Here’s my top pick for an eco-friendly, non-toxic mattress for kids, plus four runners up which are also strongly worth considering.
We recently made the switch from a toddler bed to a twin, which meant I needed to find a non-toxic, sustainable mattress for a safe, comfortable sleep. Like Goldilocks, it took three mattresses to find the one that was juuuuuust right.
Here are my top picks for the best non-toxic and genuinely eco-friendly kids’ mattresses. These are made with the following natural and more sustainable materials:
- Natural latex
- Organic wool
- Organic cotton
- PLA from sugarcane
- Recycled steel
- Recycled polyester (for stronger stitching)
Things I won’t tolerate in a mattress for my kid or myself include:
- Polyfoam (even CertiPur)
- Toxic flame retardant chemicals
- Virgin polyester covers
- Toxic stain repellents and waterproofing chemicals
- Toxic glues and adhesives.
The mattresses below are all far better for the planet and your kid (and everyone else in your home) than a cheap foam mattress that will degrade within a year or two. Even better, these mattresses end up costing you less in the long run because you can use them right through until your kid leaves home (though let’s not think about that yet!).
My top picks
Avocado Organic Eco Kids Mattress
Highlights: Incredibly comfortable (firm but buoyant!) non-toxic, eco-friendly mattress. Superb quality and feels very durable.
- Super sustainably made in the US by a B Corp
- Excellent natural materials with all the important certifications
- Feels firm enough for little (growing) bodies
- Enjoyably bouncy and suuuuper comfortable (even for adults)
- No off-gassing or odors
- Decompresses fast with no loss of length or width
- Excellent height for sheets and bed rails or trundles
- Smooth and soft surface with quality button tufting
- Less plastic wrap than most (though should be paper!)
- Bigger box than MGM and Naturepedic (hard, but not impossible, to move alone)
- Would prefer paper wrap instead of plastic
- No side handles (common to all twins, but still annoying!)
After trying out three of the best twin mattresses around, I’m convinced that Avocado’s Eco Organic Kids Mattress is the best. In fact, I was sold on this one right away as it just felt like a higher quality mattress right out of the box.
Unlike with the Naturepedic mattress, there was no strange odor with the Eco Organic mattress. And, compared to the My Green Mattress twin size, this feels firmer and bouncier and more durable.
My kid also noticed the difference and picked this as the best. Even better, this discerning three year old has been sleeping through the night since we switched to the Avocado mattress! Clearly that makes it a winner in my book. (I’ve also probably just jinxed this.)
My one gripe
The one big downside of the Avocado Eco mattress is that it came wrapped in plastic. I’ve asked the company why, given that Avocado has repeatedly said it’s switching out its plastic wrap for paper.
I’ll also note that after I unwrapped the outer layer of white plastic sheeting, the mattress immediately began to decompress. The interior vacuum bag was already compromised somehow. The mattress itself was fine and was clearly compressed in a vacuum, and there were no cut marks on the plastic, so I think the bag just hadn’t sealed fully at the factory. I guess that plastic wrap was a good thing, at least in this case.
As with all Avocado mattresses, the Eco Organic is made with high quality, ethically sourced, eco-friendly, non-toxic materials. These include:
- Natural latex
- Organic wool
- Organic cotton
- Recycled steel springs.
Avocado’s law label shows the breakdown here:
All in all, I love the Avocado Eco Organic Mattress for Kids. It’s well-made, MadeSafe certified, totally non-toxic, and built to last. I can see my kid having this mattress for years to come, which makes for a budget-friendly pick in the long-term.
My Green Mattress Pure Eco Organic Kids Mattress
Highlights: Impressively affordable, comfortable, and non-toxic mattress made sustainably in the US
- Incredibly affordable!
- Super comfortable
- Good edge support (I haven’t rolled off yet)
- Lightweight but supportive
- Entirely made of natural and non-toxic materials
- No off-gassing or initial odor of any kind
- Ships fast!
- Not too deep for bunk beds and trundles
- Made in the US
- Comes wrapped in a lot of plastic (please switch to paper wrap!)
- Doesn’t feel quite as robust as Avocado and Naturepedic choices (but still great!)
- No side handles (common for twin mattresses, but annoying nonetheless)
- Slightly shorter than expected, even after decompression and weeks of use
Just pipping Naturepedic for second place, the My Green Mattress Pure Eco Organic Kids Mattress is a fantastic option for anyone on a tighter budget. At less than $900 when I got it, this mattress offers impressive sustainability credentials at the same price as a greenwashed, toxic polyfoam mattress.
I also really like the feel of the Pure Eco Organic Kids mattress. It’s firm but not quite as buoyant and firm as the Avocado mattress. It also has slightly less edge support than the Naturepedic and Avocado mattresses, though the edge support is still excellent.
The My Green Mattress mattress is also a little lighter weight than the Avocado mattress and Naturepedic’s Verse. As such, it’s easier to move around, though I’d worry about it flopping about if not stored flat.
My biggest gripe
I appreciate My Green Mattress’s commitment to traditional, high quality manufacturing processes, which should mean this mattress holds up well over time.
However, I was initially worried about the button tufting as the rosettes felt a little less robust than I’d have liked. I also worried that sensitive sleepers might be able to feel the buttons even through sheets. I ran both concern by My Green Mattress and the company told me that it has been “making mattresses with buttons since 2007 and do not get complaints about them coming loose over time. The buttons are made of soft materials and since 2007 – we’ve received less than 10 complaints from sensitive sleepers about being able to feel them through their sheets.”
Even if you are the exception and can feel the buttons through your sheets, you can always use a mattress protector or pad, or even a wool puddle pad for extra cushioning and to keep your mattress in good shape for longer.
One other downside of this mattress is the sheer amount of plastic wrap it comes in. While Avocado also uses plastic wrap (Naturepedic doesn’t), My Green Mattress uses way more, and it’s thicker too. I’m currently repurposing most of it as a makeshift hothouse for tomatoes, but after that I’ll just have to schlepp it to the recycling depot, which is disappointing.
All in all, the My Green Matthews Pure Eco Organic Kids mattress is a great choice for a low profile, non-toxic, sustainably made mattress at a more affordable price. I’m really glad to have this one in reserve for later bunk bed action and for sleepovers. I’m less likely to use this one for larger adult guests though, or for older kids who weigh more. It just doesn’t feel quite supportive enough. For that, I’d consider the Kiwi Organic Mattress from My Green Mattress.
Naturepedic Verse Kids Mattress
Highlight: High quality, organic mattress that feels firm, supportive, and comfortable. Paper-wrapped too!
- Super soft and smooth surface
- Medium-firm support
- Great edge support
- Feels robust
- No button tufts – good for folks sensitive to the feel of those!
- More sustainable packaging – paper wrap (and interior vacuum plastic bag)
- Smaller box than MGM and Avocado
- Lingering smell (non-toxic but unpleasant for me – though my kid didn’t mind)
- No side handles (common for twin mattresses, but annoying nonetheless)
- Too deep for most bunk beds
I love Naturepedic as a company, thanks to its eco-credentials and my experiences with its other products (mattress protector, change pad, pillows, etc.). Unfortunately, I didn’t love the Verse mattress as much as I thought I would.
The main reason is simply the strange smell this mattress emits. I’m certain this isn’t off-gassing of toxic chemicals as this mattress has all the right, robust green certifications and is made with quality, non-toxic materials. Still, the funky farmyard smell is still there, weeks after unwrapping the mattress. I could even smell it on my kid’s hair in the morning, which was weird (my kid didn’t notice or didn’t mind the smell.
Other than the smell, which apparently doesn’t bother some people, this mattress is an excellent choice for kids large and small and also for adults on the lighter side. It offers impressive support with a medium-firm feel. It’s not quite as firm as the Avocado Eco Organic mattress but does feel slightly firmer than the MGM Eco Kids mattress. It also has good edge support and a really soft, smooth quilted surface (no button tufting).
Overall, the Naturepedic mattress feels a tad more robust than the MGM, but slightly less durable perhaps than the Avocado mattress. Without the button tufting, the layers of this mattress could start to separate with vigorous bouncing or lots of moving around. It’s also the only mattress of the three I tested that has synthetic components, in the form of PLA batting made from sugarcane. So, while not toxic, it’s not quite as green as the mattresses made with latex, wool, cotton, and steel only.
This mattress is deeper than the others on this list, so is a good bet for older, larger kids and some adults as it’s less likely to bottom out. However, I found that some of my twin sheets didn’t fit this deeper mattress. It’s also unlikely to suit a bunk bed or trundle bed that requires a lower profile mattress for safety.
One of my favorite things about the Naturepedic experience was the packaging. The box itself was surprisingly compact compared to the MGM and Avocado boxes. And once I opened it, I was happy to see that Naturepedic followed through on its promise to use paper wrap where possible.
The paper is very long and stuck down here and there with a little glue (non-toxic), so it does take a little pulling to undo. This was easy for me to do alone though, even with the ‘help’ of a toddler. I saved the paper wrap as it’s perfect for protecting walls for art projects, or for making our own wrapping paper for gifts. You can also just recycled it easily, if you don’t have space to store it or the inclination to reuse it.
The Naturepedic Verse is a good choice for a kid’s mattress, but not the one I’ll be keeping. In the end, the lingering smell soured my experience, and the height of the mattress means it’s going to a new home for an older kid not in a bunk bed.
Naturepedic 2-in-1 Kids Mattress
Highlights: Flippable mattress with one waterproof side and one quilted side. Great for kids young and old and adults too.
- Built-in waterproofing for easy clean-up at night
- Barrier also acts as a dust-mite protector
- MadeSafe certified
- Very affordable!
- Vegan
- 100-night trial
- 25-year warranty
- Lower profile option ideal for trundles and bunk beds
- Extra micro-coil layer on quilted side for comfort
- Paper wrap
- Weight limits: Twin – 325 lbs, Twin Trundle – 200 lbs,
- Does contain some synthetic materials
- Waterproof membrane could crack and isn’t removable
If you have concerns about bed-wetting and want the convenience of a built-in waterproof protector, the 2-in-1 is a top choice. It’s non-toxic and mostly made with natural materials, although there’s some PLA and LDPE from sugarcane, along with a little polyester.
This mattress is also flippable, which could mean a longer lifespan. The quilted side is great for older kids and adults alike.
My Green Mattress Kiwi Organic Mattress
Highlights: Very affordable and versatile – Great for kids, teens, and lighter to average weight adults, including some stomach-sleepers and back-sleepers.
- Made of firmer organic Dunlop latex
- MadeSafe certified
- Very supportive, with zoned lumbar support
- Great for adults and kids
- Button tufted for durability
- Organic wool and cotton
- Very affordable!
- 20-year warranty
- 365-night sleep trial
- Not vegan
- Too deep for some bunk beds or trundles
The Kiwi is a top choice for an older or heavier kid’s mattress, or if you intend to use the mattress for adult guests on occasion. This mattress offers medium-firm support with zoned coils for extra lower back support.
This mattress also has better edge support than most kids’ mattresses and great motion isolation, meaning you can more easily slip away once you’ve finally gotten your kid to sleep.