The Best Organic Mattress (2020)
Are you looking for a mattress that’s good for you and the environment? Natural and organic mattresses solve both problems with materials that are good for you and the earth, and won’t bring harsh chemicals into your bedroom.
After looking at quality, organic materials, and safe emissions certifications, we’ve rounded up the best organic mattresses to buy online. All of our picks are considered bed-in-a-box mattresses, so you can buy them online and wait for a simple at-home delivery. You won’t miss the in-store shopping experience when you get to test out your mattress from the comfort of your home, with trial periods ranging from 100 days to a whole year.
If you’re ready to take your health to the next level with an eco-friendly mattress, take a look at our mattress reviews for the best organic mattresses on the market.
Our top picks for the best organic mattress:
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1. Awara - Best Value
The Awara mattress meets industry standard clean certifications, and comes with an affordable price and an unbeatable trial period. With a queen size running customers just $999, it’s the obvious choice for the best organic mattress for the money.
Besides the affordable price tag, you can be sure you’re committing to a mattress that really suits you with a generous 365 day trial period.
Awara’s materials should satisfy eco-friendly shoppers. The core is made from GOLS certified, 100% organic Dunlop latex, two chemical free core layers, and is encased in an all natural cotton and wool cover. Awara takes its commitment to the environment one step further by planting a tree for every mattress sold, reducing its carbon footprint.
Back sleepers in particular will find the Awara mattress to be a good fit. The 5-zoned pocket coils provide targeted support to different body regions, which is important for spinal alignment. Since latex is naturally cooling and hypoallergenic, it’s a great choice for anyone who sleeps hot or struggles with allergies from dust mites.
- Mattress Type: Hybrid
- Mattress Advisor Score: 8.8/10
- Customer Rating: 4.8/5
- Firmness: Medium-Firm, 7/10
- Trial Period: 365 days
2. ZenHaven - Best for Back Pain
Although Saatva mattresses have environmentally friendly components, ZenHaven is a truly natural mattress line. The ZenHaven mattress has three layers of all natural materials, including 100% talalay latex. Boasting two firmness options with just the flip of your mattress, you can target back pain with the firm side, and switch any time if you prefer a softer feel in the future, making it one of the best mattresses for pregnant women looking for an organic option.
Back pain needs targeted support. With the ZenHaven mattress, 5-zone coils support your body where you need it most, keeping your spine in alignment. An added bonus is that it’s two sided. For the firmer or softer version of your mattress, all you need to do is flip it over. Just ask for help, because it’s a heavy one.
Organic New Zealand wool and organic cotton cover the mattress, making it moisture wicking and naturally flame retardant, without the use of any harmful chemicals.
- Mattress Type: Hybrid
- Mattress Advisor Score: 8.6/10
- Customer Rating: 4.9/5
- Firmness: Soft Side - 4.5/10; Firm Side - 7.8/10
- Trial Period: 120 days
3. Avocado Green - Best for Cooling
Hot sleepers can have trouble getting restful shut-eye, and the health effects don’t stop there. For a cleaner mattress and cooling night’s sleep, we’ve selected the Avocado Green as one of the best cooling mattresses, both inside and out.
Heat transfer, airflow, and moisture retention are important factors to consider when choosing a mattress that keeps you cool. The Avocado Green mattress ranks well for all three points. It’s made of 100% natural Dunlop latex, a naturally cooling material that encourages airflow and doesn’t trap heat. Additionally, a pure wool outer layer keeps you comfortable with its moisture-wicking properties. Even if you sweat overnight, the wool helps keep your mattress dry, making for a cleaner and more comfortable mattress that will last you longer.
Check out our other top picks for the best cooling mattress.
If you want the feel of a traditional mattress, you can opt for the European Pillow-Top cover for added plushness. Combination sleepers can get comfortable in any position with this mattress.
You can feel good about your decision to purchase an Avocado Green mattress as it is GREENGUARD Gold Certified by UL Environment. This means it stood up to rigorous scientific testing to ensure low levels of chemical and pollutant emissions. With natural latex inside, and a certified organic cotton covering, you can rest assured that this mattress is good for your health.
An Avocado Green mattress will keep you cool all night long, with materials you can feel good about.
- Mattress Type: Hybrid
- Mattress Advisor Score: 8.3/10
- Customer Rating: 5/5
- Firmness: 7/10 or 6/10 with European Pillow-Top customization
- Trial Period: 100 days
4. Nest Hybrid Latex - Best for Joint Pain
The Nest Hybrid Latex is a hybrid mattress constructed from a hybrid foam and pocketed coils. This construction offers excellent pressure relief and spinal alignment, which is why we’ve selected it as the best mattress for joint pain.
If you’ve ever woken up feeling achy or sore, your mattress may not be working hard enough for you. Pressure relief and spinal alignment are important for everyone, but especially for those who feel the effects of sore joints and muscles in the morning. If you suffer from arthritis, back pain, or are just an active person, your mattress should be helping you recover overnight. Without the right mattress, you could be missing out on the restorative support that your body needs.
The Nest Hybrid Latex mattress scored highly for both spinal alignment and pressure relief, giving achy muscles and joints a much needed break overnight. The Nest also comes in three firmness options: plus, medium, or firm — making it one of the best mattresses for seniors seeking customizable relief from joint pain.
The materials used will satisfy most eco-conscious mattress shoppers, too. The latex foam used in the mattress’ core is OEKO-TEX certified, and the cotton cover is made from GOTS certified cotton.
- Mattress Type: Hybrid
- Mattress Advisor Score: 8.7/10
- Customer Rating: 4.3/5
- Firmness: Plush, Medium, or Firm
- Trial Period: 100 days
5. Birch by Helix - Best for Couples
Sharing a bed shouldn’t keep you up all night — but it’s one of the top reasons women say they’re getting enough sleep. The Birch by Helix mattress can help you stay asleep even if your partner tosses and turns. With a high rating for motion isolation, Birch by Helix is our choice for the best organic mattress for couples.
Not only does this mattress limit motion transfer, but it’s a comfortable base for side sleepers in particular. This medium-firm mattress contours to your body, relieving pressure in the most common places.
This is a high quality mattress that’s built to last, with materials you can trust. The non-toxic latex foam is GreenGuard Gold certified, plus it’s covering is made from USA-origin organic cotton and organic New Zealand wool.
- Mattress Type: Hybrid
- Mattress Advisor Score: 8.7/10
- Customer Rating: 4.7/5
- Firmness: Medium-Firm, 7/10
- Trial Period: 100 days
What to Look for in an Organic Mattress
Not all mattress brands are created equally, and that goes for organic mattresses too. There are certain things to look out for when deciding on an eco-friendly mattress, from what’s used in the making of the mattress to your unique sleeping needs. Here are some key factors to be aware of when making your decision.
Certified Natural vs Organic Latex Material
For peace of mind that you’re getting a truly organic mattress, look for any of the industry standard certifications for Latex. Latex is sourced from the sap of rubber trees, and needs to undergo processing to render it in a usable form for production.
While any mattress can claim to be 100% natural, organic certification requires at least 95% of the materials to be organic — determined by rigorous testing. For a non-toxic mattress, look out for an organic certification.
Firmness that suits your body
You may have noticed that all of the mattresses on our list are hybrids using latex, but the firmness varies among them. The positioning of coils, mattress pads, and additional layers all affect the firmness and support of your mattress. Since more and more consumers are looking to upgrade their bedrooms to be eco-friendly, going organic doesn’t mean you have to give up on support that your body needs. Organic mattresses come in a wide range of firmnesses, and some are even customizable, so make sure you consider this important factor before making a decision.
Sleep Trial
Buying a bed-in-a-box mattress brand means you get the benefit of trying out your mattress for real, in your home, instead of testing out different models on a showroom floor.
All of our picks for the best organic mattresses offer a minimum 100 day trial period, but some give you a whole year to make up your mind. When choosing an organic mattress, think about what problems you hope to solve with it. Are you struggling with allergens during peak allergy season, and want to see if a hypoallergenic mattress will help? Are you tossing and turning in sweat in the heat of summer, and need a cooling mattress? Consider when your trial will expire, and how that could affect your experience of the mattress.
Regardless of when you decide to buy, a long at-home trial gives you a real chance to adjust to the feel of your new mattress, and decide if it’s the best choice for you.
Organic or Natural Mattress Certifications
Upgrading your mattress to organic is an important step towards living a more environmentally friendly life, and improving your health. But how do you know if you’re getting what you pay for?
There are many possible organic certifications out there for organic mattresses. We know this can seem overwhelming, so we’ve put together the most common industry-standard certifications for organic mattresses.
One thing to keep in mind during your research is that natural does not mean organic. Any mattress company can claim to have a natural product, but only certified organic mattresses have gone through rigorous testing to prove it.
Mattress Certifications typically focus either on materials, or product emissions. Some mattresses may have both certifications, but not always. In addition to what is being tested, it’s important to remember that not every certification is synonymous with organic, and there are different standards for each organization.
Here are some of the most popular certifications and what they mean for your mattress.
Materials Testing:
For a truly organic mattress, look to materials testing certifications like those below. Most of these certifications indicate organic materials by some definition, with the exception of the CertiPUR-US rating. Here’s what to look for to ensure your mattress is using environmentally friendly materials.
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): According to GOTS, organic materials must only be 70% organic to get the GOTS seal of approval - the other 30% of the material just can’t contain harmful chemicals or pollutants. This certification process is a bit unique as it evaluates organic fibers through every step of the manufacturing process.
Our choice for the best organic mattress for joint pain, the Nest Hybrid Latex mattress, bares the GOTS certification for its cotton mattress covering.
Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS): GOLS is similar to GOTS, but specifically tests latex products. To qualify for the Global Organic Latex Standard certification, the material must be deemed to be at least 95% organic.
The Awara mattress, our pick for best value organic mattress, is made from GOLS certified organic Dunlop Latex.
USDA Organic Certification: Typically associated with food and plants, USDA Organic certification applies to cotton, wool, and latex materials in mattresses. Currently, there are three possible certifications you could find tacked onto a mattress:
- 100% organic certification
- 95% organic certification
- Made with organic materials
Certipur-US: CertiPUR-US certified foam mattresses have been tested to confirm low levels of harmful materials like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), PBDEs, heavy metals, ozone depleters, specific phthalates, and formaldehyde. You’ve probably come across this certification before as it’s fairly common and among the lowest industry standards, but it is not synonymous with organic. However, it’s still a good baseline for eco-friendly foam products.
Emissions Testing:
New products in your home can release harmful toxins into the air. This is called off-gassing, and is the result of both the materials used in construction as well as the the production process.
These certifications each test the emissions of the mattress in question, and some look to the production process beforehand as well. Any of these certifications confirm low VOC levels, and limited pollutant emissions.
Although these certifications don’t determine whether or not a mattress is organic, it’s a valuable marker to determine whether the product is clean and safe to bring into your home. Here are the certifications to look for so you can breathe easy about your mattress purchase.
GreenGuard or GreenGuard Gold: There are two possible ratings: GreenGuard, for a good result, and GreenGuard Gold for an excellent testing result. This certifies low emissions from the finished product mattress.
Both the Avocado Green mattress and Birch by Helix mattress are GreenGuard Gold certified, so you know that both of these picks have low VOC emissions once in your home.
OEKO-TEX standard 100: OEKO-TEX Standard certification evaluates emission levels off of your mattress, and confirms low levels of pollutants and VOCs.
The Nest Hybrid Latex mattress’ latex foam core is OEKO-TEX certified, making it a healthy choice for anyone looking to target aches and pains with an organic mattress.
Eco-Institut: This German organization is another industry standard for clean emissions from materials used. In particular, textiles are tested for harmful chemicals like fire retardants and heavy metals.
Organic Mattress Materials
Organic or Natural Latex
Latex is a material created from processing the sap of rubber trees, and is the most common material for organic mattresses. Since latex is naturally cooling and hypoallergenic, you’ll be able to sleep comfortably and cleanly on this material.
Organic or natural latex mattresses may take some getting used to if you’re accustomed to traditional innerspring mattresses, but if feel is a concern, you might compare the difference in texture between dunlop latex, talalay latex, and hybrid latex mattresses. Each offers a slightly different firmness and responsiveness levels, giving you plenty of options on the organic mattress market.
Hybrid
Latex hybrid mattresses are very common among organic mattress offerings. The mix of natural latex and some coils inside provides a comfortable feel with the benefits of both materials. While not all coils and springs are organic, some mattresses do use recycled steel for a reduced environmental impact.
Organic Cotton
Many organic mattresses come with an organic cotton covering, meaning that the cotton itself has been tested to be free from certain harmful chemicals. Often times, organic cotton coverings are lined with organic wool. Cotton is known to be a breathable textile that promotes airflow, making it a comfortable addition to your organic mattress.
Organic Wool
New Zealand Organic Wool, in particular, is a common material used in organic mattresses. Why? Because it’s naturally flame retardant. This satisfies mattress production requirements without the chemical alternatives like PBDES.
Additionally, wool enhances your comfort and health due to its moisture wicking properties. It helps keep your mattress dry, which leads to a cleaner base and longer lifespan.
Memory Foam
Memory foam has become a popular mattress material known for its comfort, but it’s impossible to get a 100% organic memory foam mattress. The material is entirely manmade, coming from polyurethane foam, although “natural” memory foam can use plant based oils to replace part of the polyurethane chemical content. Due to the chemical nature of this material, organic certification isn’t possible. However, if you hope to stick with memory foam mattresses, opting for a CertiPUR-US certification confirms that your mattress is free of harmful chemicals like VOCs, heavy metals, and pollutants.
FAQs About the Best Organic Mattress
Why should I buy a natural or organic mattress?
To earn the title of organic, the materials that make up a mattress need to go undergo rigorous testing. Without this testing, you could be exposing yourself and your family to harmful chemicals, or supporting manufacturing processes that aren’t sustainable. When you decide to go organic in your bedroom, you reduce you and your family’s exposure to harmful chemicals, while keeping allergens at bay.
Another benefit of going organic with your mattress is naturally flame retardant organic wool. While mattresses are now legally required to protect against open flames and embers, the wool layers on many organic mattress combats the threat without exposing you to the harsh side effects of chemical flame retardants like polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. Finally, know that you don’t have to sacrifice quality when you go organic. Latex, the most common material in organic mattresses, is known to be a durable material, so you can rest assured that an investment in an organic mattress will last you for years to come.
What’s the difference between a natural and organic mattress?
While both natural and organic mattresses sound good to the ear, keep in mind that only certified organic mattresses can be trusted to have environmentally sound and safe materials used in it. Each certification varies slightly in its requirements and evaluation. But, at the bare minimum at least 95% of the materials used must be organic for the product to be certified.
Are memory foam mattresses organic?
Some people like memory foam for its soft feel and motion transfer capabilities. However, memory foam is laden with chemicals, making it a no-go for any organic mattress list. Unlike memory foam, organic latex is sourced from rubber trees, and processed to turn it into the usable material you find in your mattress. While there are some chemicals involved in this process, emissions and materials testing can certify that your latex mattress is safe to bring home.
Conclusion
Organic products are good for you, and you can feel good knowing that your purchase isn’t hurting you, your family, or the environment. When it comes to organic mattresses, it’s important to find one with organic materials that stand up to testing, but also that meets your needs and budget.
To keep you healthy and comfortable, we’ve rounded up the best organic mattresses to buy online, based on materials used, certifications, and mattress reviews.
If you’re ready to make the leap to a natural, organic mattress, here’s a reminder of our top choices:
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