MEETING HIGHER STANDARDS
Any brand can hold one certification. The question is what it covers and what it misses. Every Avocado mattress is GOTS-certified organic at the finished-product level and holds six finished-product certifications: GOTS, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Class I, EWG Verified®, MADE SAFE®, GREENGUARD Gold, and UL Formaldehyde Free Validation. Each tests for different substances, through different methodologies, against different exposure pathways — so fewer gaps go unchecked.
No single standard catches everything. GOTS is the gold standard for organic, verifying that the finished product is certified organic from the farm through manufacturing. OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Class I tests more than 1,000 substances known to be detrimental to human health and certifies the finished product against the strictest human-ecological criteria in the program — the tier set for babies and toddlers — which requires every component to meet those limits. MADE SAFE® screens finished products against more than 15,000 harmful substances known or suspected to harm human health and ecosystems. EWG Verified® requires full ingredient disclosure and screening against health-based criteria. Mattresses are screened against more than 8,000 chemicals of concern. GREENGUARD Gold tests for more than 360 chemical emissions into the air of the room where you sleep. UL Formaldehyde Free Validation verifies under UL 2884 that our products do not emit formaldehyde or its precursors above defined limits.
Then there are the standards that verify how we operate: B Corp for social and environmental accountability, 1% for the Planet for verified environmental giving, and the Climate Label for independently tracked emissions reduction. Together they hold the entire business — not just the product — to a verified standard.
Each of our six finished-product certifications is independently verified and can be validated through the certifying organization. Apply the same test to any mattress brand you're comparing: ask what the certification covers, whether it applies to the finished mattress or only a component, and whether the claim can be independently verified. That is what separates a system of verification from a collection of badges.
What each certification covers
Every certification above is independently audited, annually renewed, and searchable in a public registry — see the verification links in each section. eco-INSTITUT and FSC apply to our latex at the material level and are covered separately below.
Six certifications matter, because no single certification verifies everything. GOTS verifies organic integrity. OEKO-TEX® tests against limits for harmful substances. MADE SAFE® evaluates ingredient hazards. EWG Verified® requires ingredient transparency and health-based screening. GREENGUARD Gold measures chemical emissions into indoor air. UL Formaldehyde Free Validation specifically addresses formaldehyde emissions. Together, these independent standards provide overlapping verification across areas no single certification covers alone.
ORGANIC
STANDARDS
GLOBAL ORGANIC
TEXTILE STANDARD
GOTS is our most important certification — and what truly separates us from "natural" brands. "Natural" is unregulated. "Organic" is not. GOTS requires restricted chemical inputs, full supply-chain traceability, and independent audits from farm through finished product, and is recognized by the USDA as a standard under which textiles may be sold as organic. Critically, GOTS certifies finished products — not individual components. Every Avocado mattress holds a GOTS finished-product license (CU863637). If it's not GOTS certified at the finished-product level, it's not organic.
GLOBAL ORGANIC
LATEX STANDARD
GOLS certifies that our latex contains 95% or more certified organic raw material by total weight (CU863637), with permissible limits for harmful substances, emissions requirements, and strict controls on polymer and filler content. It is a material-level certification — it verifies the latex, not the finished mattress. That is why GOLS should always be paired with a GOTS finished-product certification. One without the other leaves the finished product unverified.
USDA CERTIFIED BIOBASED
The USDA Certified Biobased Product label verifies that a product's content is derived from renewable biological sources — plant, animal, marine, or forestry feedstocks — displacing the need for petroleum-based chemicals. Our certified biobased products include our Grounding Dry Body Oil (100% biobased), Snoozy Bath Soak with Magnesium Flakes (99% biobased), and Supercharged Reishi Body Melt (100% biobased).
ECO
STANDARDS
CLIMATE LABEL CERTIFIED
The Climate Label requires annual measurement of Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions, science-aligned reduction planning, and independent verification. Avocado has been Climate Label certified for five consecutive years. Since 2021, we have reduced absolute emissions by 48% — independently verified, not self-reported. Our climate funding represents the verified cost premium of certified organic inputs over conventional equivalents: emissions avoided at the source, not offset after the fact.
ZERO WASTE
Avocado is certified by UL Solutions for an 88% landfill diversion rate, validated under the UL 2799 Environmental Claim Validation program. Diversion is driven primarily by recycling, organics recovery, reuse, and donations — tracked by material stream across both our Fullerton and Tecate facilities. Our target is 90% diversion (UL 2799 Silver) by the end of 2026.
RESPONSIBLE WOOL STANDARD
Our wool is certified to the Responsible Wool Standard — developed by Textile Exchange, certified by Control Union under certificate CU 1126022. RWS audits animal welfare and land management at the farm, requiring the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare, progressive grazing, and an outright ban on mulesing. A product cannot carry the claim unless it contains 100% RWS-certified wool. Ours does. RWS verifies welfare, not organic status. Our wool holds organic certification separately, under the Canada Organic Regime, certified by the Sustainable Agriculture Promotion Society across three Internal Control System units in Himachal Pradesh.
RESPONSIBLE DOWN STANDARD
Our down is certified to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) by Textile Exchange (CU863637), which verifies that down and feathers come from farms meeting rigorous animal welfare, traceability, and ethical sourcing requirements — including a strict ban on live plucking and force-feeding.
NON-TOXIC
STANDARDS
OEKO-TEX®
STANDARD 100,
PRODUCT CLASS I
OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Class I is the strictest tier in the program, set for products intended for babies and toddlers. Our mattresses, crib mattresses, pillows, and mattress toppers hold this certification (24.HUS.86422). Certification applies to the finished product — and to earn it, every component must meet strict limits for harmful substances including formaldehyde, phthalates, heavy metals, and pesticide residues.
EWG VERIFIED
EWG Verified® requires full ingredient transparency and finished-product screening against strict health-based criteria. Every ingredient must be publicly disclosed and evaluated against EWG's most rigorous safety standards. EWG Verified® products are prohibited from using harmful chemical flame retardants, fiberglass, PVCs, and PFAS "forever" chemicals. Avocado's full product listings are publicly accessible in the EWG database. Learn more about verifying nontoxic claims.
MADE SAFE
MADE SAFE is a human health and ecosystem-focused certification that applies to a wide variety of everyday products, including mattresses, pillows, and bedding. Every ingredient is evaluated for human and environmental harm, including toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation. When you see the MADE SAFE seal, you can trust that the product is made without the intentional use of more than 15,000 harmful substances and meets the highest standard for safety and transparency.
GREENGUARD GOLD
GREENGUARD Gold certifies finished products against strict limits for chemical emissions into indoor air — the strictest tier in the GREENGUARD program. Every Avocado mattress, topper, pillow, protector, foundation, and bed frame is certified and fully assembled in a controlled emissions chamber against limits UL Solutions recommends for children's rooms and other sensitive environments. Every certified product is listed in the UL Solutions SPOT database.
FORMALDEHYDE FREE
VALIDATION
Formaldehyde-based resins are widely used in adhesives and engineered wood. The National Toxicology Program classifies formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen, and it is a recognized respiratory irritant. UL Formaldehyde Free Validation independently verifies under UL 2884 that Avocado products do not emit formaldehyde or its precursors above defined limits — through an audit of safety data sheets, attestation from every component and chemical supplier, and emissions testing. Every validated product is listed in the UL Solutions SPOT database.
ECO-INSTITUT
The eco-INSTITUT label applies to our latex, not the finished mattress. It is a testing requirement within GOLS certification, confirming that our latex has been independently tested for hazardous emissions and pollutants, and that its polymer content is natural rubber rather than synthetic latex. For finished-product verification, we rely on our six independent finished-product certifications.
VEGAN
STANDARDS
VEGAN CERTIFIED
Our vegan mattress and select bedding products are certified by Vegan Action, independently verified to contain no animal products or byproducts. In place of wool, our vegan mattress uses a generous layer of GOTS-certified organic cotton batting as its natural flame barrier — meeting federal flammability standards without chemical flame retardants or animal-derived materials.
PETA APPROVED
Our vegan mattresses, pillows, and mattress protectors are PETA-approved vegan — independently certified as animal-free products made without wool or any animal-derived materials.
PARTNERSHIPS & ENDORSEMENTS
These valued organizations are an active part of our health, environmental, and social responsibility initiatives:
1% FOR THE PLANET PINNACLE AWARD WINNER
As members of 1% for the Planet, we direct 1% of mattress revenue to verified environmental nonprofits — certified giving, not a pledge. Since 2017, Avocado has directed more than $12 million to 60+ environmental partners, often exceeding 2% of annual revenue. That figure is measured against revenue, not profits — a fundamentally different and larger baseline than average U.S. corporate giving. Avocado is a Pinnacle Award winner, recognizing our commitment as among the highest in the membership.
CERTIFIED B CORP
Avocado has held B Corp certification since 2014, with a current Impact Score of 113.9 — "Best for the World" recognition, nearly double the 80-point certification threshold and well above the ~96 average for certified B Corps. B Corp certification verifies social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability across the entire business. Avocado begins recertification under B Lab's updated Standards V2.1 in 2026, which introduces minimum performance requirements and independent third-party auditing. We will publish the result upon completion.
ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATION
The mission of the Organic Trade Association is to promote and protect organic trade with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace. OTA's vision is to grow organic to achieve excellence in agriculture and commerce, protect the environment, and enhance community well-being. We are proud to be new members and serve on the Fiber Council.
GREEN AMERICA CERTIFIED
Green America awards its Business Certification to companies that meet rigorous standards for social and environmental responsibility — independently verified businesses committed to using commerce as a platform for positive change. Avocado is proud to be a certified member.
SUSTAINABLE FURNISHINGS COUNCIL
The Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) is a coalition of manufacturers, retailers, and designers dedicated to raising awareness and expanding the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices across the home furnishings industry. As a SFC member, we support the triple bottom line of PEOPLE - PLANET - PROFITS to develop an awareness of best practices throughout supply chains.
WE'RE STILL IN
STANDING AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE We believe in science. So we've joined nearly 3,000 mayors, county executives, governors, tribal leaders, college and university leaders, businesses, faith groups, and investors to show that we stand by the Paris Climate Agreement and are committed to meetings its urgent goals. Join us!
AMERICAN SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS NETWORK
ASBN is a national advocacy group made up of socially and environmentally responsible businesses committed to creating a fair, sustainable, and vibrant economy. Their working groups and task forces fight for progressive policy change that supports climate and clean energy initiatives, responsible workplace regulations, safer chemicals, and tax reform. Avocado is proud to be a member.
