Our unbiased review of the Obasan mattress, a non-toxic bedding company based in Canada.
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Obasan Organic Mattresses
Highlights: The most customizable organic latex mattress available. Made with organic materials in a carbon-neutral factory in Canada. Customize both sides and zones and then re-customize later if your sleep needs change!
Use code LEAFSCOREBED for 2 complimentary pillows with the purchase of any Obasan adult mattress.
At a glance:
- Pricing: $2,599 – $6,499+ (Queen from $4,299)
- Materials: Organic latex, organic cotton, organic wool
- Certifications: GOTS, GOLS
- Sleep Trial: 180-night sleep trial
- Firmness: Whatever you want!
- Depth: 10-inch or 13-inch
- Best for: Everyone!
- Totally customizable (on both sides)
- Re-customizable at a later date!
- Zoned for tailored comfort and support
- Free of any toxic chemicals and materials
- Organic and eco-friendly
- Made carbon-neutral in Ottawa, Canada
- 180-night sleep trial and 20-year warranty
- One-time free comfort exchange
- Very expensive compared to off-the-shelf mattresses
- No manual customization option (all through its automated system)
- No returns unless there’s a manufacturing defect or product is unopened
- Comfort exchange only applies after 180 days
Obasan has been around since 1985, and made its first organic mattress in the 90s, well before organic mattresses became more commonplace. These customized latex mattresses offer excellent value for money and Obasan makes things very simple by offering a handy design tool on its website.
To create a custom Obasan mattress, plug in some data about your sleep preferences, height, weight, and body type, and the Obasan algorithm churns out two recommendations tailored to your needs.
For sizes Queen and up, you can customize both sides of the mattress. This makes an Obasan mattress a great choice for couples with very different body shapes and preferences.
Obasan is a carbon neutral company & factory. Their mattresses are rolled and pressed at the factory in Canada, so they can be transported in smaller boxes to reduce the carbon footprint.
What’s in an Obasan mattress?
The Obasan children’s twin mattress is made for folks under 150 lb. For lighter adults who want an eco-friendly all-latex mattress without coils, the Obasan twin is a fantastic and affordable option!
An Obasan mattress comprises either 8 inches of latex or 10 inches of latex depending on the design (No.1 or the Deluxe).
Regardless of your sleep style, body type, height, or weight, the top layer defaults to soft, to provide comfort, pressure relief, and balance out the support layers.
All Obasan mattresses are encased in organic cotton Jersey fabric and have a quilted organic cotton and wool cover. There are no glues or adhesives, no VOCs, flame retardants, or synthetic poly-foams. Instead, you construct the mattress yourself at home from the three latex layers and encasement.
The organic wool comes from Corriedale Sheep in Argentina, where the farmers use traditional and humane hand-shearing methods. Obasan’s organic cotton comes from the Andes in Peru and is breathable, durable, and sustainable. The organic latex comes from a sustainable rubber tree plantation in Sri Lanka.
The Obasan Classic (No.1)
In the No.1 (Classic model), you get a classic wool topper with a mattress comprising:
- A 2-inch top layer of soft latex
- 4-inch customizable cores with head to toe zoning
- A 2-inch base layer of firm latex.
The Obasan Deluxe
The Deluxe comes with an Organic Topper made with an inch of soft latex and an inch of needle punched organic wool on both sides This makes for a 13-inch overall profile (with the mattress topper), thanks to a 10-inch mattress comprising:
- A 2-inch top layer of soft latex
- 4-inch customizable cores with head to toe zoning
- A 4-inch customizable base layer of medium or firm latex.
The zoned and layered system offered by Obasan means you can rejig the layers and zones to accommodate life changes such as pregnancy, injury, and ageing, or simply switch the mattress around to accommodate another person.
Although it is more expensive than some other eco-friendly mattresses, an Obasan mattress could easily see you through several decades of life (and multiple house guests and more than one partner!), making it cost effective long-term.
What’s it like to sleep on an Obasan mattress?
An Obasan mattress will probably be more comfortable than any mattress you’ve ever slept on, given that the whole idea is to create a mattress that perfectly meets your sleep needs. The caveat being, your Obasan mattress will only prove as good as the information you provide during the design process. This means being upfront about your height, weight, and body shape, and providing the same information for your sleep partner.
Thanks to the organic latex, wool, and cotton, this mattress is very breathable and won’t off-gas VOCs. It will also help with temperature regulation and is moisture-wicking, for a cooler, non-sweaty sleep.
With an all-latex design, an Obasan mattress doesn’t have as much edge support as a latex hybrid with innersprings and reinforced perimeter. Sleepers may also experience a bit more motion transfer compared to a hybrid mattress, though this will depend on the firmness choices for the latex layers.
What customers say about Obasan mattresses
It took some trial and error and at first I was nervous I wasn’t going to love it. Darlie John patiently helped me to adjust my layers and sent me replacements until the firmness was correct. Once we got it right though, it was heaven on earth! Both my husband and I have completely alleviated the back discomfort we bought it to fix, I sleep like an absolute rock and getting into bed is such a treat. One word of caution through, it’ll ruin you for good! You’ll never want to leave home because no bed compares. Thanks Obasan, it’s love!
Jenna N., 2022
Use code LEAFSCOREBED for 2 complimentary pillows with the purchase of any Obasan adult mattress.
Obasan vs. the competition
In terms of price point, Obasan, OMI, and the Soaring Heart Zoned Mattress are all pretty similar and are excellent choices if you’re looking for greater customizability. Naturepedic’s EOS Trilux is similarly priced but offers no zoned customization potential. The EOS Trilux is vegan-friendly, however, unlike Obasan, OMI, and Soaring Heart mattresses.
If wool isn’t a factor in your mattress choice, one advantage of Soaring Heart mattresses over OMI and Obasan is the company’s revitalization program, where you can add back bounce to the wool and cotton layers in later years should you need it (thereby helping to avoid replacing the whole mattress). Soaring Heart are also heavily certified and highly transparent about the materials and processes they use, which is nice, and they’ve been around for just as long as OMI and Naturepedic and have a great reputation.
See also: The best non-toxic mattresses
Our experience with the Obasan mattress design tool
I plugged in my details to the Obasan design customization tool and am happy to report that their top recommendation was one of their cheapest options. The second and third choices were both more expensive, which offers some reassurance that the algorithm isn’t out to gouge my pocketbook or yours.
Obasan’s crib mattresses and children’s mattresses are some of the most cost-effective, organic, eco-friendly mattresses around.
Downsides of the Obasan Mattress
As noted above, expect less edge support with this all-latex mattress, and a bit more bounce and motion transfer than with a pocket coil latex hybrid mattress.
The most obvious downside, of course, is the price. This mattress will cost you significantly more than an off-the-rack option. That said, for a custom organic mattress made in a carbon-neutral factory, the cost of an Obasan mattress is very reasonable!
Note, too, that Obasan doesn’t offer refunds, unless there is a manufacturing defect or the product is unopened. While unfortunate, this policy makes sense, given the tailored nature of the product. The company also only allows that one-time free comfort exchange after you’ve slept on the mattress for six months. Chances are, though, that they’ll help you out much sooner if you contact the company, given this is a family-owned ethical company that genuinely seems to care about its customers.
How is the Obasan Mattress packaged and shipped?
Obasan vacuum seals mattress components in plastic that can be recycled in most places. Because the mattress is put together (by you!) in situ, the packages are smaller and easier to move around than an entire mattress in a single vacuum sealed bag. Like many mattress companies, Obasan is working on developing a paper wrapping system for its mattresses.
The company processes all orders within 7 days and then gets to work making your new mattress to order. It doesn’t offer delivery timelines, but I asked a company representative and was told that, currently, “production lead time is about 1-2 weeks for adult style mattresses. For kid’s and baby mattresses, these are typically in stock, so these can be shipped ASAP typically.” When sold out, however, they can take about a week to ship.
Obasan offers free shipping on all orders over $400, except for its Foundations ($400 delivery in the U.S.).
Use code LEAFSCOREBED for 2 complimentary pillows with the purchase of any Obasan adult mattress.
Obasan Mattress FAQ
Each Obasan mattress comes with a 20-year limited warranty, with the first years non-prorated and the second 10 years prorated from day one. Obasan recommends not moving any layers inside the mattress during the first 30 nights of trial. After 30 nights, you can contact Obasan to discuss any persistent discomfort and can exchange layers within the first 180 days.
As for charitable giving and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), Obasan donates portions of its proceeds during certain promotions to various charities, including the David Suzuki foundation. It has also donated hundreds of masks to local nursing homes. Additionally, the company pays its employees a generous, livable wage.
OMI, Soaring Heart, and Rawganique don’t seem to have this kind of arm to their business endeavors, while Savvy Rest has a robust charitable giving program and B Corp status (none of the other mattress companies have this currently). Naturepedic is a member of 1% for the Planet, at least, although it doesn’t seem to do much else, while Swiss Dream Beds (a much smaller company) has a 10% charitable giving program.
Overall, OMI is your best bet for a non-toxic, eco-friendly, high-quality, latex mattress and is quite affordable. Obasan and Soaring Heart Zoned mattresses are comparable products in terms of customization and may be easier on your budget depending on your particular needs, so check them out too.
If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to Obasan, OMI, Soaring Heart or Naturepedic, but you still want to buy from a company with a good reputation, Savvy Rest and Plush Beds are very similar for latex mattresses.
See also: The best non-toxic mattresses
Obasan Organic Mattresses
Highlights: The most customizable organic latex mattress available. Made with organic materials in a carbon-neutral factory in Canada. Customize both sides and zones and then re-customize later if your sleep needs change!
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