5 Things to Consider Before Buying an Organic Mattress

Not all mattresses are created equal. What does that mean? Well, at Naturepedic we believe that the safest, healthiest mattress options are GOTS certified organic … and if you’re here reading this, we’re going to assume you agree!

Unfortunately, there can be a lot of marketing jargon around "organic approved" or “natural” products of any kind, and it’s easy to fall prey to misleading information. So, what actually makes a mattress organic? Because simply claiming that a mattress is organic isn’t enough.

Beyond that, a mattress being certified organic doesn’t mean that it’s your best organic mattress option. Comfort, sustainability and convenience matter, too. As one of the oldest manufacturers of certified organic mattresses in the business, Naturepedic wants to share our top tips for vetting an organic mattress. Read on!

Your bed is a safe place for rest and rejuvenation. Sounds obvious, right? Yet, some organic mattresses fail to deliver. Big time.

Virtually all “green” or “eco” mattress companies are owned by regular mattress companies that use polyurethane foam, flame retardants or fiberglass in their other product lines. Not to mention, organic mattresses are often made in the very same facilities and even on the same equipment as non-organic mattresses. These are forms of greenwashing – a marketing tactic designed to deceive the consumer into believing a product is more eco-friendly than it actually is.

Organic is a lifestyle, and this type of manufacturer simply doesn’t believe in it. They market a “green” mattress because it sells, while cutting corners on important features – even if they “technically” meet organic requirements.

At Naturepedic, we handcraft our certified organic mattresses in our certified organic factory, and, in many aspects, we go above and beyond the organic standards. Why? Because we’re not a mattress company making green mattresses. We’re environmentalists and chemical engineers who care about cleaner sleep and a cleaner planet.

Mattress manufacturers love glue. It’s fast, cheap and easy. They use giant adhesive spray guns to pour industrial-grade glue into every mattress ­– even “organic” mattresses. The trouble is that adhesives contain off-gassing chemicals, such as the known carcinogen formaldehyde, that aren’t healthy for you or the planet.

Many organic mattress manufacturers claim to have successfully eliminated adhesives from their “comfort layers,” or the top layers of the mattress (think: latex or cotton). In reality, adhesives are used primarily in the coil system where it takes several pounds industrial adhesives to hold the coils together.

Read organic mattress websites carefully, and you’ll likely see the claim “no adhesives in the comfort layers.” This is intentional wording – don’t be fooled. Since most organic mattress manufacturers buy third-party coils, they couldn’t remove the adhesives even if they wanted to. Their “comfort layers” may not contain adhesives, but the coils sure do. 

At Naturepedic, we spent years developing proprietary equipment that allows us to make coils with zero adhesives. And, all of our mattresses are UL Formaldehyde Free validated. 

No mattress is “one-size-fits-all.” A salesman cannot guess your ideal mattress any more than he can predict your favorite pizza topping. And let’s face it, you’re not going to want to sleep on an organic mattress if it’s not comfortable. (Same way you wouldn’t want to eat a pizza with organic ingredients if it didn’t taste good!)

You need options, which are in abundance at Naturepedic. Our EOS Organic Mattress is fully customizable via a zipper that lets you access the inner layers. You can even individually customize both sides of the bed, so you and your sleep partner can both get your best rest.

Swapping comfort layers is easy, and you can switch firmness preferences at any point – now or in the future. Additionally, the EOS features your choice of naturally contouring organic latex support or our glue-free individually encased coils for less motion transfer and fewer disturbances.

It can be tempting to go for the cheapest mattress out there. But you will end up paying more in the long run. You might pay in neck aches and back pain, saggy mattress edges, poor or non-existent motion isolation, firmness that just doesn’t fit your needs or many, many sleepless nights. And here’s the kicker: you’ll pay in actual money, too.

A quality certified organic mattress should last at least 10 years. But if you opt for the bargain, you may be shopping again in 3 to 5 years. Doing it right comes with a cost.

Naturepedic has stringent requirements when it comes to our material sourcing and quality assurance. As a result, we have one of the lowest return rates in the industry, and we stand behind our product with 100-night risk-free sleep trials and 25-year limited warranties.

Sure, you could get a “free return” with most mattress companies. But, you can’t get a refund on the time, hassle and frustration that comes with a mattress return. Do you have to take off a day of work to be home for the pickup? What will you sleep on until the replacement arrives? No thanks!

But, what if you never had to return your mattress because it could adapt to feel however you want? The Naturepedic EOS line does just that. Remember those interchangeable layers we mentioned before? You can design your mattress to have the exact support, firmness and feel you desire. 

Don’t like it? We’ll ship you new layers via FedEx or UPS ground. Changing layers is fast and easy – with comfort that ranges from super firm to ultra-plush. You can replace worn parts at any time, even years later. Simply put, the EOS Organic Mattress may just be the last mattress you ever have to buy.

When it comes to certified organic mattresses, you just can’t beat a Naturepedic. Our line of GOTS certified organic, EWG VERIFIED® and MADE SAFE® certified mattresses and sleep accessories are designed and handcrafted with care. We also offer products for the whole family: Baby, Kids, Adult and even Pets! 

And we aren’t just dedicated to our organic mattresses – we’re dedicated to the transparency that comes with organic living, too. We’ve got tons of resources on the blog to help you consume ethically, spot greenwashing and live your best organic life.