Can we talk about organic/chemical free mattresses? - Page 2

[LoganBsMom]

biogirl- you can order a piece or two of latex and then just a cotton case for it, no wool or fire retardents. I know there are several places online you can order from, the one I am trying is foamorder.com. I think I remember savvy rest had an organic mattress without wool also, but you do need a prescription from a doctor or chiro (just tell them you are allergic to wool, and find you are sensitve to chemicals in conventional mattresses, I don't think it should be a problem). And as an aside, what type of allergy do you have to wool? In most of the mattresses the wool is organic (so if your problem is in the chemicals used to process wool you might not have a problem), and covered in cotton. I noticed a lot of the websites I visited also offer to send you materials to try out to make sure you are not allergic.

From all the research I have done (way too much!!) any mattress you get without a prescription must contain some sort of fire retardant. In the case of most organic mattresses it is wool, which meets all current flamibility requirements without chemicals.

[greentara_mama]

savvy rest mattresses dont require a doctors note and they are chemical free- the wool layer is what allows them to pass the recent flammability requirements.

Organic futons are a great idea, but once you spend that amount of money, you may as well spend the extra few hundred dollars to get a real mattress which will outlast a futon by years and years.

be careful about cheap latex- it probably isnt natural.

[gabbyraja]

Just wanted to say that I have now ordered one natural latex pad from foamorder.com. They were great, the pad is great (has the holes through it for ventilation, etc, just like the other online store) and we're thouroughly enjoying it. We'll be buying more pieces soon to finish building the rest of the beds in the house.

[traceface]

http://www.daxstores.com/v-criblq.html

This seems like a good price, as does this:http://comfortfirst.com/p-33197-baby...aspx?kbid=3225

But the price on the 2nd one, especially, is so good that it makes me worried that there is something that I'm missing and it's not really as good/natural/the same as the other latex crib mattresses. I am just starting my research on this (but would like to order the mattress very soon!) and so I don't trust myself completely to assess the fine points.

[ccknox]

Got it and I love it!

We are a few weeks into sleeping on our new nontoxic mattress!! We bought a King Ecobabies/ PureRest 6" Latex core and added the organic cotton zipper cover thing and the wool mattress protector thing then made our own slat frame (it needs help or something). We are using old hand me down sheets from my grandmother!

I am loving it and super comfy at 6 mos pregnant I can lay on my side and even roll pretty far onto my tummy in complete comfort. I don't need a dozen pillows to get comfortable! I do however need a new pillow that supports my shoulders better as they get sore if I don't use 2-3 pillows around my head. I'm 5"4" and almost 140#'s right now. He is after putting a pillow under his bum he is sleeping all night in bed and not leaving to go sleep on the couch at 2 or 4 am!

My husband on the other hand who has been complaining of back pain for over 6 mos is still having back pain...I guess we need to add a topper for him...or more likely he just needs to go see a doctor/ chiropractor/ masseuse! He is 5'8" 160# and was wining about needing a firmer mattress and now wants a softer one

Wonder how the wool mattress protector holds up I know! My daughter has peed during the night because I was dumb enough to let her sleep w/out a diaper 2 times now...the first was fine the wool held it all...the second she drank over a cup of water as I was just too tired to fight any more on anything and the mattress cover got wet... Guess we need more wool, a lanolization or the cotton mattress pad thing if I'm going to let my potty training 2 year old sleep naked! FYI she slept naked and with a diaper lots of nights and didn't pee in the bed so I'm not all nutz!

[zmom]

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[Alison's Mom]

I'm looking at latex and other chemical free options too, for my two kids.

For those who have bought latex, what have you covered it with to protect it from pee leaks? The sales person at a store I phoned yesterday said you just need to blot it with a towel, then turn it upside down with a towel underneath it and all the liquid with just run onto the towel. Hmmmm. . .seems too easy?

Using a PUL cover would almost defeat the purpose of a chemical free bed, but while the latex itself is dust mite resistant, would a wool topper and/or a cotton cover also be resistant to dust mites?

Also, there is so much conflicting information about whether a natural latex mattress would cause problems for those with latex allergies. My DS is allergic to kiwi and I've heard that kiwi, banana, strawberries and latex contain a similar protein.

I've heard from different sources that 1)only synthetic latex causes allergies, 2)it's the corn starch from latex gloves people are allergic to 3) natural latex is washed before being formed into a mattress so tha proteins are gone, and 4) since the latex is covered and you aren't coming into contact with it, it's not a problem.

Can anyone shed light on any of this?

Thanks.

[ccknox]

Originally Posted by Alison's Mom

For those who have bought latex, what have you covered it with to protect it from pee leaks?

See my post a little above http://www.mothering.com/discussions...4&postcount=25 I talk about the pee issue. I have a wool protector thing and I would recommend an extra cotton pad on top of that...if you wanted you could to a pul pad under their hip area or do felted sewn together sweaters or something.

Originally Posted by Alison's Mom

blot it with a towel, then turn it upside down with a towel underneath it and all the liquid with just run onto the towel.

I could see this working...as there are holes all the way through all over...I can take a pic if you want...but I don't see how turning it over is going to be just easy peasy or if it sat all night I donno how that would work!

Originally Posted by Alison's Mom

latex itself is dust mite resistant, would a wool topper and/or a cotton cover also be resistant to dust mites?

I was thinking that latex is dust mite resistant as is for sure wool but not organic cotton.

Originally Posted by Alison's Mom

natural latex mattress would cause problems for those with latex allergies.

Most of the mattress places will send you a sample to see if it causes problems...or the recommend you get a pillow and sleep on that as when it's all covered and everything most people don't have issues...but it does have a bit of an odor. Then I suppose it would depend on what company you get the mattress from as there are lots of different ones that all use different chemicals.

Hope that helps a little.

[Alison's Mom]

Originally Posted by ccknox

See my post a little above http://www.mothering.com/discussions...4&postcount=25 I talk about the pee issue. I have a wool protector thing and I would recommend an extra cotton pad on top of that...if you wanted you could to a pul pad under their hip area or do felted sewn together sweaters or something.



I could see this working...as there are holes all the way through all over...I can take a pic if you want...but I don't see how turning it over is going to be just easy peasy or if it sat all night I donno how that would work!



I was thinking that latex is dust mite resistant as is for sure wool but not organic cotton.



Most of the mattress places will send you a sample to see if it causes problems...or the recommend you get a pillow and sleep on that as when it's all covered and everything most people don't have issues...but it does have a bit of an odor. Then I suppose it would depend on what company you get the mattress from as there are lots of different ones that all use different chemicals.

Hope that helps a little.

Thanks so much for all the info. Re the kiwi allergy concern, I'm not so worried that he is allergic to latex now, and that he'll react to the mattress, but more that he's susceptible and I'll be exacerbating it by exposing him to latex (although not direct contact) on a daily basis. I've read conflicting reports on whether indirect contact will bother people with allergies. . .

Hmmm, so it looks like the best option would be a latex mattress with an organic cotton cover, topped with untreated wool for water resistency, topped with an organic cotton absorbent layer incase of bedwetting, topped with an organic cotton dust mite cover? Organicgrace has these dust mite covers for around $200 for a twin. . . . I've seen other non organic cotton ones for around $90. Seems high maintenance, but it would be so good for my peace of mind!

[ccknox]

Originally Posted by Alison's Mom

Organicgrace has these dust mite covers for around $200 for a twin. . . . I've seen other non organic cotton ones for around $90. Seems high maintenance, but it would be so good for my peace of mind!

Organic Grace is awesome! They ship fast are amazing to answer questions. Have the best prices I could find on the highest quality products! And the mom is here on mothering!

Good luck whatever you decide to do!

[Alison's Mom]

Thanks! It's always good to know about the customer service.

[almadianna]

subbing.

[leomom]

Has anyone bought a white lotus bed? How do they compare to a typical pillow top mattress? I have no idea what to expect...

[Meems]

Originally Posted by Alison's Mom

Thanks so much for all the info. Re the kiwi allergy concern, I'm not so worried that he is allergic to latex now, and that he'll react to the mattress, but more that he's susceptible and I'll be exacerbating it by exposing him to latex (although not direct contact) on a daily basis. I've read conflicting reports on whether indirect contact will bother people with allergies. . .

Hmmm, so it looks like the best option would be a latex mattress with an organic cotton cover, topped with untreated wool for water resistency, topped with an organic cotton absorbent layer incase of bedwetting, topped with an organic cotton dust mite cover? Organicgrace has these dust mite covers for around $200 for a twin. . . . I've seen other non organic cotton ones for around $90. Seems high maintenance, but it would be so good for my peace of mind!

i think this is overkill. all i have on my natural latex mattress is a wool mattress protector. it is all we need w/ a babe that has several leaks a week. our bed has never gotten wet. the wool is bulletproof. i love it. :

[ccknox]

Originally Posted by leomom

Has anyone bought a white lotus bed? How do they compare to a typical pillow top mattress? I have no idea what to expect...

I believe there is some talk about the lotus bed's in other threads...do a search. You could send a PM or something to anyone that has one and they would most likely answer you. I've had great luck asking people additional questions on what they have posted about! Good luck...hope you find the info you are after.

Originally Posted by Meems

i think this is overkill. all i have on my natural latex mattress is a wool mattress protector. it is all we need w/ a babe that has several leaks a week. our bed has never gotten wet. the wool is bulletproof. i love it. :

We have a latex core mattress with a organic cover on it then the wool protector on top of that and my 2 year old has soaked though the wool and gotten at least the cover wet on 2 occasions.

Remember that a baby and a bigger kid has completely different bladder capacities. A baby may need a big diaper because it pees multiple times a night but a toddler will soak a diaper (and a bed) in one shot! I completely agree with a baby you would be fine with just the protector but for older diaper free kid's I would add something else...even if it's some towels under the wool.

[ema-adama]

Wow, great thread - this is exactly what I needed to find with DH and I looking into a mattress for our bed (family bed). We had been looking into latex, but I couldn't believe that there was something that is commercially available and not a health risk :

So, off to look into woollen cover options in Israel... and glad we have natural latex options right here