would you pay $6000 for an organic mattress?
While in NY this week for the Gift Show (will report details soon) I stopped by ABC Carpet & Home and found the department manager and her colleague lying down on the job, so to speak. When I joked with her about this, she claimed to be “testing the product.” I wanted to know why these organic mattresses were so special and costly, and here’s what she had to say:
The Omi Mattress is made from all-natural latex from Malaysian rubber trees (a healthy alternative to petroleum-based foam which has highly flammable off gassing). Plus they’re naturally hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, and dust mite-repellent. They also use organic lambs wool from free-roaming Californian sheep, which acts as a natural flame barrier with no carcinogenic flame retardants which are harmful to the body. The frames are made of Pacific Northwest sustainable wood. These may just be the healthiest mattresses on the planet and mighty comfy too!
So what do you think? Are you sold? — Holly D.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:10 am
$6,000 — if I had it to burn, I would. but realistically I need to find one for $1000!
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:31 am
I don’t think I could let myself pay that much. But you do sleep on it every night so it could be a justified purchase.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:32 am
I love the idea that I would choose a mattress based on how it performs in a fire. So the material itself might be highly allergenic, but at least if it catches fire I’m not polluting!
I found out about my latex allergy after sleeping on a latex mattress pad that cost $60 (hello, night in the emergency room). I can’t imagine how I would feel if I’d spent $6000.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:52 am
Ummm….no. If I had that much money, I would get my husband lasik and then go on a cruise!
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:57 am
Mmmm maybe. It is nice to think the choice is there, as we should be making greener choices. I wish I could make my own, like I made my own sofa today..
How is this for icy interior design inspiration:
We braved the heaps of London snow and headed to Hyde Park to build our first sofa made completely of snow… a snofa!
Check out the hilarious video we made and be impressed with our interiors and furnishing know how.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1578001948/bctid10009798001
Snowy love,
The mydeco team xxx
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:25 am
Nope.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:30 am
I bought one from essentiadirect.com at half the price and my son loves it.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:45 am
i wouldd buy one if it was full of organic one hundred dollar bills
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
So, only the very wealthy who have $6000 to spend on a mattress get something that’s healthy and sustainable? I don’t see how that helps anyone but the few. Not being subject to off-gassing while asleep should be the standard, not the very expensive exception. It’s pretty ridiculous, frankly. My entire house has been furnished for far less than $6000.
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Unless the Mattress Police were there to certify every part of it, I’d probably guess it is about the same as some of the “organic” foods. Sometimes yes, sometimes no and probably not worth it unless you can see the process.
February 4th, 2009 at 4:46 am
I’d sleep on bales of straw first.
February 4th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
I have an organic natural latex mattress (that we paid much less than $6000 for- there are less expensive options) and it is heaven. Incredibly comfortable and completely free of nasty chemical fire retardants found in conventional mattresses. We bought it while I was pregnant after reading that studies show that fire retardant chemicals from mattresses show up in breastmilk. Plus a latex mattress should last much longer than a conventional mattress, making up for some of the price difference. And did I mention how ridiculously comfortable the mattress is? I love my bed… just wish I could get more sleep in it now that I have a baby.
February 4th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Details, Rebecca! Any info on the maker? And congrats on the little one! : )
February 5th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Let me clairify a bit………….
The 6000.00 model was for a King Size set
The twin starts at 2000.00
Full & Queen somewhere between 2k &6K
February 6th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
My mattress is a Savvy Rest (we also looked at Green Sleep mattresses). It’s natural latex with a wool and cotton cover. All mattresses are federally required to be fire resistant, which for most mattresses means getting dosed with chemical flame retardants. As I understand it, the only mattresses that are naturally fire resistant are latex ones (the wool is the batting for the mattress cover, instead of cotton or synthetic batting which burn).
I love my mattress enough that we bought a Savvy Rest for the baby’s crib, and he’ll probably get another latex mattress when he moves up to a big bed.
All that said, these mattresses ARE expensive. Significantly more than a normal mattress. It was definitely an investment for us, but I’d say well worth it for the comfort and lack of chemicals.
February 6th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
My understanding was that it was the wool that made the mattress flame retardant in place of chemicals, not the latex.
February 9th, 2009 at 5:22 am
[...] 1. Mattress quality is worth paying for – though we have our limits. Rebecca: “I have an organic natural latex mattress (that we paid much less than $6000 for- there are less expensive options) and it is heaven. Incredibly comfortable and completely free of nasty chemical fire retardants found in conventional mattresses. We bought it while I was pregnant after reading that studies show that fire retardant chemicals from mattresses show up in breastmilk. Plus a latex mattress should last much longer than a conventional mattress, making up for some of the price difference. And did I mention how ridiculously comfortable the mattress is? I love my bed… just wish I could get more sleep in it now that I have a baby.
” See more on the mattress debate on our post Would You Pay $6000 For an Organic Mattress?. [...]
February 9th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Sounds like a great idea in theory, but as I have a mild latex allergy that runs in my family (genetic disposition and triggered by excessive exposure) I don’t think that I’ll be buying one anytime soon…or ever. I like eating tomatoes, bananas, passion fruit, etc. too much! (all things my family members can’t eat due to their latex allergy/exposure over the years)
June 18th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Check Naturally Organic Sleep out, you can spend $6,000 I am sure, but we have natural organic beds for $1000 – $2000 depending on the size bed. Cheaper still, buy a Latex or Organic Topper for under $1000 to cover your toxin filled bed, especially if you just bought it and like the comfort. This way you add a barrier that will also provide comfort!
December 31st, 2009 at 7:01 am
[...] to fix fruit fly problems, why more houses don’t have a laundry chute, and if anyone would pay $6,000 for an organic mattress. And then we all soothed ourselves with homemade ice cream [...]