The Best Organic Mattresses (and Toppers)

You’re going to sleep on mattresses for roughly 23 solid years of your life (on average), so it makes sense to give some careful thought to what you’re lying on. Unfortunately, mattresses often have questionable materials in them. Everything from formaldehyde to TCEP (a flame retardant) to phthalates can end up in non-organic mattresses. How much these substances impact you isn’t scientifically settled, but one way to avoid harm is to get a mattress made from natural, organic materials. As a bonus, these mattresses are usually less ecologically harmful. Most eco-friendly mattresses are made of some combination of wool, natural latex, and cotton. The construction is similar to conventional mattresses, but without the chemicals.

Also Search – 

Black Friday Deals 2021 – What Are the Best Deals?

Login & Apply for JCPenney Credit Card

20 Best Online Shopping Platforms in 2022

The Best Organic Mattresses (and Toppers)

Members of the WIRED Gear team have been testing mattresses for the past few years, and we have slept on every single mattress on this list. We are always testing more, but these are our favorites right now. As a note, we generally recommend hybrid mattresses with a core of individually wrapped springs because they feel more supportive and have better airflow so they don’t sleep as hot. All of the prices shown are for queen-size models unless specified.

The Avocado Green hybrid mattress is the only mattress I agree on. I like a soft and a firm mattress. This model somehow manages to be both without being too much of either. After nearly two years of sleeping on it, there’s zero sagging or other issues. WIRED mattress reviewer Jeffrey Van Camp has also tested and liked the Avocado.

The Best Organic Mattresses (and Toppers)

If you prefer a soft feel, there’s a pillow-top option, or you can add a mattress topper, like the company’s luxurious (and sustainable) Alpaca fur mattress topper (see below). Avocado also sells a no-spring organic natural latex foam mattress and a vegan hybrid model that uses no wool, but we haven’t tested those models.

The Avocado is 11 inches thick and made from organic latex, organic wool, and organic cotton. It’s also not toxic. It contains no polyurethane, fire retardants, memory foam, or chemical adhesives, according to the company. Avocado owns its own sheep farms and latex farm, and co-owns an organic latex processing facility, all in India. The mattresses are assembled in California.

There’s a one-year trial, 25-year warranty, and free shipping available on all Avocado mattresses. Like other mattress-in-a-box options, the Avocado arrives compressed. The company is also a certified B Corporation that’s purchasing enough offsets to be able to say it operates as a carbon-negative business.

The Best Organic Mattresses (and Toppers)

The Awara Mattress is also made from latex foam, organic wool, and individually wrapped springs. It wasn’t as comfortable as the Birch, but it is significantly more affordable. Awara’s mattress is supportive and bouncy, but the springs can be felt more readily than in other mattresses, while the edges are quite rigid. (A topper could help even things out—see below.)

One win for Awara, according to WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe: Unwrapping the vacuum-sealed mattress once it arrived resulted in very little odor—significantly less than with other brands. There’s very little motion transfer, and the soft mattress fabric didn’t run too hot or too cold. For a hybrid mattress that’s easier on the budget, this is a solid pick.

My whole pursuit of an environmentally friendly mattress started with my kids. I care a lot more about what they’re sleeping on than what I’m sleeping on. Still, as much as I love the Avocado Green mattress, it’s not cheap. For my kids, I bought the more affordable Kiwi Mattress by My Green Mattress. The Kiwi is very similar to the Avocado. It’s a hybrid mattress with pocketed springs and natural materials: certified organic cotton, wool, and latex.

One nice twist that makes the Kiwi appealing for kids is the two-sided option. It costs a little more upfront, but being able to flip it over extends its life, which is handy if your kids see think beds are actually trampolines in disguise.

My Green Mattress offers a 20-year warranty and a 120-night trial. The Kiwi is definitely a firmer mattress, but I think it’s comfortable, and my children all say it’s the most comfortable mattress they’ve slept on.

We still like Avocado more, but this is a good alternative for some side sleepers. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe says she sucks at sleeping. “I toss and turn all night. My blankets need to be arranged specifically. I can’t deal with light, and I require a sound machine to run in the background. I didn’t expect a mattress to change much, but this one from Birch pleasantly surprised me.” It’s an eco-friendly mattress made by Helix, the maker of our other favorite bed.

The Birch is made of natural latex and wool, with individually wrapped coils that lend a plush and bouncy experience without feeling too squishy. It’s great for stomach and side sleeping, and it’s comfortable enough that Strampe could actually sleep on her back. A small, visible indented outline formed where she and her partner each sleep, with a ridge between them, but after a year it was still bearable. If it’s warm in your room at night or you’re a hot sleeper, the Birch may not be for you.

A new mattress is a huge investment, and sometimes all you need is a little refresh for your existing mattress. If your current mattress isn’t sagging, you might be able to get a whole new feel just by adding a mattress topper like this organic latex topper from My Green Mattress.

This topper is two inches of certified organic latex wrapped in an organic cotton cover, with a zipper so you can remove the latex pad (though I am not sure why you’d want to). It’s lightweight but does a good job of staying in place even without any straps to hold it down.

This is a reasonably firm topper, compared to something like a down or wool topper, but it still contours nicely to your body and is comfortable even if you sleep on your side. Lying on my stomach or back I don’t even touch my actual mattress anymore with this on top. I do when I roll on my side, but just barely. All of which is to say, you can bring a whole new life to your bed without spending a fortune.

This Alpaca wool topper is one of the softest things I’ve ever lain on. If you like being enveloped in a cocoon of fluffiness, this is the topper for you. It’s not cheap, but put this on your mattress and you’ll feel like you’re in a five-star hotel.

Avocado’s Plush topper is made of baby Alpaca wool (that’s a reference to the softest wool on the animal, not its age) with an organic cotton cover. It’s about two inches thick, but in this case you definitely do sink in down to your mattress so it’s more of a luxury add-on than a way to rejuvenate an older mattress. Avocado’s return policy applies here as well, so you can try it and return it within the first 100 days.

My only gripe with the plush version is that it doesn’t have straps (the standard does, but I haven’t tested that). While it won’t slide off—it stays in place, thanks to the cotton cover— the corners do sometimes get bunched up when you’re changing sheets and need to be smoothed out.

Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including The Best (and Worst) Mattresses You Can Buy Online, Best Sound Machines, and our roundup of the best gifts for people who like to sleep.

Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you’d like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.