My Essentia.com False Advertising and Lying to Consumer

[quote=“EstoyConfundido” post=52353]

Talalay Global’s site says: "100% Natural Latex [/quote]
TG/LI will sometimes use the term Natural Latex to refer to their blended (NR/SBR) talalay. A misnomer. Not to be confused with 100% NR latex.

Hi EstoyConfundido,

My comments were not about the quality or even the safety of their materials but about the claims they are making about it (see post #18 here). Regardless of who uses these chemicals in their latex formulation they are not natural chemicals.

You can see some similar concerns that were expressed by the FTC here and you can also see some lab test results of their “natural latex memory foam” pillow in the attachments to this post.

Phoenix

https://https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/66/Essentiamaterialtest.pdf

https://https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/66/EssentiaLabReport2.pdf

I read through the FTC stuff. Essentia can’t claim anything without proof which is kinda obvious. Clearly they had to have changed something which was acceptable for the FTC. Honestly, based on the test results Essentia has provided I am comfortable with “parts per million” as I can at least put a unit of measurement to it which is more than I can do with any other mattress on the market.

As far as the attachments you link to, where did they come from? There is no mention of Essentia on there or the lab doing the testing. Who’s to say that is even their products being tested? These could have easily been written up in Word by anyone.

Sharing something like that with no definitive proof is very strange to me. Aren’t you now doing exactly what you claim Essentia has been doing?

Hi EstoyConfundido,

If you are comfortable with this type of logic (nobody has said anything so it must be fine) then of course that would be your own choice.

They were sent to me with a cover letter that went with the test results and was submitted to the lab by a credible source. I have also talked with someone that was involved in the pillow purchase. Having said that you are free to believe whatever you are comfortable believing.

In the end if you have read the information in this topic and the other topics about Essentia and you are comfortable with a purchase from them and the price you are paying then you will at least have made an informed decision which is all that really matters. My goal is to provide you with information but you are always free to choose what you do with it.

Phoenix

I realize this is an old thread, but it is VERY relevant to me today.

After having slept on a Savvy Rest mattress for the past year, with excruciating back pain and trying every “fix” imaginable recommended by the folks at Savvy Rest, I have decided it’s time to bit the bullet and ditch the all latex mattress.

Plus, it’s sagging horribly now and, when I spoke to the guy at my local Savvy Rest store who sold it to me, his response was, “Yeah, latex–especially Talalay–will do that. Just flip and rotate the top latex layer. You’re supposed to both rotate and flip the top latex layer every six months anyway.”

What?! I’ve never heard of this! Plus, the holes on each side of the foam layer is different, so it would have a very different feel if it were flipped. (I can perhaps understand rotating it, but flipping it seems weird.)

Anyway, today I called Essentia, thinking I would try their mattresses, as a few of my friends have their mattresses and love them.

Frankly, at this point I am giving up on the “safeness” of an all natural (latex) mattress. I could care less about if they use polyurethane or not. I am in so much pain, I just want a mattress that is comfortable. (And I NEVER had back pain like this PRIOR to getting the latex mattress. At first I thought i just needed time to get used to it. But a year is PLENTY of time to get used to something. And, when I stay in higher-end hotels–usually Marriotts that use Jameson foam mattresses, not the ones that use Simmons mattresses-- my back doesn’t hurt and I wake up pain free. So, it is clearly the mattress that is causing my back issues.) I may even just get one of the Jameson mattresses from the Marriott store. At least I know I can sleep on those! (My only hesitation with going this route: a neighbor ordered one and said the mattress was NOT AT ALL like what is in hotels, that it was like “sleeping on cement.” So, I worry that the mattresses for sale to the public are not at all the same mattresses as in the hotels–even though Marriott claims they are the same.)

Anyway, after reading your post about Essentia, I am wondering if I just couldn’t get a six-inch layer of Dunlop and put a 2-3 inch layer of Oeko-Tek certified polyfoam on top and get the same effect without spending an arm and a leg. (I already spent and arm and a leg on the Savvy Rest.)

If I were to go this route, where can I buy just a 2-3 inch Oeko-Tek certified layer of polyfoam? I am having trouble finding this in an online search.

Many thanks for this site and all of the efforts you put into it! :slight_smile:

Hi ShopperGirl,

I’m sorry to hear that the Savvy Rest mattress you chose didn’t work out as well as you hoped for and wasn’t a good “match” for you in terms of PPP (although they certainly use high quality materials).

While it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or any “symptoms” they experience … there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.

There is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.

These posts are the “tools” that can help with the analysis, detective work, or trial and error that may be necessary to help you learn your body’s language and “translate” what your body is trying to tell you so you can identify the types of changes that have the best chance of reducing or eliminating any “symptoms” you are experiencing (at least to the degree that any symptoms are from your mattress rather than the result of any pre-existing issues you may have that aren’t connected to a mattress).

Before you give up completely … it may also be helpful if you could provide more information that compares and contrasts the specifics of how each layering combination you have tried compared to each other and the specific “symptoms” you experienced on each of them and even more importantly how (and how much) each of your specific symptoms changed with different combinations relative to the other combinations you tried previously. Information about the changes in your experience and symptoms can act as a pointer to the type or “direction” of changes that may be most helpful.

The first step in identifying the types of changes that may be most helpful is to assess whether the symptoms you are experiencing are most likely to come from “comfort” and pressure point issues or are coming from support and alignment issues.

If they are coming from comfort and pressure point issues then changes to the upper layers of the mattress will often be the most effective solution.

If they are coming from support and alignment issues then changes to the deeper layers will often be the most effective solution.

The most common cause of lower back pain is either upper layers that are too thick/soft or deeper layers that are too soft although it’s also possible that there could be other reasons for lower back pain as well.

The firmness of a Talalay latex layer will be very close to the same on both sides even if the pincores are different. Their suggestion is also a good one because flipping and rotating a mattress (or an individual top layer) can help extend the useful life of the mattress or layer (see post #2 here).

You can see some comments about hotel mattresses in post #3 here. Many hotels will use a mattress pad on top of their mattress which can change the feel and performance of the mattress compared to using the mattress by itself.

There is more about the 3 most important parts of “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 suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price or course and the options you have available after a purchase).

Outside of “comfort” and PPP the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress always depends on knowing the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new) so I would always make sure that you can find out the information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to confirm that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.

In other words the suitability of a mattress is a separate issue than the durability and useful life of a mattress.

Outside of the topic you are posting in … you can read some comments about Essentia and some of the misleading claims they make and some forum discussions with them (as well as some of the FTC issues they have had about their claims) in this thread and posts #3 and #4 here) as well. I certainly wouldn’t treat the information on their website as a reliable source of “fact based” information. I would also make some very careful “value” comparisons before purchasing any Essentia mattress because they tend to be in a much higher budget range than other mattresses that use similar quality materials as well.

There is more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress can “match” or “approximate” another one. Every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover) will affect the feel and performance of every other layer and component and the mattress “as a whole” so unless you are able to find another mattress that uses exactly the same type of materials, components, cover, layer thicknesses, layer firmnesses, and overall design (which would be very unlikely) then there really isn’t a way to match one mattress to another one in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) based on the specifications of the mattress.

Mattress manufacturers generally try to differentiate their mattress from the mattresses made by other manufacturers and don’t normally try to “match” another mattress that is made by a different manufacturer so while you may find some local mattresses that use “similar” materials or designs and there would be others that are in a similar general category or firmness range … they will generally have different combinations of foam layers and components.

Unless a manufacturer specifically says in their description of a mattress that one of their mattresses in the same general category is specifically designed to “match” or “approximate” another one in terms of firmness or “feel” (or they are very familiar with both mattresses and can provide reliable guidance about how they compare based on the “averages” of a larger group of people) … the only reliable way to know for certain how two mattresses would compare for you in terms of how they “feel” or in terms of firmness or PPP would be based on your own careful testing or actual sleeping experience on both of them.

There are also no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.

There is also more information about the different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and some of the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here that can help you decide which type of certification is most important to you.

In most cases Oeko-Tex is a certification that is used for latex and it would be much less common to see an Oeko-Tex certification for memory foam or polyfoam and CertiPUR is the most common “safety” certification that is used for memory foam or polyfoam. The better online sources I’m aware of for individual mattress layers and components are listed in the component list here. I would also keep in mind that polyfoam is a different and more resilient material than the material that is used in the top layers of the Essentia mattress which is a slow response material with little resilience.

If you are attracted to the idea of designing and building your own DIY mattress out of separate components and a separate cover then the first place I would start is by reading option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) so that you have more realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process. While it can certainly be a rewarding project … the best approach to a DIY mattress is a “spirit of adventure” where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not happen).

If you decide to take on the challenge then I would either use the specs (if they are available) of a mattress that you have tested and confirmed is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) as a reference point or blueprint and try and “match” every layer and component in your reference mattress (including any springs, any foam layers, and the cover) as closely as possible or use a “bottom up” approach (see post #2 here).

Phoenix

Thanks so much for your fast, detailed and thorough response, Phoenix. I will check out some of the links you provided.

My back issues are upper back and sciatica. My doc tells me it’s an alignment issue during sleep.

As far as my “learning curve,” I have spent all the time I care to last year. I spent over four months researching before I bought that Savvy Rest, so I think I am up to speed. (Yes, this forum was one source of research.)

I am not a fan of the DIY stuff but I am thinking it is an option I should not overlook.

Sorry about the confusion as to Oeko-TEK certification for memory foam. I thought I had read that you posted that in one of your other comments.

As far as all of the configurations and my results; I have been through SO MANY over the past year, I cannot recall them all.

I know you actively promote and advocate for Savvy Rest and basically say everything they do is Gospel, but I am not a believer. As you say: mattresses are personal, and I made the HUUUUUUGE mistake of getting caught up in this “oh-it-has-to-be-non-toxic” mantra, which led me down the SR path .

I still plan to research the Marriott mattresses by Jaimeson more. No, they are not the “oh-so-pure” mattresses, but at least I know I can sleep on those.

Anyway, thanks again for all of the links. I will check them out.

Hi ShopperGirl,

There are a few memory foams that are Oeko-Tex certified but you will generally only find them in a "finished mattress (see here for example) and not as individual layers that can be purchased individually.

I’m not certain where you read this but it certainly wasn’t on this forum (and this is the only place that I post).

They do use high quality materials in their mattresses … but I generally suggest that anyone that is considering them make some very careful value comparisons with other similar mattresses that are in lower budget ranges.

While I do recommend the members here “as a group” (and Savvy Rest isn’t one of the members here) because I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency … I don’t make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

I also don’t believe that most mattress materials are “toxic” and I think that much if not most of the information about “toxic” materials on the internet is very misleading and in many cases is more about marketing than anything else.

For example … one of the most common replies in the forum for those that are getting overly “caught up” in these types of issues is this one …

I believe that the Marriott (Jamison) mattresses use 1.8 lb polyfoam which as you can see in the quality/durability guidelines here (and unlike the materials used in many other hotel mattresses) is a good quality material.

Phoenix

I’ve been searching the web for information on mattresses almost non stop for the last few days and it’s just my luck that, hours after placing an order for an Essentia Dormeuse, I discover this forum (and this thread). After reading over all 5 pages I am left with one question. In all honesty I’m neither surprised or upset by the fact that this company is peddling misinformation. Quite frankly I’m generally skeptical of any brand or company that focuses primarily on marketing itself as green, eco friendly, organic etc etc. That said, I’m sure the company is very sneaky in it’s marketing practices and I recognized right (even before reading this thread) that the claim of being “organic” doesn’t really mean anything. The question I have is… are there companies accessible to me in Vancouver (Canada) that make a low (or lower) emission product (in terms of off-gassing) of similar or better quality at a better price?

Hi confused1,

I’ve answered your questions in my reply here in the other topic you posted in with similar comments and questions.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

I have been reading a lot of your post. It’s incredible the amount of time and knowledge you add to each discussion. People like you make it so much easier for me to make an informed decision. Thank you for that. It is also nice that there are people that are willing to call out companies like essentia to reveal the truths.

I am also looking for a more natural mattress. How do I know if any of these companies are telling the truth on their websites? Is it just that essentia is more brazen about their claims and they are touting new technology that can’t be verified because they are hiding behind patents? If I go to other sites like savvy rest and naturepedic they are claiming organic and natural too. But it looks like all three are using the same Dunlop latex. Is there really such a thing as 100% natural or do all these companies use a few non organic compounds like Diphenyl diisocyanate or Waxes styrene-butadiene copolymer? Are these three companies supplying about the same product in term of healthiest placing marketing gimmicks aside? Thanks.

Hi Brent,

Most reputable manufacturers will give you accurate information about the type of materials they use in their mattresses. Essentia is an exception where lab testing on their natural memory foam shows that it doesn’t contain any latex that shows up in the tests so the claims that they are making about their natural memory foam containing latex aren’t accurate.

Essentia does use 100% natural Dunlop latex in their base layers but it’s their so called “latex memory foam” which is misleading.

The only reliable way to to assess the “safety” of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs so that you have some assurance than the VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification.

Most people that are looking for an “organic” mattress are usually concerned more with “safety” than whether the materials have an actual organic certification. There is more information about the three different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and some of the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and there are some comments in post #42 here that can help you decide whether an organic certification is important to you for environmental, social, or personal reasons or whether a “safety” certification is enough.

All the latex you are likely to encounter (either Dunlop or Talalay that is made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will have a reliable certification such as Oeko-Tex, Eco-Institut, Greenguard Gold, or C2C and based on actual testing I would consider any type or blend of latex to be a very “safe” material in terms of harmful substances and VOC’s.

100% natural latex means that all the rubber used in the latex foam compounding formulation is natural rubber (vs synthetic rubber) but there are also small amounts of other substances used in the formulation to foam and manufacturer the latex. There is more about 100% natural latex in post #18 here).

There is also more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Ok, I think I’m catching on. The only thing in question about essentia natural claims is the top layer of foam. The other components of their mattress are what they claim. I just looked at the attacked docs on the tests. So the first two report are saying that there is no evidence of hevea milk, which essentia claim is the key ingredient, and there is evidence of mdi that on their chart, that you posted from their website, isn’t checked off? The third report is saying that 97% of the foam is not natural and only 3% is natural? So it looks like they are possible lying which is certainly concerning. It’s interesting that they don’t defend themselves, on these forums, with proof of their claim instead of answers that don’t have any validity. If my business’s character was called into question I would definitely supply documented information to validate my claims for the benefit of current and future customers. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Let’s say these tests aren’t accurate and essentia isn’t lying. It’s hard to support them because you just don’t know without them proving it. I guess I’ll scratch them off my list.

Thanks for all the info and posts. Do you have any post for best mattress material and firmness for lower back issues. I primarily sleep on my stomach, I know that’s the worst position for your back, and sometimes my side. I know there are a lot of variables but something to get me started. Thanks again.

Hi Phoenix,

Ok, I think I’m catching on. The only thing in question about essentia natural claims is the top layer of foam. The other components of their mattress are what they claim. I just looked at the attacked docs on the tests. So the first two report are saying that there is no evidence of hevea milk, which essentia claim is the key ingredient, and there is evidence of mdi that on their chart, that you posted from their website, isn’t checked off? The third report is saying that 97% of the foam is not natural and only 3% is natural? So it looks like they are possible lying which is certainly concerning. It’s interesting that they don’t defend themselves, on these forums, with proof of their claim instead of answers that don’t have any validity. If my business’s character was called into question I would definitely supply documented information to validate my claims for the benefit of current and future customers. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Let’s say these tests aren’t accurate and essentia isn’t lying. It’s hard to support them because you just don’t know without them proving it. I guess I’ll scratch them off my list.

Also, I saw you posted the FTC report but why don’t the agencies that verify and certify organic and natural products go after companies that make false claims tomake it safer for consumers? Greenguard, GOTC, etc.

Thanks for all the info and posts. Do you have any post for best mattress material and firmness for lower back issues. I primarily sleep on my stomach, I know that’s the worst position for your back, and sometimes my side. I know there are a lot of variables but something to get me started. Thanks again.

Hi Brent,

They did register on the forum and replied to some questions in a couple of posts (see posts #4 - #7 in this topic) but then they stopped posting any further replies or clarifications.

The biggest issues with Essentia are the misleading claims and information on their website along with the price of their mattresses compared to other mattresses that use a very similar 100% natural Dunlop support core with some additional foam comfort layers on top of it (either latex or memory foam). While I wouldn’t dispute that they are using good quality and durable materials … they are not as “special” as they claim to be IMO and I would have have a difficult time justifying their prices relative to other mattresses that use similar materials that are in much lower budget ranges.

There are some recent indications that some certifying agencies are beginning to “enforce” the use of their logos but they don’t have any control over manufacturer claims that don’t use their specific logos and the FTC doesn’t seem to have either the money, the will, the manpower, or in some cases even the clear guidelines (for claims such as “natural” or “green”) that allow them to enforce claims except on a very limited basis or cases where there is clear and significant misrepesentation.

While it may be more information than you are looking for … there is also a lot 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” and that can help you decide on the type of materials and components 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.

While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress. There are just too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article). The best way to know which type of materials or which type of mattresses you tend to prefer in general terms will be based on your own testing and personal experience because different people can have very different preferences.

I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase 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.

While it’s not possible to be specific … in very general terms and based on “averages” … side sleepers tend to need a softer mattress because the body has more curves that need to be “filled in” to provide suitable support (such as the waist) and more “pointy parts” (such as the hips and shoulders) that need to sink in more to relieve pressure when you are on your side and generally need thicker and softer upper layers that can contour to the shape of the body more effectively and more deeply. Back sleepers have less curves that need to be filled in (such as the small of the back or lumbar spine) and less “pointy” pressure points and generally do best with a little bit firmer mattress that has either thinner or firmer comfort layers to reduce the risk of their pelvis sinking into the mattress too much which can put the spine out of alignment and cause lower back pain. Stomach sleepers have the flattest and least “curvy” sleeping profile of all and so they tend to need a firmer mattress yet with thinner and/or firmer comfort layers to reduce the risk of their pelvis sinking into the mattress too much and sleeping in a swayback position which can put considerable strain on the lower back and also lead to lower back pain. Stomach sleeping is the “riskiest” sleeping position in terms of back and neck strain (the head is turned sideways which can strain the neck). Putting a thin pillow under the pelvis/lower abdomen may also help prevent stomach sleepers from sleeping in a swayback position.

Having said all that … not everyone fits into the “averages” so the only way to know whether any mattress is a good “match” for you and how well you will sleep on it will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience when you sleep on it.

Phoenix

Thanks for all the great info here about the false claims and so on. Forgive me if it’s been stated in this thread already or in another thread but are there any discussions or answers about how toxic these MyEssentia mattresses are in reality and in what way?

It seems rather clear that these mattresses do off-gas to a noticable extent, as one poster mentioned a sweet vanilla smell which would appear to be toxic… Does anyone else have experience using these beds and what other smells are coming off them after long-term use?

I understand some tests have been done on the foam/rubber/latex or whatever mystery materials they use. I also understand the misleading and all that, but could I have the results of the tests explained to me in terms of toxicity as they relate to VOCs or whatever else the harmful aspect of these mattresses is?

Hi Wilson420,

The only reliable way to to assess the “safety” of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs so that you have some assurance than the VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification (see post #2 here for more information about some of the more reliable “safety” certifications). If the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable “safety” certification then for most people they would certainly be “safe enough” … regardless of the type of material or the name of the manufacturer on the label.

The latex in the Essentia mattresses have an Oeko-Tex certification and the glue they use is Greenguard Gold certified but the memory foam they use doesn’t have a specific certification. Having said that … they did test one of their previous mattresses (the Classic Skinny) which contained 2" of their memory foam and according to their test results the testing would pass the Greenguard standards although they don’t mention whether it would have passed the Greenguard Gold standard which is usually used for mattresses.

Assuming that the memory foam they are currently using is the same as the memory foam that was in the Classic Skinny I would consider their mattress to be “safe enough” although they don’t have an actual Greenguard or Greenguard Gold certification and it would be nice to see a more current certification that applied to their current mattresses so that their customers could have more confidence that their current memory foam has a certification that is normally used for mattress materials.

I would also keep in mind that the smell of a material isn’t an indication of whether it is harmful or not because some harmful VOC’s have no smell at all and some VOC’s that are completely safe have a much stronger smell (such as natural rubber, natural wool, or even a rose).

The materials they use certainly aren’t a mystery. Most of their mattresses use a base layer of 100% natural latex with comfort layers that are good quality/density memory foam (not latex).

Outside of the misleading information on their website … the biggest issue with Essentia mattresses isn’t “safety” or durability but that their mattresses are in significantly higher price ranges than other mattresses that use similar types of materials that would also be “safe enough” based on their certifications for harmful substances and VOC’s…

Phoenix

Thanks for the explanation. I’m cautious of memory foam because I’ve encountered some memory foams in the past where the smell of them actually made me dizzy and noxious so I would say that I’m more sensitive than most people. Other people in the house didn’t smell anything and yet I could smell the fumes coming off the foam even from another room. As you mentioned before, we all certainly have different sensitivities.

This thread is a great resource anyway for those who seek a wide variety of answers. What I gained is that there really isn’t anything special about their “natural memory foam.” I guess the confusing part is the fact that some people have stated that no, it’s not actually memory foam, it’s a type of latex foam that mimics memory foam. Either way it’s too confusing for me and I’ve lost confidence in the brand. I agree that they should market their products for what they actually are.

Hi Wilson420,

There are some lab test results of their so called “natural memory foam” in this post and the testing indicates that it doesn’t contain latex or natural or “bio based” materials.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Thank you so much for your in depth info.

When I found out about claims of a natural memory foam , reading this thread turned me off any further research on that.