The 6 Best Organic Mattresses & Toppers (2023): Non-Toxic, Natural

You are going to sleep on mattresses for about 23 full years of your life (on average), so it makes sense to think carefully about what you’re lying on. Unfortunately, mattresses often have questionable materials. Everything from formaldehyde and TCEP (a flame retardant) to phthalates you may end up on non-organic mattresses. How much these substances affect you has not been scientifically established, but one way to avoid potential harm is to get a mattress made from natural, organic materials. As a bonus, these mattresses are usually less environmentally damaging. Most eco-friendly mattresses are made from a combination of wool, natural latex, and cotton. The construction is similar to conventional mattresses but without the chemicals.

WIRED Gear team members have been testing mattresses for several years, and we have slept on all the mattresses on this list. We’re always testing more, but these are our favorites at the moment. In general, we recommend hybrid mattresses with individually wrapped core springs, because they feel firmer and have better airflow, so you don’t sleep as hot. All prices shown are for queen size models unless otherwise specified.

Updated April 2023: We’ve added several organic bedding options to complement your mattress and update prices all the time.

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The Avocado Green Hybrid Mattress is the only mattress my wife and I agree on. She likes a soft mattress and I prefer a firm one. This model somehow manages to be both without being too much of either. After almost two years of sleeping on it, there is no sagging or other problems. WIRED mattress contributor Jeffrey Van Camp also tried and liked Avocado.

If you prefer a soft feel, there’s a pillow top option, or you can add a mattress topper, like the company’s luxurious (and sustainable) Alpaca Fur Mattress Topper (see below). Avocado also sells a springless organic natural latex foam mattress and a vegan, wool-free hybrid model, but we haven’t tested those models.

The Avocado Green is 11 inches thick and made of organic latex, organic wool, and organic cotton. It is also not toxic. It does not contain polyurethane, fire retardants, memory foam or chemical adhesives, according to the company. Avocado owns its own sheep farms and a latex farm and co-owns an organic latex processing plant, all in India. Mattresses are assembled in California.

There’s a one-year trial, a 25-year warranty, and free shipping available on all Avocado mattresses. Like other mattress-in-a-box options, the Avocado arrives compressed. The company is also a Certified B Corp that is buying enough offsets to be able to say that it operates as a carbon negative company.

The Awara mattress is also made from latex foam, organic wool, and individually wrapped springs. It wasn’t quite as comfortable as the Birch (see below), but it’s significantly more affordable. Awara’s mattress provides support and bounce, but the springs can be felt more easily than on other mattresses, while the edges are quite stiff. (A topper might help balance things out.)

A win for Awara, according to WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe: Unwrapping the vacuum-sealed mattress once it arrived resulted in little odor, significantly less than with other brands. There’s not a lot of motion transfer, and the mattress’s soft fabric doesn’t get too hot or too cold. For a hybrid mattress that’s cheaper, this is a solid pick.

My entire search for an eco-friendly mattress began with my children. I care much more about what they sleep than what I sleep about. Still, as much as I love the Avocado Green mattress, it doesn’t come cheap. For my children, I bought the Kiwi Mattress from My Green Mattress, which is more affordable. Kiwi is similar to Avocado. It is a hybrid mattress of pocket springs and natural materials: certified organic cotton, wool and latex.

A nice twist that makes the Kiwi appealing to children is the two-sided option. It costs a bit more up front, but being able to flip it over extends its lifespan, which is helpful if your kids think the beds are actually trampolines in disguise.