It’s been almost a year since we upgraded our old mattress, and I’ve enjoyed every night of sleep on our new bed 🥑
Why Choosing A Non-Toxic Mattress Matters
If you’ve purchased a conventional mattress in past, you’ll likely remember that “new mattress” smell. That “new” smell comes with just about every piece of synthetic furniture and carpet, even cars… that new car smell that people love so much, not so great for us. It comes from the off-gassing of chemicals, and the off-gassing doesn’t end when the smell goes away.
Most conventional mattresses are made with an array of harmful chemicals, chemicals that over time release into the air, polluting our bedrooms, homes and bodies. According the Environmental Working Group (EWG), some of the most common mattress toxins include polyurethane foam, which emits VOCs linked to respiratory irritation and other health concerns; flame retardant chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption and adverse effects on the immune system; and PVC or vinyl covers that can damage developing reproductive systems.
With young children, the choice to go non-toxic is even more important, as their organs, respiratory, immune and neurological systems are still developing.
Considering the fact that we spend roughly 1/3 of our lives in bed, and we breath so close to the mattress we sleep on, what we sleep on matters a lot!
I knew I wanted an organic mattress, but I didn’t know what one or even where to find one, so I went in on research. It took me a few weeks of reading and contemplating before making a decision. Mattresses, especially organic mattresses aren’t cheap, so I didn’t take the decision lightly. I decided on Avocado Green Mattress, and I’ve been really happy with the choice.
Our Avocado Green Mattress, organic mattress review.
Why we chose Avocado Green Mattress
It’s GOTS certified organic.
It’s a true organic mattress. No bs. The GOTS certification covers the source material, the factory, and the finished product. The mattress is made using organic latex, organic wool, and organic cotton.
It’s GREENGUARD Gold certified.
The GREENGUARD Gold certification is something I look for whenever possible when buying furniture these days (it’s something I became very conscious of when buying baby furniture). It means the product has been scientifically tested and proven to meet the most rigorous emission standards for chemical exposure and pollutants, such as VOCs, formaldehyde, and phthalates. Few mattresses qualify for this gold standard.
It’s truly non-toxic.
There are no flame retardants (the wool is naturally flame resistant), no glues (hand tufted instead) and no polyester. It’s MADE SAFE® Certified, which means it passed a rigorous screening process that only allows the use of ingredients not known or suspected to cause harm to human health, animals, aquatic life, or ecosystems.
Avocado’s organic certified latex, wool, and cotton have also received STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®: Class 1 certifications, which requires annual testing to ensure no harmful substances are present.
It’s made in America.
Each mattress is handmade in California.
It’s certified sustainable.
In 2019, Avocado became the first mattress brand to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. In 2020, Avocado went carbon negative, meaning it offsets more carbon than it generates by doing things like financing forest conservation and clean energy.
It’s designed for back support.
The Avocado Green Mattress is a hybrid mattress design – it uses an innerspring system (made of recycled steel), and a comfort layer of organic latex. Hybrid mattresses are the most popular, supportive, and durable mattresses on the market.
It has a 1-year trial.
Before purchasing the mattress, I called Avocado to make sure they would stand by this. I was skeptical about purchasing an expensive mattress online, with no in-store testing, so I wanted to make sure I understood it right and we could return it with no issue if we wanted to. They stand by their 1-year sleep trial. You have up to one year (the clock begins the day you receive the mattress), to return the mattress. Avocado requires that you do try the mattress for at least 30 days before returning it (to give it and your body time to adjust). If you do choose to return it, Avocado returns your money, and arranges for the mattress to be picked up. They claim that more than 95% of their returned mattresses get donated to charities, nonprofits, and people in need.
This company loves the planet.
This is the tag attached to my mattress. It pretty much sums up everything I love about this organic mattress and the company that makes it.
Our Avocado Green Mattress Experience
We ordered the Avocado Green Mattress in the king size with the attached pillow top in early December 2019. They’re made to order, handmade in the USA, so it took about a week for it to actually get shipped… not bad. [I know currently with the Covid-19 impact and high demand, they’re taking longer. The website currently states ready to ship in 6-8 weeks.]
I was given a four hour window for the delivery, which I had to sign for, and the VERY HEAVY package was brought to the front porch.
Aaron and I got the box in the house, and managed to push it upstairs and into our bedroom. Organic mattresses are much heavier than conventional mattresses – we learned that quickly. Inside the box, the mattress was rolled up tight and shrink wrapped.
Also in the box was a gift – the really sweet children’s book The Little Blue Planet. It’s one of our favorites.
We carefully removed the plastic from the mattress, and it slowly opened up. I was expecting it to pop open, so after cutting through the plastic I quickly jumped out of the way. It was nothing like that though. It took a few hours to fully decompress, but we gave it an additional day to open and plump up before sleeping on it.
We had a king frame and boxspring already that my mom had given us, so we placed our new mattress on that, although the company doesn’t recommend using a box spring – there are springs in the mattress itself, so they claim that using a box spring system may make it feel too bouncy. They don’t recommend using a foundation either. The tag on our mattress states “THIS MATTRESS IS INTENDED TO BE USED WITHOUT A FOUNDATION.” I eventually replaced our frame and boxspring with a wooden platform instead – not because it felt too bouncy, but the metal frame squeaked every time I moved, and with a newborn in the room, that did not help anybody sleep! I purchased this bed platform off Amazon. Avocado now offers high quality stylish bed platforms as well.
I love that the mattress did not let off any type of chemical smell like a conventional mattress does. It had a natural latex/rubber odor after removing the packaging. That smell went away for the most part after about a day or so.
As far as sleeping on the mattress, I find it very comfortable, and my husband does too. I was worried about this before we got it. Aaron’s a back sleeper and I’m a side sleeper, so it was important to find one that supports us both. He’s always been a fan of a firm mattress (the bed he had before we lived together might as well have been a board), and I’ve always loved a soft cushy one. I wanted a mattress that was somewhere in the middle… preferably for me, a little on the softer side – that’s why I went with the pillow top. This one works perfectly for us.
A year now into sleeping on our Avocado Green Mattress, we genuinely love it. It’s comfortable, supportive, and it’s good for our family and the planet.
Aside from mattresses (they even offer crib mattresses), Avocado offers pillows, mattress toppers, bedding, and wooden bedroom furniture. Check out their website for more info.
If you’re interested in reading more about reducing toxins in the home, here are some other posts I’ve written on the topic:
My Favorite Indoor Air Purifier
5 Health Benefits of Houseplants
Spring Cleaning for a Healthier Home
10 Things to Toss For a Healthier Home (and What to Use Instead)
*Some of the links above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.
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