The benefits of an organic mattress go far beyond a comfortable sleep. Organic beds, like organic fruits and vegetables in the grocery store, are responsibly sourced, manufactured and made with at least 95% organic materials. They make for nontoxic, chemical-free sleeping surfaces, as most of the materials come directly from the great outdoors. Fun fact — organic latex foam is actually sap from tropical rubber trees. It’s baked into a unique foam and the end product feels somewhat like a supportive, comfy sponge.
At the risk of sounding like a bad infomercial — but wait, there’s more! Aside from being environmentally friendly, organic beds are also breathable because of their perforations, they’re hypoallergenic and antimicrobial. They shouldn’t flare up your allergies and household allergens like bacteria, mold and mildew are unable to grow within the foam.
A few downsides to organic latex foam is how expensive it can be and that it tends to be on the firmer side on the spectrum. Firm isn’t a bad thing, unless you’re a side sleeper who wants a particularly soft bed. Though, as you’ll see below, I’ve included options for you plush-bed lovers who want a cozier organic option.
I’ve personally tested over 100 different beds in my years as a mattress expert, solely to provide unbiased reviews for people who have no idea where to start when it comes to mattress shopping. Especially since the process is so much different than how it used to be. Below, I discuss the best organic mattress for side sleepers, the best low-cost organic bed, and more!
Prices listed below are for queen size models and are subject to change.
Avocado Green/Melissa Kruse
Decorated with several organic certifications, the Avocado mattress is a comfy and eco-friendly bed suited for firm-bed lovers. It is hand-crafted in Los Angeles, and includes details like a button-tufted cover and green trim detail around the edges. Upon first glance, Avocado definitely looks like a premium mattress. It also doesn’t have an off-gassing smell like popular bed-in-a-box mattresses because it’s made without harmful chemicals. Instead, it gives off a nature-like earthy smell that reminds me of the woods.
The Avocado mattress is 11 inches thick and is made from certified organic Dunlop latex foam, organic wool and organic cotton. The base is even eco-friendly, made with heavy-duty recycled pocketed steel coils. It’ll support any body type from lightweight to larger bodies, but it is a bit on the firm side.
If you’re a strict side sleeper, you likely won’t love this mattress. It doesn’t provide much give when you lay on top of it, and doesn’t contour to the sides of your body like most side sleepers prefer. It’s best suited for back and stomach sleepers, and really does a good job at keeping your back supported throughout the night. I’d rate it around a firm, or a nine to 10 out of 10 on the firmness scale. They do have a topper you can buy, though, which adds two more inches of organic latex. It makes the bed a little softer, around a seven out of 10. If you’re a combination sleeper or a heavy side sleeper and want this mattress, I definitely recommend the topper.
For the Avocado mattress minus the topper, it’ll cost around $999 for a twin and $1,899 for a California king.
Lindsay Boyers/CNET
Birch is brought to you by Helix, a brand who specializes in being inclusive and values giving the consumer choices. The Birch mattress is their eco-friendly natural and organic model. It has two more layers than the Avocado mattress and incorporates natural OEKO-TEX certified Talalay latex foam, responsibly sourced New Zealand wool and organic cotton.
Birch, like many latex foam beds, is very bouncy and feels really supportive. It’s a durable son of a gun thanks to the pocketed coil and latex foam combo. You won’t sink into the foam here, but the wool batting on top gives it more of a fluffy, airy feel on the top.
I like it a lot because it’s a little softer than the Avocado mattress. I don’t want to jump the gun though, because it’s not soft by any means. I’d rate it around a medium-firm on the scale or around a seven out of 10. It’s not quite pressure-relieving enough for most lightweight to moderately sized side sleepers, but larger body types who favor their side will probably enjoy this bed.
Prices for a Birch mattress start at $1,049 and max out at $1,799 for a California king.
PlushBeds
As you can see by this list, soft natural and organic latex mattresses are a little hard to come by. Latex foam is naturally a firmer material, especially when you tie it in with the support of pocketed coils. PlushBeds, however, is an all latex foam bed and is organic from top to bottom with a customizable firmness profile that will suit most side sleepers.
For starters, the Plushbeds Botanical Bliss is available in two different firmness levels: Medium and Medium-firm. Side and combination sleepers can opt for the Medium model which is my favorite. It’s bouncy and supportive, but at the same time, gives in more along the curves of my side and allows my spine to be in proper alignment. Either model will work for back and stomach sleepers!
PlushBeds Botanical Bliss is made with three different layers of foam, and each latex slab has its own firmness level. If you end up thinking your mattress is too soft, you can switch the layers around and adjust the firmness level to your liking. This is a feature I haven’t seen in any bed. The setup process is more of a hassle because you have to stack the layers yourself and fit them inside the cover, but I can look past this feature because of the versatility it offers.
PlushBeds Botanical Bliss is definitely more expensive than your typical bed-in-a-box mattress, but keep in mind they regularly offer discounts. Prices start at $2,299 for a twin and twin XL, and go up to $3,099 for a California king.
My Green Mattress
The bar is set high for mattress companies who seek to brand their product as organic or natural, and their price tags often reflect that. From start to finish, there are a lot of hoops to jump through in order to guarantee that materials are organic and sustainably sourced. My Green Mattress, on the other hand, offers natural and organic environmentally safe materials at a lower cost because they manufacture all of their beds in their own family-owned factory.
My Green Mattress Natural Escape is 11 inches thick, and is made with three different layers. The first is a supportive pocketed coil layer, and on top is natural Dunlop latex foam with natural wool for extra comfort. Imagine a supple, bouncy surface with a light and airy cushion on top. It’s not as firm as Avocado, I’d rate it around a medium-firm or a seven out of 10 on the firmness scale.
I’d mostly recommend this mattress to individuals who weigh under 230 pounds because it’s not going to be as supportive as the hybrid beds mentioned on this list. As for its most suitable sleeper position matches, I think it’s best for back, stomach and combination sleepers.
Prices start at $999 for a twin size mattress and go up to $1,799 for a California king bed.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.