Hi. I am beyond frustrated having not been in a bed in my own room since July. Was having back problems and fairly recently had a new hip. My two year old mattress from Jordan’s was sinking in the middle so we opted for a new one from Gardner mattress here in Newton, Ma. The first mattress arrived and the odor coming from it was so pungent, that it was overwhelming. It was not a chemical smell, unidentifiable really. The bed was made of organic cotton, wool, and coils- no memory foam or latex. After a week the smell hadn’t changed at all, so Gardner, sent a new one. Change offered no relief. I realized that the smell had contaminated the box springs so AGAIN Gardner sent over new box springs. Smell still putrid in a way with no explanation from the owner or delivery men who also detected the strong smell. Gardner offered that maybe it was a bad batch of wool and or lanolin problem but even he wasn’t sure. I had them come and remove everything. I scrubbed the room and eventually after a week or two the smell left. We agonized about what to do next since I felt pretty hopeless about continuing with Gardner given that he was clueless about the origin himself…
Then went to Bloomingdale’s and although I fell in love with a $17,000
Schifman, that seemed completely crazy and I couldn’t do it. It was like a heavenly cloud though. So we bought a Kluft(on very good sale as is always the come on at Bloomies)that we felt had that firm but cloud kind of feeling. This one had some talalay latex, and foam, and coils. The cover had some rayon in it. We expected that we
would have to off gas it though the salesgirl said not. Eight days later you still couldn’t walk in the room without your eyes watering. We kept all the windows open day and night for 8 days,
some of which went down into the 30’s and still only mild improvement. My sister who has NO sense of smell commented on how strong it was. I
I’ve now been to every store in New England and can find nothing without chemicals. Even the most recent store I went to in Acton who advertise being 95
Per cent chemical free, explained when pushed that the other 5 per cent included sulphur!!!
I’m thinking about taking a ride to NYC to Charles P Rogers bc I’ve read some good things but mixed as well. Can’t imagine ordering a bed on line. I did have a live chat with the saatva people and when pushed they also sai some people find their beds to have a “rubber smell”
So lost and bedless. I’d so appreciate any advice… thanks so much.
Hi Mattress1953,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!. 
I’m sorry to hear that your mattress hasn’t worked out for you. 
There certainly are people who have sensitivities to the smell of wool.
It seems that Gardner certainly did their best to accommodate you, but unfortunately your sensitivity to the smell of the wool (most likely) was something that couldn’t be overcome. Of course no one can smell what you smell, so it would be unreasonable to expect the people at Gardner to be able to derive the source of your sensitivity. Their speculation about your sensitivity to the smell of wool is probably accurate, as there are accounts of others with similar sensitivities. After exchanging two products for you, moving on was probably a good decision for you both.
I would keep in mind that every mattress in the industry contains some type of “chemicals” and that even pure water is a chemical. The real issue that I would focus on is safety which depends on the specific chemicals and the amount of each chemical (safety is dosage related) and the only way to identify any safety issues would be based on the lab testing and certifications for the materials and components in the mattress or the mattress as whole. And then you can focus on the smell.
The only reliable way 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 that any harmful 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, the smell of the material, or the name of the manufacturer on the label, although of course some people that are more sensitive or that have certain health conditions (such as MCS or multiple chemical sensitivities) may still be affected by a material that is certified even if it would be fine for most people.
Realize that the smell of a material and harmful VOC’s can be very different things. Some harmful VOC’s have no smell at all and a material that has a stronger smell isn’t necessarily harmful. Of course there are some people that are much more sensitive to smells than most (it seems that you fall into this group) and there are also some people that have some less common medical issues (such as MCS or multiple chemical sensitivities) that may still be sensitive to some materials even if they have a reliable certification. It seems that the factor of odor sensitivity is primary in your situation. You can have two different foams that are certified with two very different levels of smell, which can be quite objective. Certainly those with MCS or those who are very sensitive to odor can find certified foams to still be too “smelly” for them. If you’re ordering something online, be sure you can return it for a full refund if it doesn’t pass your smell test. Also, realize that many foam odors will dissipate as time goes on, but some will linger much longer than others. This is one case where only you will know what works for you because of your unique situation.
You asked about latex so there is more about the smell of latex in post #2 here. Like any natural material … different types and batches of latex can vary in terms of the strength of the smell or how long the smell will last and different people can be more or less sensitive to the smell of latex as well but it should gradually dissipate and diminish to levels that most people don’t notice over the course of the first few weeks.
There are also some suggestions in post #3 here that may be helpful to help reduce any offensive smells and odors more quickly. I think you’ve already done a few of these things.
In the end, I am in agreement with you that a personal visit to a store and your own testing and personal reaction to the odor of a product would be paramount. Only you can smell what you smell, so I would base my decision on finding a mattress that has good quality materials (as delineated in the Mattress Shopping Tutorial) and your own personal consideration in person. And because of your past experience, make sure to inquire about any potential exchange policy should you need it.
I know it can be tough for people who are very sensitive to odors. Please let me know if you find something that works for you.
Phoenix
Thanks so much for your reply Phoenix. It was extremely helpful. I noticed you didn’t comment on the Kluft mattress and it’s smell not diminishing after a week. Did that get included in my forum note or was there something technically wrong with my uploading?
Thanks again. Much appreciate your time and effort.
Hi Mattress1953,
You’re welcome.
I think that I addressed the issue of odors in my previous reply and the sensitivities that different people have to different substances. The fact is that you personally detect the presence of an odor, so there is no reason for me to comment upon the fact that you are experiencing an odor from the product. I certainly would have no way of knowing to what you might be reacting to inside of the many layers of the mattress. You don’t mention the model or componentry on the inside of the mattress, so there wouldn’t even be a basis for me to make a meaningful statement about the product, but even if I did have that information I wouldn’t be irresponsible to speculate about what may be causing your reaction.
Regarding Kluft mattresses in general (I know you’ve already bought one), I would advise others to be very cautious with the Kluft line and make sure that you know the specifics of all the layers and materials in the specific mattress you are considering (see this article) and also that you make some very careful value comparisons with other mattresses that use the same or similar materials and are in much lower budget ranges base on the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
You can see some of my thoughts about super premium mattresses in post #2 here and in post #2 here, if you’re specifically thinking about beds in these “ultra-price” ranges. Of course, pricing and your odor sensitivities will have nothing to do with each other.
If I was looking at mattresses like this … i would probably be looking at VI Springs or perhaps Hastens, Savoir, Relyon, or Hypnos rather than Kluft. Their sites will give you lots of insights about how they make their mattresses. Most of them also have some fairly thick “books” of information they will send you about their mattresses. But again, this is no indicator of your potential reaction to any odors to which you may have a reaction.
Phoenix
Phoenix,
Thanks again for your most helpful response.
Mattress1953
Hi Mattress1953,
You’re most welcome!
Phoenix
Just forgot to add that I am so not in that league of mattresses now that I’ve researched them a bit. The Kluft was on a super super sale and so glad that’s gone too.
Thanks
Hi Mattress1953,
Join the club! 
Fun to look at, but price and quality are not mutually inclusive when shopping for a mattress.
Phoenix