The Best Non-Toxic Mattress for Stomach-Sleepers

Sleeping on your stomach can help you stop snoring and reduce the likelihood of sleep apnea. That’s about where the benefits end though. Stomach-sleeping can lead to neck, back, shoulder, and joint pain, especially with the wrong pillow and mattress. We round up the best non-toxic mattresses for stomach-sleepers, designed to minimize spine problems if you just can’t kick the habit of sleeping on your front.

How we put our list together

Most lists of mattresses for stomach-sleepers focus solely on comfort. Our list goes beyond that to encompass overall health and safety, and eco-friendliness. After all, if you’re squishing your face into a mattress for hours at a time, every night, for the next five or more years, you don’t want that mattress to be off-gassing toxic chemicals.

This means our list doesn’t feature any poly-foam mattresses. No, not even CertiPur.

Every mattress on this list is:

1. Organic – featuring certified organic materials like GOTS cotton and wool, and GOLS/FSC organic latex
2. Free of chemical flame retardants
3. Free of toxic chemical treatments such as stain repellents and antibacterial agents.

We also favor affordable mattresses that are Made Safe certified and have thousands of great reviews from customers, with consistently high ratings across the board.

Our top picks

1Staff Tested

Evaya Original Mattress

Highlights: Super affordable, Eco-Institut and Made Safe Certified organic mattress that will never off-gas, and is certified free of hazardous chemicals. Zoned support for hip and shoulder comfort!

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View on LeafScore Essentials

At a glance:

• Pricing: $1,199 – $2,299 (Queen is $1,799)
• Materials: Organic cotton, organic wool, Talalay latex, recycled steel coils 
• Certifications: GOTS, FSC, Made Safe, GreenGuard Gold, Eco Institut, Wool Integrity, OEKO Tex
• Sleep Trial: 100-night sleep trial
• Firmness: Medium-firm (Plush with pillow-top)
• Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Double/Full, Queen, King, Cali King
• Best for: Everybody!

The Evaya Original Mattress is our top choice for an eco-friendly, non-toxic mattress for stomach-sleepers (like me!). Balancing affordability with luxury, the Original is a little firmer than the Evaya Bliss, making it a good fit for sleeping on your front, where too much softness can cause back pain and other issues.

Down the line, if you feel the need for extra plushness or change your sleep style, you can easily add the Evaya topper for extra sinkability with great underlying support.

PlushBeds Botanical Bliss [Staff tried and tested]

Leaf Score

Highlights: A fantastic eco-friendly all-latex mattress made with GOTS wool and GOTS cotton. Great for stomach sleepers and partners with combination sleep habits, thanks to medium and medium-firm sides and an option for dual-firmness. Some home assembly required, which can be quite difficult and require assistance. An excellent mattress choice for heavier adults.

View on Plushbeds website

At a glance:

• Pricing: $2,799 – $3,798 (Queen $3,299 – $2,049 on sale at time of writing!)
• Materials: GOTS cotton, GOTS wool, GOLS latex
• Certifications: GOTS, GOLS, GreenGuard Gold, Eco Institut
• Sleep Trial: 100-night sleep trial
• Firmness: Medium / Medium-Firm / dual firmness option
• Depth: 9-, 10-, and 12-inch options
• Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King, Split Queen, Split King, Split Cal King
• Best for: Stomach-sleepers, back-sleepers, and heavier adults

Much more comfortable than an inner spring. I like that I don’t “sink” into it like a foam mattress. Easy to shift positions. I’m a side sleeper and got the medium firmness for my side and hubby got firm for his (he’s a stomach sleeper). So happy we took a chance and got this bed.

Bryan D., 2021

My husband needed a soft bed for side sleeping, I need firm for stomach sleeping. So excited that I could get a split king option. Someone in the comments had mentioned that he couldn’t even feel the divide between the two mattress types…so I was startled when I got two twin beds…the divide between the two was VERY noticeable. PlushBeds sent us a king cover (I was sad to have the two twin covers wasted after only a week of use – but I did find a place to donate them). It was really hard assembling the mattresses in the king cover…but now that it’s all together it’s been really lovely.

Kellyn S., 2021

PlushBeds makes the Botanical Bliss mattress in the U.S. using GOLS certified organic latex, GOTS certified organic cotton and GOTS certified organic wool. It is GreenGuard Gold certified, made in a GOTS/GOLS certified factory, and is also Eco Institut verified, making it just one of a half dozen or so such sustainable companies.

PlushBeds Botanical Bliss mattress is a popular choice with orthopedic specialists and chiropractors because you can customize the comfort level and pressure relief. This includes choosing the firmness on both sides (in Split Queen, King, and Cali King models). This all-latex mattress is, therefore, a fantastic choice for stomach-sleepers with a sleep partner who favors their back or side for sleeping and needs more or less support and softness in a mattress.

All PlushBeds mattresses, including the Botanical Bliss, are made to order in the U.S. That means your new mattress is hot of the sewing machines and hasn’t been sitting in a warehouse gathering dust for weeks or months.

What’s in it?

The Botanical Bliss all-latex mattress has a GOTS certified organic cotton cover in circular knit fabric to provide additional pressure relief at the hips and shoulders. Underneath the cover is a layer of British organic wool that acts as a flame barrier and helps with moisture wicking and thermoregulation. Beneath that is a GOTS certified organic cotton panel that prevents the wool layer from bunching or moving around. This set-up also lets you unzip your mattress without everything falling apart.

The typical set-up is medium-firm (8/10), which is ideal for stomach-sleepers as well as for back-sleepers.

Inside the mattress are two or three comfort layers of Talalay latex, depending on the mattress height. In the 9-inch model, you get:

• 1-inch of GOTS certified organic cotton cover
• 2-inches of certified Talalay latex
• A 6-inch GOLS certified Arpico organic latex core.

The 1-inch model features:

• 1-inch of GOTS certified organic cotton cover
• 3-inches of certified Talalay latex
• A 6-inch GOLS certified Arpico organic latex core.

On the 12-inch Botanical Bliss model, there’s an extra layer of ARPICO organic latex. All three models (9, 10, and 12 inches) have an ARPICO organic latex support core. This provides greater support at the lower back and helps make the mattress more durable overall.

At its deepest (12-inches), the Botanical Bliss comprises:

• 1-inch of GOTS certified organic cotton cover
• 2-inches of certified Talalay latex
• 3-inches of GOLS certified Arpico organic latex
• A 6-inch GOLS certified Arpico organic latex core.

The 9-inch Botanical Bliss is intended for folks who weigh up to 225 lb. The 10-inch model is intended for folks weighing up to 250 lb. The 12-inch model is suitable for folks weighing 275 lb. or more.

How it performs

The typical set-up for a Botanical Bliss mattress makes it a firm to medium-firm mattress ideal for most stomach-sleepers. You can also adjust the firmness of the Botanical Bliss by flipping the inner latex padding. One side will be firmer and one side softer. PlushBeds also allows you to customize the firmness of this mattress, though you’ll need to give them a call.

PlushBeds uses natural Talalay latex to create a mattress that is responsive and buoyant while supporting the joints for pressure relief. The Arpico core is ultra-dense, meaning it resists sagging and indentations even for heavier folks.

The latex layers are resistant to mold and mildew and are naturally hypoallergenic, with dust mites and bacteria much preferring poly-foam and innerspring mattresses to solid latex designs.

PlushBeds offers a 100 Night Comfort Guarantee, where you can request replacement layers with a different firmness. This means you can adjust the feel of your mattress without having to return the entire thing.

See the full review for the Botanical Bliss (staff tested) here.

Note, too, that the Botanical Bliss is one of very few organic mattresses available in Cali King and Split sizes. This means you can use this latex mattress with adjustable bed bases without risk of damaging any innersprings. It also means you can choose a dual firmness option, with one side medium-firm and one side firm. For couples where one partner is a stomach-sleeper and one a back or side-sleeper, this is a great way to create a mattress that works for both parties.

Downsides

The Botanical Bliss is a very heavy mattress, being made mostly of latex instead of a mix of latex and innerspring coils. This means you’ll want to set the mattress up where you intend to use it.

Note that this mattress comes in several packages, all of which are quite heavy and unwieldy. Watch the PlushBeds video on how to set up the mattress. Seriously. It will help make the process easier and reduce the risk of damage to any mattress components. Be prepared to call a friend to help with set-up as the mattress layers are awkward and heavy. It’s also important to be a bit careful with the latex layers as they can tear at the edges if treated too roughly.

For anything bigger than a Twin size, expect to need help to move the mattress. Even if you unzip the mattress and move a layer at a time, you may still need assistance unless you have very long arms and are very strong.

Fortunately, PlushBeds has outfitted this mattress with four or six handles (depending on size) to make it much easier to move around. These textured linen handles are very firmly stitched on and look great. Unlike some similarly heavy mattresses, the Botanical Bliss has robust, well positioned, and genuinely useful handles.

The Botanical Bliss is more expensive than hybrid latex mattresses but is worth every cent if you’re looking for customizable comfort. With innerspring hybrid latex mattresses, there’s rarely an option to switch out layers of latex to adjust the firmness after the mattress is first put together.

Finally, if you have a restless sleep partner, bear in mind that the Botanical Bliss creates more motion transfer and is bouncier than memory foam and many hybrid latex mattresses. It also offers a lot less edge support than latex hybrid mattresses with additional coils at the perimeter. As such, if you struggle to get in and out of bed, like to sit on the edge to get dressed, or tend to sleep at the edges of a mattress, this likely isn’t the right mattress for you.

Packaging and shipping

PlushBeds ships its mattresses vacuum sealed in plastic that you may be able to recycle locally. It doesn’t offer a white glove service but shipping is free on all orders (no minimum) in the contiguous U.S.

All mattresses are made to order in California and leave the PlushBeds factory within 7-9 business days of your order, at which time you’ll get a tracking number by email with an expected delivery date.

For custom mattresses, including split sizes, expect your order to take about 7-9 extra days.

Savvy Rest Serenity – Runner-up for best customizable all-latex mattress for lighter to average weight stomach-sleepers

Leaf Score

Highlights: Mid-price, fully customizable layered latex mattress ideal for lighter to average weight stomach-sleepers. Can choose between Talalay and Dunlop! Larger adults may find the 10-inch depth too shallow for full support. Made in the U.S. by a staff-owned B Corp!

View on Savvy Rest

At a glance:

• Pricing: $1,799 – $3,999 (Queen from $2,699)
• Materials: Organic latex, organic cotton, organic wool
• Certifications: GOTS, GOLS
• Sleep Trial: 90-day Latex Exchange (no sleep trial or returns)
• Firmness: Whatever you want!
• Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cali King, Split-sizes
• Depth: 10-inch
• Best for: Lighter to average-weight stomach-sleepers

I love my serenity latex mattress! It provides similar comfort to a memory foam but surpasses memory foam in that it provides excellent support! No more sinking into the bed and getting backaches! I’m so happy with the purchase and it supports a local Virginia / made in the USA small business!

Flora, 2022

The Savvy Rest Serenity mattress is a 10-inch, all-latex, layered design that can be configured in a firmer design for stomach-sleepers and a softer build for sleep partners with different needs. This superb mattress is made in the U.S. in a GOTS factory. You can also order the Serenity in custom dimensions and shapes!

Savvy Rest is a B Corp that makes VOC-free, non-toxic, sustainable mattresses. It has a charitable side to the company and a good reputation for customer satisfaction and happy staff. We just wish Savvy Rest offered refunds for those rare times when a mattress really just doesn’t work out for a customer. The nice thing, though, is that the Serenity comes with a 90-day Latex Exchange program.

What’s in it?

The Savvy Rest Serenity is an all-latex, layered mattress comprising:

• Organic cotton casing with brass zipper
• Organic wool batting (quilted to prevent bunching)
• Three 3-inch layers of natural latex (Dunlop or Talalay) in soft, medium, and firm.

Savvy Rest offers a bit more customization than many all-latex mattresses, thanks to the choice of Dunlop or Talalay latex in different firmness for each layer. The Dunlop latex is GOLS and the Talalay latex is Cradle to Cradle Gold. The wool and cotton are moth GOTS and the mattress is put together at the Savvy Rest GOTS factory, using no chemical flame retardants, glues, or synthetic materials.

How it performs

The Serenity is a breathable, moisture-wicking, superbly comfortable mattress that supports thermoregulation. For stomach-sleepers, the Serenity can be designed with slightly firmer Dunlop latex in all three layers, with popular choices including soft, firm, firm in Dunlop. Lighter adults and those who like a softer mattress feel overall may prefer a build comprising mostly Dunlop and a comfort layer of Talalay.

Note, too, that Savvy Rest uses layers of Dunlop latex that have a firmer and softer side. Usual set-up has the softer side with the smaller holes facing up, but stomach sleepers may wish to flip the Dunlop layer to have the larger holes facing up as this has a firmer feel.

You can also customize the Serenity on both sides, making it a fantastic choice for stomach-sleepers and partners with different sleep needs. If you’re a stomach-sleeper with a heavier side-sleeping partner, though, the Serenity may not have enough depth to prevent bottoming out.

Savvy Rest only recommends using the Serenity on a rigid, slatted foundation or platform bed, not for a Murphy or adjustable bed.

Downsides

The main drawbacks of the Serenity are the heaviness of the mattress and layers, lack of handles, and no option to return the mattress if it doesn’t work for you.

Savvy Rest only allows returns and refunds if there’s a manufacturing defect. The company says this is to avoid them needing to use chemicals to sanitize mattresses for resale. While their avoidance of chemicals is laudable, other mattress companies donate or recycle returns, so it’s a shame Savvy Rest doesn’t offer the same policy.

Packaging and shipping

Expect your Serenity mattress to arrive in at least three boxes, depending on size. Each layer is color coordinated and labeled for ease of assembly. Savvy Rest also offers white glove delivery and mattress set-up, which we recommend if you have the budget and are an older adult, have mobility issues, or see yourself struggling to lift and position heavy slabs of latex.

Savvy Rest’s Serenity comes with a 90-day layer exchange period, where you can switch layers for free. That said, you will need to pay an upgrade fee if you switch a Dunlop layer for Talalay, and you’ll also pay shipping both ways (to send layers back and to receive the new layers). Shipping costs are also higher for larger sizes.

Avocado Green Mattress

Leaf Score

Highlights: A medium-firm or gentle-firm mattress made with robustly certified non-toxic, organic materials by one of the most sustainable companies around. Ideal for stomach-sleepers, with excellent edge support and zoned pressure relief. A durable, affordable, high quality, hybrid mattress with reduced motion transfer, made by hand in the U.S.

View on Avocado

At a glance:

• Pricing: $1,399 – $2,599 (Queen is $1,999)
• Materials: Organic Fair Trade cotton, organic wool, organic Dunlop latex, upcycled steel coils 
• Certifications: GOTS, GOLS, Made Safe, GreenGuard Gold, Climate Neutral certified, FSC, Responsible Wool Standard, Formaldehyde Free (UL), Eco Institut, Fair Trade, 1% for the Planet, B Corporation, Sustainable Furnishings Council
• Sleep Trial: 365-night sleep trial
• Firmness: Gentle-firm (or medium-firm without pillow-top)
• Best for: Stomach-sleepers and back-sleepers

Very comfortable! I am a stomach sleeper and it is very hard to figure what mattress to purchase because everything is listed as good for side or back sleepers. It always seems to be a gamble. This time I won!!

Sally P., 2022

One of the best purchase decisions we’ve ever made! My wife & I generally like opposite things. We both LOVE our new mattress. We sleep all night, my wife no longer sleeps “hot” and swears it’s the best night’s sleep she’s ever gotten. I sleep comfortably whether on my back, side, or stomach. We’ve had our new mattress for a few weeks now and I doubt seriously that we will ever give it up! 

Michael L., 2023

The Avocado Green signature mattress is a medium-firm mattress ideal if you’re a back or stomach sleeper. It rates around 7/10 for firmness, or 6/10 if you add the pillow-top (gentle-firm). This organic latex hybrid mattress is available in 11-inch or 13-inch depths and has as many as 1,414 8-inch innerspring coils offering zoned support for hip and shoulders, with reinforced edging.

The Avocado Green mattress is one of very few mattresses certified by Made Safe. This means it does not contain any materials or chemicals known or suspected to harm human health, wildlife, aquatic life, or ecosystems. That means, among other things, that there’s no poly-foam or chemical flame retardants in this mattress.

Avocado is one of the most sustainable B Corporations around and arguably the world’s most sustainable mattress company. It is Climate Neutral (indeed, carbon negative) and Fair Trade certified, a 1% for the Planet member (and winner of the Pinnacle Award), and on its way to operating a certified zero-waste mattress factory.

What’s in it?

The Avocado Green mattress is a latex hybrid mattress featuring either 2-inches or 5-inches of GOLS certified organic latex and up to 1,414 individually wrapped 8-inch innerspring coils. The mattress has a fully reinforced steel perimeter for edge-to-edge support and is surrounded by an organic wool flame barrier and encased in organic cotton.

All of Avocado’s mattresses are GOTS certified, and none contain polyurethane foam or toxic chemicals. The mattresses are needle-tufted by hand, with no glues, in Los Angeles. This helps hold the mattress together for greater support and durability.

The materials in the Avocado Green are domestic and imported. The latex comes from Avocado’s co-owned cooperative farms in India and Guatemala and the GOTS organic wool comes from Avocado’s co-owned farmer’s society in India. Avocado only uses wool that is certified to the Responsible Wool Standard, meaning it meets strict criteria for animal welfare practices and can be tracked from farm to finished product.

The organic Dunlop latex is all certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Rainforest Alliance, as well as by Eco Institut. This latex is firmer than Talalay and more durable. Avocado has ownership (or co-ownership) of the latex from farm to processing to manufacture of the mattress in Los Angeles. This vertical integration is rare in the mattress world and allows Avocado to be certain of the traceability and sustainability of its products while also incorporating cost savings it passes onto its customers.

Each mattress has two seamless layers of organic latex: 2 inches in the comfort layer (D65 / 14-19 ILD, soft) and a 1-inch layer (D65) in the base. With the Pillow-Top model, Avocado adds a 2-inch layer (D65) on top, another 2 inches to the comfort layer, and a 1-inch layer in the base.

Because the mattress isn’t seamed or glued, the mattress structure won’t break down in just a few months or years. The hand-tufting helps keep everything secure.

How it performs

The company’s signature mattress, the Avocado Green is a zoned mattress featuring five zones offering targeted support, including for the shoulders and hips. This hybrid latex-coil mattress has more than 1000 coils that float independently, this means less motion transfer and better pressure relief and weight distribution for relief of back pain and other joint issues.

Avocado uses three wire gauges for the upcycled steel coils: narrow 16 gauge perimeter coils in the reinforced sides and the head and foot zones; 17 gauge coils in the middle third of the mattress; and wider 14 gauge coils for the shoulder and hip zones. This design means you can (and should!) rotate your mattress regularly while still getting the same hip and shoulder support.

The Avocado Green is a fantastic choice for stomach-sleepers as it offers a firm sleep surface with just enough gentle cushioning to feel comfortable face down. This mattress style is also a good fit for children and lighter adults, whatever their sleep style, and for back-sleepers, but may be a bit too firm for heavier adult side sleepers looking for more of a plush surface with firm underlying support.

Thanks to a fully reinforced steel coil perimeter, this hybrid mattress offers excellent edge support, making it a great choice if you use every inch of your mattress. It’s also a good choice for heavier adults and can be used with an adjustable base (Avocado also sells an adjustable base).

Note that you can order two Twin XL mattresses to make a Split King mattress.

Downsides

The Avocado Green mattress is an all-in-one mattress stitched together for durability and convenience. This does mean, however, that you can’t toggle the layers to tailor the comfort level at home. It also means you can’t refresh the latex layer rather than replace the mattress in its entirety. That said, this mattress is warrantied for 25 years, with durability built in, so you don’t have to worry about sagging and indentations.

Avocado only includes two upholstered handles on the long sides of the mattress. While the handles are robust and sewn on well, it would be good to see a couple of extra handles on the larger size mattresses, especially as you can’t take this one apart (unlike the Botanical Bliss). The Avocado Green mattress is lighter than a fully latex mattress, though, making it a tad easier to move overall.

Avocado offers a white glove delivery service but only in the continental U.S.

Packaging and shipping

Avocado vacuum seals its mattresses in plastic and then wraps most (90%) in recycled paper, before shipping them in a cardboard box. This can save as much as 30 feet of plastic. You can recycle the paper, cardboard, and plastic in many places (especially if there’s a WholeFoods Market near you).

Shipping is free (and carbon-neutral) with Avocado, at least in the contiguous U.S. The company only ships a handful of products to Canada because it hasn’t worked out how to ship everything carbon-neutral yet (a company representative told me this via email).

Savvy Rest Serenity Spring – The best customizable hybrid mattress for stomach-sleepers

Leaf Score

Highlights: Superb latex and coil mattress that can be fully customized to suit a stomach-sleeper and their partner. Great for lighter and heavier folks, and those with back and joint issues. White glove set-up available and a comfort layer exchange program!

View on Savvy Rest

At a glance:

• Pricing: $1,599 – $3,299 (Queen from $2,199)
• Materials: Organic latex, organic cotton, organic wool, recycled steel coils
• Certifications: GOTS, GOLS
• Sleep Trial: None
• Firmness: Whatever you want!
• Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cali King, Split-sizes
• Depth: 12-inch
• Best for: Everyone!

The Savvy Rest Serenity Spring mattress is the most customizable latex hybrid mattress available. Not only can you choose your top latex layer, you can also choose between plush and firm coils below. And if you’re a stomach-sleepers with a partner whose sleep needs are vastly different, you’ll love that the Serenity Spring is customizable on both sides.

What’s in it?

Top to bottom, the Serenity Spring comprises:

• GOTS certified organic cotton cover
• GOTS certified organic wool batting, quilted to prevent bunching
• 3-inch layer of Talalay or Dunlop latex in soft, medium, or firm, customizable on both sides
• 8-inch pocket coil layer, customizable in firm or plush and on both sides.

Savvy Rest makes the coil unit in-house using recycled steel. The company wraps each pocket coil individually in PLA (a plant-derived polymer). These are then heat-sealed together, to reduce motion transfer and provide inch-by-inch support for gentle body contouring and pressure relief.

There are no chemical flame retardants or other synthetic chemicals in the Serenity Spring. The Dunlop latex is GOLS organic and the Talalay latex carries Cradle to Cradle Gold certification. This means it is audited for health and safety, water stewardship, social fairness, and material reuse, in addition to being from a sustainable rubber tree plantation.

How it performs

Most hybrid latex mattresses offer either no customization or very little. With the Serenity Spring, there are two firmness options for pocket coils and six options for the latex layer.

For heavier stomach-sleepers, we recommend a firmer layer of pocket coils and a soft Dunlop top layer for a mattress that offers pressure point relief but won’t prove too squishy for comfort. Lighter stomach sleepers may prefer a softer Talalay top layer with the firmer pocket coil support beneath.

If your initial set-up doesn’t quite work for you or your partner, the Serenity Spring also allows for reconfiguration. This zippered mattress comes with a 90-day latex exchange where you can swap the top layer of latex for a different firmness.

The Serenity Spring is a top choice for stomach-sleepers with a sleep partner who prefers a softer mattress. Unlike most hybrid mattresses, you can choose a split design with dual-firmness.

We also like that the 12-inch Serenity Spring won’t bottom out for heavier sleepers. If you’re a larger stomach-sleeper who finds most all-latex mattresses and softer polyfoam uncomfortable, the Serenity Spring may surprise you with how much pressure relief and robust core support it offers. It’s more breathable than polyfoam and all-latex mattresses, making it a great choice if you sleep hot.

The Serenity Spring is only for use on rigid or slatted foundations or platform beds, with Savvy Rest recommending a bed rug if slats are more than two inches apart.

Downsides

Savvy Rest doesn’t offer refunds unless there’s a manufacturing defect. This is rare in the mattress world, where sleep trials and refunds have become standard. With so many options for customization, though, it’s unlikely you’ll want to return your Serenity Spring anyway.

The other main downside to the Serenity Spring is something that plagues most home-assembly mattresses: no handles! The nice thing is that as a hybrid mattress, the Serenity Spring is a little lighter than an all-latex mattress. You can also choose split layers and disassemble the mattress to make it easier to move.

Packaging and shipping

The Serenity Spring ships free in three or four boxes, depending on size. Savvy Rest provides video instruction for assembly and each piece is color coordinated and labeled for ease of set-up.

Note that you have to pay a shipping fee for the layer exchange. If you switch a Dunlop layer for Talalay, expect an upgrade fee too. No credit is given the other way though.

For folks who may struggle with home assembly of this mattress, you’ll love that Savvy Rest offers white glove delivery and mattress set-up for a fee.

Obasan Organic Mattresses

Leaf Score

Highlights: The most customizable mattress around, made with organic materials in a carbon-neutral factory in Canada. Customize both sides and zones and then re-customize later if your sleep needs change!

View on Obasan

At a glance:

• Pricing: $2,599 – $6,499+ (Queen from $4,299)
• Materials: Organic latex, organic cotton, organic wool
• Certifications: GOTS, GOLS
• Sleep Trial: 180-night sleep trial
• Firmness: Whatever you want!
• Best for: Everyone!

It took some trial and error and at first I was nervous I wasn’t going to love it. Darlie John patiently helped me to adjust my layers and sent me replacements until the firmness was correct. Once we got it right though, it was heaven on earth! Both my husband and I have completely alleviated the back discomfort we bought it to fix, I sleep like an absolute rock and getting into bed is such a treat. One word of caution through, it’ll ruin you for good! You’ll never want to leave home because no bed compares. Thanks Obasan, it’s love!

Jenna N., 2022

An Obasan mattress is an investment, but one worth making if you want a perfectly customized sleep set-up. Whether this is for you alone or for you and a partner, you can customize both sides of the mattress to meet a wide range of sleep needs. And thanks to the smart design, you can re-customize each side at a later date!

Obasan makes its mattresses to order, by hand, in its carbon-neutral workshop in Ottawa, Canada. The company only uses GOTS certified cotton and wool, and only GOLS certified organic latex.

The major selling point of Obasan is the company’s impressive approach to customization. This isn’t simply a case of a mattress with a different firmness on both sides. Instead, Obasan guides you through designing a mattress tailored by zone to support your sleep needs and those of your sleep partner where applicable.

Thanks to this layered and zoned system, you can also re-customize the mattress layer by layer at a later date, should your needs (or sleep partner) change. For instance, you could switch out a layer of latex for something firmer or softer to suit altered needs during pregnancy, injury, or convalescence. This approach is much more eco-friendly, and beneficial to sleep, than replacing a whole mattress.

What’s in it?

An Obasan mattress comprises either 8 inches of latex or 10 inches of latex depending on the design (No.1 or the Deluxe). In the No.1 (Classic model), you get a classic wool topper with a mattress comprising:

• A 2-inch top layer of soft latex
• 4-inch customizable cores with head to toe zoning
• A 2-inch base layer of firm latex.

The Deluxe comes with an Organic Topper made with an inch of soft latex and an inch of needle punched organic wool on both sides This makes for a 13-inch overall profile (with the mattress topper), thanks to a 10-inch mattress comprising:

• A 2-inch top layer of soft latex
• 4-inch customizable cores with head to toe zoning
• A 4-inch customizable base layer of medium or firm latex.

Regardless of your sleep style, body type, height, or weight, the top layer defaults to soft, to provide comfort, pressure relief, and balance out the support layers.

All Obasan mattresses are encased in organic cotton Jersey fabric and have a quilted organic cotton and wool cover. There are no glues or adhesives, no VOCs, flame retardants, or synthetic poly-foams. Instead, you construct the mattress yourself at home from the three latex layers and encasement.

How it performs

An Obasan mattress will likely perform better than any mattress you’ve ever slept on. The whole idea is that this mattress is perfectly tailored to meet your needs. As such, it will only be as good as the information you provide during the design process. This means being upfront about your height, weight, and body shape, and providing the same information for your sleep partner.

Thanks to the organic latex, wool, and cotton, this mattress is very breathable and won’t off-gas VOCs. It will also help with temperature regulation and is moisture-wicking, for a cooler, non-sweaty sleep.

With an all-latex design, an Obasan mattress doesn’t have as much edge support as a latex hybrid with innersprings and reinforced perimeter. Sleepers may also experience a bit more motion transfer compared to a hybrid mattress, though this will depend on the firmness choices for the latex layers.

Downsides

As noted above, expect less edge support with this all-latex mattress, and a bit more bounce and motion transfer than with a pocket coil latex hybrid mattress.

The most obvious downside, of course, is the price. This mattress will cost you significantly more than an off-the-rack option. That said, for a custom organic mattress made in a carbon-neutral factory, the cost of an Obasan mattress is very reasonable!

Note, too, that Obasan doesn’t offer refunds, unless there is a manufacturing defect or the product is unopened. While unfortunate, this policy makes sense, given the tailored nature of the product. The company also only allows that one-time free comfort exchange after you’ve slept on the mattress for six months. Chances are, though, that they’ll help you out much sooner if you contact the company, given this is a family-owned ethical company that genuinely seems to care about its customers.

Packaging and shipping

Obasan vacuum seals mattress components in plastic that can be recycled in most places. Because the mattress is put together (by you!) in situ, the packages are smaller and easier to move around than an entire mattress in a single vacuum sealed bag. Like many mattress companies, Obasan is working on developing a paper wrapping system for its mattresses.

The company processes all orders within 7 days and then gets to work making your new mattress to order. It doesn’t offer delivery timelines, but I asked a company representative and was told that, currently, “production lead time is about 1-2 weeks for adult style mattresses. For kid’s and baby mattresses, these are typically in stock, so these can be shipped ASAP typically.” When sold out, however, they can take about a week to ship.

Obasan offers free shipping on all orders over $400, except for its Foundations ($400 delivery in the U.S.).

Happsy Organic Mattress

Leaf Score

Highlights: Incredibly affordable, non-toxic, organic mattress with Made Safe certification. On the firmer side and great for stomach sleepers and some average weight back- and side-sleepers. Hybrid coil and latex mattress with little motion transfer and plenty of support where you need it. Pillow-top available.

View on Happsy

At a glance:

• Pricing: $899 – $1,699 (Queen is $1,399)
• Materials: Organic cotton, organic wool, organic latex, recycled steel coils 
• Certifications: GOTS, GOLS, Made Safe, GreenGuard Gold, UL Formaldehyde Free, Zero Toxics Product Registry, Rainforest Alliance, FSC, Green America certified business, 1% for the Planet, Sustainable Furnishings Council,
• Sleep Trial: 120-night sleep trial
• Firmness: Medium-firm
• Best for: Stomach-sleepers and average weight back-sleepers

This is the 2nd mattress we’ve bought from Happsy. We bought our first last year after extensive research. Happsy was the only one that was entirely organic and within our price range. We needed a new mattress because my husband was waking with neck and back pain. He’s a stomach and back sleeper who tends to sleep hot, while I sleep on my side and easily get cold. Both of us love our mattress and sleep incredibly comfortably.

Marie M.

2 weeks in and absolutely loving this mattress. I am a stomach sleeper and was motivated to buy a new mattress to help with my lower back pain. My husband is a side/back sleeper and he likes it too. I have woken up feeling rested and completely back pain free. I chose this mattress because of the health certifications and am working to eliminate toxins from our home. I only wish it came not wrapped in plastic – we aim to be plastic free wherever possible. Hopefully you find an alternative packing solution soon. Overall we absolutely love it.

Ashley O., 2021

Happsy is a newcomer to the mattress space and the incredible price of its one mattress option might raise some eyebrows. Can an organic mattress really be this affordable and good quality? Yes! How? Because this isn’t a cheeky little start-up with no know-how in the mattress industry. In fact, Happsy was founded by Naturepedic, one of the best mattress makers around. Naturepedic created Happsy as a way to deliver a no-nonsense affordable, eco-friendly, non-toxic mattress to even more customers for less than its signature brand mattresses.

How does Happsy do it? By keeping things super simple. Happys offers just one mattress, at a single firmness, and only online. Cutting out the retail showroom and taking advantage of high volume orders for materials and manufacturing allows Happsy to cut overheads and pass on the savings to customers.

The downside, of course, is that this mattress won’t work for everyone and there are no options to customize, aside from a pillow-top that can make the mattress a little less firm overall. Fortunately, Happsy offers a 120-night free trial and free returns, though Happsy recycles or donates most returned items and promises to never resell used products.

Note that Happsy offers free shipping in the contiguous U.S. It also ships, for a fee, to Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada.

What’s in it?

From the top down, the 10-inch Happsy mattress comprises:

• An organic cotton outer cover
• Organic cotton batting
• Organic wool batting
• A layer of organic latex (Dunlop, firmness not specified)
• 8-inch pocket coils with synthetic polypropylene wrap
• Organic cotton batting
• The outer organic cotton cover.

On the sides you’ll find more organic cotton batting and the outer organic cotton cover. There are no glues or adhesives anywhere in this mattress, nor any poly-foam, synthetic latex, or fire-retardant chemicals. The pocket coils are wrapped in synthetic polypropylene fabric and heat-sealed. This is allowed under GOTS and Made Safe rules and is zero-VOC certified by GreenGuard Gold. More expensive mattresses often use natural fabric wrap.

The cover is zippered, as with the PlushBeds Botanical Bliss, but don’t let this fool you into thinking you can move any layers around; the zipper is only there to make end of life disposal and recycling easier.

Happsy uses Dunlop latex, which is firmer than Talalay. Its mattress topper is made with plusher Dunlop, however.

How it performs

The Happsy mattress is a medium-firm organic mattress rated at about 6/10 for firmness. With the latex topper, the firmness decreases to around a 5/10. This makes it a little less firm overall than the Avocado Green mattress, which could be a good fit for stomach-sleepers whose sleep partners sleep on their back or side.

The Happsy organic mattress is a little bit bouncy thanks to the natural qualities of latex but is on the firmer side and quite resilient and stable. Expect it to be less bouncy than a mattress made with layers of Talalay and Dunlop. Thanks to those pocket coils, the mattress has less motion transfer than an all-latex design (such as PlushBeds Botanical Bliss), and as the layer of latex seems thinner than in the Avocado Green, this should also mean less motion transfer and bounce overall. The Happsy also has decent edge support.

The Happsy is a breathable mattress thanks to the latex and steel coil construction. The outer layers of wool and cotton also help with temperature regulation and moisture wicking for added comfort.

Downsides

Happsy doesn’t use zoning in its mattresses, both to save costs and because it acknowledges that not everyone is of average height and weight. While this is good in principle, it also means that heavier adults or those with greater need of support in the shoulders and hip areas might find this mattress too firm. If you’re keen on targeted support at the hips and shoulders, the Avocado Green may be the better choice.

Happsy only offers one mattress in a single firmness. This is great for streamlining operations and keeping costs low but does mean there’s no flexibility if the mattress doesn’t feel comfortable. The good news is that Happsy offers a 120-night trial and free returns (you don’t actually return the mattress; Happsy arranges for donation or recycling locally).

Happsy also doesn’t reveal the gauge of its coils, which means we can’t tell how durable these might be. It does have a 20-year warranty, though, so the company clearly thinks its mattress is durable in design. Still, we’d favor the Avocado Green mattress with its 25-year warranty, a PlushBeds Luxury Bliss (with lifetime warranty!), or even the Avocado Eco Organic (which is comparable in price).

Packaging and delivery

Happsy delivers its mattresses vacuum sealed in plastic and in a cardboard box. These mattresses aren’t made to order, so will usually ship within 5-7 days and arrive within 7-14 days. You may be able to recycle the plastic and cardboard, depending on where you live. Happsy recommends keeping hold of the cardboard in case you need to return the mattress later.

Shipping is free within the contiguous U.S.

Avocado Eco Organic [Staff tried and tested] 

Leaf Score

Highlights: The most affordable, eco-friendly, 10-inch, non-toxic mattress around! Ideal for lighter folks and children who sleep on their stomach but like a softer surface. Made by an award-winning B Corporation with organic latex, wool, and cotton, with recycled steel coils and no toxic chemicals.

View on Avocado

At a glance:

• Pricing: $699 – $1,599 (Queen is $1,299)
• Materials: Organic Fair Trade cotton, organic wool, organic Dunlop latex, upcycled steel coils  
• Certifications: GOTS, GOLS, Made Safe, GreenGuard Gold, Climate Neutral certified, FSC, Responsible Wool Standard, Formaldehyde Free (UL), Eco Institut, Fair Trade, 1% for the Planet, B Corporation, Sustainable Furnishings Council
• Sleep Trial: 365-night sleep trial
• Firmness: Gentle-firm (5/10)
• Best for: Lighter stomach-sleepers and lighter back-sleepers

If this is what sustainable sleep feels like, I’m not ever going back. Whether I’m sleeping on my stomach or on my side, I’m comfortable, which certainly wasn’t the case with my last mattress. My husband, someone who sleeps on his side or back usually, hasn’t complained about back pain after waking up once since replacing our old mattress.

Taylor H., 2022

The Avocado Eco Organic mattress is the most affordable certified organic mattress we’ve found available in the U.S. It starts at just $699 for a Twin and costs just $1,299 for a Queen. Don’t expect any less of this mattress though. It is still handmade in Los Angeles by Avocado, a B Corp with a ton of credible eco-certifications.

The mattress includes pocket coils and organic latex, organic cotton and organic wool. It is easy to move, thanks to robustly stitched handles, and is one of very few mattresses to achieve Made Safe certification as free of toxic chemicals.

What’s in it?

The Eco Organic is a hybrid mattress featuring GOLS certified organic Dunlop latex, upcycled steel coils, organic cotton and organic wool. One 2-inch layer of latex (D65 / 14-19 ILD, soft) forms the comfort layer of the Eco Organic, which is the same as in the Avocado Green mattress. This less expensive mattress does not, however, have a 1-inch layer of latex at the bottom, making it a 10-inch mattress overall (versus 11-inch for the Avocado Green and Vegan mattress).

The Eco Organic is handmade in LA at the GOTS certified Avocado factory using GOLS certified latex from Avocado’s co-owned sustainable rubber farms in India and Guatemala. The company uses blockchain technology to ensure the latex is tracked from farm to finished product, offering greater transparency and supply chain integration than any other mattress company. In addition to GOLS certification, the latex is certified by FSC and Rainforest Alliance, Oeko-Tex and Eco Insitut.

The Eco Organic has up to 988 double-tempered 8-inch recycled steel coils in two gauges (14.5 at the edge; 12 for the interior). The reinforced perimeter offers excellent edge support and the beefier gauge coils offer greater durability overall. Recycled steel rings are also used to keep the layers of the mattress together, avoiding the need for glues or synthetic fiber stitching.

Avocado uses 100% GOTS certified organic cotton ticking for the top cover and organic cotton canvas on the base. The cotton comes from India, Turkey, Canada, and North Carolina. The GOTS certified organic wool is also certified to the Responsible Wool Standard and comes from Avoado’s co-owned farms in the Himalayas.

The mattress is certified non-toxic by Made Safe, with Avocado one of just three mattress companies boasting this certification (Happsy and Naturepedic are the others). There are no flame retardants or other toxic chemicals, no adhesives, fiberglass, of poly-foam anywhere in this mattress, despite the mattress costing the same or less than many inferior poly-foam mattresses.

How it performs

The Eco Organic is a good choice for a softer mattress that still works for most stomach-sleepers. It’s ideal as a compromise for couples who have different sleep styles but don’t have the budget for a split-firmness mattress (such as from PlushBeds).

The Eco Organic has a medium-firm feel and rating of 5/10. It will likely work for side-sleepers and some back- and stomach-sleepers. However, this mattress is likely to be too soft for heavier individuals of any sleep style who need more firm support. Given the lower coil count and softer latex, some sleepers may experience more motion transfer with this mattress compared to the Avocado Green or Luxury Bliss form PlushBeds.

If you’re a lighter adult who sleeps alone, or if you’re looking for a mattress for a child, this is a fantastic budget choice.

This mattress has four handles to make moving easier. These sit flush to the mattress to reduce bunching under bed linens.

Downsides

The Eco Organic may be cheap but it is still a great quality mattress with all the eco-certifications you could want. That said, expect a lighter mattress overall that feels a little less robust than the Avocado Green and higher price mattresses from PlushBeds. Indeed, the Eco Organic comes with a 10-year warranty, versus the 25-year warranty for the Avocado Green and PlushBeds’ lifetime warranty.

Expect, too, a little more motion transfer than with mattresses that have a higher coil count and firmer latex.

For many stomach sleepers, this mattress will feel too soft for a comfortable sleep. It’s also unlikely to work well for heavier adults who require deeper cushioning but firmer support. Note, too, that you can’t flip this mattress as it only has a latex comfort layer on one side.

Packaging and shipping

Avocado is the only mattress company that wraps most (90%) of its mattresses in recycled paper, saving up to 30 feet of plastic per mattress. The mattress is still vacuum sealed in plastic, however, before being wrapped in upcycled paper and protected by a cardboard box. You can recycle the plastic, paper, and box.

Avocado also ships everything carbon-neutral as part of its carbon-negative strategy, and offers free shipping within the contiguous U.S.

PlushBeds Luxury Bliss

Leaf Score

Highlights: A latex hybrid mattress available in medium and medium-firm, offering a good compromise for stomach-sleepers and their sleep partners. GOTS, GOLS, GreenGuard Gold, and Eco Institut certified. Excellent choice for reduced motion transfer and edge support, and for heavier adults.

View on PlushBeds

At a glance:

• Pricing: $2,399 – $3,598 (Queen is $2,999 – $1,499.50 at time of writing!)
• Materials: GOTS cotton, GOTS wool, GOLS latex, steel coils
• Certifications: GOTS, GOLS, GreenGuard Gold, Eco Institut (latex), GreenGuard Gold
• Sleep Trial: 100-night sleep trial
• Firmness: Medium / Medium-Firm / dual firmness option
• Best for: Stomach-sleepers and back-sleepers (med-firm), side-sleepers (medium)

We got so fed up with the marketing hype and costs of good mattresses we decided to try Plush Beds in medium 12″ inner spring. We’re both in our late 50’s and don’t sleep well, and this mattress has made a huge difference. We don’t like the support of a plain latex, and it’s too warm. This mattress is just right. My husband is large and sleeps on his stomach a lot; I’m small and sleep back-and-side. The mattress is also incredibly motion-proof! I’m never awakened any more by my husband’s tossing. 

Anonymous, 2021

When we took it out of the packaging we were concerned because the top of the bed felt luxuriously soft and we typically like medium to medium firm. But what a surprise when we laid on it! It is extremely comfortable and supportive. I’m a stomach and back sleeper and my husband sleeps on his side. We love our bed and have recommended it to our friends. It sleeps cooler than our previous mattress, it holds it’s shape, and every night when I get in bed, it’s a sigh of relief. Whomever gave this bed it’s name, was right on!

Anonymous, 2021

The PlushBeds Luxury Bliss mattress is made with organic latex and pocket coils to balance comfort and support. The medium-firm design is ideal for stomach sleepers and some lighter weight back-sleepers, with a medium option available for side-sleepers or heavier back-sleepers.

PlushBeds offers a white glove delivery service and mattress removal (for a fee) and has a lifetime warranty for its Luxury Bliss mattress as well as a 100-night sleep trial.

What’s in it?

The 12-inch Luxury Bliss is a hybrid mattress made with GOLS certified organic latex, a pocketed coil core, GOTS certified Joma New Zealand wool as a natural fire barrier, and a GOTS certified organic cotton cover. Specifically, the Luxury Bliss comprises:

• 1-inch GOTS certified organic cotton cover with GOTS wool beneath
• 3-inch Certified 100% natural talalay latex
• 8-inch Supportive, fabric-encased, coil core
• 1-inch GOTS certified organic cotton cover with GOTS wool.

The Luxury Bliss boasts up to 1,283 steel coils (1,057 in the Queen size). It has reinforced edges with a higher coil count and larger gauge (sturdier) coils on the perimeter for edge-to-edge support. Each coil is individually wrapped, isolating motion for less motion transfer and sleep disturbance than with an all-latex mattress (such as the Botanical Bliss).

There are no adhesives, chemical flame retardants, or other toxic chemicals in the Luxury Bliss. Instead, the latex lies on top of the fabric-encased coils and the wool layer is sewn into the cotton cover to keep everything together. The organic cotton cover has a circular-knit design for greater support and pressure relief.

How it performs

The Luxury Bliss is a hybrid latex and coil mattress that offers all the buoyancy and pressure relief of Talalay latex atop sturdy support from individually wrapped steel coils. The medium-firm option rates an 8/10 for firmness, making this a much firmer mattress than most and therefore ideal for stomach sleepers looking for pressure relief for hips and shoulders. It will almost certainly be too firm, however, for most adults who sleep on their side or back.

PlushBeds also offers this mattress in a medium firmness, however, which rates 5.5/10. This would be the preferred option for side-sleepers and many back-sleepers looking for greater cushioning but would be too soft for most stomach sleepers and heavier adults.

If you and your partner have wildly different sleep styles and needs, consider a split design (available in Queen, King, and Cali-King). That way, one side can be medium and the other medium-firm.

The PlushBeds Luxury Bliss has the signature sturdy Plushbeds handles stitched at the sides (six for bigger mattresses, four on twin and twin XL models). These lie flat against the mattress so as not to bunch underneath bedding and are durable and conveniently placed to help you move the mattress as needed.

The Luxury Bliss mattress works with all types of bed, including adjustable bases.

Downsides

The main downside to the Luxury Bliss is the cost, at nearly twice the price of the Avocado Green and Happsy hybrid mattresses. As the Luxury Bliss is firmer even than these two mattresses, stomach-sleepers who need that extra firmness should jump at the PlushBeds spring sale, where you can get the Luxury Bliss for less than the Avocado Green!

Packaging and shipping

PlushBeds vacuum seals and wraps its mattresses or mattress components in plastic and then boxes them up for easier handling. There’s no white glove service but shipping is free on all orders (no minimum) in the contiguous U.S.

PlushBeds makes all mattresses to order in California, with orders leaving the PlushBeds factory within 7-9 business days after order. If you’re ordering a custom mattresses, including split sizes, expect to wait an additional 7-9 days.

Birch Living Natural Organic Mattress

Leaf Score

Highlights: Affordable latex hybrid mattress with good green certifications, a medium-firm feel, and that sleeps very cool. Great for stomach-sleepers, especially for those under 200 lb. and who sleep hot. Comprises organic cotton and wool, latex, and steel coils.

View on Birch

At a glance:

• Pricing: $999- $1,749 (Queen is $1,449)
• Materials: Organic Fair Trade cotton, organic New Zealand wool, Talalay latex, steel coils 
• Certifications: GOTS, GreenGuard Gold, Eco Institut (latex), Fair Trade (cotton)
• Sleep Trial: 100-night sleep trial
• Firmness: Medium-firm
• Best for: Stomach-sleepers and back-sleepers

I normally suffer from back pain but this bed has helped so much. It is perfect for both me and my husband. I am a side and back sleeper while he sleeps on his back and stomach mostly! Our dog also loves it! We love that it is eco friendly as well!

Jessica H., 2021

We really wanted to love our Birch mattress because we love what the company stands for. We loved the organic materials and super soft wool, however, it was way too firm for my husband and I. For reference, he is 6’2” and 160, back and side sleeper and I’m 5’5” and 150, side and stomach sleeper. We knew right when we first laid on it that it was too firm for us so waiting the 30 days to return it was really hard and painful. That said, their customer service was amazing throughout the whole return process and I would recommend them to anyone who loves a firm mattress.

Kristeen G, 2021

The Birch Natural is a latex hybrid mattress with innerspring coil support. It consistently gets high ratings for comfort, especially from stomach-sleepers. This mattress is made from sustainably sourced materials and has a smart design that balances cushioning and support. All of Birch Living’s products are made in the U.S. in GreenGuard Gold certified facilities and carry GOTS certification.

More affordable than the Birch Luxe Natural, the Birch Natural mattress doesn’t have four-sided reinforced edging, zoned lumbar support, nor the added organic cashmere comfort layer for extra plushness on top. For lighter weight stomach-sleepers (under 130 lb.), the Natural is a good choice. If you’re a tad heavier or just really want added luxury and edge support at the top and bottom of your mattress, go for the Luxe.

What’s in it?

It should go without saying that the Birch Natural does not contain poly-foam or chemical flame retardants. Instead, you’ll find a GOTS certified organic cotton cover and an organic wool comfort layer that helps with temperature regulation and wicks away moisture.

Underneath the wool comfort layer is another layer of wool as a flame barrier. The wool comes from free-range sheep raised to the standards of the PGC Wrightson Wool Integrity Program. This New Zealand certification standard provides full transparency through the wool supply chain and guarantees that it comes from sheep raised in ethical conditions. 

Under the wool is a layer of Eco Institut certified Talalay latex (though the certificate was out of date by two months when I checked). This latex layer is breathable and airy and has been perforated to allow for even better ventilation at the surface. Beneath the latex is a layer of pocket coils for firm support for proper spinal alignment. The two long edges also feature extra coils for reinforcement. Finally, the bottom layer comprises more wool.

How it performs

The Birch Natural mattress is a latex hybrid design that offers sturdy support from innerspring coils and comfortable cushioning from natural latex. This mattress is designed with a core firm layer to prevent sinkage and a softer top layer to relieve pressure on joints. The result is a medium-firm mattress ideal for stomach-sleepers weighing up to 200 lb. or so. It may also work well for lighter weight back- and side-sleepers up to 130 lb.

This mattress offers good support but is also bouncy and responsive enough to make it easy to move around comfortably. Most healthy adults shift positions 40-60 times a night and this kind of mattress allows for those subtle movements that help prevent stiffness and pain in the morning.

It also offers excellent edge support thanks to reinforced coils at the two long edges. This makes the Birch Natural a good option for anyone needing to maximize the full bed and easier for those with back pain to get in and out of bed (at the sides at least).

The bounce and responsiveness of the Birch make it a good choice for couples looking for a bit of spring during sex. The mattress design, with airier Talalay latex, innersprings, and wool make it breathable. If you sleep hot, the Birch can help you keep your cool.

Downsides

Birch Living is a bit hit and miss with its certifications. I checked all the links on the website and couldn’t track down some certificates, found contradictory information about which products held which certificates, and found an out of date certificate too. I checked in with the company, though, and they were very responsive and helpful, providing the missing certificates and thus reassuring me that the eco-credentials of Birch Living and these mattresses are robust.

Birch Living also used to donate to the National Forests Foundation but doesn’t seem to do this currently. There’s also a rogue ‘carbon offsets’ logo on the ‘eco-friendly’ page of its website, but no details of what this means. All in all, Birch Living seems to engage in a little bit of greenwashing, whether deliberately or through inattention.

Packaging

Birch ships the Natural mattress vacuum sealed in two layers of low-density polyethylene, in a cardboard box. You can recycle the cardboard (you don’t need it for a return), and the #4 plastic can be recycled in some places (though not usually through curbside recycling).

For returns, expect to pay a $99 removal fee to have your mattress picked up. The company then tries to donate, recycle, or repurpose any returned mattresses. All Birch Living mattresses are fully recyclable (though, in reality, most mattresses aren’t actually recycled due to a lack of facilities in the U.S.).

Birch Luxe Natural Mattress

Leaf Score

Highlights: Well-designed latex hybrid mattress with zoned support at the shoulders and hips and extra edge support. Ideal for hot sleepers and stomach sleepers, including heavier adults. Made with sustainably sourced and organic materials and certified GOTS and GreenGuard Gold.

View on Birch Living

At a glance:

• Pricing: $1,449- $2,849 (Queen is $2,449)
• Materials: Organic Fair Trade cotton, organic wool, organic cashmere, Talalay latex, steel coils 
• Certifications: GOTS, GreenGuard Gold, Rainforest Alliance (latex), Fair Trade (cotton)
• Sleep Trial: 100-night sleep trial
• Firmness: Medium-firm
• Best for: Stomach-sleepers and back-sleepers

The first night I slept on the Birch Luxe, it was a perfect sleep – no morning tension, no tossing and turning all night, no insomnia. I look forward to sleep every night now. My husband finds it equally satisfying. I never thought this was possible. It’s all organic, to boot !!

Alicia B., 2022

The Birch Luxe Natural is a little pricier than the Birch Natural mattress but well worth it if you’re a heavier adult, have more need for shoulder and hip support, or just want a more luxury mattress with greater breathability and comfort.

Unlike the basic (but great!) Natural, the Luxe has reinforced edging on all four sides and zoned lumbar support thanks to a much higher coil count (in the 1000s instead of the 100s). It also has three comfort layers instead of one, including an organic cashmere comfort layer.

What’s in it?

The Birch Luxe Natural comprises Talalay latex with innerspring coil support. It is free of poly-foam, chemical flame retardants, and synthetic materials.

The outer cover is a quilted Euro-Top made of GOTS certified organic cotton. Under that, you’ll find a layer of organic wool as a flame barrier. Then there’s a layer of cashmere and wool (both organic), over a second and third comfort layer of organic wool. Together, these comfort layers help make the mattress very breathable, supporting temperature regulation and moisture control. They also make for a firmer surface above the relatively thin layer of soft Talalay latex.

Under the latex is a layer consisting of thousands of pocket coils. These are zoned to provide targeted support at the hips and shoulders, with extra coils for reinforcement at all four sides. The bottom layer of the mattress comprises organic wool as a flame barrier and to reinforce the mattress surface.

How it performs

The Birch Luxe Natural offers greater support for heavier stomach-sleepers, espcially those needing more support at the shoulders and hips. The extra comfort layers are also a hit with sleepers of all positions who tend to sleep hot and enjoy a more breathable mattress design.

While this mattress is medium-firm (about a 6/10), it offers enough cushioning and support to relieve pressure on joints. It won’t, however, allow the body to sink in too far, making it a really good choice for anyone who sleeps on their front and who needs greater support with spinal alignment.

The Luxe Natural is a little less bouncy than the Natural, thanks to those added comfort layers. This may mean it’s a bit less tempting for couples who love the extra springiness of latex for sex.

The additional firmness does make it easier to lie on top of the mattress though, instead of sinking in, and helps facilitate easier movement across the mattress. This is ideal for reducing joint pain and stiffness in the morning.

The extra edge support at all four sides is also welcome for anyone needing to make use of every last inch of bed space and for those folks who like to sit on the edge, top, or bottom of their mattress.

The Birch Luxe also works with adjustable bases, thanks to the individually wrapped steel coils. This means you can raise and lower the Luxe without compromising support or damaging the mattress.

Downsides

The main downside to the Birch Luxe Natural is that it costs quite a bit more than the Natural and more than many other latex hybrid mattresses. It’s also not possible to customize the two sides of the mattress, meaning you’ll need to negotiate with your sleep partner if your needs are wildly different in terms of comfort and support.

Some customers report that the mattress smells a bit… sheepish, at least for the first few days out of the box and bag. If this is a smell you’re likely to find unpleasant, consider unwrapping the mattress and airing it out for a few days before you sleep on it.

Finally, like most mattresses made with organic latex and innersprings, this mattress isn’t vegan, given that it uses wool as a natural flame barrier.

Packaging and shipping

The Luxe Natural mattress is vacuum sealed and wrapped in two layers of low-density polyethylene and shipped in a cardboard box. The cardboard is recyclable and you may be able to recycle the plastic in some places.

Birch charges a $99 removal fee for returns (to pick up your mattress). The company then tries to donate, recycle, or repurpose the mattress.