Will we start seeing more chemical free mattresses in retail stores in the near future?
Hi Villani2,
That would probably depend on how you define āchemical freeā but by most peopleās definitions there are already many chemical free options in the market although they are in more specialized areas of the industry and not so much in mainstream stores. I think that the āchemical freeā market is a relatively small niche in the market and they tend to be in much more premium budget ranges that cater to the much smaller number of consumers where that is a major part of their personal value equation so itās unlikely that you will see a much greater emphasis on them in mainstream stores. The relatively small āchemical freeā segment and the more specialized retailers and manufacturers that specialize in this type of mattress is probably growing though.
The market segment that focuses on āchemical freeā sometimes includes a lot of misinformation and in some cases some āmarketing spinā about the ādangersā of chemicals when chemicals are not as much of an issue as āsafetyā. Organic latex is a very āsafeā material for example but includes a small percentage of chemicals that are used to manufacture it and even water is a chemical substance.
I think that you will probably see an increased emphasis on āsafeā materials and components more than āchemical freeā materials and components and possibly an increasing emphasis on testing and safety certifications in the industry as a whole.
Post #2 here and the other posts and sources of information it links to has more information about natural, organic, safe, and āgreenā materials that can help each person answer the question of "how safe is safe enough for me.
Phoenix