Published on Jan. 24, 2025
Prioritize your sleep and your overall health by investing in the best non-toxic mattress, tested by our shopping editors and sleep experts.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
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High quality, non-toxic materials, cooling properties and edge support make the Avocado Green mattress the cream of the crop. Every Avocado mattress is lab-tested for harmful levels of toxic substances so you can rest comfortably knowing that it’s completely free from formaldehyde, PFAS (known as forever chemicals), chemical fire retardants and off-gassing materials. And you will rest comfortably thanks to this mattress’s high quality construction.
Depending on the size you choose, each Avocado Green mattress has between 833 and 1,379 steel coils individually encased in fabric pockets. These coils are arranged in seven ergonomic zones to support your hips, back and shoulders. Moreover, a reinforced steel perimeter ensures that this mattress retains its structure without sinking or compressing.
According to our tester Nancy Snyder, sleeping on this mattress was like sleeping on a 5-star hotel bed. “It wasn’t just ‘comfortable for a box mattress,’ says Snyder in her full Avocado Green mattress review. “This might actually be one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever laid on. Our only regret? Getting this for the guest bedroom, as it was more comfortable than our main bedroom mattress!”
The only thing you may want to consider is the fact that this mattress does not reduce motion transfer as Snyder hoped it would. Though the brand claims that the coils reduce motion transfer, Snyder was able to feel her dog jumping up and moving around on the bed beside her. Snyder also points out that many other reviewers claimed they were able to feel every movement from their partner. “But while this is important for some, it may not be a deal breaker for others,” she adds.
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If you think a non-toxic mattress that is cooling, comfortable and affordable sounds too good to be true, we’re delighted to tell you that you’re wrong. And whether you’re a hot sleeper, side sleeper or suffer from chronic back pain, you’ll sleep like a baby on this budget-friendly DreamCloud Premier Hybrid mattress.
This non-toxic mattress is is CertiPUR-US certified, which means it’s made without harmful ingredients. That means no formaldehyde, carcinogens, mutagens, chemical flame retardants, metals or other toxins.
The DreamCloud mattress is made up of multiple layers of clean, supportive foam and individually wrapped innerspring coils. The foam and coil system coil system work together to reduce heat retention, disperse body heat and promote better airflow, reducing the risk of overheating.
Additionally, the cashmere blend cover is moisture-wicking and breathable, providing you with a cooler, more comfortable sleep sleep. This was a huge plus for our tester, Jill Schildhouse, whose hypothyroidism causes her to run hot. “Each night when I got into bed, I noticed how much cooler the sheets felt against my skin and absolutely loved the sensation,” she says in her full DreamCloud review. “And even though I still ended up feeling warm some nights, I no longer woke up overheated and drenched in sweat.”
In addition to keeping her cool at night, Schildhouse also appreciated how comfortable and supportive the DreamCloud was. Though, admittedly, she was skeptical at first. “The firmness is listed as a 6.5 on a scale from one to 10, placing this mattress in the ‘luxury firm’ category. For the first few days, we were acutely aware of how much firmer the DreamCloud felt than our previous mattress. But by week two, we were fully on board with how supportive it was,” she explains.
The only thing Schildhouse struggled with was finding sheets that were deep/wide enough for the mattress’s 16-inch-deep profile. But don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered there, too. Here are the best organic cotton sheets to put on your new non-toxic mattress.
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A combination of innersprings and GOLS-certified, natural latex make this Saatva mattress a true hybrid model that you’ll never want to leave. According to our tester, Lara Eucalano, this mattress didn’t need to be broken in at all. It was comfortable from day one. “The real test for this mattress was when I unexpectedly tested positive for COVID. It hit me harder than I expected, and I wound up spending almost a week in bed. Even with a fever and body aches, I was able to sleep for 12 hours a night,” writes Lara in her full Saatva latex hybrid mattress review. “I’ve never been more thankful to have a comfortable mattress to fall into. Based on that week alone, I’m a Saatva fan for life.”
Saatva says this model is a six out of 10 on the firmness scale. Lara agrees with that score and explains that the mattress is on the firmer side without being stiff. “You sink into the plush top layer, but not so far that it’s impossible to extract yourself from bed in the morning,” she writes.
In addition to being super comfy, this Saatva mattress is also as clean as they come. Like all of Saatva’s mattresses, this model is constructed entirely of eco-friendly and non-toxic materials that are free of toxic chemicals, emissions and pollutants. That includes the cooling, hypoallergenic, organic cotton cover. And better yet, this mattress is handmade to order right here in the U.S.A.
But before this mattress gets to your door via Saatva’s free white-glove delivery, it’s treated with a non-toxic botanical antimicrobial treatment which inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew. This treatment, combined with the mattress’s quality construction, ensures that this non-toxic mattress will stand the test of time.
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You can spend hours researching mattresses before biting the bullet and submitting your order. But what happens when the mattress of your dreams turns out to be the mattress of your nightmares? Well, you’re either out beaucoup bucks or you have to go through the hassle of returning a mattress. Not so with this Naturepedic mattress.
This non-toxic mattress is completely customizable. Not only can you and your partner select your ideal firmness, but you can swap out the inside layers at any time to ensure the perfect feel. If you find that you chose the wrong firmness level or, after years of use, it doesn’t quite feel as supportive as it used to, you can swap out a piece of the mattress instead of swapping out the whole thing. This gave our tester, Caitlyn Fitzpatrick, total peace of mind when she replaced her 10-year-old mattress with a Naturepedic.
“What makes this Naturepedic mattress so special is that you’re not married to whatever firmness level you choose, which tends to be a major concern when selecting the best mattress,” explains Caitlyn in her Naturepedic mattress review.
Because of its customizable design, this mattress doesn’t come in one piece. Caitlyn’s mattress arrived in four separate boxes. In other words, some assembly is required. And while the assembly wasn’t terribly difficult, per se, Caitlyn strongly recommends watching the brand’s instructional video first. “Before you even get started, I can’t stress enough how helpful this video from Naturepedic was. It goes through each step and gives helpful tips so you know exactly what to do,” she says.
Once she had everything assembled, it was time to hunker down and test it out. “It only took me a few nights to decide that I love this Naturepedic mattress,” she raves. “It turns out that cushion-firm is the perfect firmness for me. In fact, I regularly get knots in my left shoulder, which results in my left arm going numb and leaving me in a lot of pain. Since sleeping on the Naturepedic mattress, I’ve noticed those knots are less regular and less severe. I take it that my body likes it, and it’s more supported than it was before. And as an every-position sleeper, I’m happy whether I’m on my side, back or stomach.”
Her husband, on the other hand, wasn’t as pleased. While Caitlin loved the cushion-firm, he decided that it was too firm for his liking. They both appreciate the fact that they can simply swap out his side of the bed. “Imagine if we had to send back the entire mattress,” she says. “Not only would I be disappointed because I love my side of the bed, but it would be a bit of a headache.”
Speaking of headaches, you won’t be getting any as a result of chemicals and toxins lurking in your mattress. This Naturepedic mattress is certified non-toxic and organic by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). This model is also available with or without latex, making it ideal for people who suffer from latex allergies. A wool-free vegan option is also available.
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Attention hot sleepers, this one is for you. The Bear Pro Hybrid mattress is one of the best non-toxic mattresses thanks to its GreenGuard Gold-certification. In other words, this mattress is scientifically proven to meet some of the world’s most rigorous third-party standards for chemical exposures and pollutants.
You can sleep soundly knowing that there are no traces of VOCs, formaldehyde, phthalates or other nasty toxins. Plus, it uses CertiPUR-US certified foams and fiberglass-free fire protection. Not only that, but it is one of the more affordable mattresses on our list. And best of all? It will keep you nice and cool thanks to a premium hyper-soft cooling gel under the cover. And, if you happen to be a human furnace, you can upgrade to a cooling pillow top.
Before upgrading to the Bear mattress, our tester, Emily Way, frequently sweated through her pajamas, sheets and blankets. She was thrilled to find that the cooling gel layer and air-infused coils really do move heat out and away from her body at night. “Even on sweltering nights, I have yet to wake up drenched in sweat—a big win for me, especially for a budget mattress,” she writes in her Bear Pro Hybrid mattress review.
In addition to keeping her cool and dry at night, this Bear mattress alleviated Way’s back and hip pain. “I’m a side and stomach sleeper, while my husband is a back and side sleeper,” shares Way. “With our old mattress, both of us frequently woke up with back and hip pain. However, the Bear mattress surprised us. It’s supportive, thanks to the coils and firmness, yet also offers enough ‘give’ to cradle the body.”
Pair this non-toxic mattress with one of these best mattress toppers for an even more elevated sleep experience.
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Helix Sleep makes some of our all-time favorite mattresses. So when they rolled out the Birch Natural mattress line, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it. This non-toxic mattress is Greenguard Gold, GOTS, Eco-Institute and Fair Trade Certified. It is constructed in Phoenix, Arizona with plush layers of wool, cotton and latex for comfort and supportive coils underneath, making it a true hybrid model. We sent it to our tester, Richard Glenn, who slept on it for a month and found it well-built and supportive.
“The medium firmness is a great balance between support and comfort,” Richard says in his Birch mattress review. “It’s not a cure-all, but it’s good enough that I don’t even think about waking up achy. When I do sleep on my back, I don’t have any lower back pain because of the support from the mattress.” This can be attributed to the mattress’s individually wrapped coils, which provide reinforced support under your hips and cradle your body while helping to align your spine.
When you order a Birch Natural mattress, you can opt for in-home delivery, setup and haul away of your old mattress. Upon delivery, Richard was impressed to find that there was no off-gassing or chemical odors. However, it did take a full 48 hours to expand. “I slept on it before it was fully inflated, and it seemed squishy,” Richard says. “24 hours later, it came to its full firmness and felt much more supportive.” This is something to keep in mind if you’re having an old mattress hauled away.
Richard was also impressed by this mattress’s cooling features. Unlike his old Tempur-Pedic mattress which trapped heat, the Birch mattress remained consistently cool. “If you’ve been sleeping on memory foam and wake up sweaty, this mattress (made without memory foam) is worth trying,” he says.
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Shopping on Amazon can be a gamble, but you can rest assured that the Happsy organic mattress is one of the best Amazon purchases you’ll make this year. Every Happsy mattress is handmade in the United States. They are certified nontoxic and organic by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and verified by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), meaning every mattress is free of harmful allergenic materials and odors. They’re also free from chemicals such as glue, adhesives, and flame retardants.
Our tester, Cathy Harms, was instantly smitten with her Happsy mattress, hailing its cloud-like comfort in her Happsy mattress review. She was especially pleased by how quickly it expanded and the absence of any off-gassing smell. “As someone with a strong sensitivity to chemical odors and who prioritizes a healthy sleep environment, I was pleased to find that the Happsy mattress lived up to its promise of being free from harmful chemicals and odors,” she writes.
And as someone who tosses and turns all night long, she found that she was comfortable in most positions. However, she felt that the medium-firm mattress was too firm for side sleeping. “I needed more softness for my hips and shoulders, so I ordered the optional mattress topper. It gave the mattress two additional inches of soft plushness, with a supportive foundation underneath,” she explains. “My sleep quality greatly improved during the testing period, and there was virtually no adjustment period once I added the mattress topper.” And that’s not the only thing that improved.
Harms also noticed a significant improvement in her allergy symptoms after sleeping on the Happsy mattress. “The organic wool and latex naturally repel dust mites, mold and other allergens, making it a great option for people like me with dust mite allergies or asthma,” she raves.
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If you suffer from neck and shoulder pain, the Silk & Snow organic mattress can help. It’s constructed using a mix of soft and firm pocket spring coils that offer zoned support. A combination of soft coils on the outer thirds and firmer coils on the middle thirds provide the support needed to banish aches and pains for good.
According to our tester, Sabrina Tillman, this Silk & Snow mattress did indeed help her wake up pain-free. “I noticed a positive difference in my neck and shoulder pain after the first night of sleep,” she writes in her Silk & Snow mattress review. “After 30 days, I’m amazingly pain-free in my neck and shoulders when I wake up, despite spending hours a day hunched over a laptop. I also feel generally less creaky and achy when I get out of bed.”
And, of course, Tillman appreciated the fact that this mattress is made using chemical- and synthetic-free materials. It has received certifications from the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS), OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and Eco-Institut. In other words, you won’t be sharing a bed with heavy metals, VOCs, pesticides or other harmful chemicals.
Tillman’s only complaint was that this mattress didn’t fit her queen-sized bed frame corner to corner. “You get a peek-a-boo view of the wooden slats of the bed frame if you look closely, even though the mattress is queen-sized,” she explains. But in spite of this aesthetic oddity, as she calls it, Tillman appreciated how this mattress took no time to inflate and had no odors or off-gassing. She also liked the reinforced handles on both sides, which makes it easy peasy to rotate, flip and lift the mattress as needed.
When shopping for the best non-toxic mattress, Carlson advises looking for a mattress made of natural and organic materials like organic cotton, natural latex, and wool, which are free from harmful chemicals. He adds that certifications are also great indicators of a non-toxic mattress.
“Look for GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) for organic fabrics, GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) for organic latex, and CertiPUR-US for low-emission foams,” he explains. “GREENGUARD Gold certification ensures low chemical emissions, improving indoor air quality. Lastly, avoid mattresses with synthetic flame retardants, VOCs, or chemical dyes, and check for clear labeling of materials to confirm the mattress meets safety and sustainability standards.”
At Family Handyman, our team of editors and testers are always excited to try new products. We especially love testing products that improve the overall quality of our sleep, since a good night’s rest is fundamental to both your mental and physical health. In addition to doing our own research on the best non-toxic mattress brands on the market, we spoke to Marten Carlson, a Mattress Expert and a Certified Sleep Science Coach at Mattress Clarity, who shared his insights on how a non-toxic mattress is especially beneficial to your overall health and well-being.
After thorough research and careful consideration of the options we found, we sent a non-toxic mattress to each of our testers to assess how it enhanced the quality of their sleep. First and foremost, our testers focused on each mattress’s overall comfort and performance. They also considered how easy each mattress was to unpack, whether or not they noticed any odors and the overall value. Based on their findings, we are confident that these are the best non-toxic mattresses on the market.
We know that a new mattress is a big investment. Not just financially, but for your overall health as well. That’s why we considered materials, comfort level, price and real-life user experience to determine the best non-toxic mattress. We did our best to choose a non-toxic mattress for every type of sleeper, lifestyle and budget.
Our testers personally slept on every non-toxic mattress on this list to ensure they live up to their online descriptions and reviews. They took notes on the good and the bad so you can shop armed with the knowledge you need to buy the best mattress for a clean, restful night’s sleep.
According to Carlson, natural latex mattresses are one of the least toxic options. “They are made from the sap of rubber trees and avoid synthetic chemicals commonly found in foam or hybrid mattresses,” he explains. Additionally, he points out that mattresses certified by organizations like GOTS, GOLS, or OEKO-TEX also tend to have minimal chemical exposure and meet high safety standards.
To determine whether your mattress is non-toxic, look for Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS), EWG Verified or Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certifications. If you’re unsure, contact the manufacturer or check their website to see which certifications your mattress has.
“You can also check the materials list for organic or natural components like latex, cotton, or wool,” advises Carlson. “Try to avoid mattresses with strong chemical odors or vague descriptions of their materials.”
Yes, you are likely to pay more for a non-toxic mattress. Carlson explains this is because they use higher-quality materials like organic cotton, natural latex, or wool, which cost more to produce. They are also manufactured to meet stricter health and safety standards, which adds to the cost. However, he argues that the investment reflects better materials and construction, which can also increase durability.
