Many expensive mattress companies have recently launched with the promise of healthier, non-toxic materials. They claim to use ingredients like wool and organic cotton to reduce the toxic load.
But do regular mattresses actually contain toxic materials which harm human health? What are non-toxic alternative materials to look for? Are healthy mattresses more expensive? And what was our experience purchasing and trying a "non-toxic" mattress for six months?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the materials used in traditional mattresses like memory foam, to give our take on whether or not they're actually toxic.
We'll also highlight some non-toxic material alternatives to look out for, discuss the pricing difference, and share our honest experience purchasing and testing a "non-toxic" mattress for six months.
Key takeaways:
- Foam mattresses are toxic to children
- May be safe for adults but less so than natural materials
- We recommend certified organic latex mattresses
Are Traditional Mattresses Toxic?
The materials used in a popular memory foam mattress are shown below:
image source: https://www.mattressfirm.com/
Memory foam is made primarily from a type of plastic called polyurethane.
At high concentrations from factory settings, exposure to off-gassing from this type of foam is clinically shown to pose health risks.
However, the risks of exposure for adults in regular sleeping settings is less clear.
A medical review published in the Chemosphere journal measured toxic off-gassing in simulated consumer models for 32 days and reported that the toxins produced were within safe thresholds.
These mattresses may be harmful to children, who are more sensitive to environmental toxins.
A 2025 medical review measured exposure and concluded the following:
"Our study confirmed that mattresses are a source of SVOC exposure to young children in their sleeping environment, which is of concern given the time spent in this environment."
Our position is that while foam-based mattresses may be safe for adults, they're likely harmful to children and to the environment, and are more toxic to adults than mattresses made from natural materials.
What Materials to Look For Instead
We recommend choosing mattresses made from natural latex, wool, cotton.
GOTS Certification is a useful seal to look for when sourcing high-quality bedding material.
Its seal is shown below:
image source: https://global-standard.org/
This is the leading certification for organic textiles, and a clinical review found that GOTS-certified textiles were "free from harmful chemicals."
For latex (which is the base material in many non-toxic mattresses), the gold standard is GOLS.
Its seal is shown below:
image source: https://www.controlunion.com/
A mattress made with materials that has both certifications may be the gold standard.
We Tested a Non-Toxic Mattress
As the author of this article, I wanted to purchase and test a non-toxic mattress myself, to share my experience in terms of sleep quality and health effects.
I bought a mattress from SleepOnLatex (no commercial affiliation), and have now used it for six months:
It's only nine inches thick, which I was worried would be a problem, but it's perfectly comfortable and I haven't noticed any negative effects on my sleep quality compared to my previous mattress.
I've always lived in furnished apartments in the past, so this is the first mattress I've purchased, and I plan to keep it for many years.
I purchased an organic fitted sheet from Target, so this is the final result (complete with blue-light-free lighting to aid sleep at night):
I have mild allergies, and I've noticed that with this setup I get less eye and eyelid irritation than my previous mattress.
Overall, I highly recommend this setup, and knowing that it's healthier for me and will last a long time makes it even better.
