The Top 3 Vegan Mattresses of 2021

I’ve had my current mattress for almost a decade, so it’s about time to consider getting a replacement. As a long-time vegan (15 years and counting!), I’ll obviously be looking for an eco-friendly vegan mattress. Ideally, that mattress won’t cost the earth, either in cash or chemicals. To make the best choice, I’ve dug into the research and come up with the top 3 vegan mattresses of 2021.

*Carbon Neutral Review*

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Overall Winner for Best Vegan Mattress: PlushBeds Natural Bliss

Leaf Score:

Made to order in the USA, 100% Vegan and free of harmful chemicals. PlushBeds hold GOTS and GOLS certifications, plus the rare GreenGuard Gold certification.

View on PlushBeds

PlushBeds are a well-regarded company offering a vegan mattress made to order in the USA and free of harmful chemicals. Their Natural Bliss Vegan Mattress is made with organic cotton and latex and has a wool-free and chemical flame retardant-free natural fire barrier made from hydrated silica and plant fibers.

The Natural Bliss mattress is made with two layers of latex. The top layer is the naturally softer Talalay while the base layer is the firmer Dunlop latex. You can choose between a 6”, 8”, and 10” mattress profile and varying levels of firmness.

PlushBeds vegan mattresses carry a whole raft of credible certifications including GOLS and GOTS for their latex and cotton, USDA Organic for their cotton, and Greenguard Gold and Oeko-Tex too. The company even has a carbon neutral website, an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, is a Green America Business, and a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. PlushBeds also have an eco-scholarship and donate to various charitable initiatives.

This mattress contains no:

• Phthalates
• Carcinogens
• Petroleum fillers
• Harsh chemicals
• Formaldehydes
• Heavy metals
• Chemical fire retardants
• Synthetic blends and fibers
• Pesticides
• Fungicides
• Glue

Cost and Warranties

The Natural Bliss (vegan) mattress ranges in price from $999-$2,498. All PlushBeds mattresses are shipped free and the company also offers free returns, a free 100-night sleep trial, free comfort exchange program and a 25-year warranty, so you can sleep comfortably. The 100-night money back guarantee is only available once and you have to buy direct from the company (it’s 30 days if purchased through other retailers).

PlushBeds Natural Bliss is one of the best mattress options for vegans and for anyone else who wants a wool-free mattress without requiring a doctor’s prescription. Still, if you like a slightly firmer mattress, I’d choose the Avocado Vegan Mattress. Or go for the Avocado Vegan Mattress and Pillow Top!

Avocado Vegan Mattress

Leaf Score:

A very high quality, sustainably made, 100% Vegan mattress. Button-tufted by hand to avoid the need for chemical adhesives.

View on Avocado

The Avocado Vegan Mattress is made from Eco-Institut certified 100 percent natural Dunlop latex, recycled steel coils, and GOTS-certified organic cotton. These mattresses are button-tufted by hand to avoid the need for chemical adhesives. Hydrated silica is used as a natural fire retardant.

Avocado’s eco-friendly ‘bed-in-a-box’ mattresses contain recycled steel coils wrapped in  GOTS-certified organic cotton and food-grade polypropylene fabric (non-woven and non-toxic).

Avocado’s founders set up the company after getting frustrated with greenwashing in the mattress industry. They are committed to making mattresses free from polyurethane, toxic fire retardants, pesticides and other hazardous chemicals. All mattresses are made to order by hand in California by workers paid at least a living wage.

Mattresses are shipped in recyclable packaging made from at least 60% recycled content. Avocado also have an impressive track record of supporting a range of social and environmental initiatives.

The Avocado Vegan Mattress is Greenguard Gold certified, uses GOLS and Eco Institut certified organic latex and GOTS certified organic cotton, and is Vegan Action certified. You can even see their certificates online, which is more transparency than you get with almost every other company claiming to be green.

Cost and Warranties

All standard sizes are available for the Avocado Green Vegan Mattress, ranging from $959-$1,699 for the mattress or $1,199-$2,199 for the Avocado Vegan Mattress plus Pillow Top. All of the mattresses are suitable for adjustable bed frames and have four side grips for easy handling.

Avocado offer a 100-night sleep trial with free shipping and returns. They ship their mattresses compressed in a box and offer an in-home delivery service for $199 anywhere in the USA, including Hawaii and Alaska. They can also remove and recycle your old mattress.

Avocado mattresses have a 25-year warranty, with full replacement value and free return pickup service for the first 10 years (pro-rated after that). Customer service seems to be above and beyond at Avocado, with many happy customers lauding their commitment to making sure you have a good experience and the perfect mattress.

Naturepedic EOS Trilux Vegan Mattress

Leaf Score:

An affordable, non-toxic, eco-friendly, and customizable vegan mattress.

View on Naturepedic

Note: this mattress is available by default with wool, however, Naturepedic, as a custom manufacturer, will make the EOS as a special order Vegan mattress. Be sure to specify at checkout and call to confirm.

The Naturepedic EOS® (Ergonomic Organic Sleep) Series includes the Trilux, which is an affordable, non-toxic, eco-friendly, and customizable vegan mattress. Made in the USA, this mattress features certified organic cotton in addition to three layers of GOLS latex. All of the materials used in Naturepedic mattresses are certified organic and the finished mattresses are GOTS certified and Greenguard Gold certified.

The EOS Trilux is available in all standard sizes as Extra Firm, Firm, Cushion Firm, and Plush. And, thanks to the multi-layered, zippered construction, you can customize the layers in your mattress, swap out layers, and even change the feel of your mattress years later (which makes it particularly eco-frienldy!). You can also choose different layers on each side of the bed for you and your sleep partner.

Naturepedic are part of 1% for the Planet and offer support to this non-profit organization and others. Their mattresses are made in Ohio by Amish craftsmen in a GOTS certified factory using fair labor practices. Unlike most mattress companies, where possible, Naturepedic’s certifications are written to the company themselves, not for outside suppliers.

Cost and Warranties

Naturepedic mattresses have a great reputation for being comfortable and durable, and they also offer excellent customer service and support. The Naturepedic EOS Trilux has a limited 20-year warranty, which includes full repair and replacement within the first 10 years and a pro-rated warranty for the remaining ten.

Because of the layering component, EOS® mattresses ship in multiple boxes and require some light assembly (they also offer a white-glove in-home assembly option). And, if you find that the comfort layer(s) aren’t working for you within 90 days, you can swap them out and only pay for shipping.

If you decide to return the product entirely, you also have to pay shipping. Naturepedic have an excellent reputation for providing great customer service and they genuinely seem to care that you’re happy with your purchase and get a good night’s sleep every night.

The Naturepedic EOS Trilux is available in all standard sizes, including Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King and Cal King, and these range in price from $2,400-$4,700. As you can see, this mattress is a lot more expensive than PlushBeds Natural Bliss Vegan Mattress and the Avocado Vegan Mattress, which start at $999 and $959 respectively.

What Not to Buy

I like to focus on the positives here at Leaf Score, so I don’t usually call out companies by name as ones to avoid. But, given the vast difference in eco-friendliness between the three fantastic vegan mattresses I list below and others that get a lot of attention, it seems warranted to offer a word or two of warning.

So, I’d urge caution before buying from companies such as Haven and Brentwood Home that market their vegan mattresses as eco-friendly but are anything but. The Crystal Cove Mattress by Brentwood Home is a coil mattress that features “activated charcoal infused memory foam”, and, while it takes a few minutes of digging, you’ll soon find that Haven’s vegan mattresses are made with ‘plant-based foam’.

Activated charcoal and plant-based foam sound good, though, right? Not so fast. Both of these mattresses are made with the same petroleum-based foam you’ll find in most mattresses. Brentwood Home just soup things up with something that sounds ‘detoxy’ and Haven use foam with a bit of added soy oil, so it qualify for the spurious ‘CertiPur’ certification. Both of these mattresses are perfect examples of the greenwashing that goes on in the mattress business, so don’t be fooled.

Final Thoughts on the Best Vegan Mattresses

Now I’ve got a good idea of where to buy a new vegan mattress, what should I do with my old mattress? Good question!

Happily, my current mattress is made with steel coils and organic cotton, so it’s still in excellent shape even after a decade. There’s no way I’m sending this perfectly fine mattress to the dump! Instead, this comfy mattress is heading to the guest room in my new house when I move later this month. And, when the time comes to get rid of it, I’ll look for a local company that recycles mattresses, which is far easier when your mattress isn’t riddled with toxic chemicals.