9 Best Eco-Friendly Mattress Toppers To Support Non-Toxic Sleep

When searching for a non-toxic, eco-friendly mattress topper, these are the components we advocate holding in thoughts, and in reality have fashioned the framework for our personal seek for this record.

Supplies

We typically desire pure and natural fibers over artificial textiles, since they cut back chemical publicity and are extra sustainable total. Among the most typical and trusted choices for mattress toppers embody:

• Organic Cotton: Breathable, comfortable, and grown with out poisonous pesticides or artificial fertilizers. Safer for you and fewer resource-intensive than typical cotton farming.
• Wool: Naturally flame-resistant and temperature-regulating, so it doesn’t require added chemical therapies. Search for natural or RWS-certified wool to make sure excessive animal welfare requirements.
• Down: Exceptionally heat and light-weight, however solely accountable when licensed below the Accountable Down Customary (RDS). This ensures no live-plucking or force-feeding, two main animal welfare considerations.
• Alpaca: Softer and hotter than wool, naturally hypoallergenic, and free from lanolin (so it’s much less irritating for delicate pores and skin). Ideally sourced from farms practising humane and sustainable land administration.
• Pure Latex: A renewable, biodegradable materials that’s sturdy and supportive. Be certain that it’s licensed natural (GOLS) to keep away from artificial blends constructed from petrochemicals. See extra on this under.
• Plant-Based mostly Alternate options (TENCEL™ Lyocell, Bamboo, Modal): Semi-synthetic fibers made in closed-loop methods that reduce solvent and water waste. They’re hypoallergenic, moisture-wicking, and petroleum-free, providing a cleaner different to polyester.
• Kapok: Typically used as a down-alternative fill. It’s naturally silky, hypoallergenic, and grows wild with out fertilizers or pesticides.

Some manufacturers additionally use recycled fibers (like recycled polyester) to scale back waste. Whereas this retains plastic out of landfills, recycled synthetics can nonetheless carry toxicity considerations (like residual BPA). That’s why we lean towards natural and pure fibers the place doable.

Talalay and Dunlop Pure Latex

You’ll discover these two names come up lots on this record and are used because the dominant materials in many of the toppers. Each Talalay and Dunlop latex are derived from the sap of the Hevea brasiliensis rubber tree, a renewable useful resource. When licensed by GOLS, FSC, or eco-INSTITUT, pure latex avoids petrochemicals, helps sustainable forestry, and biodegrades on the finish of its life. Right here’s a excessive degree explainer of the 2:

• Dunlop Latex: The extra conventional methodology, Dunlop latex is poured in a single go and allowed to settle naturally. This creates a denser, firmer foam that’s sturdy, supportive, and fewer energy-intensive to supply. Due to its less complicated course of, it’s normally thought-about the extra sustainable of the 2 pure latex merchandise. A number one provider is Latex Green, who produce GOLS and eco-INSTITUT licensed pure Dunlop latex in Sri Lanka.
• Talalay Latex: Talalay goes by means of further steps (freezing, vacuum enlargement, and baking) to create a softer, extra constant really feel. It tends to be bouncier and extra breathable than Dunlop, making it well-liked for consolation layers. Whereas the method requires extra vitality, responsibly sourced Talalay (like FSC® and Cradle to Cradle GOLD licensed) nonetheless affords a secure, non-toxic, and long-lasting materials. A number one provider is Radium Foam (Vita Talalay) within the Netherlands, which produces FSC-certified, Cradle to Cradle GOLD Talalay latex.

Hearth Security With out Toxins

• Avoid toppers that use fiberglass hearth limitations, chemical flame retardants, or PFAS coatings.
• Safer choices use pure flame resistance from wool or different plant-based options

Inexperienced Enterprise Practices

Past supplies, we like to see manufacturers going additional with:

• Clear sourcing and moral labor.
• Packaging that minimizes or avoids plastic.
• Consideration of circularity or methods to scale back waste to landfill.
• Efforts to scale back carbon emissions, like certifications or verified local weather applications.
• Giving again with charitable giving.

We’ve a couple of manufacturers on this record who’ve acquired a model score from us, which assesses them towards 22 completely different sustainability-related standards. These manufacturers have to decide in to be rated so we imagine their transparency makes them a sensible choice if you happen to’re targeted on each sustainability and security.

Certifications, Memberships & Testing

Supplies:

• GOTS (World Natural Textile Customary) for cotton or wool.
• GOLS (World Natural Latex Customary) for latex.
• RDS (Accountable Down Customary) for down from animals that haven’t been live-plucked or force-fed.
• RWS (Accountable Wool Customary) for larger requirements of animal welfare and land administration.
• OEKO-TEX 100 for materials examined towards dangerous substances.
• CertiPUR-US® for any poly foams to make sure they’re low-VOC and freed from dangerous chemical compounds.
• MADE SAFE® requires merchandise to be free from identified toxins.
• Greenguard Gold and eco-INSTITUT are further rigorous indicators of low-toxicity and safer indoor air.

Different certifications or memberships that point out further care or duty for environmental and social points:

• B Corp verifies a model meets excessive requirements of social and environmental efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
• Fair Trade Certified certifies secure working circumstances and truthful wages in agricultural merchandise like cotton.
• 1% for the Planet ensures the corporate donates at the least 1% of annual gross sales to environmental causes.
• The Climate Label certifies {that a} product’s carbon footprint has been measured, verified, and transparently communicated.

Buyer Expertise & Sturdiness
A topper can solely be “sustainable” if it really performs. Poor high quality toppers put on down shortly, which means extra waste and alternative prices. Actual buyer evaluations (and our personal testing, the place doable) assist us affirm consolation, sturdiness, and whether or not a topper actually enhances sleep. Longer-lasting toppers get monetary savings, sources, and make it easier to sleep higher.

Editor’s observe: We first revealed this text in August 2023, initially targeted on natural mattress toppers. Since then, we’ve refreshed it so the manufacturers, certifications, and the problems that matter most to you, like sustainability and toxin publicity, mirror the newest info obtainable.