Why Go Green with your Mattress?

Have you ever put serious consideration towards investigating what materials were used?  If you answered no, you’re not alone.  Most Americans don’t think about these questions, rather focus solely on comfort and longevity when choosing their sleep surface. 

This is a scary truth, with some pretty harmful implications.  The biggest danger lurking in the mattress industry revolves around chemical flame retardants.  Not sure what these are? Most people are not aware, but nearly 50 years ago, the government-imposed regulations for mattress makers requiring that their products pass federally regulated flame testing to ensure their safety.  Ironically, the chemical flame retardants used by the majority of mattress fabricators to this day have been found to cause a number of serious health issues.  As noted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, these health issues include:

• Endocrine and thyroid disruption
• Impacts to the immune system
• Reproductive toxicity
• Cancer
• Adverse effects on fetal and child development
• Decreased neurologic function

We spend a third of our lives on our mattresses as adults, with newborns and children spending even more time sleeping.  Children are the most sensitive to these chemicals, and they have the greatest exposure.  The good news is there are alternatives to conventional mattresses.

Look for a mattress with a more natural flame barrier, such as all natural or organic certified wool.  Wool smolders and passes the federal regulations without the need of harmful chemicals, such as bromine, HBCD, and boric acid.  The wool not only eliminates such chemicals but also helps to regulate body temperature when you’re at rest.  Oeko-Tex certification is a good indicator of high-quality wool, as is an organic certification by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard).

Another unhealthy element in conventional mattresses that we avoid as mattress fabricators, and you should, too, is polyurethane foams. Poly foams are usually comprised of a toxic mixture containing petroleum and emit high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air of our homes, that we breathe in not only at night.  Long-term exposure can result in health issues including irritation of the skin, eyes, and lungs and can result in long-term issues such as asthma and inflammation.

All-natural latex is a clean, healthy alternative to poly foams that provides additional benefits.  Latex is made from the sap of a rubber tree and is a renewable resource. Natural Dunlop latex is antimicrobial and naturally resistant to dust mites, bringing a hypoallergenic element to your mattress.  Natural latex, particularly Dunlop, is open-cell and breathable. This means it contours to your body and allows your mattress to sleep cooler and more comfortably.  Dunlop latex is extremely resilient and will hold up much better against body impressions compared to other foams.  For the eco-conscious, the process of making Dunlop requires the least amount of energy compared to the processing of other foams.  When buying a mattress with natural latex, your best bet is to find one with the GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) certification.

Knowledge is power and buying a healthy, green mattress is easy when you know what to look for.  We encourage you to do your own research into the safety concerning the multitude of mattress options on the market today.  Ask the right questions and demand transparency from whomever you make a purchase.  At My Green Mattress, we recognize the dangers and design our mattresses with only all natural and organic materials to be safe for you.  Our mission is first and foremost education.  Visit our website to learn more, chat with us online, send us an email, or give us a call.  We’re here to answer any questions you have, and we guarantee a safe night’s sleep for every member of your family with our green mattresses.