Casper. These popular, inexpensive mattresses contain a top latex layer that is Oeko-Tex certified, but I’m not crazy about the memory foam component (which is not certified and contains polyurethane).
The flame retardants seem pretty safe:
“A fire-retardant, knit-sock covers the foam before the outer cover is placed on the mattress. The knit sock is made from a proprietary yarn with a silica core and a polyester/acrylic/nylon/rayon outer wrap. The knit-sock is made without any toxic chemicals and each component is OEKO-TEX® certified.”
However, the latex in the lower layers is not 100%-natural, but rather a blend, and synthetic latex can be very toxic when made from carcinogenic styrene. Readers who have purchased a Casper mattress have complained of the smell and sore throats.
Colgate’s “eco” crib mattresses claim to be made of “the finest non-toxic materials in the marketplace.” In reality, Colgate mattresses contain vinyl and polyurethane.
Eco Dream mattresses are basically just memory foam mattresses that don’t even make claims of non-toxicity!
IntelliBED claims to be non-toxic, and is heavily promoted by natural parenting bloggers. The only certification they have received is the dubious CertiPUR. They claim that they use soy-based foam, but companies can make this claim when the mattress contains only a small percentage of soy foam (the rest being petroleum-derived polyurethane).
And IntelliBED gives no specifics about their foam. IntelliBED makes mattresses from a number of materials that immediately disqualify them from our list of Good Stuff. They use memory foam, various “gels” and foams, and unknown materials with names like “Titanium Infused Energex” (whatever that is). IntelliBED also seems to carry zero independent certifications regarding the safety of the materials they use
Keetsa mattresses (which are manufactured in China), are described by many retailers as “natural” or “green.”
The company is, in fact, pretty transparent, and clearly states that, “Keetsa’s mission is to deliver a comfortable, affordable, and durable mattress in an eco-friendly manner. We are not producing organic or natural mattresses. By replacing some of the petroleum product with cedar oil and introducing green tea extract into the mixture, we have created a foam that is less toxic and has a less-offensive odor than traditional foam. We also utilize sustainable materials, such as bamboo, in our cover materials.”
Layla, like so many others, is a memory foam mattress with only a CertiPUR certification.
Moonlight Slumber set off an alarm for me right away with their bogus certification: “Green Safety Shield” is their own certification, and is not third (or even second!) party. They do have testing that shows no VOCs from their mattresses, but that’s only one issue of concern. I’m more worried about their “Visco foam,” whatever that is!
They do have a CertiPUR certification, but this is from a polyurethane industry group. Finally, their flame retardant is proprietary, although they claim it’s natural and free of chemicals.
Natura mattresses may contain (depending on the model you select) boric acid and fiberglass flame-retardants, petroleum-derived latex (as in, not the kind from rubber trees), and nanoparticles.
Nectar has CertiPUR certification and is free of PBDEs. In other words, nothing about this mattress is particularly non-toxic, but it’s better than a standard mattress.
Nest Bedding says that they are an “Organic, Natural, and Certified Bedding and Mattress Company,” but they, too, rely on only CertiPUR certification.
Purple mattresses don’t have any of the certifications we look for even for our Okay Stuff category. Purple has CertiPUR, but nothing more. So if you’re wondering, “Are Purple mattresses non-toxic?” the answer is unfortunately, no.
Saatva and their sister company Loom & Leaf are memory foam mattresses with only CertiPUR certifications. They use only about 30% “plant-based foams.” The rest is petroleum-based.
The Sealy Naturalis mattress has an organic cotton layer; unfortunately, it is surrounded by a vinyl cover.
Swiss Dreams mattresses appear to have exactly zero certifications, making it impossible to back up any of their claims of non-toxicity.
YogaBed doesn’t even really make any claims of non-toxicity, but I’m calling it Sneaky Stuff. Anything with “yoga” in the name is trying to project a green image, don’t you think?
ZenHaven is just another mattress company jumping on the greenwashing bandwagon, and they have no certifications. This is not a non-toxic mattress.
932 comments
John Goss
https://qualitysleepshop.com/collections/our-collection
John Goss
A quick review of the Woolroom website leads me to believe that their products are safe.
jaderraana
Hi,
Have you looked in the mattresses from woolroom? https://www.thewoolroom.com/us/wool-beds-mattresses/wool-mattresses/ Thanks!jaderraana
Hi John,
Can you please elaborate on what is the parent company of MyGreen Mattress? I could not find any such information online. Everything is about how it is a small family business. Thanks.animalkel
I need a recommendation on a mattress that would work in a guest room queen Murphy bed, so would be stored up on its side the majority of the time. The Murphy bed manufacturer (Wilding Wall Beds) highly recommends the mattresses they have partnered with to sell that have been specifically made to use in Murphy beds to not slump or sag when standing on end. I understand the importance of a more stable standing mattress to not damage the mattress in the long run from being stored upright, but the ones they have that are made to not slump are made by Serta and I know how toxic they can be. We have Naturepedic and MyGreenMattress already in our house, so don’t want to go back to a toxic mattress for this guest bedroom Murphy bed. Any suggestions of a more stable mattress that won’t sag or slump when standing on its side most of the time? Thank you!