A recent study found phthalates, fire retardants, and other hormone-disrupting chemical contaminants in the air of children’s rooms. Another companion study figured out those same chemicals found in their room were likely coming from their mattress. This begs the question, why are these chemicals there, and what can you do about it to protect your family? Would switching to an organic mattress be a good decision? We think so, but let’s explore why. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you investigations like safest diapers tested for indication of PFAS “forever chemicals,” safest baby foods, best air purifiers to clean indoor air, & probiotics for children tested for indications of PFAS, now join us as we cover a study that found phthalate contaminating children likely coming from a conventional mattress. We will end this post with our recommendations for mattresses for adults and children.
Disclosure: This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing and research done on each investigation. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you! Copyright © 2025 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved
Table of Contents
Researchers Find Toxic Chemicals in Air of Young Children’s Bedrooms
In a companion study, researchers confirmed that children’s mattresses often contain these chemicals and were likely the major source of these chemicals in their sleeping environments. These chemicals are linked to neurological and reproductive problems, asthma, hormone disruption, and cancers, among other issues. The study authors and other experts have concluded that governments and mattress manufacturers must take action to get these chemicals out of kids’ mattresses to protect them, but for parents who cannot afford to swap mattresses to an organic mattress just yet, there are some things they recommended to do:
- Limiting playtime in their bedrooms so they spend less time there
- Washing bedsheets and pajamas often
- Buy neutral colors for the bedroom for bedding and towels because it’s the bright colors that are more likely to have toxic UV filters in the fabric
Mamavation would make an additional recommendation, and that would be to purchase a GOTS organic mattress for your child to replace the one they have right now. GOTS organic mattresses have strict standards that will protect your child from most of the contaminants found in the study. We will go into more detail in this post so that you can recognize how to purchase a real GOTS organic mattress and not get fooled by competitors. But first, let’s talk about what’s inside a conventional mattress.
What You’ll Find Inside Conventional Mattresses
Conventional mattresses are referred to as “100 lbs. of toxic chemicals” and that’s a great way to describe them. From petroleum-based polyurethane foam to dangerous adhesives and flame retardants, the conventional mattress industry creates a pretty toxic product. But the main reason to purchase a certified organic mattress is to protect your family from dangerous chemicals like the ones below:
- Formaldehyde–These chemical emissions are found in fabrics, adhesives, and foams. It off-gasses from the adhesives used and the petroleum-based polyurethane foam. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen.
- Flame Retardants–these chemicals off-gas for years after the mattress is sold and are harsh endocrine disruptors and possible carcinogens.
- VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)–Health effects range from headaches & dizziness to cancers and central nervous system problems. VOCs also bond to ozone in your home creating smog in the sunlight.
- Phthalates–These hormone-disrupting chemicals are found in many manufacturing inputs that are used to make mattresses for adults and children, such as glues, plastics, conveyer belts, certain fabrics, and coatings. Phthalates are linked to reproductive issues, cancers, and obesity, among many other health problems, such as heart disease.
Another reason to purchase an organic mattress is that polyurethane foam is incredibly flammable. Polyurethane foam is also referred to as “gasoline” by firefighters because it’s made of petroleum and catches fire very quickly. So if you have a conventional foam mattress, fires are more of a problem. This is the reason why they have to add chemical flame retardants to the mattress to protect you.
The video below will demonstrate what we mean by being more flammable. Here you’ll see a legacy room with materials containing cotton and wool with modern furniture made of polyurethane foam.
Organic Mattress Certifications & What They Mean
When you hear terms like “natural,” “organic,” and “sustainable,” remember these are unregulated terms. The mattress industry is like the Wild Wild West of marketing claims. Just because you hear the word “organic” doesn’t mean that you won’t find fire retardants, toxic adhesives, or polyurethane foam. Some brands may use polyurethane foam and toxic adhesives with organic cotton on top. So things can get confusing. But there are some certifications out there to look for that can make some of this easier. Note, these are not all the certifications you can find on a mattress, but they are the most important ones. I put these certifications in order of importance.
GOTS Certified (Global Organic Textile Standard)
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification is the golden standard of the organic mattress industry. They certify mattresses, but they also separately certify individual materials like cotton fabric made by a cotton fabric company. It mandates that the cotton or wool contents used are USDA certified. They also determine how products are processed and manufactured and what chemicals like chemical adhesives can be used during that process. And finally, they also determine what other types of materials can be used with the product that is not organic like steel coils & zippers. This certification restricts fire retardants, but not all of them.
But here’s the catch! When you see this symbol, make sure the company’s name is on the certification. We caught some companies passing off one of their supplier’s certification as their own. Not the same. That’s like turning in someone else’s work as your own.
It’s also possible some parts could be GOTS organic while the rest of the mattress are not. We found the following parts organic while other parts not: pillow-top, organic cotton cover, organic new Zealand wool, comfort layer, etc. the best organic mattresses will be entirely GOTS organic.
Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) Mattress and Components Latex
The Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) certification is a standard for certified organic latex and finished latex foam. The standard also determines what other types of processing and materials are prohibited. The product has to maintain a minimum of 95% certified organic raw material of the total weight.
MADE SAFE Certification
MADE SAFE certifies that products are not made with cancer-causing and hormone-disrupting chemicals. The standard from this organization is one of the strictest in the marketplace. Materials in mattress products have been scrutinized by scientists and experts to ensure they do not contain harmful ingredients, off-gas dangerous vapors, or create byproducts that could impact human health.
OCS 100 Organic Cotton Standard
The Organic Exchange Certification Program tracks the organic material from the source to finished product. This certification gives you more piece of mind that the product contains what it says it contains. They only certify organic cotton or wool components of the mattress, not the entire thing. They act as a tracking system. This certification isn’t as strong as a certification as GOTS. A product cannot contain both GOTS and OCS 100 Organic Cotton logo on the product to protect the consumers from confusion.
GreenGuard Gold Certification
GreenGuard was recently acquired by Underwriter Laboratories (UL) and has changed the parameters of their standard. They no longer carry the lowest emission “Select” category and have introduced a more watered down “Gold” category instead. Green Guard is an air quality environmental testing company. They are looking into off-gassing of specific contaminants. But today they are no longer considering flame retardants, PFAS chemicals, phthalates, and microbes. This standard does test for about 350 common VOCs. We just wish they went further to get some of the worst offenders. Green Guard will certify the entire mattress or any of the components instead.
OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Certification
The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Certification is a European certification that verifies textiles are free from certain harmful substances like allergenic dyes, bisphenols, heavy metals, & formaldehyde. They have recently added PFAS “forever chemicals” into their standard and ask brands to test for organic fluorine in order to avoid contamination from manufacturing.
CertiPUR-US® Certified Foam (Conventional Mattress Certification)
The CertiPUR-US® name and logo are registered trademarks of the Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Inc., a business league founded by polyurethane foam producers. They state that this certification was created by the foam industry “in close collaboration” with environmentalists, chemists, and research scientists, but any changes to the certification program can only be made with the consent of its board of directors. As of 2017, its tax filings indicate that every single member of its board is directly involved with the polyurethane foam industry. This makes it appear to be the industry creating a standard for itself.
This certification does NOT mean that the entire mattress (or even the foam) is chemical-free, safe, non-toxic, or free of carcinogens. And polyurethane foam can never be certified organic. In fact, this this study, they may have found a mattress with this certification to have chemicals that are prohibited inside. However, we cannot be certain because the researchers did not mention which mattresses they tested. While this certification does ban certain substances (like CFCs) and they do conduct some testing for VOCs, the other qualifications they require might not make much of a difference at all. For example, they say that their certified mattresses are free from heavy metals and formaldehyde. However, they also admit that heavy metals or formaldehyde are rarely found in polyurethane foam in the first place.
Mamavation’s Recommendations for “Breathable” Baby Crib Mattresses
Now we are going to start making recommendations of our favorite mattresses for you. We will start with baby crib mattresses and will also give you our favorite adult mattress companies.
To investigate baby crib mattresses, Mamavation analyzed close to 40+ crib mattresses for materials used, transparency, fire retardants, “waterproof” chemicals that may be made of PFAS, use of petroleum, legit certifications, and marketing materials. These breathable baby mattresses are very common today. Most are for standard-size cribs. Below you’ll find our rankings based on the best information that was available online which is what every consumer looking for a mattress is relying on.
We also pulled all the prices down from websites so you can price compare them. We did not test any of these mattresses for fire retardants, but we can assume that some brands use them inside fire barriers based on the flammable materials they are using inside the mattresses. In other words, some materials, when used, make the mattress very flammable, and you would need to use some type of fire retardant in order to keep it from becoming a fire hazard.
Not Our Favorite Baby Crib Mattress
These baby crib mattresses have one or many of the following issues: polyurethane foam is present which means it’s made of mostly petroleum, has Certipure certification which means they are using polyurethane foam, uses fire barriers that contain fire retardants, doesn’t have any waterproofing inside the mattress which means it could potentially be collecting mold, doesn’t have any 3rd party certifications at all, or uses nanotechnology. Some of these brands were tested by Clean & Healthy New York & The Ecology Center and were found to have toxic chemicals inside.
- BABELIO Premium Memory Foam Crib Mattresses (Price: $99)
- Bubble Bear Premium Foam Hypoallergenic Infant Crib Mattress (Price: $62.99)
- Colgate Eco Classica III 2-Stage Baby & Toddler Mattress with Organic Waterproof Cotton Cover (Price: $219.99)
- Colgate Natural Crib Mattress (Price: $374.99)
- Dourxi Crib & Toddler Mattress (Price: $159.99)
- Dream on Me Breathable Two-Sided Crib Mattress (Price: $29.99)
- Foundations Infapure Crib Mattress (Price: $69 to $159)
- Graco Premium Foam Crib Mattress (Price: $79)
- Ikea Pelleplut Crib Mattress (Price: $45)
- L.A. Baby 2 in 1 Memory Soy Foam Core Extra Firm with Jacquard Cover (Price: $120)
- Milliard Premium Memory Foam Hypoallergenic Infant Crib Mattress and Toddler Bed Mattress with Waterproof Cover (Price: $66.99)
- Modera Organic Cotton Dual-Sided Crib Mattress (Price: $119)
- Moonlight Little Dreamer Crib Mattress (Price: $199)
- Moonlight Slumber Little Dreamer Crib Mattress (Price: $199)
- My First Mattress Breathable Memory Foam Crib Mattress (Price: $89.99)
- Newton Baby Crib Mattress (Price: $250 to $350)
- Nook Breeze Breathable Crib Mattress Sleep Systems (Price: $419)
- Nook Organic Mini Crib Mattress (Price: $219)
- Royal-Pedic Crib Mattress (Price: $760)
- Safe Sleep Breathable Crib Mattress (Price: $299)
- Safety 1st Heavenly Dreams White Crib & Toddler Bed Mattress (Price: $61.49)
- Sealy Baby Firm Rest Antibacterial Waterproof Standard Toddler & Baby Crib Mattress (Price: $85.44)
- Sealy Nature Couture Cotton Bliss 2 Stage Crib Mattress (Price: $129.98)
- Serta Nightstar Eco Balance Ultra Innerspring Crib and Toddler Mattress (Price: $119.99)
- Simmons Beautyrest Crib Mattress (Price: $149.19)
- Wonder Dream Baby Crib Mattress (Price: $189.99)
Better Baby Crib Mattresses
These baby crib mattresses contain one or more of the following issues: Claims to be made with organic materials but doesn’t have GOTS certification for the entire mattress to prove it’s only organic, uses allergenic materials that should be avoided around infants, uses fibers and/or materials that are known to collect mold, or may use some chemicals to waterproof that are unknown and could potentially be PFAS. Some of these brands rely on GreenGuard Gold certification as their main certification, but sadly, this certification is not as stringent as one might think in terms of crib mattresses.
- Avocado Green Crib Mattress (Price: $1,249)(This brand also produces mattresses made from polyurethane foam in the same manufacturing plant.)
- Brentwood Home Eco Air Waterproof Baby Crib Mattress (Price: $299) (This brand also produces mattresses made from polyurethane foam.)
- Earthsake (Coyuchi) Crib Mattress (Price: $499- $675)
- Essentia – Natural Memory Foam Crib Mattress (Price: $649)
- Lullaby Earth Baby Breath Safe Breathable Crib Mattress (Price: $259-$318) (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off at checkout)
- Lullaby Earth Baby Breath Safe Breathable Mini Crib Mattress (Price: $199) (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off at checkout.)
- Lullaby Earth Baby Gentle Support Waterproof Crib Mattress (Price: $199) (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 15% off at checkout.)
- My Green Mattress Emily Crib Mattress (Price: $259) (GOTS certification under Quality Sleep Shoppe, a company that produces mattresses with polyurethane foam.) (Take 10% off products by using “mamavation” at checkout)
- Naturalmat Baby Crib Mattress (Price: $424)
- Organic Dream Crib Mattress (Price: $279 to $350)
- Saatva Crib Mattress (Price: $445-$524)
- Savvy Rest Organic Crib Mattresses (Price: $399)
Best Baby Crib Mattresses
These baby crib mattresses are few but have legitimate GOTS organic certification for the entire mattress, meaning there are no chemical surprises. These mattresses use appropriate waterproofing with food-grade plant-based polyethylene sheath which is the safest way to waterproof a mattress for infants, therefore no mold will be developing within the crib mattress. Contains no chemical fire retardants or other types of harsh chemicals and no polyurethane foam. Has GOTS organic certification for the entire mattress, and not just one part of it. Does not rely on GreenGuard as their only certification and does not use any sort of allergenic materials, like latex, inside the mattress.
- Naturepedic Breathable Organic Crib Mattress (Price: $349-379) Take 15% off your Naturepedic total purchase with code MAMAVATION15. While supplies last. Cannot be used with other promo codes. Cannot be applied to past purchases. Valid one time per customer. Other restrictions may apply.
- Naturepedic Ultra Breathable Organic Crib Mattress (Price: $399-450) Take 15% off your Naturepedic total purchase with code MAMAVATION15. While supplies last. Cannot be used with other promo codes. Cannot be applied to past purchases. Valid one time per customer. Other restrictions may apply.
- OMI OrganicPedic Organic Mattress (Price: $599)
Mamavation’s Recommendations for Adult Organic Mattresses
Mamavation looked at the most popular “organic,” non-toxic, & eco-friendly mattresses to organize them into simple categories based on all our research. For this investigation, we just looked at adult organic mattresses or any brand that was making natural claims. To be in the best category several things were considered: (1) a mattress would need to come from a factory that is GOTS certified, (2) if latex is in the product, the latex needs to be GOLS certified, (3) the entire product has to be GOTS certified, (4) all the mattresses they produce are GOTS certified (or at the very least do not have sister companies producing polyurethane foam mattress) and (5) they are not misleading the public. Bonus points for lifetime warranty, a lower carbon footprint, luxury, & durability. Most brands had all sizes from California King to Twin XL.
Not Our Favorite Adult Organic Mattresses
Organic claims are unclear and largely unverifiable. For example, one easy way to tell is to check to see who the certification is made out to. If it doesn’t have their name, then you know it’s not their certification but a supplier’s certification. Just because some materials were claimed to be bought from an organic supplier doesn’t mean the entire mattress is a certified organic mattress. You can very easily test this out on the GOTS website to search for brands that are certified. Another potential problem is the totality of the certifications. Just because a factory is GOTS certified, doesn’t mean that all the products that they produce are GOTS certified. Another thing we found in this category was companies only getting certified to produce mattress accessories, but not the mattress itself. In addition, companies that claim to be organic, but don’t have certification made our not favorite category. We have NO idea what claim is real or not. Without certification, we certainly can’t be certain about other problems like flame retardants, dangerous adhesives, or polyurethane foam. This is just the category where things were messy and not verifiable.
- Amerisleep
- Amore Beds
- Awara Organic
- Bear Mattress
- Bed & Wood
- Brooklyn Bedding
- Colgate
- Cozy Pure
- Custom Comfort Mattress
- EARTHSAKE
- EcoBaby Organics
- EcoChoices Natural Living Store
- EcoCloud
- Eco Terra
- FloBeds
- GOLD BOND
- Idle Sleep
- Joy Bed
- LA Baby
- Latex For Less
- Layla
- Leesa
- Loom & Leaf (By Saatva)
- Luma
- Moonlight Slumber (Moonlight Medical)
- Natural Home by The Futon Shop
- Naturalmat USA
- Nectar
- Organique
- Pure Rest Organics
- Saatva Latex Hybrid Mattress
- Sleeplily
- Soaring Heart
- Spencer’s Mattress (Churchill & Smith)
- Spindle
- Suite Sleep Inc.
- Sweet ZZZ
- The East Coast Organic Mattress Store Inc.
- Wool Bed Company
- Zenhaven (by Saatva)
Better Adult Organic Mattresses
These organic mattress companies are better. They have all their organic certifications in their names. But because the mattress industry is as nonsensical as it is, we started to look at ownership and what the factories were doing as well. This list has brands with factories that are affiliated with or also sell other non-organic products or produce other mattresses made from polyurethane foam. So in other words, they have one foot in the organic world and one foot in the conventional world making polyurethane foam.
- Avocado Green Mattress (Avocado is manufactured with Brentwood Homes which also produces mattresses made from polyurethane foam)(Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale, 10% off furniture, pillows, yoga and more, up to 50% off bedding, up to 50% off apparel. Free shipping on most items (except mattresses and furniture).
- Birch Mattress or Birch Natural Mattress (GOTS-certified under Brooklyn Bedding and Helix, which also produces mattresses made from polyurethane foam)
- Brentwood Home (Brentwood Home is manufactured with Avocado within the same factory where they produce polyurethane foam)
- My Green Mattress (GOTS certification under a conventional mattress company called Quality Sleep Shop which also sells mattresses made with polyurethane foam) (Take 10% off products by using “mamavation” at checkout. )
- White Lotus (Check out their GOTS organic futon mattresses! Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 20% off by using at checkout. This company also produces mattresses with a Certipur certification.)
Best Adult Organic Mattresses
- Happsy— (Use discount code “MAMAVATION10” for 10% off your total purchase. While supplies last. Cannot be used with other promo codes. Cannot be applied to past purchases. Valid one time per customer. Other restrictions may apply.)
- Lifekind
- Naturepedic— (Use discount code “MAMAVATION15” for 15% off your total purchase. While supplies last. Cannot be used with other promo codes. Cannot be applied to past purchases. Valid one time per customer. Other restrictions may apply.)
- Obasan— (Use discount code “MAMAVATIONBED” for two free complimentary pillows of your choice when you purchase an adult mattress. Make sure they are in your cart. )
- Organic Mattress Incorporated (OMI)
- Savvy Rest
Safest Non-Toxic Electric Kettles — Guide