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I am new to the list and am in the process of researching non-toxic beds. I have a lot of questions. I recently learned about how ubiquitous PBDEs are, and about their increased use in mattresses since the increased flammability regulations went into effect a few years ago. I've had a TempurPedic mattress for the past ten years and have loved it, but it is now kind of soft. I realize now that I've been sleeping on a heap of unhealthy chemicals for a long time. I want to purchase a King mattress that has as few potentially dangerous chemicals as possible. I've wondered about Strobel beds, as they have the option of having a doctor's prescription for a flame-retardant-free bed. I've also looked at the Essentia website, and it looks like they have a "natural" latex memory foam bed (I've read on this list some questions about how natural it is, though). Any thoughts about Essentia or Strobel? What latex mattress companies are trustworthy in their claims not to use dangerous flame-retardant (or other) chemicals? Is Savvy Rest genuinely clean and green? I know that many companies that make "green" mattresses claim that their use of wool allows them to meet inflammability requirements, but the Strobel website insists that wool is flammable, and that these companies must be using other hidden materials to pass the blow torch test. I am willing to make an investment in a mattress that will not damage my and my family's health and one that will be comfortable and durable for a long time. I am 5'7" and 125 pounds. I sleep a lot on my side, but also some on my back and stomach. I've had sporadic minor hip, lower back, and neck pain. Thanks for any advice! |
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jasmine wrote: budgy appreciate your expertise on this. in reading the text of 16 1633, there is no mention that organic mattresses are exempt from the fire laws. therefore, they must be using something to be in compliance. the only exemption under the law is for a purchaser to obtain a dr's prescription for a mattress free of fr's and toxic chemicals. if wool alone was enough to pass, that would be fantastic and i want to believe that..... |
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budgy, that still begs the question as to why the sellers of some of the cotton wool covers for latex slabs, for example, feel the need to add silica or other substances, and some don't. all other things being equal...the latex is the same type, thickness, etc. yet some of the sellers admit that their covers have fire retardant additives and some sellers say they don't. but for what appears to be a very similar product, if one had to add fr to be 1633 compliant, why not the other? this is where i am stumped. This message was modified Jul 23, 2010 by jasmine
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| there is only one company I have seen/heard of that is using some silica content inside their wool. this may or may not be for compliance...it could be poor quality wool...it could be that they do not use enough wool to meet the requirement and it was a lot cheaper to add a small amount of silica rather than increase the amount of wool. |
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We just got the OrganicPedic Lago and are pretty happy so far (week 2). I believe that OMI uses some silica in its organic wool as a flame retardant. I've heard that OMI has an online shop that is cheaper and comes with a 90-day comfort guarantee that lets you swap out layers if you're not comfy. I wish we'd gone that route as we would like a little more softness on the top of our mattress, but we're investigating a topper. When I can remember what their online shop is called... (dang brain) I will post it...
(Googled and still can't remember... I think I learned about it on this forum, so perhaps someone else can remember...) Good luck! JB Edited to add: The silica doesn't bother us--it's a natural substance. But we mostly bought the mattress b/c it was made in the USA of materials made in the USA, rather than b/c of allergy/toxin concerns. This message was modified Jul 24, 2010 by topperquest
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JB,
Are you sure that the "Lago" model contains silica? This site: www.greencradle.com/organic-mattress-furniture-los-angeles-p/omi-organic-lago-mattress.htm, if you scroll down the page, states that there is NO silica in this mattress. Philip This message was modified Jul 24, 2010 by Philip
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| I had posted the link to their website about 1/2 way through this thread. Here it is again: |
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Philip wrote: Are you sure that the "Lago" model contains silica? This site: www.greencradle.com/organic-mattress-furniture-los-angeles-p/omi-organic-lago-mattress.htm, if you scroll down the page, states that there is NO silica in this mattress. Finally, I just remembered the online source I was trying to remember: http://www.lifekind.com/ I've heard that these are OMI mattresses that are cheaper, come in layers, and have a 90-day comfort guarantee--they let you swap out layers. Again, kinda wish I went that route, but oh well. I wanted to be able to try the mattress in a store. |
| One website I saw had Savvy Rest as their top choice for an organic mattress. The website says they use no chemicals, organic cotton, wool etc. I think they are pretty expensive though. |
| SavvyRest--at our dealer--was the most affordable of the natural mattresses. They told us that SavvyRest ships it in layers and they assemble it in the store and then deliver it to your house. |
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Thanks to all for your helpful responses. I went to The Natural Sleep Store in Denver the other day and was introduced to their own latex mattresses with organic cotton and wool. Their new line is Bella Sera, and it sounds equivalent to Savvy Rest--96% pure latex in three or four layers, covered with organic wool in an organic cotton casing with a zipper. It is cheaper than Savvy Rest. I guess the downside is that it is new and therefore doesn't have a track record. Here's a link: http://bellaseraorganicmattress.com/ I also tried the GreenSleep mattress at the store, and it was extremely comfortable. I like the idea of the dowel-on-polymer foundation. It is a very expensive mattress, though, and I don't know if it is worth the extra cost. Apparently it has silk as well as wool and cotton in the layers over the latex, and this helps with temperature regulation. On the GreenSleep web site it says that the company uses its own latex process--does that mean it is neither Talalay nor Dunlop? I am still unsure about the whole Talalay vs. Dunlop question. Thanks again! |