What material is best for organic mattress? You dream of a new mattress, but you want to turn to natural and eco-responsible materials.
To take care of your health, your nights, and the planet, certain materials accompany you on this quest!
Wool, cotton, coconut fibers, natural latex, linen: zoom on the criteria that help you choose a natural and quality mattress!
Also, read How to choose organic mattress for Baby
Let’s dive in.
What Is A Natural Mattress?
A natural mattress is a mattress made of natural materials, which are found in particular in the cover (the ticking) and the filling of the mattress. It’s a more responsible, more sustainable bed that takes care of your health!
The Advantages Of A Natural Mattress:
A More Ecological Mattress
Making mattresses from natural materials reduces the use of chemicals: you benefit from healthier ambient air in your room.
The presence of toxic and allergenic substances is reduced a plus if you have breathing problems at night!
A More Durable Mattress
Natural materials are more qualitative than synthetic materials.
For comparison, a natural latex mattress lasts 10 to 15 years, whereas a synthetic latex mattress will settle and warp more quickly.
A More Breathable Mattress
Natural materials allow air to circulate well throughout the bed.
If you often feel hot at night or are allergic to dust mites, this is a plus that can help you sleep better and enjoy more rest.
The Disadvantages Of Natural Mattresses
Mattresses that contain natural materials are generally heavier and, therefore, more difficult to handle alone.
In addition, these high-end products have better longevity: they are, therefore, often more expensive than classic mattresses, foam, springs, or synthetic latex.
What Materials For A Natural Mattress?
The Wool Mattress
The sheep’s wool mattress is artisanally made. Opt for ecological wool, which benefits from a natural treatment against dust mites. You will thus avoid toxic substances from A to Z!
Wool mattresses are very durable. Since they can be renovated by adding padding over time, they can last up to 20 years!
Wool has powerful antibacterial and anti-humidity properties, a real plus for staying clean and dry night after night!
Natural Latex
Among the most popular natural mattresses, we find the natural latex mattress! On the market, you can find two types of latex mattresses:
- The synthetic latex mattress contains only 0 to 20% rubber tree sap. The rest of the latex is synthetic and made to approximate the properties of natural latex but comes from petrochemicals;
- The natural latex mattress is made up of at least 85% rubber tree sap. The addition of synthetic or natural additives ensures perfect longevity for the mattress.
You will have understood if you want your bed to accompany you for a long time and take care of your health and the planet, it is natural latex that you will have to turn to!
Elastic, this material is also antibacterial. It also helps you fight against dust mites and allows air to circulate perfectly throughout the bed.
If you get hot easily at night, this is a very important point.
In addition, since synthetic latex is less breathable than natural latex, it cannot evacuate humidity.
If your room is poorly insulated or even humid, you must choose a natural mattress!
Finally, if you have back pain when you wake up, natural latex will not fail to offer optimal support to your spine.
The latter has comfort zones: they offer more or less firm support to certain body parts to ensure good support while avoiding pressure points and contractures.
Vegan mattresses
There are natural vegan mattresses, the manufacturing of which is strictly plant-based: here, no animal material (wool, silk, down, cashmere, etc.) finds its place next in the filling or the ticking.
You can then buy a vegetable horsehair mattress: here, it can be bamboo fibers, hemp fibers, or coconut fibers.
Coir is collected from coconut husk and then delicately clumped together. It is naturally hypoallergenic and anti-mite.
Thanks to its filtering power, it reduces humidity and condensation. This material is increasingly used in nurseries and hospitals because it allows perspiration to escape easily.
To ensure that the cover of your mattress is also vegan, you can turn to organic linen or cotton.
Note that natural latex is also a vegan material since it comes from the sap of the rubber tree!
The bamboo mattress
For the bamboo mattress to be natural, make sure that it is made without the addition of chemical materials.
Indeed, the fabric made from bamboo is of natural origin, but some brands make their mattresses using processes that do not respect the environment.
With Oeko-Tex certification, you are certain that the bamboo is grown without chemical treatment and preserves the balance of the soil, thanks to varied and non-intensive cultivation.
The bamboo mattress has hypoallergenic and thermoregulatory properties. It is, therefore, an anti-sweat mattress that appeals to sleepers who suffer from night sweats.
Bamboo can be used with natural latex to offer you a comfortable and very resistant mattress.
Be careful, however, because it is also often used with synthetic materials, such as polyurethane foam or memory foam.
Even though they have many advantages, these materials are not natural!
The Materials Used For The Mattress Ticking
The ticking of the mattress is its envelope, the cover that contains the filling.
It is also made with a natural material, such as organic cotton, jersey, linen, bamboo, or even wool.
These natural materials help regulate the mattress’s temperature by promoting air circulation and evacuating humidity.
The opportunity to sleep in a cool and dry environment is essential for quality sleep.
When the mattress cover is removable, you can put the ticking in the washing machine to maintain a good level of hygiene in your bed over the long term and get rid of dust, saliva, sweat, bacteria, dust mites, and other allergens.
Pay Attention To The Level Of Firmness.
Some natural materials offer more firmness than others. To make your choice, the rules are simple:
If you sleep on your back, opt for a mattress of medium to firm firmness; your spine must be supported;
If you sleep on your side, opt for a slightly softer mattress: it will follow the curves of your body and relieve pressure points;
If you sleep on your stomach, your body should not sink into the filling, as the neck twisting may be too great.
Choose a medium-firm or firm mattress to support your spine and prevent back pain.
What Certifications Should You Look For For A Natural Mattress?
In the natural mattress market, several certifications guide your choice of bedding.
It is particularly the case for the GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) label: it assures you that no harmful products have entered into the cultivation of rubber milk (for natural latex mattresses) and that the latex is grown via organic farming.
For wool mattresses, you can be assured that it is organic wool.
The OEKO TEX label is also very interesting when looking for a natural mattress: it certifies that the textiles are not harmful and that no toxic substances have been used during manufacturing.
For latex mattresses, the Eurolatex Eco Standard limits the presence of chemical substances during manufacturing.
King Size Bedding to find the right natural mattress
To help you navigate among all these certifications and these different materials, turn to a specialised store.
The King Size Literie team will guide you step by step towards the natural mattress that suits you.
Size, thickness, types of materials, ticking, labels: your future mattress must correspond to your comfort preferences, your body type, your possible health problems (night sweating, allergies, etc.), and your sleeping habits!