Sleep is bliss, nevertheless it isn’t all the time environmentally accountable. Many mattresses include a poisonous brew of chemical compounds — from flame-retardant chemical compounds like polybrominated diphenyl ethers to formaldehyde and mercury — in addition to petroleum-based substances. Lately, sustainable mattress firms have risen to the problem of creating a clear, earth-friendly mattress.
A few of these environmentally accountable firms promote “mattresses-in-a-box,” that are delivered in a small field and develop when opened. Earth911 collected provide chain, certification, and manufacturing particulars for 10 sustainable mattress producers to assist buyers discover the perfect earth-friendly sleep. We’ve filtered out all firms that don’t make an specific promise that their merchandise are inexperienced and wholesome.
The outcomes — displayed under in a printable chart — reveal a variety of choices for earth-friendly beds.
This text accommodates affiliate hyperlinks to merchandise that, should you make a purchase order, assist Earth911’s editorial mission.
Comparability Chart
To view our printable comparability chart, click on the picture under.
Our Score Standards
The elements we thought of when assessing a mattress’ environmental friendliness and sustainability embody the next keystones.
Firm Provide Chain
The size of the corporate provide chain describes the space supplies are shipped earlier than and after the mattress is manufactured. In all circumstances, the sustainable mattress firms in our checklist assemble their merchandise in the US, minimizing the post-manufacturing delivery burden.
Shorter delivery distances contribute fewer CO2 emissions to the environment. A number of of the businesses — together with Avocado, Birch by Helix, and Brentwood Home — use supplies sourced within the U.S.
Carbon Emissions Offsets
A second provide chain consideration is whether or not the mattress maker offsets their delivery and manufacturing carbon emissions with carbon credit or carbon sequestration packages, resembling reforestation. The entire firms with the Leaders of the Pack designation offset their firm carbon emissions.
Recyclable Mattress Supplies
Recyclability of the mattress and supplies is a standard function of sustainable mattresses. The latex, cotton, wool, and different supplies in all of the mattresses we reviewed are biodegradable. Nonetheless, it is very important send a mattress to a responsible recycler to make sure that it doesn’t find yourself in a landfill.
Recyclable Packaging Supplies
Recyclability of mattress-in-a-box packaging is usually good. Each firm we reviewed gives recyclable packing containers and plastic wrapping by which the mattress ships. You might obtain one, two, or extra packing containers in your order, however the cardboard packaging and plastic film ought to be pretty straightforward to recycle domestically.
Mattress Recycling Providers
Outdated mattress recycling providers aren’t required in 47 states. Solely California, Rhode Island, and Connecticut — and soon Oregon — have legal guidelines on the books requiring elimination and recycling of an outdated mattress. These states additionally cost a price at buy that ensures no-charge recycling on the mattress’ finish of life. Sadly, not one of the firms we reviewed appears to supply free recycling providers.
Charity and Giving
Charity and giving packages are one other vital function of a accountable firm. Returned mattresses can’t be resold, so each firm has a donation program to get rid of returned mattresses responsibly. Consumers additionally need to know that their spending is supporting moral enterprise practices, which frequently contain in depth charitable giving. With energetic giving starting from 1% for the Planet to in depth networks of charitable packages supported by many of the mattress makers in our comparability, yow will discover a sustainable mattress that aligns along with your values.
Certifications: Security First
Certifications are important tips for mattress patrons. Client Stories offers a comprehensive summary of mattress materials certifications to search for when purchasing. For a second opinion, learn Triple Pundit’s assessment of the certifications for mattresses, a lot of that are types of greenwashing.
Search out merchandise which have the next certifications:
- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) covers the processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, buying and selling, and distribution of all textiles created from at the very least 70% licensed natural pure fibers.
- Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) outlines necessities for latex merchandise. To realize GOLS certification, a product should include greater than 95% licensed natural uncooked materials and adjust to permissible limits for dangerous substances, emission take a look at necessities, and polymer and filler percentages.
- CertiPUR-US certification of the froth used within the mattress. The CertiPUR-US seal ensures the mattress foam you or your children sleep on is made with out chemical flame retardants, mercury and different heavy metals, formaldehyde, or phthalates. CertiPUR-US additionally evaluations the emissions, or “off-gassing,” by new mattresses for low unstable natural compound (VOC) emissions, lower than 0.5 components per million.
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification addresses the security and sustainability of textiles, resembling cotton and wool, utilized in mattresses. The Normal 100 certification offers clients assurance that dangerous chemical compounds and environmentally dangerous substances aren’t produced by the manufacturing course of or included within the product.
- eco-INSTITUT certification entails related testing, measuring the emissions from the mattress, and the environmental duty of the sourcing of supplies. Particularly, eco-INSTITUT examines the sources of latex, which is harvested from rubber bushes, and utilized in mattresses.
- GREENGUARD Gold certification, from United Laboratories, validates {that a} mattress doesn’t exceed the emission requirements for VOCs that contribute to indoor air pollution.
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) licensed latex and wooden merchandise be certain that these merchandise come from responsibly-managed forests.
- Fair Trade certification ensures secure working situations, environmental safety, sustainable livelihoods, and neighborhood growth funds the place these merchandise are cultivated.
- Cradle-to-Cradle certification is a world commonplace for merchandise which can be “secure, round and responsibly made.”
- Rainforest Alliance certification entails third-party auditors evaluating growers for social, environmental, and financial elements.
- The MADE SAFE seal signifies that merchandise are unhazardous and made with secure substances for human well being.
Earth911’s Sustainable Mattress Rankings
No single mattress is true for everybody, and producers take completely different approaches to delivering a sustainable mattress on the proper worth. You want to pay attention to the trade-offs they make so that you simply arrive on the environmental consequence you need.
Fully natural supplies are prohibitively costly for a lot of shoppers and the size of provide chains varies dramatically. These two elements, together with certifications, are crucial to our normal rating of the businesses.
We broke down the highest inexperienced mattress producers into three classes: Leaders of the Pack, Inexperienced Innovators, and Noticeably Inexperienced. The highest designation, Leaders of the Pack, is for firms with at the very least one materials sourced in the US, quite a few third-party certifications, and emission offset packages. Inexperienced Innovators might lack emissions offset packages or are much less clear about their provide chains. Lastly, producers within the Noticeably Inexperienced class don’t offset emissions and supply much less info on charitable giving packages.
Leaders of the Pack
Avocado
Avocado gives 10 natural mattresses in complete and has a certified-vegan model of its eponymous mattress. It’s a Certified B Corporation and is Climate Neutral Certified. The mattresses are GREENGUARD Gold licensed and OEKO-TEX textile security. Its merchandise use 100% GOTS natural licensed cotton and wool, in addition to hydrated silica as a pure hearth retardant. The latex originates from Kochi, India, the place it’s cultivated and processed by Avocado Natural Latex. Mattresses are assembled and shipped from California. Avocado purchases carbon offsets by way of Carbonfund.org and makes use of simply recycled LDPE plastic in its packaging. As members of 1% for the Planet, Avocado donates 1% of its income to vetted environmental nonprofits.
Birch by Helix
Helix goes the additional mile to make sure sustainably sourced materials, secure working situations, and unhazardous mattresses. Supplies embody licensed natural cotton, moral wool, and sustainably farmed latex. The agency works with a wide range of companions to make sure excessive requirements and ranges of certification, whereas additionally giving again by way of environmental charity giving packages. Additionally, it participates in a carbon offset program.
Brentwood House (Avocado Manufacturers)
Brentwood Home, an Avocado firm, makes one of many two vegan mattresses (no wool) in our evaluation: the Crystal Cove mattress. The corporate makes use of one of the vital in depth provide chains among the many firms we reviewed, nevertheless it makes an annual carbon offset cost to compensate for the delivery and manufacturing of its mattresses. It donates cash to Carbonfund.org for reforestation initiatives that sequester carbon equal to its manufacturing footprint. Brentwood House and Avocado even have quite a few in depth sustainability certifications — of the standard seals that matter — amongst firms reviewed right here. Each firms emphasize the recyclability of their packaging and supply white-glove set up, which doesn’t embody outdated mattress elimination and recycling.
Naturepedic
Naturepedic is a superb supply of sustainable mattresses. The corporate has all the required certifications — together with GOTS and GOLS sustainably made textile and latex and GreenGuard air high quality checks. Naturepedic mattresses are usually costlier than Avocado, Birch by Helix, and Brentwood House, making the model a luxurious selection for these on the lookout for a long-lived high-quality mattress. Naturepedic works with Local weather Impartial to measure and offset its carbon footprint. As a result of Naturepedic doesn’t share its provide chain info intimately, Earth911 added them to this checklist in fourth place.
Inexperienced Innovators
Awara
The Awara Pure Hybrid Mattress options latex and coil building and a powerful lifetime guarantee. It has earned quite a few certifications, together with GreenGuard Gold, and makes use of Rainforest Alliance-certified latex, natural cotton, and natural New Zealand wool. It makes use of silica-based flame retardants and water-based adhesives. Additionally, the corporate crops a tree for each buy to assist offset emissions. Nonetheless, Awara is a bit obscure about its supplies sourcing and doesn’t function charitable giving packages.
Happsy
Whereas it does depend on latex from Asia, Happsy encourages sustainable rubber plantation practices which, the corporate says, lowers its carbon emissions. Transport latex to its manufacturing facility is its largest carbon footprint contributor. Happsy additionally buys natural cotton from a Texas growers’ collective. When doable, the corporate sources wool from U.S. suppliers however most of its wool comes from New Zealand and Australia. A donor to 1% for the Planet, Happsy is poised to rise in these rankings by including carbon offsets.
PlushBeds
PlushBeds is a number one on-line luxurious mattress producer and retailer, specializing in natural mattresses and bedding. All merchandise are handcrafted of their GOLS and GOTS licensed natural manufacturing facility in California, with free delivery inside the contiguous USA. The corporate gives an intensive collection of licensed natural mattresses at accessible costs, particularly by way of key holidays, so maintain an eye fixed out for his or her promotions. Every of the model’s mattresses is GREENGUARD Gold Certified, guaranteeing your mattress has met among the world’s most rigorous and complete requirements for low chemical emissions. The corporate additionally offers environmental scholarships for school college students, offers again to environmental and social nonprofits, and offsets 100% of its carbon emissions through TerraPass.
Spindle
The Spindle latex mattress options natural Dunlop latex, wool, and cotton and has made a concerted effort within the final yr to transition to licensed natural supplies. Its merchandise additionally function U.S.-grown cotton, which might cut back the carbon footprint of its provide chain when in comparison with cotton grown abroad. It additionally has some very robust charitable giving packages, together with a dedication to donate one mattress for each 10 bought and to donate 10% of its earnings to The Conservation Fund. It may enhance its rating by collaborating in a carbon offset program and incomes GREENGUARD certification.
Noticeably Inexperienced
Nest
One other high quality U.S. mattress producer, Nest makes use of a pleasant array of natural supplies. Their mattresses function a lifetime guarantee, wonderful breathability, and phase-change cooling that makes it cool to the contact. With a design for waste discount, every mattress contains a zipper that permits clients to swap out or substitute the consolation layer, considerably extending the lifetime of the mattress. Through the trial interval, clients may even swap out the layer for a unique really feel. Nest recommends rotating the layer each six months to make sure extra even put on on the mattress. With no recycling, a obscure company giving initiative, and no carbon offset packages, Nest is decrease on the checklist.
Saatva
Saatva has wonderful supplies sourcing processes and builds its mattresses at 19 completely different places and 145 achievement places within the U.S. On common, a mattress travels lower than 100 miles from the manufacturing facility to its new dwelling, saving vitality and supporting the native economic system. This online-only mattress firm sources a few of its supplies from North America. The corporate was based to disrupt the mattress retailer enterprise with less-hassle purchasing on-line. However, it has labored arduous to construct a sustainable mattress. Its latex foam, natural cotton, and wool sourcing — and use of recycled metal spring coils — make Saatva mattresses a strong inexperienced possibility. The corporate may enhance its rating by incomes extra third-party certifications, resembling GREENGUARD and GOTS-certified natural supplies and by offsetting its emissions.
Beforehand in High 10
Tuft & Needle
Tuft & Needle is the darling of Silicon Valley, based by sleep nerds who constructed a strong enterprise with retail places in a number of states. It makes nice strides to make sure unhazardous substances and flame retardancy and it’s out there on Amazon.com. Nonetheless, it doesn’t include natural substances, offset its carbon emissions, or present mattress recycling and gives little info on charitable giving.
Casper
Casper has created a sensation on-line, contributing to the recognition of mattress-in-a-box merchandise by way of on-line and retail places. Its engineers work to enhance the consolation and sustainability of its mattresses, however the firm doesn’t publish in depth provide chain info to validate its supplies sourcing and makes no funding in carbon offsets. We’re, nevertheless, very impressed with Casper’s charitable efforts. The corporate has contributed greater than 70,000 instances to homeless and ladies’s shelter packages, in addition to worker volunteers who work with Begin Small Suppose Large in addition to Ladies In Want. Casper can enhance within the rankings with extra transparency and an effort to scale back its general carbon footprint and to supply natural supplies.
Spindle
Spindle doesn’t pitch itself as making an authorized natural mattress; slightly, it focuses on utilizing “pure” supplies that obtain the perfect worth. It additionally has one of many longest provide chains within the trade, sourcing latex and cotton from Central America, Asia, and India with none accompanying carbon offset efforts. Nonetheless, its use of U.S. wool and, when doable, U.S.-grown cotton does decrease its carbon footprint when these provides can be found. It may enhance in our rankings by offsetting its carbon footprint and publishing details about its charitable packages.
EcoCloud by WinkBed
Composed of Talalay latex and pocketed coils, with an natural cotton and wool cowl, this mattress is understood to wick moisture. The EcoCloud by WinkBed has a powerful checklist of certifications together with OEKO-TEX, Rainforest Alliance, and GOTS-certified cotton however little info on how and the place the supplies are sourced.
Editor’s be aware: We initially revealed this purchaser’s information on September 28, 2018. We up to date the rankings in Might 2022.
