While Birch Living uses eco-friendly materials, the company is a little inconsistent with its certifications and wholesale approach to sustainability. The company used to donate to the National Forests Foundation but doesn’t appear to have any active programs like this currently (need to confirm this with the brand). There’s also a ‘carbon offsets’ logo lurking on the site but no indication as to what this means.
The company’s certificates are also hit and miss, with some missing, one out of date, and contradictory information on which materials hold which certificate. Why list Birch Living, then, given these signs that point a little bit to greenwashing? Because we contacted the company and found it extremely responsive and helpful. Staff provided me with the missing certificates and information and it’s clear that the confusion is mostly due to a slightly outdated website and web copy. The eco credentials of Birch Living are robust and the mattresses seem to offer excellent value for money.
Some sustainability highlights at the brand level:
- Birch’s partnership with CleanHub is preventing 110,000 pounds of plastic waste from reaching landfills, open environments, or oceans through plastic recovery initiatives in coastal communities.
- For every mattress sold, Birch plants one tree through the National Forest Foundation. It is unclear if that program still continues as noted above.
- Returned mattresses are donated or responsibly recycled, and Birch mattresses are recyclable in many U.S. locations.
- Mattresses are made in the USA and Birch is vertically integrated.
One thing worth flagging: Birch is not a B Corp and does not appear to carry Climate Neutral certification — both of which competitors like Avocado hold. The sustainability story is strong at the product/materials level but thinner on corporate-level environmental commitments.
The main Birch product that we cover at LeafScore is the Birch Luxe Natural. The choice of materials and certifications for this product speaks to the sustainability of the brand, and Birch has updates its website to document its commitment to the environment. Mattresses are entirely free of polyurethane foams, fiberglass, formaldehyde, and pesticides.
The Birch Luxe Natural is a latex hybrid mattress made with Talalay latex. This makes it a softer mattress overall compared to the Dunlop latex Kiwi, Happsy, and Avocado Green. The Luxe Natural has a quilted Euro-Top made of GOTS certified organic cotton. On the bottom of the mattress there’s a layer of organic wool and the organic cotton cover.
As for the innerspring unit, this comprises more than 1000 individually wrapped pocket coils that move independently to offer inch by inch support. The Luxe Natural is also a zoned mattress, with extra support at the hips and shoulders and extra coils to reinforce all four sides.