Home & Garden Home The 7 Best Organic Mattresses of 2023 Our top pick is Avocado Green Mattress. By Starre Vartan Starre Vartan Writer Columbia University Syracuse University Starre Vartan is an environmental and science journalist. She holds an MFA degree from Columbia University and Geology and English degrees from Syracuse University. Learn about our editorial process Updated January 24, 2023 Share Twitter Pinterest Email Home Green Living Pest Control Natural Cleaning DIY Family Thrift & Minimalism Sustainable Eating We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Getty Organic mattresses are growing in popularity as more people have become interested in avoiding concerning synthetic chemicals for both environmental and personal health reasons. But what makes a mattress organic? In the United States, not every part of the mattress needs to be certified to be considered organic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture "does not restrict the use of the term 'organic' in the labeling of textile products certified under third-party organizations such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) as long as all of the fibers identified as 'organic' in these textile products are produced and certified under the USDA regulations,” a USDA spokesperson told Treehugger. Similarly, the mattresses on this list all include some certified organic materials. That includes USDA certified organic wool and cotton, as well as other materials that are verified by other trustworthy sustainability standards. As you shop, you'll also want consider if you want a mattress with innersprings or one that's 100% natural latex. We researched the market to find the best organic mattresses. The Rundown Best Overall: Avocado Green Mattress at Avocadogreenmattress.com Jump to Review Best Latex: Sleep On Latex Pure Green Latex Mattress at Amazon Jump to Review Best Crib Mattress: Soaring Heart Organic Crib Mattress at Soaringheart.com Jump to Review Best Vegan: Avocado Green Vegan Mattress at Avocadogreenmattress.com Jump to Review Best Hybrid: Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress at Awarasleep.com Jump to Review Best Non-Latex: Saatva Classic Mattress at Saatva Jump to Review Best Splurge: Birch Luxe Natural Mattress at Birchliving.com Jump to Review Best Overall Avocado Green Mattress 5 Avocado View On Avocadogreenmattress.com Avocado has been a carbon negative company since 2020, which is impressive considering the size of the company and its popularity. It offers five mattresses in seven sizes, but the Avocado Green Mattress is a bestseller and our top choice for a reason. It’s needle-tufted by hand (no glues are used), and free from any polyester, polyurethane foams, or toxic fire retardants. Instead the company uses 100% Dunlop latex from a company-owned farm in Kerala, India, and that latex is eco-INSTITUT certified. The whole mattress is Greenguard Certified Gold, which means it won't off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Recycled steel coils, GOTS-certified organic cotton and wool are the other major materials in the mattress. Avocado gives customers 100 days to test out the mattress and it comes with a 25-year warranty. Price at time of publish: $1,999 Best Latex Sleep On Latex Pure Green Organic Latex Mattress, Medium Firmness 4.5 Amazon View On Amazon View On Sleeponlatex.com This company only makes latex mattresses (in six sizes), toppers, and pillows. The latex in the 8-inch thick mattress is harvested from Sri Lankan rubber trees and is GOLS, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, and eco-INSTITUT certified. Covering the latex is a GOTS-certified organic cotton cover and GOTS-certified wool batting via the sustainably run farmer-owned cooperative Wools of New Zealand. These globally sourced materials come together in Illinois where the beds are hand-sewn together. Sleep on Latex mattresses come in a box so you do the installation yourself and you get a 100-day trial, with free ("No Questions Asked") returns, and a 10-year warranty. Price at time of publish: $999 for Queen Best Crib Mattress Soaring Heart Organic Crib Mattress 5 Soaring Heart View On Soaringheart.com This made-in-Seattle mattress is completely organic. It includes GOLS certified, extra-firm Dunlop latex, organic New Zealand wool, and USDA certified organic cotton that’s grown in Texas. The needle-punched wool ensures a natural fire retardant layer that meets federal fire-safety standards. It comes with a 20-year warranty, so it makes a great hand-me-down, but note that a mattress cover is required because the mattress itself can't be easily cleaned. We found that Soaring Heart has excellent customer service. However, because each mattress is made by hand, it can take up to six weeks to receive your purchase. Price at time of publish: $499 What Treehugger Testers Say "This mattress is a good firmness for infant safety, but it's still flexible enough to change the sheets easily. Our baby has been sleeping peacefully on it since he graduated from his bassinet." The 7 Best Non-Toxic Crib Mattresses of 2023 Best Vegan Avocado Green Vegan Mattress Courtesy of Avocado View On Avocadogreenmattress.com Avocado’s Vegan Certified, PETA-approved vegan mattress is similar to their popular non-vegan hybrid mattress and replaces wool with GOTS-certified organic cotton. The other main component is 100% GOLS organic certified Dunlop latex from a company-owned farm in Kerala, India. This latex is eco-INSTITUT certified. The coils are made from recycled steel, and the entire mattress is Greenguard Certified Gold. You can test out your mattress for up to a year, and while most companies offer a 15-year warranty, Avocado’s is 25 years. Price at time of publish: $1,399 Best Hybrid Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress Courtesy of Awara View On Awarasleep.com Hybrid mattresses include coils mixed with some kind of memory foam, and in Awara’s case, that’s made from Rainforest Alliance Certified 100% Dunlop latex from Sri Lanka (also used by Avocado Green). This is the only mattress made by Awara, which plants 10 trees for every bed it sells, and it has a plush topper made from New Zealand Wool and organic cotton. You get a free trial of a full year, and if you want your old mattress taken away and the new one set up, there’s a white glove delivery service available for about $150. Price at time of publish: $1,898 Best Non-Latex Saatva Classic Mattress 4.2 Saatva View On Saatva For those looking to avoid latex, the one option for soft yet stable support is an innerspring and foam combination like this one from Saatva. The foam, while not organic, is Certi-PUR US certified, which means it has been checked to ensure that it’s non-toxic. Made in the United States and available in three firmness options, this one has a thick organic cotton layer and recycled pocket coils for support. It comes in eight sizes, and free mattress and foundation removal is available. Price at time of publish: $1,695 Best Splurge Birch Luxe Natural Mattress 4.8 Birch View On Birchliving.com The Birch Luxe Natural Mattress is made with several layers GOTS certified cashmere and cotton, topping a layer of natural latex. The bottom layer features zoned steel springs, which are designed to provide extra lumbar support. A wool layer adds flame-retardancy and cooling properties. A medium-firm mattress, it can be made a bit softer with a certified organic mattress topper. It has both Eco Institut and Greenguard certifications, meaning the the mattress is free of harmful substances. We also like that it’s made in a Fair Trade Certified factory. Price at time of publish: $2,499 The 10 Best Eco-Friendly Mattress Toppers of 2023 Final Verdict The Avocado mattress is our top pick for a reasonably priced organic mattress for most adults. If you’re on a tight budget, the Sleep on Latex is an affordable and organic all-latex option. What to Look for in an Organic Mattress Type Most of the mattresses listed are hybrids—that means they include both innersprings and latex (or foam), in various combinations. If you want the equivalent of a memory-foam type mattress, look for a 100% latex one. If you don’t want latex, look for those made with a certified non-toxic foam. Certifications Third-party certification is a must when shopping for organic products, but the mattresses on this list have earned a number of other eco-friendly seals as well. The following certifications are the most common in the mattresses listed here: USDA National Organic Program: The United States Department of Agriculture manages the USDA organic certification. It details the requirements for the types of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers that are allowed to be used on crops that can be labelled USDA Organic. The program has an allowable list of these substances, as well as specific amounts and circumstances where they can be used. “Raw natural fibers, such as cotton, wool, and flax, are agricultural products covered under the National Organic Program (NOP) crop and livestock production standards and can be USDA-certified organic,” according to a USDA spokesperson. The standard prohibits genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge. The seal is overseen by certifying agents authorized by the USDA National Organic Program. GreenGuard Gold certification means that certified products have lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could offgas into the air, contributing to poor indoor air quality. The Gold level indicates the lowest levels according to the organization’s standards and especially formaldehyde offgassing. CertiPUR-US certified refers specifically to foam products, like those used in mattresses. It is an independent certifier that has standards for emissions, content, performance, and durability. Those foams certified by the organization are made without formaldehyde, ozone depleters, different types of flame retardants, phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission; mercury, lead, and heavy metals. Products with this seal are also certified low VOC for indoor air quality at 0.5 parts per million. Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): This is a textile standard, so it’s usually applied to the mattress cover. This widely-used certification has two levels: Products that contain 95% or more organic material, or those that have 70% to 94% organic material, in which case they have to disclose the percentage on the GOTS label. The label certifies the entire process the material travels through, not just the final product. The entire supply chain, including processors, spinners, weavers, dyers, and other manufacturers, and textile traders must be certified. Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS): To achieve the standard, a product must contain more than 95% certified organic raw latex. Qualifying products may have other polymers and fillers, but the finished product is subject to emission tests, and there are specific limits to harmful substances. Both rubber plantations, where organic latex is extracted from the trees, and processing units, including the final retailer of a product, can be certified. The standard tracks this via transaction certificates at every sales point along the supply chain. Frequently Asked Questions What is natural latex? Latex is the milky white fluid produced by the rubber tree, and it can be harvested without killing the tree. It is gathered, heated, and then whipped into a foam to create a latex foam rubber—that’s what latex beds are made from—using either the Talalay or Dunlop processes. Latex can also be made from synthetic rubber, but most mattress companies use natural latex from the tree and even specify the source and what process they use. What are the advantages of getting an organic mattress? Is it worth it? There are some very strong reasons to support organic products. The first is that it creates green jobs and promotes economic opportunities in rural areas, both in the Untied States and abroad. Consumer demand has led to an almost 9% growth in non-food organic products in the United States, something that benefits farmers by creating “entrepreneurial opportunities that choose to follow the required practices,” according to the USDA.Organic also provides consumers with more choices and helps producers and handlers receive premium prices for their products. "Research shows that organic farming practices can improve water quality, conserve energy, increase biodiversity, and contribute to soil health,” a USDA spokesperson told Treehugger. If those are things that you value, then yes, paying more for an organic mattress is worth it. Can an organic latex mattress be used on a slatted bed base? Yes, but you’ll need to check and make sure that the slats are fairly close together. They should be 2 inches apart and not more than 2.5 inches apart. If your existing bed base has slats that are further apart, simply get some 0.5- to 0.75-inch plywood cut to size to fit over the slats in the correct size to match your bed. You can also purchase a product called a bunkie board from some furniture stores that functions the same way. Why Trust Treehugger? To make this list, we researched the market to find the mattresses with robust organic certifications, along with other eco-friendly materials and practices. We also reached out to the USDA to provide insight into the agency's organic program. Author Starre Vartan has been an environmental and science journalist for more than 15 years. She founded an award-winning eco-website and has written a book on living green. Arricca SanSone updated this article and sleeps well every night on her Saatva mattress. The 9 Best Places to Buy an Eco-Friendly Mattress in 2023 View Article Sources "Mattresses." Environmental Working Group. "Why Become Certified?" USDA.