Organic Innerspring or Innerspring Latex Combo Mattresses

Hi jennifer,

This will depend on how you define organic and why it’s important to you. There is more about organic certifications in post #2 here and the posts it links to.

In the mattress industry it’s often the case that organic, natural, green, and “chemical free” and safe and other related terminology are used interchangeably (and incorrectly) and while they are certainly loosely related to each other they all have very different meanings. There are many people for example that are really looking for “safe” materials and they are focused on organic mattresses because they believe that this would be the “safest” choice when it may not necessarily be the case.

If you are looking at an innersprings and/or natural fiber mattresses (such as wool or cotton) then your choices would be much more restricted and it’s also true that these will often tend to be firmer than a mattress that uses some kind of foam in the comfort layers (including latex). There is a list of some of the manufacturers that make innerspring/natural fiber mattresses in post #4 here.

If you add organic latex to the mix of materials that you are comfortable with then your choices would be limited to organic Dunlop latex and these are often (but not always) in a firmer range as well but would tend have softer options available than an innerspring/fiber mattress that didn’t use any foam at all.

If 100% natural materials are OK (regardless of whether they are organic) then 100% natural Talalay latex would also be an option (there is no organic Talalay) and you would also be able to include wool options that aren’t organic but are completely natural, use organic farming methods, and don’t use any harsh chemicals in processing the wool. Many of the manufacturers in the innerspring/natural fiber list also make mattresses that include latex as well.

If “safe” materials are OK (whether they are natural or organic or not) then you would have more options yet because any version of latex (Dunlop or Talalay made from natural or synthetic latex or a blend of both) is a safe material and they are all tested for harmful substances and VOC’s with the same or similar testing protocols (Oeko-Tex or Eco-Institut).

If you are comfortable with memory foam or polyfoam in your mattress then if they have been tested by CertiPur for harmful substances and VOC’s then for most people they would be “safe enough” as well.

Post #2 here and post #4 here has more information about natural and “safe” materials and for those who want even more detailed information that can help them answer the very complex (and often frustrating) question about “how safe is safe enough for me” then post #2 here and the other posts and sources of information it links to has much more detailed information that may be helpful as well … particularly for those that have various health conditions such as MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities) that are more sensitive to certain materials than others.

For some people “green” or renewable or recyclable materials or mattresses that are more environmentally friendly are also important and there is more information in post #4 here about “how green is green?”

The tutorial post also includes this link to a list of the members here that sell online and several of them sell mattresses that use combinations of innersprings, latex, and natural (or organic) fibers. Post #2 here also includes some sources for innerspring/latex hybrids

There may also be some options that are local to you and if you let me know your city or zip code then I’d be happy to let you know of any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.

You have many good options that use natural and/or “safe” materials in a very wide range of firmness levels but the first step would be to clarify what is most important to you and whether an organic certification is what you are really looking for or whether it’s more a matter that you just want reasonable assurances that the materials in your mattress are “safe”.

Phoenix