Hello,
Anyone has any insight on the coco-mat mattresses? I am located in Europe, but I understand that they have recently entered the US market. More specifically I was wondering about their value compared to other manufacturers and their claim of being completely green.
Hi Cgeorgal,
Coco-Mat uses some high quality and durable materials in their mattresses (natural rubber, seaweed, cotton, wool, rubberized coco-fibre, horsehair and others) which are more natural and renewable than most (but not all) manufacturers use so from a more “natural” definition of “green” I would say they were “greener” than most yes. Clean Bedroom carries them at some of their retail locations and they are also available at their New York location. (NOTE ADDED June, 2016 … The Clean Bedroom is now closed)
Green doesn’t really have a definition though and it can be difficult to measure and calculate and assess all the “cradle to grave” factors that can be part of “green” manufacturing. For example I don’t know how they transport their mattresses or the fuel consumption involved or the source of the energy or any green manufacturing practices that are used in their factory or any energy conservation or recycling practices that they are part of etc.
In terms of “value” that would be relative to what you are comparing them to and the criteria of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including how well a mattress matches your unique needs and preferences in terms of PPP). They are certainly unique and use great materials and for some people that are less price sensitive their uniqueness and how they “feel” or the perceived benefits of owning one may be as important as their price. In terms of price alone they are certainly not in the “best” value range based on their raw material content but this is only one part of “value” and in many cases or for some people not the most important part.
They are certainly very interesting mattresses and from a quality perspective or from a aesthetic perspective I would certainly consider them but when you are considering a mattress that is in a much more premium price range compared to some other high quality “natural” mattresses that may be available to you I would make some very careful “value” comparisons so that you are clear that the more premium price is “worth it” to you based on how the mattress feels and performs compared to others you have tested or based on some of the other objective, subjective, or intangible factors that for you may be important parts of a mattress purchase.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Thank you for all your interest and information you provide. Your site is an endless wealth of knowledge when you need to make a decision on the purchase of a matress.
There are two more questions that I have regarding this company, as I already have seen them in a showroom and they seem to provide the comfort and firmness I seek.
First question which I believe it is a general one is regarding their ATLAS matress which has different firmness on either side.
As I believe that other matress manufacturers do this, do you think that this can be a negative factor as you cannot change your matress side, as they advise, every 6 months?
With these type of matresses you can only rotate it and in my eyes it seems that it could affect its longevity if you prefer the firm or the soft side of it.
Another question I have is for the seaweed they use for some layers. Is this unique to this manufacturer or it is a common and proven component for matresses?
Hi Cgeorgal,
Yes … if a mattress has different firmness levels on each side and one side is suitable for you in terms of PPP and the other isn’t then in effect you would have a one sided mattress that you could rotate but not flip (unless you added a topper to the firmer side so it was suitable for you). Latex is a very durable material even in a one sided mattress so a two sided version isn’t necessary for durability but even with latex a two sided mattress will last longer than a one sided version of the “same” mattress (see posts #2 and #3 here and the posts it links to for the pros and cons of one vs two sided mattresses).
Mattresses that have two different firmness levels on each side can be useful for those that haven’t tested the mattress or are uncertain which is better for them so they can use their longer term sleeping experience to decide which side is best for them. They can also be useful for those who like to change their sleeping surface from time to time or based on changing preferences or circumstances and would prefer to sometimes sleep on a softer or firmer surface even though it’s not their “usual” preference. They can also be useful as a set of twin XL mattresses to make a king where a couple can have two different firmness options on each side and the two mattresses will have the same height when they are together. Whether this was a positive or negative would depend on each person’s individual preferences and circumstances and on the parts of their personal value equation that were most important to them.
Yes … as far as I know this is unique to them and I don’t know of any other manufacturers that use it. I also don’t know whether their claim that the iodine “aids breathing” based on the slow release of iodine has any validation or evidence when it’s used in a mattress (or if they will provide any evidence to you). It appears to be used in thin layers so it probably won’t affect durability but I have no personal experience or knowledge of it as a mattress material so you would need to rely on your own “best judgement” when it comes to the seaweed.
Phoenix