The Leaf Score team was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at the Evaya Mattress before its launch. We were so impressed, with the mattress and the company, that we decided to offer it to readers ourselves! Here’s our review of Evaya, with everything you need to know about this sustainable, eco-friendly, non-toxic, organic mattress.
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In the course of many months of research into eco-friendly, organic, non-toxic mattresses, I’ve seen some doozies. I’ve also seen some excellent mattresses that check all the boxes. Still, mattresses are often heavily marked up and cost far more than they really need to. Hence our search for a mattress that we could offer readers at a reasonable price while being absolutely certain of what’s in it and how it’s made.
Meet Evaya.
We got a sneak peak of the mattress specifications before the company launched this new line. In fact, Evaya was so early in its development that the team asked for our input on packaging. That’s how open and awesome these folks are, with a clear commitment to being more sustainable than other mattress makers.
Evaya Bliss Mattress
Highlights: Eco-Institut and Made Safe Certified, will never off-gas, and certified to be free of even trace amounts of hazardous chemicals. Manufactured using EverEden Premium wool sourced from New Zealand farmers.
Use code ESSENTIALEVAYA for 15% off the Evaya Bliss in the LeafScore store.
Why do we love Evaya?
Mostly, it boils down the following three things:
- Materials
- Design and manufacturing
- Certifications.
Evaya offers three main mattress products:
- 11-inch Evaya® Original
- 12-inch Evaya® Bliss
- 3-inch Evaya® Pillowtopper.
What’s in the Evaya Mattress?
Let’s start with the 12-inch Evaya Bliss. This luxury (but affordable!) mattress comprises:
- Ticking: Quilted 600 gsm organic cotton and organic EverEden wool knit cover
- Batting: ½-inch organic EverEden Wool flame retardant layer (no chemical flame retardants)
- Batting: ½-inch organic cashmere and EverEden Wool comfort later
- Comfort layer: 1-inch EverEden Organic Wool
- Comfort latex: 2-inch Tri-Zone layer of FSC certified Talalay latex for pressure relief and support
- Support core: 1130 Tri-Zone individually-wrapped 8-inch coils made in the Evaya factory using recycled steel, with edge support
- Bottom: EverEden Wool flame retardant base layer
- Border: Quilted organic cotton with embroidery at sides and foot.
Here is a cross-section diagram showing the materials used to make the 12-inch Evaya Bliss at every level.
That’s it. No hazardous chemicals, synthetics, greenwashed polyfoam, or other nasty materials or substances.
The 12-inch Evaya Bliss is a great choice if you’re in your late twenties or older, given that this mattress will easily last for decades to come and provides comfort as your body ages. The tri-zone support is excellent for maintaining spinal alignment and support, keeping mattress-related back problems at bay.
The deeper mattress, with pillow-top is a top choice for lighter adults and heavier adults alike, with enough depth to sink into and enough plushness to support you even if you don’t sink in much.
Evaya Original Mattress specs
The slightly lower profile Evaya 11-inch Original Mattress is very similar but doesn’t have the same zoned coil unit or zoned latex layer and skips the extra comfort layer of wool. That makes it a good choice if you’re younger, on a budget, and like a slightly firmer mattress without specific hip and shoulder zoning.
The 11-inch Original Evaya Mattress comprises:
Here is a cross-section diagram showing the materials used to make the 11-inch Evaya® Original at every level.
- Ticking: Quilted 400 gsm organic cotton stretch knit cover
- Batting: ½-inch organic EverEden Wool flame retardant layer (no chemical flame retardants)
- Batting: ½-inch EverEden Wool comfort later
- Comfort latex layer: 2-inches of FSC certified Talalay latex for pressure relief and support
- Support core: 816 individually-wrapped 8-inch coils made in the Evaya factory using recycled steel, with edge support
- Bottom: EverEden Wool flame retardant base layer
- Border: Quilted organic cotton with embroidery at sides and foot.
A closer look at materials in the Evaya Mattress
I love that both Evaya mattresses feature not only certified organic cotton but also organic wool. Many other mattresses with a wool layer use wool that’s hard to trace and not organic, meaning it may have been treated with toxic chemicals and come from sheep poorly treated by farmers.
The New Zealand EverEden organic wool is a high-performing natural fiber that is fully traceable from organic farm to GOTS certified factory. This wool is naturally moisture-wicking, thermoregulating, and springy, providing comfort, luxury, and support.
Like the Evaya mattresses, the Pillowtop is also non-toxic, natural, and smartly designed. It comprises:
- Cover: Organic cotton ticking
- Batting: ½-inch organic EverEden wool flame retardant layer
- Comfort layer: 1-inch EverEdedn organic wool
- Latex comfort layer: 1.5-inch Talalay FSC certified pressure relief and support layer.
How is the Evaya Mattress made?
Every Evaya Mattress is stitched together by hand in the U.S. by expert mattress makers.
Evaya uses smart mattress design to create layers of EverEden wool with natural Talalay latex over individual pocket springs. The company makes the springs in-house using recycled steel, making this one of the most sustainable innerspring mattresses around.
The innerspring unit, combined with the more porous Talalay latex, and naturally airy wool and cotton make the Evaya Mattress exceptionally breathable. If you sleep hot, this is a fantastic choice of mattress. And if you sleep cold, the same holds true as you get all the benefits of wool’s natural thermoregulating properties.
Evaya Mattress certifications
Whenever we threw around the idea of creating a Leaf Score mattress, the conversation always came back to certifications. There was no way we would do this without all the important green certifications we demand of the mattress brands we recommend on the site.
Evaya knocks it out of the park with its certifications. My laundry list of wants wasn’t a concern for this company as it already had everything in place.
Certified eco-friendly, non-toxic latex
Evaya’s Talalay latex is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as sustainably and responsibly sourced. It is also certified to Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and eco-INSTITUT certified, demonstrating that it is free of hazardous chemicals and doesn’t off-gas.
Genuine, traceable, organic cotton
Evaya uses only organic cotton certified by Organic Content Standard 100 and GOTS. The GOTS certification is with Oregon Tilth. That means Evaya avoids the perils faced by many mattress companies using cotton that is spuriously certified organic in India.
Unfortunately, organics fraud is rife in India and elsewhere outside of Europe and the U.S. Several of the major certifying bodies that operate through GOTS are now known to have very poor tracking practices that let conventional cotton sneak through as organic. Oregon Tilth is one of the only certifying bodies not to face accusations of misrepresenting organic cotton, which is why I love to see companies with this certification for GOTS.
Genuine organic wool free of harsh chemicals
Evaya uses GOTS certified organic wool that also carries the Wool Integrity New Zealand seal. Evaya owns its wool supply, with direct sourcing from farmers in New Zealand, rather than from a wool clearing house or middleman company. This set-up means you can be sure the wool comes from farms that practice animal-friendly, organic agriculture, with full traceability, high environmental standards, and where workers have safe, healthy, and positive working conditions.
EverEden has been certified organic since 2008, through Oregon Tilth, and Evaya is also a member of the Organic Trade Association, meaning the company helps to promote the growth of organic farming. The Wool Integrity program also prohibits the use of bleach and only allows wool to be cleaned with environmentally safe detergents, so as to protect the environment and preserve the natural properties of the wool.
Additional certifications for the Evaya Mattress and Pillowtop
Overall, the mattresses and mattress topper are certified GOTS, MadeSafe, and Greenguard. This shows that Evaya adheres to rigorous environmental standards as well as social standards included in the GOTS and FSC requirements programs.
Despite the similar name, Evaya is not Aviya. The former is fully Leaf Score approved, while the latter is a mattress brand that says it is eco-friendly but makes mattresses using greenwashed CertiPur memory foam.
Why is Evaya different?
Evaya® makes its mattresses using only the best organic and natural materials at its own certified GOTS facilities. It owns its wool supply, is vertically integrated, meaning full control of its supply chains, and tracks all the materials in and out of its factories, reporting this to Oregon Tilth as part of its GOTS certification. It also undergoes a full, in-depth, annual audit by Oregon Tilth to maintain its GOTS certification.
Best of all, the Evaya mattresses are sustainably packaged and shipped. Every mattress and pillowtop is compressed and vacuum sealed in a recyclable plastic sleeve before being wrapped in paper. This reduces overall plastic use and helps to reduce carbon emissions associated with transporting bulky mattresses uncompressed.
Which Evaya mattress should you choose?
With a choice of two high quality Evaya mattresses and a pillowtop, it can be tricky to know which will best meet your needs. My advice is to go with the 12-inch model unless you’re on a strict budget or buying a mattress for a child, teen, or if you’re in your early twenties with no health issues.
Why? Because even if you don’t feel the need for a zoned mattress with an extra comfort layer right now, this mattress is so durable and well made that you’ll want to futureproof your choice. If you’re in your mid-twenties or older, there’s a chance you’ll want a little extra support in the shoulders and hips long before your mattress starts feeling its age and needs replacing.
Alternatively, you could opt for the 11-inch model and add the pillowtop at a later date for extra cushioning. The downside here is that while this buys you some extra plushness and comfort, it doesn’t have zoning at the hip and shoulders.
Evaya Bliss Mattress
Highlights: Eco-Institut and Made Safe Certified, will never off-gas, and certified to be free of even trace amounts of hazardous chemicals. Manufactured using EverEden Premium wool sourced from New Zealand farmers.
Use code ESSENTIALEVAYA for 15% off the Evaya Bliss in the LeafScore store.
Final thoughts on the Evaya Mattress
I’m super excited for Leaf Score readers to try out the Evaya Mattress and Pillowtop. It is expertly designed, made with care, and comprises nothing but the best natural materials. There’s no greenwashing, cut corners, or unnecessary add-ons, just good quality, organic, non-toxic, sustainably sourced cotton, latex, wool, and steel.