Photo Credit: Seamus Murray
(Creative Commons)

Organic Mattresses

As part of this trend towards environmentally friendly living the organic mattress has become increasingly popular. But exactly what is it?

What Is An Organic Mattress?

Ideally an organic mattress would be made purely from natural materials produced and certified according to internationally agreed standards. Such a product is very rare, if it exists at all.

There is some confusion between the concepts "organic material" and "organically grown". Most of the mattresses sold as organic are made from natural materials with attention paid to best practices regarding environmental and sustainability issues. Materials such as latex, cotton and wool are organic materials even if not organically grown.

So the concept of an organic mattress seems to be more of a spectrum than a hard and fast definition. As a buyer you'll want to check out both the materials used and the manner in which they were produced. Formal organic certification is a useful shortcut to this process.

The price you pay will ultimately depend on your personal priorities. Are you trying to discourage the use of artifical chemicals on farms? Are you opposed to genetically modified organisms (GMOs)? Are you being careful as to what you put in your baby's crib? Or are you simply looking to reduce your carbon footprint with a mattress that can easily be recycled or is biodegradable?

External Links:
Soil Association
Organic Materials Review Institute