Why we don't use latex and don't consider it all-natural
You may notice that a lot of popular latex mattresses have a GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) certification, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it is chemical-free. Even latex that has the GOLS certification can still contain harmful substances. The GOLS certification requires that 95% of the latex used is certified organic raw material. This means that 5% of these GOLS certified mattresses can contain chemical additives and other harmful substances.
What is Latex and How is it made
Latex is a liquid sap that comes from tapping rubber trees. Once the rubber tree is tapped into, the latex collects in a bowl at the bottom of the tree. When enough latex has been collected, it is mixed with a variety of chemical additives and made into a foam. The common additives are: foaming agents, gelling agents, curing agents. The purpose of these additives is to help change the state of latex from a liquid into a foam, a gel, and finally a solid.
Most natural and synthetic latex rubbers are created using a sulfur system. A sulfur system incorporates sulfur and other accelerators into the rubber compound to help it solidify during the curing process. Some of the more common accelerators are peroxide, zinc oxide, and stearic acid. Once these are incorporated into the latex, the latex is put in a mold and cured in an oven. Not all latex additives are required to be put on the label, so you may not know for sure which additives were used in the manufacturing process.
Although using latex in mattresses may be a safe-enough option, we can’t be sure HOW safe. To avoid that unknown, we refrain from having any chemicals in our mattresses so we can be certain that it is safe for our health and our environment.
Different Types of Latex
There are many different types of latex but we’ve listed the most common latex forms used to make mattresses below
Why cotton and wool are better for you, for the price, and for the environment
To us, “all-natural” means that every component came from nature and did not require any chemical additives or vulcanization before being incorporated in your final product and arriving at your door. We use cotton, wool, and plant fibers because they don’t require these unnatural additives and ultimately, provide even better sleep benefits than those unnatural products.
On top of being better for you, our beds are better for the environment. They are biodegradable, ethically-conscious, and sustainable. Instead of using chemicals to develop our mattresses, we use all-natural materials. Using all-natural materials instead of all-organic materials helps us to keep costs down for us and for our customers. We do this because we want customers to have access to an affordable and healthy alternative to foam and latex mattresses.
