Avocado makes three fantastic crib mattresses. The Avocado Organic Crib Mattress is our top choice. Here’s our unbiased review, looking at its design, performance, certifications, and overall eco-friendliness.
Table of Contents
- Avocado Organic Crib Mattress
- Avocado Organic Crib Mattress: Out of the box
- Avocado Organic Crib Mattress design and durability
- What’s not in an Avocado Organic Crib Mattress
- Downsides to the Avocado Organic Crib Mattress
- Avocado Organic Crib Mattress vs. Naturepedic Crib Mattress
- Avocado Organic Crib Mattress
Avocado Organic Crib Mattress
Highlights: Handmade organic crib mattress made with wool, latex, cotton, and coconut coir. Highly certified, dual-sided, climate neutral, and sustainably shipped. Not waterproof, though, and quite heavy.
- Dual-sided design for infants and toddlers
- Handmade in LA
- MadeSafe™, Greenguard Gold, GOTS, GOLS, and FSC certified
- Made by a B Corp and 1% for the Planet member
- Climate Neutral and sustainably packaged (plastic-free)
- 30-night sleep trial and 25-year warranty!
- Less affordable than other organic mattresses at $439
- Not waterproof
- Not vegan
- Heavier than coil or PLA core mattresses
Avocado Organic Crib Mattress: Out of the box
We staff tested the Avocado Organic Crib Mattress at the Avocado store in La Jolla, CA. Our staff pops into the Avocado store twice a year to check on the latest product offerings.
Avocado ships its Organic Crib Mattress in sustainable, plastic-free packaging comprising upcycled paper and cardboard. The mattress also arrives uncompressed, so you can use it immediately. There’s no need to unroll the mattress and wait for it to expand.
And because Avocado doesn’t use any hazardous or synthetic chemicals, there’s no need to air out the mattress, with no smell or off-gassing.
All of the packaging is easily recyclable and Avocado ships everything carbon neutral. Indeed, Avocado is a Climate Neutral certified (actually net-negative) Benefit Corporation.
The mattresses are made in the company’s GOTS certified factory powered by renewable energy, where workers are treated fairly and get a living wage. All certifications are tracked using blockchain technology and Avocado uses wool and latex from its own certified sustainable farms.
Right now, Avocado ships a free copy of its original children’s book, Little Blue Planet, with every mattress, to help your budding environmentalist learn about eco-stewardship.
Avocado Organic Crib Mattress design and durability
Avocado’s signature Organic Crib Mattress is handmade in LA using GOTS wool (42%) and GOLS latex (58%) blended with organic coconut fiber. It has a GOTS cotton cover (without any waterproofing).
The infant side has a firm and breathable GOLS latex-infused organic coconut husk fiber pad for a firm, safe, supportive sleep surface. The toddler side has an extra layer of latex and cotton for added buoyancy and a slightly softer sleep surface.
This dual-sided crib mattresses carries robust certifications and has reinforced edge seams and four heavy duty handles. With care, it will easily last right through toddlerhood. Indeed, Avocado’s Organic Crib Mattress comes with a 25-year warranty! This means (if you waterproof it well) you can easily pass it on to another family once your kids are no longer toddlers.
What’s not in an Avocado Organic Crib Mattress
All of the Avocado crib mattresses are free of:
- Polyfoam and other synthetic foams
- Synthetic latex
- Chemical adhesives
- Vinyl and PVC
- PLU
- Chemical flame retardants
- Synthetic fire barriers.
Note, though, that these mattress all use wool as a natural flame barrier, which means they’re not vegan. And, because they’re made in the U.S., you can’t get Avocado to make them without the wool, even with a doctor’s note. If you’re looking for a vegan crib mattress, check out Naturepedic or Essentia.
Downsides to the Avocado Organic Crib Mattress
The Avocado Organic Crib Mattress is made with a lot of organic latex. This means it is a heavier crib mattress than the Naturepedic mattresses made with either the PLA core or innersprings.
The Avocado crib mattresses also lack any built-in waterproofing, unlike the Naturepedic mattresses that have a waterproof LDPE layer made from sugarcane. As such, you’ll want to add a crib mattress protector to safeguard your investment, especially as it could last 25 years with proper care!
Avocado’s organic cotton protector pad can help protect against some spills but is moisture-absorbing, not waterproof. Avocado also offers a GOTS certified organic waterproof crib mattress protector made with two layers of organic cotton surrounding a polyurethane layer.
Avocado Organic Crib Mattress vs. Naturepedic Crib Mattress
If I had to choose a crib mattress right now, it would be a hard choice between the Avocado Organic Crib Mattress and the Naturepedic Classic.
I think the latter would still win for me, simply because it’s a little more affordable and has the built-in eco-friendly and non-toxic waterproofing.
That said, I love the overall sustainability of Avocado and the inspiring 25-year warranty. The company consistently makes top quality products that look great, feel great, and are better for people and planet.
Undecided? Check out our other top choices for organic crib mattresses.
Avocado Organic Crib Mattress
Highlights: Handmade organic crib mattress made with wool, latex, cotton, and coconut coir. Highly certified, dual-sided, climate neutral and sustainable shipped. Not waterproof though, and quite heavy.
On April 28th, 2023, Avocado Mattress LLC was sued in the Superior Court of San Francisco “for fraud, deceit, and/or misrepresentation; violation of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act; false advertising; negligent representation; unfair, unlawful, and deceptive trade practices; unjust enrichment; and breach of contract” by Plaintiffs Richard Roberts and Akeem Pina. Plaintiffs accuse Avocado of deliberately selling products that are not as “natural”, “eco,” “organic”, “and/or “green” as advertised.
Thanks, Dave. We are aware of the lawsuit. Leigh shared her thoughts, here.