Organic Innerspring or Innerspring Latex Combo Mattresses

Hi Everyone!

I mentioned in a different post that we are trying to decide between an 100% natural/organic latex mattress and an organic innerspring or innerspring latex combo.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a nice organic innerspring or innerspring latex combo (that is around $2200 or less for a queen) that has firmness options? There don’t seem to be a lot of these out there that aren’t super firm. Seems like a lot of times they only come in one firmness - that being firm or xtra firm.

European Sleepworks looked very interesting - combo mattress (specifically Nordic HDM). They use Radium Foam - so that part is good too. Then also the Naturepedic Essentials looked nice also. Not sure about their PLA Comfort Layer and how safe/organic that is, but it’s Greenguard certified so that’s something I guess.

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again!
Jennifer

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

Phoenix,

Thanks for the information. You make some great points regarding the terminology used in the mattress world. It can be confusing.

I am looking for a mattress that uses safe, natural materials that haven’t been processed with chemicals, fire retardants, VOCs, etc. So, based on your reply I would be ok with the wools and cottons (organic or natural), organic dunlop latex and both 100% natural dunlop and talalay (no SBR blends). I will take a look at the links in your reply - thank you.

And if there are any such local options I would love to know. Right now - I only know of Savvy Rest and have been there already. Their latex mattresses are nice (a little pricey), but they don’t have a return policy. And they don’t recommend their innerspring mattresses for full-time adult use (rather kid’s or guest room). My zip code is 22207.

Thanks so much!
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

It sounds like you are looking for “natural” and “safe”.

Just for the sake of clarity … all the latex you will encounter (synthetic or natural) has been tested either by Oeko-Tex Standard 100 or Eco-Institut for harmful substances and VOC’s using the same testing protocols but of course SBR isn’t a natural material and there are certainly some people who prefer natural rubber over synthetic. There is a lot of misinformation or in the industry about the “safety” of synthetic latex.

The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Northern Virginia area are listed in post #2 here. You will probably need to make a few preliminary phone calls to confirm which ones carry mattresses that meet your criteria before visiting them.

Phoenix

You might try to look for a store that carries Berkeley Ergonomics. They have both all latex as well as latex over pocket coils. Each inner layer is covered by a light, gauzy poly fabric, which, I was told, was done for superior abrasive strength vs. cotton. Perhaps. I can’t vouch for that. But in the meantime, they use an organic cotton covering with a bit of wool attached underneath, then the latex comfort layer or layers, followed by the support layer (latex or coils). These mattresses are in the $1400 - 1800 range. The base, which they consider rather integral to the system, is a foundation that allows varied and targeted support for each sleeper, if it’s a queen or larger. The base goes for $600. You can do the math. The mattress itself can be customized for firmness. So that’s quite a reasonable price for a good quality mattress and base that has layers you can customize. The nearest place carrying that brand was a 2 hour drive away, and I’d say it was worth the trip even though I found another mattress that fit my body just a bit better, the Green Sleep Niu, but the Green Sleep was about $1300 more than the somewhat similar Berkeley Ergonomics.

Hi AnalogJ,

That would be a very good idea but unfortunately there isn’t a Berkeley Ergonomics dealer that is within reasonable driving distance of Northern Virginia. There is a list of BE dealers in post #12 here and they also have a retail store finder that you can check for stores up to 100 miles away on the Berkeley Ergonomics site as well but none of them are anywhere close (the closest one is in New York).

Phoenix