- Luma
- Nectar
- Parachute
- Plank
- Plush Beds
- Saatva
- Turmerry
- WinkBeds
Of course it was not possible for me to review every single mattress brand on the market, but if you are shopping for a mattress on your own, to ensure it is safe you want to look for a mattress that a is GOTS certified and ideally MADE SAFE certified as well. If a mattress has these certifications you should feel pretty comfortable that it is safe and non-toxic. And remember, there is no such thing as a non-toxic memory foam mattress so don't get tricked by clever marketing!
How to choose a non-toxic mattress FAQs:
When shopping for a healthy mattress you want to avoid polyurethane and memory foam and instead look for organic materials such as organic cotton, organic latex and organic wool.
No they are not. They are made with polyurethane foam. They are CertiPUR-US® certified, but this certification was created by the mattress industry itself and has no third party regulation or oversight so it is not to be trusted.
Casper mattresses are not non-toxic. They are made with polyurethane, and have no organic or safety certifications except for the CertiPUR-US® certification, which as we discussed earlier is not trustworthy. They are also known to off-gas chemicals and many consumers report an obvious off-gas smell when they receive their mattress.
Memory foam is a type of polyurethane foam that is made from petroleum products, whereas latex is made from the sap from rubber trees.
The Avocado Eco Organic Mattress is the most affordable organic mattress of the ones I reviewed in this post. Another great affordable option is the My Green Mattress Kiwi Organic Mattress.
Other health info you will want to read:
Our expertise:
Dr. Erin Carter, MD, FRCPC, is a physician with board certifications in internal medicine and rheumatology. She is passionate about environmental health and low toxicity living and has been researching and publishing information in this area for years.
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