Also spoke to someone at Jones Fiber, who makes their Fire Retardant material which is “cotton, inherent fR rayon, and low melt polyester.” even though Brooklyn Bedding talks about being made in the USA, Jones Fiber told me they get the materials for this fabric “from wherever is the cheapest” not necessarily the USA.
Heard that the production of rayon includes some pretty nasty chemicals. Any thoughts on that re: this FR fabric?
Hi Phi8lOster,
I think you may be going somewhat overboard and entering a “rabbit hole” of never ending and more and more detailed information in your “safety research” … especially considering that the mattress you are considering makes no claims about using either natural or organic materials. This is the type of research that you generally won’t find answers to the degree of specificity that you may be looking for or that may be completely satisfying to you unless you raise your budget considerably and look for mattresses that only contain natural or organic materials.
There is more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” or “how natural is natural enough for me” so you can decide on the types of materials you are most comfortable having in your mattress or on the certifications that may be important to you. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.
The only official list of Oeko-Tex certified materials is the Oeko-Tex site.
All the latex you are likely to encounter (Dunlop or Talalay made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will have been certified by either Oeko-Tex or Eco-Institut for harmful substances and VOC’s (see post #2 here) and in general I would consider any type or blend of latex to be a “safe” material.
Latex International is now called Talalay Global but you can see their Oeko-Tex certification here.
Mountaintop Faom announced that their latex was Oeko-Tex certified on their facebook page here but I don’t see the listing in their name on the Oeko-Tex site so you may want to email Mountaintop to find out the certificate number since it may be listed under another name. ADDED: You can see the certificate number here
[quote]Also spoke to someone at Jones Fiber, who makes their Fire Retardant material which is “cotton, inherent fR rayon, and low melt polyester.” even though Brooklyn Bedding talks about being made in the USA, Jones Fiber told me they get the materials for this fabric “from wherever is the cheapest” not necessarily the USA.
Heard that the production of rayon includes some pretty nasty chemicals. Any thoughts on that re: this FR fabric? [/quote]
You can read more about their Jones fire barrier in this topic. Again … if it was me I would have no concerns with the “safety” of their fire barrier however you may have criteria that are much more stringent than most people in which case it may be worthwhile looking at mattresses that only contain natural or organic materials and components,
Phoenix
Thanks for the info Phoenix. The Oeko TEx website is a bit hard to use. I’ve tried every possible combo and can’t find mountain top. If I can verify that I’ll probably get it.
But while I was browsing your site, I found “my green mattress” which I can try before I buy if I’m willing ot drive for two hours. Unfortunately, can’t spend for the high end full organics, trying to find the next best thing.
Hi PhilOoster,
I didn’t see it listed on their site either although with a mattress that contains polyfoam the “safety” of any type or blend of latex wouldn’t be an issue for me.
Like Brooklyn Bedding … My Green Mattress and their sister company Quality Sleep are members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and I believe that they both compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. If you are in reasonable driving distance they would certainly be well worth a visit.
Phoenix
Thanks again, how does mygreenmattress compare to naturepedic? I tried Naturepedic’s 7" Organic Cotton Deluxe mattress this past weekend and thought it was horrible. I could feel the springs through the topper and the whole mattress shook. If I sat on the edge, the top of the mattress leaned out way over the bottom of the mattress.
I’m hoping mygreenmattress is better than that. If anyone knows differently, please let me know and save me a long drive to check it out.
Hi PhilOoster,
I switched your post to a new topic of its own since it’s about mattresses that aren’t related to the topic you posted in.
There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists (based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).
In terms of “comfort” and PPP … this is something that I can’t help with because you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and the only way to know whether any mattress is a good “match” for you is based on your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience. Both My Green Mattress and Naturepedic make a range of mattresses that would all be very different from each other so it would be normal that some of them would work well for you and some of them wouldn’t because each person can have very different needs and preferences in a mattress.
Outside of PPP … the most important part of the value of a mattress is it’s durability and a mattress is only as good as its construction and the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label. If you can find out the information listed here about any mattress you are considering and post it on the forum then I’d certainly be happy to make some comments about the quality and durability of the materials and the mattress as a whole and help you identify any potential weak links in the mattress that could have an effect on durability and the useful life of the mattress. Without this information it’s not possible to make any meaningful comments about the quality or durability of any mattress.
Finally the last part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is how a mattress compares to the other options you are considering based on all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
If the Naturepedic mattress you tested was this one then it’s a firm mattress that is made for children so it’s not surprising that it would be too firm and wouldn’t be comfortable for an adult. Some of the other Naturepedic mattresses would be much more suitable for adults although they are also more costly.
Phoenix
Yeah, that’s the one I was testing. I was testing it to see if it would be good for my 4 year old son. Don’t think it would have been good for an adult or child.
This is the one I was considering going to check out.
Pure Echo
It looks like it has more coils, individually wrapped as opposed to the intertwined ones in the naturepedic and more cotton. It looks like it might be a much better mattress for about $200 less.
Pure Eco Organic Kids Mattress
Hi PhilOoster,
Post #2 here and the topics it links to have more information about mattresses and children and “safe” materials including a link to some general guidelines for children in post #2 here. It also includes a number of links to the better forum posts and topics about mattress and children as well which have more information about many good options for children which may also be worth considering.
There are some comments about the Naturepedic Organic Cotton Deluxe in post #2 here. It uses good quality, durable, and mostly natural materials that would be a suitable choice for a child … but of course not so much for an adult.
As you mentioned the Pure Echo uses a pocket coil and it would probably make a more suitable choice for most adults and it also uses high quality materials that don’t have any weak links in the design but of course the only way to know whether it would be suitable for any specific person would be based on your own personal testing.
It also uses a wool quilted cotton cover and wool is a great temperature regulator and since it’s also in a medium firm range it would also be a suitable choice for a child.
Phoenix
I’ve been on the fence here for a while about which mattress to go with. My wife and I narrowed it down last night to the Love Bed and the BME.
I spent some time this morning chatting with Mario from Brooklyn Bedding and his excellent support and service ultimately swayed me to place my order from them.
The shopping experience was superb and my king size BME will be on the way shortly! I hope the mattress meets our expectations and will follow up after we spend some time with it.
This certification number was further up on their facebook page. 12.HUS.10792 It checks out on the Oeko Tex page as valid for “Bedding components (foam) made of 100 % SBR latex and 100 % natural latex, raw white.” Class I. Although it doesn’t confirm that it is indeed for Mountain Top foam. I’m probably worrying too much but nowhere on the Mountain Top site does it mention Oeko-Tex and Brooklyn Bedding doesn’t explicitly say their Dunlop latex is Oeko-Tex certified on their website either. Seems like if it was Oeko-Tex certified, they’d promote it on their sites.
Hi PhilOster,
Thanks. I remembered seeing the certificate number previously but I couldn’t find it on the facebook page when I looked so I appreciate that you listed it. I’ve added the information to my previous reply as well.
These are “simplified choice” mattresses that don’t profess to be natural or organic and this type of information would just add another layer of complexity to making a choice that is already difficult enough for most people. The “safety” of any type of latex just wouldn’t be an issue for most people that are buying a mattress that contains polyfoam and for those that it is they would probably be looking for a natural or organic mattress in a much higher budget range anyway and the vast majority of their customers probably would have no idea what Oeko-Tex even means.
IMO … “promoting” complex information that can become overwhelming and that has little meaning or relevance to most people isn’t good marketing and generally leads to “information overwhelm” or “paralysis by analysis” and would just lead people down the same rabbit hole you are following. For those where this type of information is more important these types of questions are generally best answered with a phone call to a manufacturer rather than “promoting” them on the site itself. I do agree though that it would be nice if Mountaintop foam added the information on their site rather than their facebook page.
Phoenix
Hi davo32683,
Congratulations on your new mattress 
You were certainly looking at some great finalists and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you receive it and have had the chance to try it out.
Phoenix
I get what you’re saying but Brooklyn bedding does promote pretty heavily the Oeko Tex certification for their Talalay latex and Certipur-us certification for their foam. Just not the Dunlop which is made by Mountaintop. Makes me wonder why. If you call them on the phone, they say it is certified but why not include on the website?
Don’t think omitting this info benefits them in any way and that’s what makes me nervous.
Hi PhilOoster,
I’m not sure what I can add to my previous replies except that you may be “overthinking” things a little and making your choice a lot more complicated than it really needs to be
Phoenix
I’ve been looking for a platform bed and have gotten more confused instead of a bed. I’ve been looking for a bed with slats and every so often I get someone who would say why slats? they would tell me that over time the slats would give and the mattress would ‘seep, my term not theirs’ thru the slats. I decided to contact Mario at BB and he said the mattress can absolutely rest on a solid surface such as what an adjustable bed has. I asked because they recommend the Leggitt and Pratt adjustable beds, not that I want one. Now I have a bit more searching to do. just thought i’d add that
Hi ronfla,
I switched your post to this topic which has a more closely related subject.
If the slats are made from strong wood that doesn’t flex and they are close enough together and there is good center support to the floor then “sagging” or “seeping” wouldn’t be an issue.
You can see my comments about a solid surface platform in post #10 here. While they can add some additional risk in terms of ventilation under the mattress … in most cases if there aren’t any additional risk factors they would be fine. I also have an adjustable bed with a solid surface under my mattress.
Phoenix
After many hours of research I decided to go with BB BME, Mario helped me in chat select the right firmness and gave me details on delivery times. Once I get the mattress and test it out I will be sure to follow up with a review so that my experience can help others just as the reviews on this site have helped me.
Hi cassfitz,
Congratulations on your new mattress as well
Like the other members here that have purchased it I think you made a great quality/value choice and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback about how you like it once you’ve received it and have had a chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Phoenix
We’ve run the gamut of platform bed sites. Then to add to the confusion we research the companies such as Wayfair, All Modern etc which is sometimes the worst thing to do. I’m looking for either slats that have a space no wider than 3 inches apart. I found this site that has steel slats https://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/bedroom/beds/calvin-bed
a bit more money but the seem to be well made.
Just wanted to quickly follow up and say, we returned the BB medium king mattress… the return process was quick and painless. in 2 days the truck was there to pick it up and within a week the money was refunded.
We ended up ordering a dreamfoam supreme 12" king mattress and we are now on night 3. My fiance and I both decided this is the exactly what we wanted in a mattress. It doesn’t sleep hot, plenty of support without being too firm and zero motion transfer. For anyone that isn’t to used to a memory foam bed, the brooklyn bedding mattress is a quality buy from a great company… If your leaning towards the memory foam style beds for whatever you reasons maybe, I can honestly say we are very satisfied with the dreamfoam mattress.