You will spend nearly one-third of your life in bed, so it’s important to have a non-toxic mattress — as healthy, natural, and chemical-free as possible. For people that care about using eco-conscious products, this is a socially conscious choice. For those suffering from health and chemical sensitivities, it’s essential. At Avocado, we believe in honesty and transparency when it comes to our natural and organic certified mattress. Our latex, cotton, and wool have each received STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certifications, and our finished mattress is both GREENGUARD Gold certified for low emissions and MADE SAFE® certified — a rigorous scientific screening process that only allows the use of ingredients that are not known or suspected to harm human health, animals, aquatic life, or ecosystems.
Is your mattress making you sick? Many direct-to-consumer mattress brands are made with petroleum-based polyurethane foams. These are often paired with chemical adhesives and flame retardants, which can, together, emit chemical odors (known as “off-gassing”) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Over time, this can contribute to unhealthy indoor air quality and impact physical and mental health. At Avocado, we don't use polyurethane foam. Instead, we proudly use GOLS organic certified latex sustainably harvested from rubber trees and processed in our own organic facility. (Sources: Environmental Protection Agency; O EcoTextiles)
Memory foams are simply polyurethane foams with chemicals added to make them "slow to respond." Some manufacturers mix a small percentage of latex, soy, green tea, deodorizers, and fragrances with their memory foams to make them appear and smell more natural. (When in doubt, ask to see the law tag, which discloses materials within a mattress. Ours is clearly detailed on our product page.) We do not use any memory foams. (Sources: Mother Jones, Live Strong)
The EPA says Americans are often exposed to flame retardant chemicals in their daily lives. Many flame retardant chemicals can persist in the environment, and studies have shown that some may be hazardous to people and animals. Their use is linked to infertility, birth defects, lower IQ scores, behavioral problems in children, as well as liver, kidney, testicular, and breast cancers. We don’t use chemical flame retardants. Instead, our affordable non-toxic mattresses rely on GOTS organic certified wool, while our Vegan Mattress relies on natural hydrated silica. (Sources: The Washington Post; Environmental Protection Agency; Chicago Tribune)
Our non-toxic mattresses are needle-tufted by hand in order to anchor the layers of our mattresses together. No chemical adhesives (which are commonly associated with off-gassing) are used to bind the mattress together. This radically minimal approach significantly reduces your chemical exposure and promotes healthier indoor air quality.
We do not use synthetic or blended latex, which can contain a blend of natural latex and chemical fillers and/or polyurethane foams, to add durability and firmness. These tend to have an odor, break down faster, tear easier, and don't last as long as natural latex. They can also share some of the same health risks as polyurethane foam. In contrast, our non-toxic mattresses consist of GOLS organic certified latex, made from the sap of the Hevea Brasiliensis (rubber) tree. It's both recyclable and biodegradable, and it's also mold, mildew, and dust mite resistant.
Cotton is one of the world’s dirtiest crops. In fact, seven of the 15 pesticides commonly used on cotton in the U.S. are listed as “possible,” “likely,” “probable,” or “known” human carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is also extremely harmful to the environment. That's why we use 100% GOTS organic certified cotton. (Sources: National Wildlife)
Mattress brands do everything they can to suggest that their polyurethane foams and memory foams are environmentally friendly and natural. Adding green tea, soy, corn oil, or dyes to their foams doesn't change much. That's why the legal label is so revealing. By law, it details exactly what's used in the cushioning layers of your mattress, in strictly regulated language. We're proud of what our legal label says: Natural Latex, Wool Fiber, and Organic Cotton.
Our Avocado Green Mattress is MADE SAFE® Certified — a rigorous scientific screening process that only allows the use of ingredients that are not known or suspected to harm human health, animals, aquatic life, or ecosystems. It prohibits all use of harmful substances, such as flame retardants, everywhere in the mattress. Avocado is one of only three mattress brands in the world to meet this gold standard of safety.
Our organic certified latex, cotton, and wool have received STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®: Class 1 certification (19.0.79546, 19.HIN.68466 & 15.HIN.75800, Hohenstein HTTI). This is the most stringent product class in their hierarchy. It requires annual lab testing to ensure no harmful substances are present as a result of processing, to include banned substances, toxic chemicals, pesticides, and dyes — all of which can be absorbed by your body.
Every Avocado mattress and pillow is GREENGUARD Gold Certified by UL Environment. That means they’re scientifically proven to meet some of the world’s most rigorous third-party emissions standards for chemical exposure and pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, and phthalates. Few mattresses and pillows qualify for this gold standard.
"What’s good for you is also good for the planet. Since Avocado mattresses are made with natural and organic materials, they’re also eco-friendly (plus, they’re created on-demand in California). They’re largely recyclable and biodegradable — although that’s something you won’t have to think about for a while, since each one comes with a 25-year warranty." — Well + Good