Purity Rating 3
100% outside third party certified Organic product (see Certifications page for more info).
A lot of people throw around the word “organic” when what they’re talking about is actually just “all-natural”. Or many times one component in a mattress is certified organic, while all the others are not.
The definition of an organic component (all the individual things that are added to other things to create a mattress; latex, wool, cotton, adhesives, etc) is that the component has been certified by an outside third-party as being chemical-free for three years into it’s history.
The definition of an organic mattress is that ALL of the individual components that go into the mattress are certified organic. And then- the entire product is certified as well as a finished product.
Some examples:
“Natural cotton” says that this is not synthetic cotton. But it does not answer questions like, “Was there DDT sprayed on these cotton fields to keep the bugs off?”. “USDA certified organic cotton” says that no DDT or any other toxic pesticide for that matter was used on the fields where the cotton was grown! Or chemical dyes, no chemicals used to turn it into a finished product, etc.
“Certified organic wool” means, no growth hormones used in the sheep, nothing used on the grass these sheep ate and no chemicals were added to the wool so that you can machine-wash it at home. These organic certifications are thorough!
“All-natural latex” says “this latex came out of a tree”. But, “GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) certified organic latex” says “the fields that grow the sustainable Hevea Brasiliensis trees that this latex milk sap was hand harvested from had no chemicals used on them whatsoever. When the latex was turned to production, no harmful chemical agents we’re used to clean the latex”.
A certified organic mattress uses certified organic wool as it’s fire retardant, no chemicals whatsoever. Whereas with a “natural” product all of these things are variable. Certified organic mattresses will of course have many organic certifications.
Purity Rating 2
100% All Natural (see Certifications page for more info).
These products are made from 100% natural latex & other components. A pretty standard cover, and may use wool, or an alternative fire retardant like PLA (polylactic acid: bio-compostable plastic made from corn or sugar) fire retardant. They are chemically MUCH cleaner than anything you will ever find in a normal mattress store, and clean enough for most adults uses, but they are not certified organic. They will typically have one or two lighter certifications, such as the OEKO-TEX Standard 100, or the UL Greenguard Gold certification- some of these will be individual component certifications, but many will be finished final product certifications.
Purity Rating 1
Non-toxic, but not all natural. At a minimum, these products have a Greenguard Gold certification (see Certifications page for more info). So as an example- some of these products will have a plant based polyurethane foam in them.
Purity Rating 0
0% Natural. Traditional products without any natural or organic materials. We do not offer any 0 purity rating mattresses or bedding products. We do carry some adjustable bed bases that would fit into this category.
Traditional mattresses and products are not natural and certainly not organic. We do not carry any products in this category.
As some examples, a TempurPedic or Purple memory foam mattress, a Stearns & Foster, or a Simmons mattress would be some examples of a traditional mattress. They will have chemical fire retardants and of course no organic or chemical free certifications.
The Tempurpedic or Purple as examples are made of:
- Petroleum oil -based polyurethane foam
- Rayon or similar cover
- Chemical fire retardants
- Glues
- A closed-cell construction which off-gass terribly as the cell walls breakdown
A Stearns & Foster or Simmons innerspring mattress has:
- Petroleum oil -based polyurethane foam padding
- Typically a man-made fabric cover
- Chemical fire retardants
- Glues
