OMI (Lifekind) Latex Mattresses
Highlights: Mattresses are made with GOTS and GOLS certified materials. Ideal for those who have multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). Have been rigorously tested and found to be durable and high-performance.
OMI (Lifekind) Latex Mattresses at a glance:
| Country of Origin: | USA |
| Materials: | GOLS 100 percent natural latex, GOTS wool and cotton |
| Certifications: | Raw-Materials Certifications Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS)-Certified Organic Latex National Organic Program (NOP)-Certified Organic Cotton Fill Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-Certified Organic Ticking Oeko-Tex Human-Safe – Certified Latex GOTS-Certified Organic Thread, Flannel, and Canvas GOTS-Certified Organic Barrier-Cover Fabric GOTS-Certified Organic Wool GREENGUARD-Certified Water-Based Natural Latex Adhesive USDA-Certified Organic Botanical Latex Sap Finished-Product Certification and Testing Certified by GREENGUARD® for Low VOC Emissions Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Flammability Tested and Passed 16 CFR 1632 and 1633 GOLS-Certified Organic Latex Mattresses GOTS-Certified Organic Innerspring Mattresses and Bedding Products Factory Processes and certifications Eco-Factory® Sanitized Organic Raw Materials GOTS- and GOLS-Approved Production Handmade in the USA |
Table of Contents
Overview
You can find OMI mattresses at many sleep stores, and you can buy mattresses online at Lifekind.com. Lifekind is the mail-order company established by Walt Bader in 1997 to bring natural, organic household products to a wider audience. This brand, which now sells online, through the catalog, and at retailers, sells latex and innerspring mattresses made with organic Dunlop latex, organic cotton, and organic wool. They are certified GOLS, GOTS, USDA Organic, and GreenGuard Gold for VOCs, as well as Oeko-Tex Standard 100. OMI offer a 90-day trial period and a limited 20-year warranty, and also offer financing options, including up to 6 months at 0% APR.
Omi: America’s first organic mattress
OMI mattresses include the OrganicPedic® Mattress Collection which was America’s first certified organic mattress. There are 15 mattresses in this collection, including crib, youth, hide-a-bed and adult mattresses. There are latex and innerspring options, plus latex/innerspring combinations, multiple fabric choices and customizable comfort levels on some options. The 81® and Duo organic mattresses, for instance, offer significant customizability through “sleep zones” that can be tailored to each sleeper and are adjustable over time (so your mattress can work with you as your needs change with age).
OMI mattresses are built by hand in California
All of the organic mattresses in the OrganicPedic® mattress collection are built by hand in the company’s Eco-Factory™ in California. Comfort levels range from plush to extra firm. For a more-plush feel, choose the OrganicPedic Earth® organic mattress collection, which ranges in comfort level from ultra-plush to medium. The OrganicPedic Earth organic mattresses use less-firm latex layers designed specifically for comfort.
OMI’s REST Mattresses are their more affordable options. This collection combines pocket-coil technology with GOTS-certified organic cotton, GOTS-certified organic wool, and GOLS-certified natural latex.
Consumer Reports ran rigorous tests on OMI’s (now-replaced) OrganicPedic Flora Nouveau Mattress and found that it has no downsides and performed very well across the board. It offers good support for all sleepers, with excellent support for petite sleepers and those who sleep on their back. It is highly durable, very stable (with little motion transfer), and had no discernible sagging, softening, or damage after a simulated 8 years of use. This mattress is also more breathable than many mattresses, which can help you sleep cooler and more comfortably, reducing perspiration and the potential for mold and mildew.
OMI purity guarantee
OMI proudly display their certifications online and also offer a purity guarantee, which is basically a comprehensive checklist of what to look for when buying a truly safe, natural, eco-friendly mattress.
Their list of certifications and clear commitment to quality is impressive and unparalleled in the mattress industry. OMI was the first company to achieve “Certified Organic” status for a complex textile (mattress) and was the first company to prove that its products could pass flammability regulations without fire barriers or suppressants. They were arguably the first company to use certified organic natural latex cores in its products.
OMI sanitizing method
OMI also developed their own method of sanitizing certified organic raw materials (their Ozone Sanitation process). This process uses:
specially designed, custom ozone cleaning chambers that reduce naturally occurring contaminants such as mold and mildew spores, yeasts, and bacteria that may have “hitchhiked” from the field or storage facility on raw materials. OMI is the only company in North America to sanitize its certified organic wool and certified organic cotton for purity.
Although individual products can’t be LEED certified, OMI’s Greenguard Gold certified mattresses qualify under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s LEEDs indoor air-quality program.
OMI sources wool from New Zealand
The GOTS certified organic wool used in OMI / Lifekind mattresses comes from New Zealand. The GOTS certification means that family and commercial farmers adhere to strict standards for wool production, including using organic pastures and grazing grounds, minimal processing and humane shearing practices (along with other requirements). Certified organic, New Zealand wool is limited in production and fiber must be sourced years in advance, which is one reason why OMI mattresses are a little costlier than those without GOTS certified wool.
OMI is our top pick for MCS
If you have multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) or simply want a high-quality mattress free from toxic chemicals and made with care from sustainably and humanely sourced materials, OMI are the top choice. OMI mattresses carry more certifications than Plush Beds, Savvy Rest, Soaring Heart, Naturepedic, and every other mattress on the market. They have been rigorously tested and found to be durable and high-performance, and their latex mattresses are comparable in price to most other eco-friendly latex mattresses with fewer certifications. OMI mattresses also have a serious degree of customizability.
OMI mattresses are customizable
The OMI zoned mattress design means you can rejig the layers and zones to accommodate life changes such as pregnancy, injury, and ageing, or simply switch the mattress around to accommodate another person. So, although they are more expensive than some other eco-friendly mattresses, they could easily see you through several decades of life (and more than one partner!), making them cost effective long-term. Most other mattresses, with the exception of Obasan’s and Soaring Heart’s Zoned Organic Latex Mattress (View Prices on Soaring Heart), are customizable only by layer, not by zones within layers.
OMI mattresses vs. the competition
Soaring Heart mattresses are a little less expensive than OMI and Obasan and the company has a revitalization program, where you can add back bounce to the wool and cotton layers in later years should you need it (thereby helping to avoid replacing the whole mattress). Soaring Heart are also heavily certified and highly transparent about the materials and processes they use, which is nice, and they’ve been around for just as long as OMI and have a great reputation.
In terms of performance, OMI mattresses have a good reputation for being comfortable and durable. However, Avocado’s Green Mattress (View Prices on Avocado) and Pillow Top did perform slightly better overall for comfort compared to the OMI OrganicPedic Flora Nouveau in Consumer Reports testing. Avocado carry fewer certifications, though, and are not manufactured under such strict conditions. Plus, all Avocado mattresses contain innersprings, whereas the OrganicPedic are all-latex models. The OrganicPedic is less firm than the Avocado mattresses, but slightly firmer than the innerspring mattresses from My Green Mattress.
OMI mattresses are not vegan
If you’d rather not have wool in your all-latex mattress, OMI is not the company for you. Naturepedic’s EOS Trilux (all-latex and vegan) or Plush Beds Natural Bliss (all-latex and vegan) are your best options as all OMI mattresses contain some amount of wool as a natural fire barrier. Rawganique also offer a vegan mattress (View Prices on Rawganique), but you’ll need a doctor’s prescription for this one as it doesn’t meet fire safety regulations without the wool component.
OMI vs. Savvy Rest
Savvy Rest and Plush Beds are very similar for latex mattresses, although Plush Beds are a little more affordable. Plush Beds offer an impressive combination of reputation, quality, affordability, customization, and eco-credentials, with Botanical Bliss (View Prices on Plush Beds) boasting the rare Eco-Institut certification, making it a top choice for a latex mattress after OMI’s collection. The Botanical Bliss starts at $1,099 and rises to $2,898, and the Natural Bliss (vegan) mattress starts at $999 and rises to $2,498. In comparison, Savvy Rest’s Serenity ranges in price from $1,999 for a Dunlop Twin to $4,799 for a Talalay Cali King. If you’re under 160 lbs and a solo sleeper, or are buying a mattress for a child, their Tranquility Mattress is one way to save money as it ranges from $1,699 to $3,999. Both companies also offer similar excellent customization, so you can choose firmness across three layers and for both sides of the bed.
Savvy Rest can, however, boast a robust charitable giving program and B Corp status (none of the other mattress companies have this currently). In terms of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and charitable giving, OMI are like Soaring Heart, Rawganique, and Obasan in that they don’t appear to have any charitable arm to their businesses. Naturepedic are members of 1% for the Planet, at least, although they don’t seem to do much else, while Swiss Dream Beds (a much smaller company) have a 10% charitable giving program. Plush Beds have an eco scholarship and donate to various charitable initiatives.
Savvy Rest are your best option if you’re looking for a particularly oddly shaped mattress, such as a circular mattress, for instance. But, Savvy Rest are rather miserly in terms of their return policy. Unlike most other companies, they just don’t do returns, claiming that to do so would necessitate them spraying their products with toxic chemicals. In contrast, Plush Beds offer a 100 night money back guarantee if you buy direct from the company (30 days if purchased through other retailers). You can only do this once, however.
OMI offer a 90-day sleep trial and a 20-year limited warranty on all mattresses, as do Obasan. However, Obasan also offer a much longer ‘layer exchange’ period; After their 30-night free trial (during which they recommend you don’t move any layers around), they ask that you contact them about any persistent discomfort and offer an exchange of layers within the first 180 days.
My Green Mattress has a 100-night sleep trial and if you don’t want to keep the mattress after your 100 nights, My Green Mattress will work with you to donate it to a local charity and then refund your money. My Green Mattress also offer a 25-year limited warranty (full 10 year, then prorated). Most Naturepedic mattresses come with a limited 20-year warranty including full repair and replacement within the first 10 years and a pro-rated warranty for the remaining ten. Naturepedic have a 90-day sleep trial and ‘comfort exchange’ program for most mattress models but be sure to check details for your particular model before buying and be aware that if you go through another retailer, that retailer’s policy applies instead.
OMI is a great nontoxic mattress option
Overall, OMI is your best bet for a non-toxic, eco-friendly, high-quality, latex mattress and is quite affordable. If you’re looking for a budget option, consider Savvy Rest’s Tranquility Mattress if you’re a smaller, solo sleeper or buying for a child, or go for My Green Mattress’s Hope mattress. You can also put your info into Obasan’s site and see how you fare with their algorithms. Depending on your needs, they may have a budget-friendly option that is highly customized. Plush Beds are an excellent mid-range choice for a fully latex mattress, with the Botanical Bliss offering the best quality and the Natural Bliss (View Prices on Plush Beds) offering one of the best options for vegans or those wanting a wool-free mattress without need for a prescription.
As always, check your mattress needs against the configurations available from all of these companies as your particular requirements (and potential requirements in years to come) may be better served by one than the others.
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