Turn your bedroom into a hotel-like sanctuary with an eco mattress!
For someone who used to sleep on a box spring + mattress combo for two years (more on that later), I’ve recently become obsessed with creating the perfect bed. It started when I bought my current bed frame in January; then in February, I had a revelation during my trip to Stockholm. The bed at my hotel was so heavenly and nothing like I’d ever slept on before, even other hotels. First of all, it was as though the mattress and “bed frame” were the same thing, and it was topped by a mattress topper that miraculously didn’t budge. Lying on it was like floating on clouds. I was like, “What is going on?!”
Some rewind: from fall 2015 to Jan 2018, I restrained myself from buying a bed frame because in NYC one is always moving apartments. It is such an ordeal dealing with a bed frame, mattress, and box spring each time. And every time I passed by an abandoned bed on the sidewalk (almost every day), I said I won’t buy a bed frame in order to save the planet. Especially since I wasn’t going to live in my current abode “much longer.”
But I changed my mind eventually because it dawned on me that I can trust myself to move and handle my possessions with due respect. You don’t have to be fearful of settling/not settling and live your best life now! So I ordered a sustainable bed frame and made it up with eco-friendly tencel sheets, both from West Elm.
West Elm Midcentury Bed is made from FSC certified sustainable wood and made under fair-trade conditions. The sheets are Tencel (eucalyptus fiber) and the throw cushions are also fair-trade, from abc Carpet & Home.
Strangely, with the bed frame I was *more* acutely aware of how my mattress isn’t the best. So now I’m on the lookout for the right eco mattress to complete my dream bed. These picks are not cheap, but that is the point: these beds are meant to last decades so that they don’t end up in landfill after several years.
Bed Factory Sweden
- Bed Factory Sweden: This was the brand at Miss Clara Hotel in Stockholm! This brand dating back over 100 years makes all its beds by hand using natural materials. The wood they source is also “carefully sourced,” but unfortunately I couldn’t get further information on their eco-friendly practices. However, Sweden is one of the most environmentally-friendly countries in the world in general, so my guess is that their ethical record is in accordance with their national standards. Before we go further, let’s discuss the Swedish bed model. In America, a bed is composed of a bed frame, box spring, mattress, and an optional mattress topper (rare). In Sweden, a bed is *one thing* made of a bottom mattress with legs, a top mattress, and a mattress topper. This still confuses me, but in terms of comfort, you can’t deny that this system *works*.
Duxiana
- Duxiana: Also from Sweden, the DUX® Bed is as luxurious as what dukes and duchesses would sleep on. The brand promises that it will be the last bed you’ll ever own, as its components of mattress pad, top mattress and base mattress are all separately replaceable. In terms of eco-credentials, it’s the recipient of the Oeko-Tex 100 Certificate for textile raw materials and production that meets human and ecological requirements. The bed base is made using pine harvested from northern Sweden. Also note that a DUX bed promises ventilation to keep pleasant body temp and combat bacteria and mold: allergy sufferers (like myself!) can rest easy that this is a cleaner choice.
Coco-Mat
- Coco-Mat: This Greek company is one of the leaders in eco-friendly mattresses and beds. If you’re more of a fan of an American style bed frame look, Coco-Mat gives you an option of going for a platform bed + mattress + topper. OR you can go Swedish and do base mattress + mattress + topper. Coco-Mat mattresses and bed frames are made using natural materials like seaweed, eucalyptus, linen, lavender, and the company’s trademark ingredient, coconut fiber. The factory in Greece has a virtually neutral carbon footprint and recycling rate of 96%; all beds are made by hand by experienced artisans. Also, when I asked the store associate about its down, he assured me that the ducks are never harmed and that they basically pick up the cast-off down from Scandinavian fields where they graze. Granted the brand is so gung-ho about sustainability, I would say that this probably isn’t an exaggeration.
- Healthy Choice Organic Mattress: If you’re the fan of the American bed, characterized by its bed frame and the height, then this is the company for you. You’ll be able to buy one, ultra deep 12-14″ mattress and forego the box spring, but you’ll keep the bed frame! Based in Connecticut, Healthy Choice makes its mattresses in the U.S. using natural latex–and it’s the only brand on this list that *definitely* commits to using organic cotton and organic, premium eco-wool. Their wool is sourced from small sheep farmers on the West Coast of the U.S. on the Premium Eco-Wool program, which ensures that they use sustainable farming practices for the land and the animals. The company also notes that its Talalay latex is breathable and dust-mite, mold spore and allergen-resistant.
Saatva
- Saatva: This luxury eco mattress brand also hand produces its mattresses in the U.S. It uses organic cotton outer cover, inner springs made of recycled steel. Its eco-friendly foam is created primarily with natural plant-based renewable oils that produces lower carbon emissions during the manufacturing process. You can think of Saatva as one giant ultra-deep mattress, as well.
Keetsa
- Keetsa: This brand gets a gold star for thinking hard and long about the sustainability issue, from sourcing to production to delivery. Keetsa mattresses boast CertiPUR-US certification, and Keetsa uses BioFoam that replaces a part of petroleum with castor oil. They also use raw and unfinished cotton and hemp, and are packaged in boxes that are reduced in size by 65%. The brand also espouses the single, deep mattress sans box spring model, stating that the box spring is another form of waste to the environment… So true when you see mattress *and* box spring abandoned on the sidewalk, as I do!
So after doing all this research, what am I leaning towards? Since I already have a mattress and am seeking to reduce waste, I will probably just buy a topper from one of the Swedish brands or Coco-Mat to add softness. Is it going to feel like sleeping in a luxury hotel? Maybe! But I already know it will feel like sleeping in home, sweet home. ;D
What’s your dream sleep set-up? Are hunting for the perfect eco mattress?
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Photo: Peaceful Dumpling, respective brands
