Fire “Safety” in Mattresses
Mattresses are required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to meet flammability laws. This previously meant that they were almost always treated with bromated or chlorinated flame-retardant chemicals, typically one of the first three on this list:
- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers. PBDEs are associated with hormone-disruption and neurodevelopmental delays, including lowered IQ. The European Union has banned the use of PBDEs in electronic devices. Studies show that children in the United States have higher levels of PBDEs than adults do. Oh, and here’s the kicker: they don’t even work very well at stopping fires!
- Firemaster 550. This nasty chemical cocktail is made with bis (2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate (TBPH). Yes, you saw that word in there: phthalate. TBPH is nearly identical to DEHP, the phthalate banned in children’s products (including mattresses!!) due to evidence of carcinogenicity and developmental toxicity.
- Chlorinated tris. This is the notorious chemical that was removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970s because it was shown to cause cancer.
- Halogen-free flame retardants. This newer class of chemicals (such as ammonium polyphosphate, aluminium diethyl phosphinate, and melamine polyphosphate) is believed to be much less likely to bioaccumulate than bromated flame retardants. I still prefer my mattresses to be free of even these.
In addition to these notoriously toxic flame retardants, companies may use some of the following ingredients to pass flammability tests: boric acid, silica, melamine, vinylidene chloride, and fiberglass.
The Importance of Fiberglass-Free Mattresses
Fiberglass isn’t a chemical flame retardant, but it can still come with some serious health risks.
Here’s just two reasons that buying mattresses without fiberglass is important:
- No more itchy nights. Fiberglass particles can easily escape from mattress covers. This can cause itching, redness, and respiratory issues like coughing and wheezing. This is especially concerning for children and those with sensitive skin or allergies.
- Better indoor air quality. Fiberglass dust can also float around, potentially triggering coughs, wheezing, and generally messing with your respiratory system.
A Myth About Off-Gassing
Many of my clients think that their mattresses are okay if they are old because they have “already off-gassed.” Unfortunately, this is not true in the case of foam mattresses. In fact, as the foam degrades, more PBDEs (hormone-disrupting flame retardants) may be released.
Are Mattress Coils Dangerous?
There has been a lot of online chatter in recent years regarding metal coils in mattresses. We paid close attention to this and did some research, and we arrived at the conclusion that steel springs present no established danger.
We simply cannot find any credible evidence showing that metal coils can act like an antenna and concentrate EMFs into our sleeping bodies. Phew–one less thing to worry about!
What Is the Least Toxic Mattress Material?
A toxin-free mattress will likely contain some combination of the following materials:
- Organic wool (untreated) is naturally flame- and mildew/dust mite-resistant.
- 100% natural latex (made from rubber trees) is safer than latex blends. The latter may contain petroleum-based polyurethane. It’s important to note that no latex foam mattress can be 100% natural or organic. Turning latex rubber to foam necessitates the use of chemicals, period. Certified latex mattresses simply have less chemical content.
- Organic cotton (grown in untreated soil, without pesticides) can be used for batting or mattress wrapping. There is a robust debate about whether or not the herbicides and pesticides used on cotton crops will wash/bleach out as the cotton is processed. Most studies show that it does, but some folks believe that a residue remains. We believe that the risk of sleeping on a mattress or sheets made from conventionally grown cotton is tiny. Still, for the good of the planet, we should all choose organically-grown cotton whenever possible.
- Trusted certifications from third-party certifying bodies mean that some ingredients in the mattress have been vetted by organizations committed to improving air quality. This also means a safer sleeping surface for you. However, all certifications are not created equally, as you’ll learn below.
Dunlop Versus Talalay Latex in the Best Non-Toxic Mattress Brands
You’ll probably read a lot about Talalay versus Dunlop latex in your search for the best organic mattress. In terms of comfort, Dunlop is firmer and Talalay is lighter and softer. If you’re looking for a GOLS-certified mattress (more on this below), you’ll need to choose a mattress made of Dunlop latex.
Don’t Be Fooled By…
The mattress industry is full of greenwashing. Here are just a few claims that should alert you that a brand may be Sneaky Stuff.
- “Natural latex.” Petroleum comes from the earth, so petroleum-based mattresses can be “natural.” A “natural latex mattress” may only contain only 50% natural latex and may be blended with polyurethane foam and treated with various VOCs. Look for mattresses that specify that they are made from only 100% natural latex.
- “All-natural wool,” “pure wool” or “eco-wool.” Unless wool is certified organic, it is likely processed conventionally with a variety of chemicals. You may or may not be okay with this (I feel that the flame retardants are more concerning). In some cases, a wool producer may not bother with organic certification, despite organic practices.
- Biofoam. Soy- or plant-foam is still made of mostly polyurethane. Biofoam mattresses typically contain less than 20% plant material.
- Certifications. Oftentimes, these certifications apply only to certain parts of the mattress, not necessarily the mattress as a whole. In some cases, the mattress company creates its own certification. You will read more about these certifications in a moment.
Bottom line: There is a lot of deceptive marketing in the mattress world. It is not illegal to throw around terms like “natural,” “green,” and even “organic” without actually having to prove anything.
What to Know About Mattress Certifications
Sorting through mattress certifications is maddening. Here’s just some of why that is:
- First of all, not all certifications are created equal. Some offer great assurance that your new mattress will be non-toxic, while others are essentially meaningless.
- What’s more, just because a company shows a certification doesn’t mean all of the material in that mattress is certified. One of our readers wrote to us about a mattress that contained Oeko-Tex 100 certified wool, but the company wouldn’t confirm that they solely purchase the wool from this source. Thus, in this case, it would be impossible to know if the mattress you’re purchasing contains the certified wool or not, to say nothing of the other materials in this mattress.
- Sometimes, a mattress will claim to have a certification that they don’t really have. One of the most common deceptive practices is when a manufacturer claims to have GOLS certification for their latex mattress, and even display the GOLS logo on their website. They might even show an actual copy of it on their website, complete with date and signatures. If, however, the certificate is not written to the same name as the manufacturer, it is not particularly meaningful. They are commonly written to a latex supplier out of Sri Lanka, India or South America. Such a certification shows only that the latex was certified up to that point on its journey to becoming someone’s bed. Between Sri Lanka and your bedroom, all sorts of things can happen to the latex to cause it to be more toxic than the certification implies.
So, how do you know if a mattress is non-toxic?
Best Non-Toxic Mattress Certifications
The two certifications to look for in your mattress are GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard).
(And again, the best non-toxic mattress brands have these certifications written directly to the mattress manufacturer.)
To obtain a GOTS certification, at least 95% of the mattress must be made of certified-organic materials. Certain chemistries are prohibited entirely, even for that other 5%. A GOTS certification on a mattress means that the entire manufacturing and distribution process is environmentally safe and socially responsible.
Prohibited materials and contaminants in a GOTS-certified mattress include:
- Polyurethane foam
- Heavy metals
- Formaldehyde
- The fire retardants listed above
One thing we love about GOTS certification is that in order to obtain it, a mattress must be produced in a facility that is also certified. In fact, GOTS certifiers visit production facilities as part of the certification process. (If you are curious about a brand that we don’t review in this guide, you can check for GOTS certification in the GOTS database.)
Similar to GOTS, a GOLS certification means that the mattress is made of at least 95% organic latex. This means that 5% of the latex can be made of synthetic materials, although these are still restricted in some important ways). A GOLS certification requires third-party testing and inspections by certifiers.
Good Non-Toxic Mattress Certifications
While OEKO-TEX Standard 100 doesn’t require any organic materials to be used in a mattress, it does set limits for VOC emissions (such as formaldehyde). It also prohibits the use of dangerous flame-retardants and dyes. When looking at mattresses, the highest level of OEKO-TEX certification is Class 1.
Greenguard-certified mattresses have been tested for, and are within limits of, several hundred VOCs, including formaldehyde. Greenguard Gold has stricter standards than plain old Greenguard, but they are not testing for flame retardants or PFAS.
Okay Non-Toxic Mattress Certifications
Organic Content Standard 100 just means that some of the ingredients are organic. This certification doesn’t ban flame-retardants or other harmful chemicals.
CertiPUR was developed “by members of the global foam industry,” although it does ban the use of some chemicals, such as PBDE flame-retardants and formaldehyde. It’s important to know that CertiPUR does not certify an entire mattress, only the foam portion.
A Sneaky Mattress Certification
NAOMI (National Association of Organic Mattress Industry) was created by Pure Rest Organics, which is a mattress company. Obviously this means that a NAOMI certification no way independent or third-party
The Bottom Line on Non-Toxic Mattress Certifications
When it comes to mattress certifications, most are of SOME value, but they can be used sneakily by mattress manufacturers.
You really need to ask to see the actual signed certification, keeping in mind that if it’s out of date, it’s worthless. You also want to make sure that the entire factory that produces your mattress is certified to be free of toxins, particularly flame retardants. This will guarantee that you don’t have to worry about cross-contamination and mattress health issues.
If You Can’t Afford the Best Non-Toxic Mattress
Maybe you’ve looked all the way down to our Okay Stuff category and checked out the coupons (top of this page), and you simply don’t have it in your budget to upgrade to a safe mattress right now.
Readers often ask: “How do I protect myself from a toxic mattress?”
Unfortunately, there’s no way to wrap a mattress to protect yourself from VOCs. However, running a robust air filter will go a long way towards purifying your indoor air. I have the Austin HealthMate PLUS Air Purification System in my bedroom because while I do have a toxin-free mattress, I also have other furniture and rugs that aren’t as clean. I love knowing that the air filter is mitigating the damage!
You also might consider a futon as an alternative to an expensive, non-toxic mattress. They are much more comfortable than they were in your childhood, and I love the ones by Soaring Heart in particular. (Conventional or Sneaky futons will be loaded with all the same scary chemicals as mattresses.)
Here’s where I explain the difference between a mattress and a futon:
929 comments
N
Could you please mention which certifications are missing? Brentwood Cedar Natural has both GOLS and GOTS made out to them. This Brentwood mattress seems to have the exact same certifications that Avocado has (sister companies). They have been making many updates including removing hydrated silica and relying on wool for natural fire retardant properties.
Could you please describe why Avocado is not in the Best category? You have updated Avocado info with the news that they have GOTS and GOLS, so is it still not in the BEST category?J
Could you please elaborate? The Brentwood Cedar Natural seems to have been updated quite a bit. It does look like all they have all the certifications that you mention here and more. You can even verify it with GOLS etc:
Could you please describe why they are not in the Best category? You have updated Avocado info with the news that they have GOTS and GOLS, so is it still not in the BEST category? Both these companies have been very responsive and forthcoming with any questions that you may have. Brentwood was not on my list until I started looking into them. I’d appreciate any further insights . Thank you.Their sister company Avocado’s Green mattress is also similar in terms of certification and materials. Their coil systems are different.
Erin Stebbins
Thanks for all the great research! Based on an earlier version of this guide I purchased a Metta Bed for my daughter. Was going to buy another of the same for my son who now is out of his crib but I don’t see it on here anymore, are they no longer good stuff?
christina Brooks
Just want to give a disclaimer to those looking at the EcoTerra brand… I purchased their mattress topper. The product photos display the topper has a cover. FIVE out of seven photos show a cover on the topper. The mattress topper DOES NOT come with a cover once you open the package. There is no option to add a cover or buy one anywhere on the site. It’s false advertising and even the language of the listing suggests how to care for the cover and the materials used on the cover.
I emailed “customer service” only to be told they don’t sell the cover with the topper anymore and was directed to a separate company to purchase the cover (“latex for less”). Weird but thought maybe is was a sister company. When I went to it, ALL the photos of the separate company are identical, same listings, same site practically. It’s so sketchy. So my friend who was looking for purchase FIVE mattresses for her new beach house called the company to ask a few questions. They were rude, aggressive and ended up hanging up on her, pretended they had never even heard of “latex for ess” even though “Ken” from their customer service directed us to them in the first place. She went to another company to buy her mattresses (Saatva). It seems like the company outsources their “customer service” to another country, but the service is horrendous and I would return this topper if I could. Super sketched out and don’t even know that I received what i was TOLD the product is. I know there’s TONS of comments but hopefully it saves someone from getting duped. Be super careful with this brand, something sketchy is going on for sure.Aprile
I am extremely sensitive to chemicals and wanted to share my experience with the OMI wave topper. The store where I purchased it ran it through an “air chamber”- a plastic bag with air forced over it, to remove the rubber smell. This did not work. It has been sitting in a room in my house with open windows and fans for 7 months and the rubber smell is still very strong. I told OMI about this and their response was the smell wasn’t toxic, many people say it is reminiscent of a light rose smell. When I repeated for me it was a rubber smell, they said to rub baking soda into it and vacuum it off to remove the smell. This did not work. I set the topper on a bed to complete the vacuuming process and the smell of rubber seeped into comforter on the bed. After I told them this, I haven’t heard anything else. They are in denial that their topper can smell very bad to some people. As a result, I am recycling a mattress topper that cost $800 because I cannot stand have the smell of the rubber in my home, much less sleep on it. If you have chemical sensitivities, I would recommend not buying OMI latex of any kind. I would also recommend buying from a place where you can return it if it is causing health issues for you.
Maia James
Yes, Best Stuff:)
Maia James
They indeed got additional certifications and we are updating our guide!
Maia James
No this mattress does not have PBDEs.
Maia James
Best STuff:) See above for coupon codes.
Maia James
They appear to have updated their certifications and are now at least Good Stuff, possibly even Best Stuff (we are reaching out to them now to sort out where they belong in our updated guide!).
Maia James
Yes, it looks like their certifications have been updated. We are reaching out to them now and will update our guide accordingly.
Maia James
Yes, this is part of the reason we are no longer recommending them.
Maia James
Thank you!!
Maia James
They’ve updated their certifications and we are updating this page accordingly:).
Maia James
Yes, they’ve updated their certifications. We are in the process of updating this page to reflect all the recent changes!
Maia James
Karl-I am going to remove the prior comments where we say that Sleep on Latex does not have the proper certifications in order to avoid confusing our readers.
Maia James
Wanted to update you here Karl—We are seeing that your mattress now indeed has all the certifications written directly in your name. This is great—we will update our guide:)
Jennifer Brodhead
Hi, do you know anything about Zinus Green Tea mattresses? Would the activcharcoal do anything or is that just a gimmick?
johnlockegoss
I will take a look and make any appropriate changes.
johnlockegoss
Revere would not make our Best Stuff or Good Stuff list.
Eliza
My head is spinning! Does anyone know if a Reviere mattress “sleep system” is toxic?
Also my 5 month old is using a new brand named Bubble Bear that came from China.
They both claim to be non toxic but I am now having serious doubts!
Karl Shevick
John,
We have gone back and forth over your statements about our company several times in the past. I remain confused and disappointed by the misinformation that you continually put out about our company. Time and time again, commenters on this page have pointed out that your statements about us are either false or contridictory. The fact is that we have every single certification that you currently recommend (and more). Below is a list of our certifications (all of these certifications cover our complete mattresses): GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) – License #OT-034423 – Issued Directly to Sleep On Latex GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) – Certification #C868773GOLS-02.2020 – Issued Directly to Sleep On Latex Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class 1 – Certification #15.HUS.60646 – Issued Directly to Sleep On Latex Greenguard Gold by UL – Certification #80101-410 – Issued Directly to Sleep On Latex Karl Shevick Founder & CEO Sleep On LatexMark Abrials
This is a wonderful resource, and does a great job explaining what to look for in a mattress and what the certifications mean. I just wanted to note that you should consider adding MADE SAFE® to your list of non-toxic certifications, which we believe is the most stringent standard, screening against more than 6,500 known and even suspected toxins. And it applies to the whole product, rather than just a material, so it is less confusing for customers. As the CMO and a co-founder at Avocado, we have earned GOTS, GOLS, Greenguard and numerous other certification for organic, health and sustainability, all in our brand name, but MADE SAFE® is what we rely on most to validate non-toxic claims related to human and ecological health. I should note that Naturepedic and Happsy also have MADE SAFE®. When you update this article, it would be great to include it for your readers. Keep up the good work.
https://www.madesafe.org/find-products/bedding/
johnlockegoss
Saatva does not have the independent 3rd party certifications we need to see in order to classify them as “Best Stuff”.
johnlockegoss
I don’t think Awara and Avocado are the same manufacturer???
johnlockegoss
Brentwood Home does not have the proper certifications to be included on our “Best Stuff” or “Good Stuff” categories.
johnlockegoss
see below
johnlockegoss
see below
johnlockegoss
My Green does have the proper certifications so don’t worry about your purchase. They are going to be recategorized on our site because we are going to improve a couple aspects of our categories. Your mattress is fine, Do not worry! : )
johnlockegoss
Is that a brand of mattress?
johnlockegoss
I am unfamiliar with a “water cooler type mattress”. Can you post a link?
Thanks,johnlockegoss
Hi Laura,
Flexus does not have the independent 3rd party certifications we look for in a mattress that would make our “Best Stuff” list.
Take a look at the “Best Stuff” category in our Safe Mattress Guide to see options. I think that 1 or 2 of those options should have a King for $1800
https://gimmethegoodstuff.com/safe-product-guides/mattresses/
Maia James
No, Stephanie, they didn’t lose any certifications. Unfortunately, we’d had an upsetting business interaction with them that’s made me question their integrity. But, we have no reason to believe their mattresses are toxic.
Laura Griffith
Do you have an opinion on Flexus Comfort mattresses? I am also considering Happsy, but I am worried that the Happsy mattress may be too firm, and I can’t afford the topper. Flexus has two types of latex mattresses: one is GOLS certified 0 organic latex (more expensive) and the other is Oeko-Tex certified 0 natural latex mattresses. I like the fact that you can choose what firmness level you want. My very tight budget needs to keep it under $1800 for a king, so I am feeling a bit torn as to what to order. I have family that love the mattresses that they gotten from Flexus. Thanks for weighing in on how safe they might be. https://www.flexuscomfort.com/mattresses/latex-mattresses/organic-latex-mattress.html
Emily Watson
Is there any type of Water Cooler Type Mattresses? I want a guide & Reviews Thanks
Hanry Joj
What about Safe & Rouged Mattresses?
Tom
I just noticed the same thing about mygreenmattress. I rely on your site for both reviews and product purchases. I bought a mattress from them recently, and would hate to think I made a mistake. I’m glad to know I didn’t make it up that it was here. Please help.
Liz
When visiting your website before you mentioned MyGreenMattress as being good stuff but when I came back the information was gone. Is MyGreenMattress not good stuff anymore?
Mika
What about mygreenmatress?
Stephanie
Hi Maia,
I’m a huge fan of your website and spend so much time reading your posts. My husband and I finally decided to switch out our old mattress and go non-toxic. After reading your reviews and assessing our budget, we went with a king size and two twin size mattresses from my green mattress. We used your code and got a great discount, thank you so much! I was curious as to why they were removed from your product guide. I would hate to find out that they’ve lost certifications or something of that nature after I invested in them. Thank you in advance! - StephanieElise Cunningham
what about Brentwood home?
helloworld
i thought this guide used to include LifeKind. Weird that it’s not on here – i thought their safety and certs were straightforward!
Kiett
looks horrified at her $gazillion dollar Sleep Number bed!
Shan C
Thank you! This is so helpful! Especially the update. Are you familiar with organix bed (https://organixbed.com)? What are your thoughts about it? I’m not finding much information outside of that site. Thanks!
Natalie Schrunk
Hello! I’m currently looking at the Awara mattress by Avacado. It looks pretty clean to me. Have you seen anything about this one that concerns you? I didn’t see it mentioned above….
Tara Krenek
Do you know if there is a better mattress that would fit the Lotus Guava bassinet?
Maia James
Will add to our list to do a full review, but yes almost certainly better than conventional:) .But like you said, the oversees certifications are not as good as one that’s written directly to the manufacturer itself.
Kristina
Hello! I was interested in hearing more about the Saatva mattress. We bought it a few months ago and I just saw that it’s under the sneaky stuff on your site. Does it have toxic materials? We have a 180 day trial so I think I can still return it. Any help is appreciated!
Thanks so much!
Kristina
Valerie Walker
Have you dealt with Awara Sleep at all? Their mattress looks like it wouldn’t qualify for ‘The Best Stuff’ without the GOLS/GOTS certifications, but has a lot of other good advertised. Wondering if you happened to have any additional info? Thanks!
Alyssa Pagels
Hello!
Whenever you get around to it, I would love to know where you would place Harvest Green Mattress. I guess it’s a newer company (2018). It states it has a number of certifications but they are written to the overseas product supplier – which I know you said is worrisome. Would love to know if it you’d still consider it good stuff, okay? Better than conventional – which we have now. Thanks so much for the work that you all do!I know you are probably swamped constantly with questions, especially with a subject as confusing as mattresses, however…