How to Buy a Non-Toxic Mattress

It’s almost midnight, the house is quiet except for the occasional mouse click. What started as a quick search for a toxic-free mattress has spiraled into hours of endless clicking. Now, you’re overwhelmed, frustrated, and regretting the wasted time.

Been there? I have! When I first searched for a safe mattress, it took me a year to decide. Even after I finally found one, I never stopped researching.

Today, a decade of research and a dozen blog posts on mattresses later, I’m going to share with you a simple two-step method ensuring you get a truly non-toxic mattress. You might think a so-called “natural” mattress is good enough for your family, or believe an organic mattress is out of your budget. But the reality is a “natural” mattress may not be as safe as you think, and you might not be able to afford not to invest in a truly organic option.

How To Buy A Non-Toxic Mattress: Through Thick And Thin Of The Mattress Industry

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when searching for a toxic-free mattress. Many mattress brands market their products as “non-toxic” or “natural,” yet they still contain chemical flame retardants, polyurethane foam, or other toxic chemicals. Moreover, the term “natural” has no official definition and means different things to different people.

To have a good night’s sleep, side sleepers, stomach sleepers, or back sleepers – all seek comfort from their mattress. However, ensuring your mattress is free from harmful substances is equally important. After all, you spend a third of your life on it!

As I’ve mentioned, it took me a year to decide on the right mattress for my family. Even now, as I continue doing research for my clients, I see how often companies provide conflicting information. But I’ve learned how to cut through the noise. In fact, when a company is vague about their materials and manufacturing, it only reinforces the two-step method I’ve developed to find a truly safe mattress.

Before I figured this out, I asked mattress companies every question imaginable. Now, I’m sharing those insights with you to help you navigate the industry with confidence. The best part? You don’t have to go through the same long, frustrating process—I’ve already done the work and found the shortcut. Keep reading to discover it!

What I Focused On In Search Of A Non-Toxic Mattress

For me, the focal points of research in a mattress include:

• mattress materials
• foam composition
• fire retardants
• manufacturing facility, and
• mattress certifications.

Let’s discuss each of these points.

Mattress Materials

To begin with, a truly non-toxic mattress uses certified organic materials such as cotton and wool. To clarify, conventional cotton is treated with pesticides, and non-organic wool can contain processing chemicals that are potentially harmful for health.

Conversely, certified organic cotton and wool ensure no pesticide residues in your mattress. Plus, organic wool is naturally resistant to dust mites and other allergens, which can be beneficial for people with allergies.

In my search for a non-toxic organic mattress, I even went as far as asking manufacturers about adhesives and bindings used in their products. I wanted to exclude mattresses that used formaldehyde-based glues. Some of the safe ways to make the materials stick together in a mattress include using water-based glues or metal clips, sewing, and heat sealing.

As for the binding (aka “tape edge”), after one mattress seller told me their mattress had Teflon binding, I wanted to know what others were using because, clearly, I didn’t want Teflon in my bed. 

Keep in mind that you don’t have to go through all this questioning when buying a mattress. Read on to learn about just two helpful steps ensuring you buy a safe mattress for a good night’s sleep!

Foam Composition

Next, most mainstream mattresses contain polyurethane foam, a petroleum-based product. While its light weight is definitely an upside in a mattress, the downside is that it can release harmful VOCs and fire retardants.

A safer alternative is natural latex foam made from the sap of rubber trees. Out of two types of natural latex – Dunlop and Talalay – Dunlop is denser, and Talalay is softer and airier.

In addition, natural latex mattresses are naturally resistant to dust mites, mold, and mildew due to the inherent antimicrobial properties of the latex derived from rubber tree sap. However, proper care and ventilation are still important to prevent potential growth in very humid environments.

The organic mattress I ended up buying for me and my husband – both side sleepers – has both natural latex and an innerspring system. I believe the springs help with better spinal alignment and airflow. Also, when coils are individually wrapped, it prevents noise and improves comfort. Just make sure the coils’ wrapping material is organic cotton rather than some synthetic fabrics.

I know that some people are reluctant to buy a spring mattress due to concerns with electromagnetic fields (EMF). Actually, I hired bau-biologists to measure EMF levels in my bedroom (with my coil mattress in it) as well as in the entire house. The results showed that our mattress was not a problem at all. While somewhat elevated levels of EMF were discovered in the house, we could fix them by changing our routine with gadgets and electronics.

Fire Retardants

As you might know, since 2007, all mattresses must pass the Federal Open Flame Mattress Flammability Standard (16 CFR 1633). The test simulates burning fabric, and to pass, a mattress must resist catching fire. Many mattress brands that use polyurethane foam (which is highly flammable, by the way) achieve this in two ways. One way is to use chemical flame retardants in the mattress. Another way is to use a fire barrier around the mattress. The problem with both is that manufacturers do not disclose the actual chemicals used, while potentially they can off-gas and settle into the dust increasing risks of diseases (source).  

Another problem is the marketing language. Thus, manufacturers can tell you they don’t use “toxic” flame-retardants or flame-retardant “chemicals.” When you hear these vague statements, keep asking until they tell you the exact materials they use to pass the flammability test. Be ready to hear something like “it is proprietary information” or “it’s a trade secret” (meaning, “we aren’t going to tell you”), which is a red flag for me.

A common flame retardant in polyurethane foam (including memory foam) mattresses is fiberglass. However, fiberglass can escape the mattress, exposing its users to the increased risks of eyesight changes, skin and lung irritation, lung disease, and potentially cancer. Therefore, be sure to get a fiberglass-free mattress.

To avoid the worry, look for mattresses that use wool as a fire barrier. Wool is naturally flame-resistant and a great alternative to synthetic fire retardants.

Manufacturing Facility

Further, it is important that the manufacturing facility for your non-toxic mattress does not also manufacture mattresses with polyurethane foam.

Indeed, as we discussed above, polyurethane foam requires adding flame-retardant chemicals to help it not catch fire during the flammability test. In addition to fiberglass, there exist other chemical flame retardants such as antimony trioxide, boric acid, and PBDEs. You can learn more about them as well as the following mattress brands in my blog post Are Organic Mattresses Worth It?:

• Avocado Green
• Awara
• Birch
• Eco Terra
• Essentia
• Latex For Less
• My Green Mattress
• Organic Mattresses, Inc. (OMI), and
• Plush Beds.

So, to prevent cross-contamination, you want to make sure that your mattress was not made in the same facility as some polyurethane foam (including memory foam) mattresses. 

Mattress Certifications

Lastly, some currently existing certifications for a mattress include the following options:

• CertiPUR-US
• Greenguard Gold
• Oeko-Tex Standard 100
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

Are they really an indication you’re buying a safe mattress? Let’s look at each of them.

First, CertiPUR-US certification ensures low VOC emissions in polyurethane foam. It is somewhat helpful for polyurethane foam (including memory foam) mattresses, but not for natural latex mattresses. Note that if a manufacturer does not disclose their materials but the mattress carries a CertiPUR certification, it typically means the mattress contains polyurethane foam. In my opinion, a polyurethane mattress is not the non-toxic mattress you are looking for.

Second, Greenguard Gold measures various gas emissions against certain limits established by Greenguard itself. My concern is that many mattresses that pass the Greenguard Gold standard use potentially harmful polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane foam. In other words, I wouldn’t rely on this certification in my search for a truly safe mattress.  

Third, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 restricts the amounts of 100 toxic substances in a product, but it does not require the manufacturer to eliminate them from a product. Thus, phthalates are allowed under this certification. Hence, this is not a certification to count on when looking for a healthy mattress in my opinion.

Fourth, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification ensures that the materials such as cotton, wool, and latex as well as the manufacturing process – and, importantly, the facility in which the mattress is manufactured itself – meet strict organic and environmental standards. I believe this is the ultimate standard and the certification to seek in a toxic-free organic mattress.

A Shortcut To Buying A Truly Non-Toxic Mattress

As promised, here are the two steps that are going to be sufficient for you in your search of a mattress made with safe materials:

• Look for a mattress that is GOTS-certified organic as an entire piece (i.e., not just certain components of the mattress, but the mattress as a whole).
• Ensure the brand has no affiliation with companies producing polyurethane foam mattresses.

Let’s talk about these steps a little bit more.

Look For A GOTS-Certified Organic Mattress As An Entire Piece

To start with, many mattress brands claim to be organic, but some only have a few organic components while still containing toxic chemicals. That is why it is crucial for a mattress to have a GOTS certification as an entire piece, not just for top layers (like the cover) or some materials (like cotton).

When the whole mattress holds a GOTS certificate, it means that the entire supply chain (processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, trading, and distribution) is environmentally and socially responsible. It also means that the mattress was manufactured without harmful chemicals such as heavy metals, aromatic solvents, formaldehyde, GMOs, and nanoparticles. These are prohibited in the sourcing, manufacture, and distribution of GOTS-certified products.  

In other words, when a mattress holds a GOTS certification as a whole, it means GOTS has verified that every component meets its standards. Conversely, if a mattress isn’t certified as an entire mattress, the responsibility to verify falls on you, which is, in my opinion, nearly impossible. Indeed, you would need to independently verify that each material in a mattress is either organic or non-toxic, which is incredibly challenging.

The best way to verify a mattress’s safety is to check the GOTS certified suppliers database for certification. If a mattress isn’t in the database, this can be your sign to move on. Conversely, you can choose to dig deeper by asking the company about its certifications and materials.

Ensure The Brand Has No Affiliation With Companies Producing Polyurethane Foam Mattresses

When choosing a non-toxic mattress, a brand’s commitment to health and sustainability matters. Specifically, companies that don’t have sister or parent brands manufacturing polyurethane foam mattresses show a genuine dedication to both human well-being and environmental responsibility. By refusing to produce toxic polyurethane foam, they demonstrate integrity—staying true to their values even when no one is watching.

On the other hand, some “organic” brands that manufacture polyurethane foam mattresses claim that polyurethane foam is non-toxic. This only strengthens my belief that their values don’t align with mine. If they downplay the risks of polyurethane foam, I can’t trust them to prioritize my health or make the right choices in their manufacturing process.

Furthermore, if a brand is connected to a company that also produces polyurethane foam mattresses, there’s no way to know whether they use the same facility for both organic and memory foam mattresses. If they share production spaces, the risk of cross-contamination becomes a concern. Personally, I’m wary of brands that try to cater to both sides rather than committing to safety and sustainability.

Conclusion: How To Buy A Non-Toxic Mattress?

Buying A Truly Safe Mattress Comes Down To Two Key Steps. First, Choose A Mattress That Is GOTS-Certified Organic As A Whole, Not Just In Parts. Second, Make Sure The Brand Has No Ties To Companies That Manufacture Polyurethane Foam Mattresses.

In conclusion, finding a toxic-free mattress may take time, but it’s worth the effort for better health and a safe night’s sleep. Look for a GOTS-certified organic mattress, which will allow you to avoid chemical flame retardants and polyurethane foam.

In addition, ensuring that the mattress company has no connections with parent or sister brands that manufacture polyurethane foam mattresses will give you peace of mind that you (or your children) do not inhale or ingest potentially toxic chemicals in your sleep. This is a significant advantage because stress and worry are toxic and impact your health in a most negative way.

The toxic-free mattress I chose for my bedroom has served me well for more than a decade already. You can learn about it and other models in my Naturepedic Mattress Review. If you are looking for a crib mattress, please read my Naturepedic Crib Mattress Review. And for a safe mattress for kids, head over to the Organic Kids Mattress listing in my non-toxic products shop.

If you’re not ready to replace your entire mattress, one of the Naturepedic’s mattress toppers can be a good temporary solution. They also carry a non-toxic water-proof mattress cover.

To find out my opinion on a mattress of your interest, type its name in the search bar at the top right-hand corner of the I Read Labels For You blog. Odds are I have already talked about it in one of my blog posts. Remember to get access to my one-of-a-kind e-books and check out my Amazon shop and iHerb listings for safe product options. For insightful content, generous discounts, and inspiration to help you on a healthy journey, get instant access to my free emails.

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