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At Naturepedic, we use high quality materials to create our mattresses, pillows, and other accessories. Our filling materials include organic cotton fill, organic wool, organic kapok, and non-GMO PLA batting. We’ve talked a lot about our cotton and wool, but sometimes our readers have some questions about our other filling materials! In this post, we’ll break down the differences between kapok and PLA so you know exactly what’s in your Naturepedic product.
Organic Kapok
Kapok, also known as “silk cotton,” is a fluffy fiber that surrounds the seeds of tropical kapok trees. It’s the lightest natural fiber in the world, nearly five times lighter than cotton. Kapok is also a hollow fiber that’s moisture resistant, so it helps to regulate temperature and wick moisture for a more comfortable sleep. At Naturepedic, we use only certified organic kapok. The organic certification ensures fair treatment of workers, environmental sustainability of tropical forests, and fibers grown without toxins, synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, or GMOs. We use organic kapok in some of our crib mattresses. The light, fluffy kapok fiber provides more loft and resilience than organic cotton fill alone.
Non-GMO PLA Batting
PLA is derived from starchy plants and is a type of high-performance polyester material that can be used in fabric and filling. It is a very versatile material used in many industries beyond furniture, including food packaging and biomedical applications. For our purposes, we use PLA because it’s a soft and resilient filling material that resists body impressions and makes an ideal fill in mattresses. While there is no certified organic PLA, we do use PLA derived from non-GMO plant starch. PLA doesn’t contain or off-gas harmful chemicals, and it’s a more sustainable alternative to petroleum-based materials and fillers. We use non-GMO PLA batting in some of our mattresses, two-stage crib mattresses, accessories, and our Organic Cotton/PLA pillow. This PLA pillow is ideal for children because it’s machine washable and supportive.
Ask Us Your Questions
If you have any more questions about the materials used in our products, or any other Naturepedic topic, let us know and you could see your question in a new Ask Naturepedic blog post.