PLEASE HELP: Really need a new mattress!!! WANTED: A "Green" Mattress

Forgot to include in my initial post. Here are other companies I am considering but really aren’t sure how to proceed being that there are no stores in my area and are done with paying restocking fees like I did with my two Essentia mattresses. Interesting articles on here about their false claims. Ideally I would LOVE to find the best organic mattress out there because price isn’t an object for me. Willing to fork over a lot as long its it truly green/organic AND super comfortable. Thoughts?!?!?!?!?!?!

http://www.tempflow.com/eros-mattress-model.htm

http://www.lifekind.com/index.php/site_category_product_report/5

Hi SD_Deb,

I switched your second post into your original topic to keep them together.

I think the first thing I would suggest is to somewhat “reset” how you are looking for a mattress because it seems that you may be buying into some of the more “marketing” and misleading information that’s out there. The first place I would start is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

I would also suggest that you clarify what you mean by green and why it’s important to you because many people that are looking for a so called “green” mattress are really looking for something else such as “safe”, or “natural”, or even “organic” and all of these have different meanings (see post #2 here).

In the mattress industry “green” is as much about marketing as anything else and in many cases it’s more about greenwashing than about actually being green. Post #4 here has more information that may be helpful to answer the question “how green is green enough for me?”.

You can read some of my thoughts about Essentia and some of the misleading claims they make and some forum discussions with them in this thread and this thread and posts #3 and #4 here.

You can read some comments about Keetsa in post #2 here and a forum search on Keetsa (you can just click the link) will bring up more about them as well. As you can see their “green” claims are somewhat exaggerated.

You can see some of my comments about Astrabeds and some of their sister companies in post #2 here and in post #3 here and a forum search on Astrabeds (you can just click this) will bring up more information as well. There are certainly better options available to you.

I think highly of Brandon and Sleepingorganic and you can see my comments about them in post #2 here. They are also included in the list of the members of the site that sell online in post #21 here and a forum search on sleepingorganic (you can just click the link) will bring up more about them as well.

You can read some of my thoughts about Rick and Tempflow in post #9 here and a forum search on Tempflow will bring up more information and feedback about them as well.

A forum search on Lifekind will also bring up more information about them and their sister company Organicpedic (OMI) as well.

I would first take some time to clarify what you are looking for and to read some of the information in the tutorial post and when you get to step 3 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 in your area as well.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Thank you for the wealth of info!!

I live in San Diego and are planning to head to the Los Angeles area this weekend to continue the hunt for a mattress. Can you please point me in the places I should definitely visit both here and up there.

Based on your descriptions, I am looking for a SAFE mattress and I want to steer clear of an “innerspring mattress”. Organic would be ideal but I know from reading your post that that is always not achievable so natural is ok too. I just want to find that “balance” between safe and comfortable so I can finally get a good night sleep!

Thank you for your help! :slight_smile:

[quote=“SD_Deb” post=39672] I am looking for a SAFE mattress and I want to steer clear of an “innerspring mattress”.
[/quote]
You don’t say why you want to stay clear of innerspring mattresses, since you have slept well on inner springs in the past. Berkeley Ergonomics makes good inner spring based mattresses without any off-gassing foams.

Hi,

My reasoning behind steering clear of inner springs is my research about how metal is a conductor for EMF waves. So trying to go with a mattress with no coil.

Thank you!

Hi SD_Deb,

Just like the first step in buying a “green” mattress is to decide on which types of materials or mattresses are “green enough for you” … the first step in buying a mattress that you consider to be “safe enough for you” or “natural enough for you” would be deciding on which materials meet your criteria for either one. Each person’s answer to these and the materials that they are most comfortable having in their mattress can vary widely.

There is more about natural and synthetic materials in mattresses and some comments about their relative safety in post #2 here and post #6 here.

There is also more information in post #2 here and the other posts and sources of information it links to that would be a good starting point for those who are interested in doing even more detailed research yet into the very complex, controversial, and often frustrating and confusing issues connected to mattress safety that can help them sort through the conflicting information on both sides of the discussion.

Once you have decided on the materials you are comfortable with having inside your mattress … then you will be in a much better position to start looking for and testing mattresses that meet your criteria.

The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in and around the San Diego area are included in post #2 here and for the Los Angeles region are in post #2 here.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Decided to stay in San Diego for mattress shopping tomorrow (saturday). I know its such a late response which i apologize for (I am a mom of small kiddos) so just wanted to clarify my desire for a SAFE mattress meaning that I would like one without fire retardant. Would you still advise me to visit that list of SD stores you referred in your last response to me? With that, any I should omit from my hunt tomorrow?

Again, thank you soooo much!!! You are great!!!

Btw, what type of mattress do you sleep on? Very curious!!

Hoping to find a mattress for a good nights sleep soon…

Hi SD_Deb,

The only way to buy a mattress that has no fire retardant at all and hasn’t passed the fire regulations is if you have a doctors prescription and a manufacturer is willing to make one for you. I would keep in mind though that there are “safe” ways to pass the fire regulations using wool or an inherent viscose/silica fire barrier.

I don’t keep any records of the specific mattresses which the retailers in the various lists in the forum carry on their floor which is constantly changing and would be impossible for any single person to keep up with so I would always call and talk with any retailer or manufacturer you are considering visiting before you go there to tell them what you are looking for and to make sure carry some mattresses that meet your criteria.

You can see the details here.

Phoenix