Natural/Organic, VOCs, Pillows and otherwise

[phoenix]

Hi GrandmasterJ,

I read through Phoenix’s “Your Sleeping Style, Preference, and Statistics” page (by the way, this link no longer works: themattressunderground.com/research/basic-information/your-style-preferences-and-statistics/natural-vs-synthetic.html)

The link is from an old section of the site that has since changed but I can’t find it on the page. Could you let me know where you found it so I can change it to the current page.

This leads me to a concern about what types of pillows are options for allergy sufferers (this rules out feathers and down) who are concerned about the indoor air quality of their homes and the VOCs spewing from our, apparently, lethal upholstery, mattresses, etc. Is natural latex (shredded or otherwise) a viable alternative? Does shredded have the similar feel to feather/down pillows? Do these types of pillows have no or low VOC emissions? I read about a polyester pillow and then read how bad polyester is apparently for you (health-wise).

This would really depend on whether you were comfortable with the testing that has been done on the material. In most cases … North American foam has been CertiPur tested for offgassing and harmful substances and with latex almost all the latex you will encounter … synthetic, natural, or blended … has been OekoTex tested (which is a more stringent test) or tested to other similar testing criteria such as Eco-Institut.

I would keep in mind that allergies and toxicity or sensitivity to certain chemicals can be different things. In terms of “feel” … shredded latex can be a good choice for those who want to “scrunch up” their pillow when they change positions or who want a little bit less resilient “feel” than a solid latex pillow. I personally have no concerns with any latex in terms of VOC’s whether it is synthetic or natural but of course there are many people who prefer 100% natural rubber based on principal alone regardless of its relative safety. Most people would also be comfortable with polyfoam or memory foam that has been CertiPur certified but once again each person may be different and some people who are unusually sensitive can sill react to materials that are generally “safe” for others. Post #2 here and the links it contains is a good starting point for those who want to do more research into the many conflicting claims and information about different materials in terms of safety, green, natural, or organic claims so that they can answer the question of “how safe is safe enough for me?” but this is a very complex and often confusing subject with no clear answers in many cases so each person will need to use their own best judgement about the materials they are most comfortable with.

The site itself has good ratings on Amazon as a reseller, however, I find little information on these types of pillows. Can anyone make suggestions regarding the smell, allergy issues, VOC output, and feel of “natural/organic shredded latex” pillows? My ideal here would be something with a feather-feel or gel-feel and support for a side/back sleeper.

You can read more about the typical smell of different types of latex in post #2 here and about latex allergies in post #2 here and about the effect of latex on dust mite allergies (which are the most common household allergy) in post #2 here. All the latex you are likely to encounter is OekoTex certified (or in some cases other certifications) for VOC’s but you can always check for the certifications for the latex used in any product. “Feel” is subjective and relative to each person … especially with pillows. There is more information about pillows in the pillow thread here.

While on the subject of VOCs and the above quote, Select Foam, from whom I recently purchased the Grandis-HD memory foam mattress, purports “our mattresses emit no VOCs” and “our mattress have the lowest VOC emissions I’ve ever heard about”; two rather different statements. I wasn’t able to get a confirmation that their mattresses are 100% soy-based foam, so is there a significant quantity of petroleum-based foam(visco-elastic or base/support layers) making up these mattresses? They have switched to an organic cotton ticking and use a wool layer as their fire retardant, both of which are good steps toward reducing unnecessary chemical components.

All mattresses emit VOC’s (even fruit emits VOC’s) so there is no such thing as a mattress foam that emits no VOC’s that are the same as background levels. It’s really a matter of whether the VOC’s are harmful and if they are manufacturerd in North America or the materials are CertiPur certified then most people would be comfortable with the amount of VOC’s that are emitted. There is also no such thing as a foam that is 100% soy based and you can read more about foams that have replaced a percentage of the polyols (one of the two main chemicals used in polyfoam and memory foam) with plant based derivatives in post #2 here.

Phoenix