Top 10 Best Natural Organic Mattresses For 2021

To pick the best natural organic mattresses we sent out a survey to 100 of our most trusted Whole People advisors and we collated and tallied the results. We then did a deep dive on the most recommended organic, non-toxic and eco-friendly mattress brands available online.

For the most part, these are some seriously comfortable mattresses. And that’s important! According to Harvard, the National Sleep Foundation recommends you get on average seven to eight hours of sleep per night. That’s like 1/3 of your life so a comfortable and sustainable mattress is critical.

We also focused on the most affordable online options with direct-to-consumer price savings. Our final choices are all good options if you’re looking for a healthy, non-toxic organic mattress at a great price! Have a good night’s sleep!

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Why Would You Want To Buy An Organic Mattress?

We know you can find “organic” everywhere. It’s on your eggs, it’s on your carrots, it’s on your shoes, so, why wouldn’t you want to buy an organic mattress? Well, given that they carry a price-premium over regular old mattresses, it’s probably best to make sure that they do offer additional value before paying for one, right?

Mattresses have changed a lot over the years.

Back in the middle of the last century, a lot of people smoked, and a lot of foolish people opted to smoke in bed. Then they’d drop their cigarette on their bed, it would catch fire and they’d have an unhappy end.

So, the law changed and in the 21^st century, you’re not allowed to sell a mattress unless it’s fire resistant (by this they mean it mustn’t catch fire if exposed to a cigarette, lighter, candle or even a match).

The trouble with that is it meant dipping your mattress into flame retardant chemicals.

Are All Mattresses 100% Organic?

No. In fact, there tends to be a blend of organic inputs and non-organic inputs for most mattresses. This is because the closer you find yourself getting to 100% organic, the closer you get to needing a second mortgage to pay for a mattress.

So many mid-tier but quality mattresses will use a natural (organic) fire barrier and then cover it in say, organic cotton to eliminate the flame-retardant layers. But inside, they’ll combine synthetic foam and plant-based foam for the comfort side of things.

This means that they are not entirely good for the environment but should be much better for you when compared to old-school flame-retardant mattresses.

Are Organic Mattresses Flame Retardant?

Yes. All mattresses sold in the USA (and most of the developed world) have to be flame retardant in order to be sold to the public.

It was once acceptable to just dip the mattress in flame-retardant chemicals but given the fairly obvious exposure risks when doing this – they stopped doing that.

Now, the vast majority of standard mattress manufacturers fill their mattresses with a fire-retardant foam to meet the standard but as we’ve established, that’s no good for you.

Organic manufacturers, on the other hand, create a natural fiber barrier and use it to completely encase the foams (which burn easily) inside the mattress. Thistle, wool and silica are all perfectly good choices for these sleeves for the foam. We prefer thistle and wool if you’re trying to go 100% organic.

Why Are Flame Retardant Chemicals A Problem?

Flame retardants have been linked to dozens of problems in human being such as thyroid issues, low sperm count and possibly even cancer.

This is obviously a problem if you’re sleeping on them and breathing them in.

Thus, the need for organic mattresses. Not for the “organic” label but to be sure that you’re not sleeping a pile of toxic chemicals.

What Makes A Mattress Organic?

OK, it’s easy enough to say “organic” but in some industries that word has no concrete meaning. Is there an “organic” standard for mattresses or is the burden on the consumer to work out what it’s really made of?

The good news is that the USDA does have a standard for organic mattresses and in order to meet this standard the mattress has to be tested and a fully approved testing authority and it must be certified by that authority.

No certificate? It’s not organic.

There are, however, a bunch of different certifications which can apply to a mattress all of which have relevance to you as a purchase:

• CertiPUR-US – this means that the foams have been made without chemicals that harm the ozone layer, without dangerous flame-retardant chemicals and without heavy metals, phthalates and formaldehyde
  
• GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) – this means that the latex in the entire supply chain meets organic standards
  
• GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) – this means that the textiles in the entire supply chain meet organic standards
  
• GreenGuard – the mattress has been tested to ensure it has very little chemical emissions both in indoor and outdoor conditions
  
• Okeo-Tex Standard 100 – this certifies that the latex used is 100% free of dangerous impurities
  
• Organic Exchange – confirms that all materials have been tracked from end-to-end of the supply chain and are fully organic
  
• USDA Certified Organic – your guarantee that the mattress has been certified by the USDA and its testers as organic

What Benefits Do I Get From An Organic Mattress?

There are four key benefits of using these mattresses to consumers:

• A low level of chemicals – no flame-retardant chemicals means fewer health problems, the organic substitutes are naturally flame-retardant, this also means that they are particularly child-friendly as kids are often more sensitive than adults to these things
  
• Low eco-footprint – organic mattresses consume less resources in their production and have a more ethical supply chain
  
• Fully biodegradable – if you need to throw one out, it will break down naturally and not hang around for a thousand years or more in a landfill
  
• Hypo-allergenic – organic mattresses are far less likely to irritate your skin or respiratory system

What Materials Should I Look For In My Organic Mattress?

You’ve got four main materials used in mattresses:

1. Memory foam. This is a polyurethane foam – it molds to fit your while you sleep and provides pressure relief. The natural version uses plant-based oils and foams to replace some or all of the polyurethane. You cannot get 100% organic memory foam, though.
   
2. Poly foams. This is another form of polyurethane foam and again, it won’t be 100% organic, it has similar but not identical properties to memory foam.
   
3. Latex foam. Latex can be 100% organic and is super comfortable. It’s made from the sap that leaks out of rubber trees. However, watch out for synthetic latex which isn’t completely organic (but is much cheaper, sadly).
   
4. Coils. Not entirely organic but if you like a standard spring mattress these mattresses which use organic cotton bats or pillow-top foams to replace the springs are a good bet for you.

You should buy organic mattresses because they’re good for you, they’re good for the environment and because they’re good for your night’s sleep too.

Best Eco-Friendly, Natural Mattresses

Avocado

The Avocado Green Mattresses are designed in Hoboken and handmade in California, with only the finest organic, natural, and non-toxic materials. 

Their natural mattress features GOLS certified organic latex, and GOTS certified organic wool and cotton.

They even offer a vegan variation of the bed which uses GOTS certified organic cotton instead of wool. Vegan certified, PETA-approved.

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Birch by Helix

The Birch mattresses are created with high-quality products that are both natural and organic.

Do they make the best organic mattress? It’s a tight race and they’re definitely in it.

Their materials come from nature – whether it be the wool sustainably sheared from New Zealand sheep or the latex tapped from trees.

These premium materials are comfortable on your body and your conscience. They also have all the certifications you would like from GOTS certification to Greenguard Gold and more!

Birch mattresses are breathable with great airflow, optimized for pressure relief, hypoallergenic, anti-microbial, and more.

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Saatva

Saatva mattresses are comfortable, durable, and handcrafted.

Their coil-on-coil innerspring system is chiropractor approved, features optimal spinal support, and are designed for reduced back and joint pain.

Their engineers took features found in luxury retail mattresses and combined them to make one perfect mattress.

Saatva offers three firmness options: plush soft (soft), luxury firm (medium), and firm, with no difference in quality or cost.

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Awara

The Awara mattresses are made with a layer of Rainforest Alliance-Certified Dunlop latex that has been lovingly crafted to help bring you a better night of sleep.

Their natural Dunlop latex is coupled with amazing premium coil springs that adjust to your body’s unique curves. You’re nearly guaranteed a great night’s sleep!

Awara features premium Sri Lankan latex and wrapped coil springs to provide perfect contour and a touch of bounce for a supportive sleep throughout the night.

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Plushbeds

The PlushBeds mattresses are all made with toxin-free materials and are GreenGuard Gold certified to ensure every mattress is safe for your health and are comfortable to sleep on.

Their mattresses are made from 100% natural latex and have a buoyant feeling that gently cradles pressure points on your body relieving pains and aches and promotes deep sleep.

Less than 1% of mattresses can match PlushBeds’ certifications for a safe, toxin-free sleep.

They are recommended by many experts (I have one myself). Check them out and find out for yourself!

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Tuft & Needle

Tuft & Needle started a revolution by turning their focus to the customer with an always-honest pricing, a focus on high-quality products, and excellent customer service.

Tuft & Needle mattresses are built with quality craftsmanship without the gimmicks. They work with the best to get the best. And then they sell the best, for exactly the price it should cost.

The responsive support of their springs meets the long-lasting comfort of their T&N Adaptive® foam in creating the most supportive mattresses yet.

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Happsy

Happsy mattresses are designed for performance, their mattresses deliver on its promise of a better night’s sleep through their creative use of innovative technology and natural materials.

It happens that their mattresses are also mattresses with a conscience – designed to make a positive impact on the environment.

They feature certified organic, and sustainably harvested, environmentally-friendly materials, while eliminating harsh chemicals, foams and adhesives used by other conventional mattress brands.

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Brentwood Home

Brentwood Home mattresses are handcrafted in their own GOTS & GOLS organic certified factory just outside of Los Angeles.

A lot of Brentwood Home’s product development process is spent researching and sourcing materials theirselves, making sure that they meet Golden State standards for environmental responsibility.

Their mattresses are perfect for all type of sleepers with a medium-plush feel.

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Bear Mattress

Bear mattresses are designed with a nice plush, and quilted top that will make you feel like you are on top of a cloud, but your back and body will love the firmer core support. 

Their exclusive Serene® Foam offers up to 4x more pressure relief, their innerspring coils transfer heat 28% better than memory foam and all their mattresses are Greenguard Gold Certifified.

Their mattresses are just the perfect combination of comfort and cooling technology. They are just fantastic.

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DreamCloud

DreamCloud mattresses offer luxury-level comfort with multiple layers of the softest and the most supportive premium grade materials.

Designed to offer the perfect balance of peak contouring comfort and excellent pushback support.

DreamCloud mattresses provide you with a soft, comfortable feel as well as contouring perfectly to your body for ultimate pressure point relief.

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