Mattress Hunting? Why Natural Latex Beds Are the Way to Go
I was thinking about the amount of time that I spend in my bed, and how little I knew about how it was made or how if might be affecting my body. When I looked into it a little this week, I was horrified at the result!
Not only are most beds filled with chemicals (both for the main materials and to meet fire-retardant requirements), but it is very difficult to actually find an all-natural mattress. This is because of limited availability, but also because mattress retailers are very deceptive in how they advertise their products.
Here are the top tips for finding a truly all-natural mattress.
Start and End Your Search With Latex
Latex foam generally has a similar feel to memory foam. However, the difference is that memory foam is always chemical based (polyurethane, to be exact). If you find an organic memory foam mattress, you’ve actually found a lying salesman!
On the other hand, a latex mattress can be natural (though read on, it isn’t always). Natural latex comes from rubber trees, and is really the only option for a truly all natural mattress (unless you are willing to sleep on a combination of leaves and horse hair).
Not Any Latex Mattress Will Do
Though latex can be natural, not all latex is natural. Synthetic latex does exist, and is much cheaper (and thus much more prevalent).
This is where many of the “natural” companies will trick you – they will make your bed 10% natural latex, 90% synthetic latex, and call it a natural mattress. Not really natural in my opinion!
What to do? Ask if it’s 100% natural latex, every time. When you stumble on the right company, they won’t shy away from this question – rather they’ll spend the rest of the day telling you about how all of their mattress materials are sourced (usually from Sri Lanka).
Buy Online (But Still Expect To Pay A Premium)
As with many natural products, there is a premium on a natural mattress. Unfortunately the mattress industry margins are bloated in general, so the few traditional mattress companies that make natural mattresses will set you back $5k or more.
However recently, a few companies that sell only online have started making all-natural mattresses. This lets them cut out a lot of the excess cost in the business model, and bring the mattress price down to a (relatively) reasonable level. I’d suggest starting with Zenhaven and Plushbeds and going from there.
Last Word
A latex mattress is not easy to find, and ends up being pretty significantly more expensive when you pull the trigger. However I personally think the benefits are well worth the effort (and cash). And as more people demand natural options, prices will surely come down!
This post is sponsored.
Lindsay E. Brown
Lindsay has spent her career at the intersection of media and social change. In her role at Eco-Chick, Lindsay has established partnerships and campaigns with some of the world’s most-recognized companies committed to sustainability and CSR. She co-created the popular interview series “Heroines for the Planet” that features groundbreaking women who share courage and a deep passion for protecting people and the Earth. Lindsay is the Marketing and Sustainability Manager at Health-Ade Kombucha and previously served as Director of Communications at the social enterprise CBS EcoMedia. There she directed corporate advertising dollars to the nation’s most effective non-profits tackling urgent social issues in local communities and was awarded CBS Corporation’s prestigious Share-the-Vision award. She has written for Whole Living Magazine, Edible, Cottages & Gardens, From The Grapevine, EarthHour.org, Eco-Age.com, and for environmentalists Laura Turner Seydel and Susan Rockefeller. Lindsay holds a BS in Global Business Studies and Marketing from Manhattan College, and received the 2012 Honors Award at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
