"Green" mattresses?

Ta da! I have discovered that I have enough movement in my fingers now to type, although it's limited to my left hand and the index finger of my right, LOL. It's enough to save me from blogging withdrawal symptoms however :-)

Anyway, over the weekend we decided to finally replace our mattress, seeing as it getting on to 15 years old now, and getting decidedly lumpy and hard. So what to get?

I did a little research on "green" alternatives before we went out looking and discovered a few things. Firstly there are essentially three types of mattresses: a) the modern innerspring mattress, b) latex matresses and c) "futons" - mattresses made with fibre fillings.

A) Innerspring mattresses.
Modern mattresses are constructed from metal innersprings (which comprise about 70 to 80% of the bed) and polyurethane foam, covered with various synthetic fabrics (nylon, polyester) and padding. Obviously, foam and synthetic fabrics are derived from petrochemicals and the metal innersprings have a fairly high embodied energy, as it requires more energy to produce them than other materials. Not great assets from a peak oil perspective.

Health-wise, metal innersprings supposedly attract and radiate electromagnetic radiation which can affect your health. The jury is still out on that one as far as I'm concerned but it's something to be aware of if you worry about EMF. The main health issue (I feel) with modern mattresses is the foam padding and covers. The foam is generally treated with fire-retardants, anti-bacterial, anti-mould and dust-mite treatments, and stain- and water-repellents like Teflon. Many of these chemicals may off-gas VOCs (volatile organic compounds), including several that produce formaldehyde - not something I want to be inhaling for 8 hours a day! Some mattress manufacturers apparently now use flame-retardant fabrics on their covers instead, after health concerns were raised with traditional fire-retardant chemicals in the US recently. I've no idea what the situation is in Australia, I couldn't find any information?

In addition, any conventional wool or cotton used in the mattress required the use of pesticides and herbicides in its production - although you can of course opt for organic cotton or wool if it is available.

B) Latex Mattresses
Natural latex is produced from the sap of rubber trees. It is naturally fire-retardant, anti-bacterial and anti-mould, it repels dust-mites, and it lasts for many years (longer than conventional mattresses, around 20 years, which is a good thing both for your wallet and the planet!). Pretty fabulous stuff! Synthetic latex is also used however, and many "natural" latex mattresses are actually a blend of the two (or a blend of latex and clay particles, what the?) to make it cheaper to produce - pure natural latex can be a much more expensive option than an innerspring! Natural latex is the most highly recommended mattress material both if you want a "green" option and for it's longevity and comfort. As I discovered however, it is a very different feel to the traditional mattress! It's not as "bouncy" as an innerspring mattress, and it takes more effort to roll over - not a great thing if you toss and turn a lot! Conventionally manufactured latex mattresses are still covered with fabric (which may be chemically treated), and many have some foam content. There are many bedding manufacturers however, that are catering to the organic market, and are producing beds that have a natural latex core and are covered with organic wool, cotton or even hemp fabrics - the best of both worlds! (If you in the Sydney area, try The Natural Bedding Company). Finally though, one of the major drawbacks with latex (and one that isn't addressed by using organic fabric), is that there are a growing number of people who are allergic to latex.

C) Futons
Futons are essentially a fabric cover stuffed with materials such as wool, cotton, coir (coconut fibre) or a blend of them. Futons made from organically-grown materials are a great "green" option. However, their main drawback is that he filling can "matt" or felt and go hard over time, particularly if it gets wet (from sweaty little bods lying on it, LOL) and they need regular airing in the sun to prevent the build-up of dust-mites and bacteria (and a musty smell apparently, ewww), though you can prevent some of that by using a mattress protector.

So, mattress shopping time! What's the verdict?

I personally didn't like the futon option as I have a bad back, so lugging a queen size mattress around the house just isn't an option! Plus with three littlies, the chances of one of them having (ahem) an water-based accident in our bed is fairly high... The couple we tried also felt quite lumpy and not very supportive of my back.

Natural latex is raved about pretty much everywhere, LOL, so that was really my first option in the lying-on-beds trials. I have to say though, from my experience, it's something that you will either love or hate. And sadly, for me, I don't think like it :-( As I said, I have had a bad back for many years, and lying on a bad mattress for any longer than a couple of hours really causes me pain. And all of the latex beds I tried were really quite uncomfortable after a few minutes! I also mentioned above that if you toss and turn a lot like I do, a latex mattress won't give you the "spring" (der!) that an innerspring does, so it's a lot more effort to roll over. I suspect that would be a source of great annoyance for me after a few nights... I also sleep on my side, and I felt that there wasn't quite enough "give" in the hip to stop me from getting a sore back :-( So not a good score for the latex from me. Dammit!

That left me with just the innerspring mattresses to consider... and so the search is on for something at least *slightly* greener than average! Sadly though, there are no organic bedding retailers in my area (double damn!). Ideally, my mattress will at least have a) limited synthetic foam content and b) an organic fabric cover and padding, but outside the metropolitan areas, I'm finding that choice in those areas is *seriously* limited :-( I can order from Sydney and have it delivered, but that means a trip to Sydney to try out the beds first... and I'm not convinced that driving five people (we would have to take the whole family) on a 6 hour round-trip just to lie on some organic mattresses, is the most "green" option? (And add to that the stress of carting three kids around bedding stores and navigating around unfamiliar suburbs!). Having said that, we spend up to 8 hours a day lying on a mattress, and are obviously in close contact with any hazardous chemicals it may contain... Dilemma!

I still haven't resolved that issue, although we think we will end up buying from a retailer that has their beds made to order in Sydney, and they incorporate springs made in a factory on the Central Coast. That way at least the bulk of the bed is made semi-locally, and not being shipped across the country (although that's probably a minor detail in the scheme of things). In the meantime we have decided that it is sensible to work on those areas that are closest to our body, as a result we now both now have latex pillows. I already have a mattress protector (non-organic cotton) that is relatively new so I won't be replacing it just as yet, but as funds allow, I will be progressively replacing our sheets with organic cotton, followed by the mattress protector. As winter is coming up I am also considering an organic wool underlay as a barrier between us and the mattress? All these things are costly though, and not exactly frugal! *Sigh* Being green is hard sometimes!