ORGANIC, VEGAN, & NON-LATEX. I'M LOST! OPTIONS?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi Everyone!

I am looking for the best organic, vegan,(no wool), non-latex mattress options. I can get a ‘no flame retardant’ prescription’. I am vegan and very chemical/allergy sensitive.

After a LOT of googling I am lost and so grateful to be able to post here for help!!! :

I think that my option is an all organic cotton only mattress, but I do not know the top/best choices??

Any knowledge about organic hemp mattresses, Is that another good option? Seems like a new thing and probably not a lot of experience out there with it??

PLEASE, if you have any info about this, help me out and reply. I would so appreciate your time!

Thank you,

Kristen

2

Hi Kristen,

Unfortunately there is no such thing as “the best” mattress in general terms (organic, vegan, non latex, chemical free, or otherwise) … there is only a mattress that is “best for you” based on all the criteria that are most important to you regardless of whether the same mattress would be “best” for anyone else (even if they have similar criteria).

There is more information 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 of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

There is also 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 and components 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 organic is organic enough for me” so you can decide on the types of materials you are most comfortable having in your mattress. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.

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 whether an organic certification is important to you or whether a “safety” certification is enough.

If you are only looking at organic materials (regardless of whether non organic materials may be just as “safe”) and have ruled out wool or other “safe” fire barriers and you have also ruled out latex then your criteria would be very restrictive and you would basically be limited to organic cotton (such as an organic cotton futon) which may not be the most comfortable choice or perhaps an innerspring mattress that uses organic cotton or other organic fibers as a comfort layer (and these will be somewhat difficult to find).

There is a list of of some futon options in post #2 here and there is also a list of some of the better innerspring/natural fiber options I’m aware of in post #4 here. You would need to check if any of them have a retailer that is near you (or that they sell online if you are comfortable with buying a mattress or futon that you can’t test in person before a purchase) and if an organic certification is important to you then you would also need to check with them to make sure that their natural fibers are also vegan and whether they have an organic certification and/or that they can make a prescription mattress that doesn’t pass the fire regulations. There is more about “safe” fire barriers in this article and post #2 here and the posts it links to at the end.

If you let me know your city or zip code I’d also be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of that may be close to you.

Phoenix

3

Wow Phoenix! Thank you. I have to go through your reply. I sure wish I would not have wasted time googling and started here!

Just wanted to get you my zip - 55446 - Minneaplis/St. Paul - Minnesota

I really prefer to go to a place to look/try the mattress, if possible, that means a lot to me after my last bad online purchase (Essentia).

Cost - 4 digits okay, not 5…

If this helps narrow it down, PLEASE let me know! This is overwhelming.

Kristen

4

Hi Kristen,

The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Minneapolis/St Paul area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines I linked in my last reply) are listed in post #2 here.

The only one that I can see that may meet your criteria (based on a quick scan) would be the Naturepedic mattresses at Moss Envy but you may need to check with them to find out whether they can make any of their mattresses that include wool batting without it (possibly with a prescription).

Phoenix

5

Hi Phoenix,

That was helpful! Moss Envy is close to home, a nice store, right across from a Whole Foods. I went there last year and all they had in their showroom was latex layer mattresses. I did not know Naturepedic made any other types.

I went to their site after your post and found that you do not need a prescription as they make a mattress with organic cotton, coils, and PLA (a natural fire retardant made from potatoes and corn).

Just wondering what you or anyone thinks of this PLA? It is not organic. Does say it is tested for chemical emissions.

https://www.naturepedic.com/info/fireprotection

The site also says that latex and wool are allergenic.

Cannot thank you enough!

Kristen

6

Hi Kristen,

I wasn’t sure which of their mattresses that they carried because some of them use wool and some don’t but if they have one without wool and you have tested it carefully to confirm that it’s a good match for you in terms of PPP then it would certainly be worth considering.

PLA (Polylactic acid) is a type of synthetic (doesn’t exist in nature) manufactured polyester fiber that is derived from natural raw material sources instead of petrochemical sources so like rayon it would be a “semi synthetic” fiber. It has a feel that is somewhat similar to wool and it is also biodegradable so it would be a good choice for those that wish to avoid animal products such as wool.

All the Naturepedic mattresses have been certified by Greenguard Gold (which tests the complete mattress) so there are no harmful levels of VOC’s in any of the materials and components in any of their mattresses.

While it would be relatively uncommon to be allergic to either latex or wool … there are a few people who are. In most cases it’s generally a contact allergy and the latex and wool in most mattresses are covered with fabric so it’s not normally a cause for concern with mattresses.

Phoenix

7

Hi, Phoenix,
I’m in the same boat: vegan, lots of allergies and somatic issues. I NEED vegan, non-latex, non-soy, non-potato and really good support.
Most mattresses I’ve seen that might be suitable cost multi-thousands. I need something that’s reasonably priced
I’m the Los Angeles area.

What do you know about the Spinal Care brand?
I found them at “Mattress World.” I laid on one with a bamboo cover, for a while and it seemed okay, but I cannot find any feedback about this line. The salesman was full of double talk, so it’s a guessing game there, Their website is not very informative, and their warranty isn’t very good.

Spink and Edward’s website says their 3000 series fits the criteria I want, but I cannot find anyone who carries that particular model. The one retailer in this area who carries their other models won’t order this one. I’m waiting for a reply from the company.

Incidentally, the person on the phone at that retailer ( sit n sleep) which seems to be dominating the L.A. market, didn’t know much, wasn’t willing to find out any information for me and didn’t bother to suggest any other options. He said he had to go because he had a customer. I’m a customer too, but he didn’t recognize that. Okay. If they don’t want my money, fine.

What do you know about Royal Pedic? They appear to have one model that fits my criteria, but I can’t find a local retailer for them, either.

Duxianna never wrote back. So, forget them. They’re exorbitantly expensive anyway.

I need to try out the bed before I buy. I’m a princess & the pea type body.

BTW, I went into an ORTHO store. The guy there was full of double talk and bull. And, there was such a horrid chemical stench in the store, it was really bothersome. Needless to say, I’m not going back there.

Thanks in advance for your help.

8

Hi Sashakatz,

I would be very cautious about brand shopping in general because you are buying a specific mattress not the brand and most manufacturers have access to the same or similar components and materials. Many manufacturers make a wide range of mattresses that can vary from lower quality and less durable materials to higher quality and more durable materials in a wide range of prices. The name of the manufacturer on the label or the price of the mattress won’t tell you anything about whether a specific mattress is suitable for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or whether there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the design that would affect the durability and useful life of the mattress. There is more about the risks of brand shopping in post #5 here and post #12 here.

Spinal Care is a smaller independent manufacturer that makes some good quality/value mattresses that would generally be a better choice than many of the larger or major brands. Of course you would need to know the information listed in this article about any mattress you are considering (regardless of the manufacturer) so that you can make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links (or any materials that don’t meet your specific criteria) in any mattress you are considering. A specific term site search on Spinal Care (you can just click the link) will also bring up more comments and feedback about them.

I’m not sure what you mean by this because their warranty looks to be as good or better than many other manufacturers in the industry. Having said that … I would keep in mind that mattress warranties only cover manufacturing defects and they don’t cover the gradual (or more rapid in the case of lower quality comfort layers) loss of comfort and support that comes from foam softening that is the main reason that most people will need to replace their mattress. In other words warranties have little to do with the durability or useful life of a mattress or how long it may be until you need to replace it. If there is an actual defect in the materials it will usually show up early in the life of the mattress but knowing the quality and durability of the materials in your mattress is always a much more reliable way to assess the durability and useful life of a mattress than the length of a warranty. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: spinalcarebedding.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2016/01/warranty-cards-10-07-14.pdf

They also make mattresses that use high quality materials but as you mentioned they are in much higher price ranges than other similar mattresses. A specific term site search on Royal Pedic or forum searches on Royalpedic and on Royal-pedic (you can just click these links as well) will also bring up more comments and feedback about them as well.

Subject to confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list is completely transparent about the materials and components in their mattresses and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the greater Los Angeles area are listed in post #2 here.

I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the local lists is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway. This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in that are also in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in considering or visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations.

Phoenix

9

Thanks for responding did g so quickly!

10

Hi Sashakatz,

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding and of course to any other comments or questions you may have along the way that I or any of the more knowledgeable members of the site can help with.

Phoenix

11

Hi. I am looking for the best organic (if possible), vegan (no wool), non-latex (or at least not completely latex) mattress options. I am a vegan, and I am on a budget. I have done a bunch of googling, and I don’t know what to do. My zip code is 95073, Soquel, California. I would prefer to go to a place to look/try the mattress out, if possible. That is important to me. I also want it to not be made of soy. I am looking for something that breaths and is lively (at least a bit bouncy) that doesn’t emit strong odors. I would also like there to be a return policy in case I try it but don’t like it. These are not all deal breakers, but I am curious to find out what is available. I would appreciate your help. Thank you. Amir

12

Hi amir,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile: and thank you for your post

If you are only looking at organic materials (regardless of whether non organic materials may be just as “safe”) and have ruled out wool or other “safe” fire barriers and you have also ruled out latex then your criteria would be very restrictive and you would basically be limited to organic cotton (such as an organic cotton futon) which may not be the most comfortable choice or perhaps an innerspring mattress that uses organic cotton or other organic fibers as a comfort layer (and these will be somewhat difficult to find).

There is a list of some futon options in post #2 here and there is also a list of some of the better innerspring/natural fiber options I’m aware of in post #4 here. You would need to check if any of them have a retailer that is near you (or that they sell online if you are comfortable with buying a mattress or futon that you can’t test in person before a purchase) and if an organic certification is important to you then you would also need to check with them to make sure that their natural fibers are also vegan and whether they have an organic certification and/or that they can make a prescription mattress that doesn’t pass the fire regulations. I have alerted one of our new members that may be able to give you a little more direction with other options you may have.

Unfortunately, In early 2018 we decided to discontinue the provision of listings of potential retailers in various geographic regions (unless they are already approved site members), because of the difficulty in maintaining such lists in a retail landscape that is constantly changing, and most importantly the confusion it was created with the consumer members who incorrectly assumed that these businesses had indeed gone through the strict qualification process and were approved as members of The Mattress Underground. Such an assumption is unfair to both the consumers seeking assistance, as well as the very businesses and manufacturers who meet the criteria to become Trusted Members of The Mattress Underground.

Good luck, this is a tough search and I hope you can find something that meets your needs.

Thank you again for your post.

13

I agree with Phoenix, your criteria are very limiting, but they are workable. However, to find a completely vegan option without latex foam that has bounce and is in a budget is probably asking too much.

GOTS cotton batting (which we stock) can be used to make a mattress or as mentioned above, you can buy premade organic cotton futons. They will be quite firm, last no more than 10 years and will become more firm as they age.

Millet hulls or buckwheat hulls, such as openyoureyesbedding.com carries can be used to make a firm mattress. It will have more contour ability than cotton but will still be firm.

Sand mattresses are available in CA only, as far as I know, and while vegan, again would be quite firm.

I have talked with people who have also used straw (not hay), seaweed (grown from his pond), loofahs (perhaps the most bouncy but not cheap; they are acutally the inside of a gourd and if you can get them grown US side, then they aren’t crispy yet). If you are into foraging, cattail fluff inside a barrier cloth (because it breaks down extensively and quickly) would also work as well as young asp leaves. These sort of plant fibers usually are renewed yearly.

You may want to consider a topper of a different or at least lesser material than your mattress. That way you can have a little pressure relief on top of great support. If you don’t mind some latex, you can always wrap it in a cotton batting or to combine the firmness of the batting with the bounce of the latex. Our Arpico latex is vegan.

Best of luck researching.

14

Thank you all for your help. I appreciate it. It would be alright if the mattress was natural but not organic.

15

Hi amir,

Since you are open to “natural but not organic” products, but still wanted to find a store near , you could visit one of our Trusted Members, Nest Bedding, to try one of their natural options in the showroom as they have a store in Costa Mesa, CA. I am not very sure of the natural options that Dan at Bay Bed & Mattress but you can give them a brief call to explore what they have.

I look forward to hearing about your choices.

Phoenix