The Most Important Green Certifications for Bedding

How can you tell if sheets, shams, duvets, and pillows are genuinely non-toxic, safe, and sustainable? Here are the most important green certifications for bedding, and a quick look at the certifications that don’t pass muster.

Not all ‘green’ bedding certifications are created equal. In fact, some are little more than greenwashing by the bedding industry.

There are now more than 100 certifications that cover bedding items, with more popping up every year it seems. Only a handful of certifications and standards cover both the final product and the entire manufacturing process.

We’ll cover the most meaningful green bedding certifications in more depth as part of our Leaf Score Guide to Non-Toxic Bedding. For now, though, we offer a quick overview of key certifications. I’ve divided these into the most meaningful certifications that I always look for when choosing new bedding, followed by second and third tier certifications that can help round out the sustainability and safety of bedding,

My approach when assessing the certifications of any bedding is to ensure those top level green and non-toxic certifications are present and then mix and match the other seals depending on the material and type of bedding.

The most meaningful green bedding certifications

When hunting for safe, sustainable bedding, I always look first for products with GOTS, GOLS, and MadeSafe™ certifications. These standards apply to the materials and processes that go into making the bedding and include social and environmental standards too.

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the best green certification for bedding, although it’s not without its problems.

GOTS is a robust voluntary global standard that covers the entire post-harvest processing for clothing and home textiles made with certified organic materials. It also encompasses both environmental and social criteria, which is rare for such certifications.

Note that there are two uses of the GOTS seal:

• GOTS Organic – where a minimum 95% of content is certified organic
• GOTS ‘made with organic’ – where a minimum 70% of content is certified organic.

Some key points about GOTS organic:

• GOTS relies on other organic certification bodies to certify raw materials to the point of harvest
• GOTS limits or prohibits the use of certain substances in the final product, even in the 5% of materials that aren’t certified organic
• Prohibited substances include chemical flame retardants, azo dyes, nanoparticles, and formaldehyde
• GOTS also certifies that the product was made with respect to workers’ rights
• The GOTS logo must be on the product itself, not just on packaging or marketing materials

You can check the validity of any GOTS certification at the GOTS website using the ID number on the product description or label.

Downsides of GOTS include serious questions over the legitimacy of some of the organization’s certification partners, especially for cotton grown in India. Our advice, look for organic cotton products made with cotton grown in the U.S. and certified by OTCO.

Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS)

The Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) applies only to bedding products made with natural rubber (latex). This usually means pillows, mattress toppers, and mattresses.

Like GOTS, GOLS certifies that any pillows or other bedding made with latex contain at least 95% organic latex. Again, there are restrictions on the composition of the other 5% of materials. This means no formaldehyde, and no SBR (synthetic latex).

The standard is administered by Control Union and, like GOTS, the GOLS program includes an element of ethical production. This means your new GOLS shredded latex pillow was made by workers paid a living wage and in fair and safe working conditions, or by a company with a minimum wage pay structure and a solid plan to transition to a living wage for all workers.

MadeSafe

MadeSafe is arguably the most robust non-toxic certification program currently in operation. This seal applies to bedding made without toxic substances known to harm the health of people or planet. MadeSafe is managed by an independent non-profit organization which maintains an extensive list of banned chemicals. If a product uses materials or chemicals on that list, it won’t get the certification.

MadeSafe also has an education and advocacy side, though, with programs in place to help companies find suitable alternatives to toxic chemicals and materials.

Unlike most other certification schemes, MadeSafe only allows its seal to be used by products that are made with materials and chemicals shown to be safe. That means MadeSafe certified bedding should be free from:

• Behavioral toxins
• Carcinogens
• Developmental toxins
• Endocrine disruptors
• Fire retardants
• Heavy metals
• Neurotoxins
• High-risk pesticides
• Reproductive toxins
• Toxic solvents
• Harmful VOCs.

A growing number of bedding companies carry MadeSafe certification: Coyuchi, Naturepedic, and Avocado, for example).

The main downside of MadeSafe certification is that it doesn’t actually involve the testing of any products. Instead, it relies on companies being fully transparent about their materials and processes.

In addition, MadeSafe doesn’t encompass social or environmental factors beyond the safety of materials and chemicals. For safe and sustainable bedding, then, look for MadeSafe certification alongside GOTS, Fair Trade, Climate Neutral Certified, Fair Rubber, and so forth.

Second tier certifications for green bedding

Some green bedding certifications are less comprehensive than the ones above but are still worth looking for when choosing safe and sustainable bedding products. Often, it’s best to pair these second tier green bedding certifications with each other or with the certifications above to increase the likelihood that a product truly is eco-friendly and non-toxic.

USDA Organic

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic certification once applied only to raw materials to the point of harvest. Now, though, bedding that carries a USDA Organic label must contain a minimum of 95% organic fibers, no non-organic fibers, and be made only with cleaning agents, dyes, and finishes approved under organic regulations.

Sound familiar?

If the new rules put you in mind of GOTS, you won’t be surprised to learn that when the USDA issued the change to regulations it highlighted GOTS as the only third-party organic certification system recognized by the NOP.

Products that are USDA Organic certified can also be marketed as 100% organic only if it comprises purely organic fiber content and is made with organic processing aids only.

The USDA Organics seal also includes various environmental requirements, including conservation of water and biodiversity. There are, however, no specific social ethics requirements or wider climate change and sustainability standards under USDA Organic. As such, look for bedding with GOTS certification or pair USDA Organic with other certifications.

Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO)

Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) is an independent non-profit organization that advocates for organic farming. It is approved by the USDA NOP to certify organic food and fibers and by GOTS to certify GOTS facilities.

As such, OTCO is not a certification in itself but rather the certifying body that enables brands to use USDA Organic or GOTS organic on specific products.

If you see the OTCO logo on bedding without reference to USDA Organic or GOTS, and without a certificate, be wary. A company may be trying to greenwash the product.

eco-INSTITUT

eco-INSTITUT is an independent organization in Germany that assesses the emissions and chemical composition of bedding. While rarely present for sheets, you may see the eco-INSTITUT logo on latex pillows and mattress protectors.

This is not an organic certification. Instead, eco-INSTITUT can certify bedding as containing no or low levels of:

• VOCs
• POPs (persistent organic pollutants)
• Heavy metals (such as lead, antimony, cobalt, copper, and mercury)
• Pesticides (such as Captafal, Perthan, Permethrin, Telodrin, and Toxaphen)
• Formaldehyde
• Phthalates.

eco-INSTITUT limits for emissions and chemicals are stricter than those in German, European Union, and U.S. legislation. Bedding with this seal must contain no non-natural rubber content, no added formaldehyde or acetaldehyde, and no regulated phthalates.

bluesign®

bluesign® is a Swiss certification program that applies mostly to synthetic or semi-synthetic bedding such as bamboo bed sheets and recycled polyester duvets.

The bluesign® system covers every step of the supply chain for bedding and every part of the bedding. It offers good assurance that no toxic chemicals are used at any stage of production and also includes elements of worker safety and environmental impact.

As with GOTS, you’ll see the bluesign®seal used in two ways:

• “Contains materials that meet the bluesign® criteria” – where some but not all meet the standard
• “Product meets the bluesign® criteria” – where the whole product satisfies the standard.

bluesign®, like other green certifications, isn’t foolproof and can be used to greenwash less sustainable products. After all, this certification rarely applies to natural bedding products made with organic fabrics and organic processes. If you’re keen on synthetic materials for bedding, though, it’s definitely worthwhile looking for bluesign® approved products and brands.

OEKO-Tex Standard 100

OEKO-Tex is a long-standing certification that, like bluesign®, most often applies to bedding comprising synthetic and semi-synthetic materials.

The OEKO-Tex certification standard 100 is less strict than bluesign® and GOTS but its testing is robust. The standard also encompasses fabrics and accessories, including zippers, buttons, and threads.

To be certified OEKO-Tex Standard 100, bedding must not contain harmful levels of:

• Azo dyes
• Formaldehyde
• Pesticides
• Heavy metals
• PVC.

The levels laid out for bedding are lower than for some other household products, given their contact with skin. For adult bedding, the formaldehyde limit is 75 ppm, for instance, rather than 350 ppm. For MadeSafe and GOTS, the limit is zero.

OEKO-Tex also differs from MadeSafe in that it only looks at a limited list of banned or restricted substances. MadeSafe approves products only if they are made with approved chemicals and materials.

There is no social or environmental component to Standard 100, although OEKO-Tex also now offers two seals that do encompass social and ecological impacts.

As with GOTS, you’ll want to verify that a product is actually certified by OEKO-Tex. Check the ID number on the logo attached to the sheet. If it doesn’t show up in the OEKO-Tex database, chances are it’s fraudulent.

Made in Green by OEKO-Tex

Made in Green by OEKO-Tex is for products “manufactured using environmentally friendly processes and under socially responsible working conditions”. To qualify, products need to be made in facilities certified by STeP by OEKO-TEX®.

STeP is the Sustainable Textile & Leather Production (STeP) modular certification system. This covers the entire textile and leather production chain, incorporating ecological and social standards. It’s not quite as robust as GOTS, but it’s getting there and is definitely one of the better certifications to consider if you’re choosing synthetic or semi-synthetic bedding.

In a nice touch, products with Made in Green OEKO-Tex certification have a QR code on the label, which you can scan to find out more about where and how the bedding was made.

All in all, Made in Green by OEKO-Tex is the minimum to look for if you’re keen on bamboo bedding.

kbA and kbT

European bedding products sometimes carry kbA or kbT certification. The former certifies that the product comprises organic cotton and the second translates roughly to ‘controlled organic livestock’. This means that the product uses materials from suppliers using organic farming methods ‘optimally adapted to the climatic and living conditions of the region’ and using ‘species-appropriate animal husbandry in harmony with nature’ (R).

kbT certification also means that no genetically modified foods or fattening aids are allowed in the rearing of animals, no forced reproduction of the animals is allowed, and practices such as tail docking or mulesing are prohibited. kbT virgin wool also has to be free from pesticides and insecticides, a practice that applies both to the animals and to the soil on which the animals graze.

Bedding products made in Europe and imported to the US may carry these certifications. EcoWool certification is the closest thing the US has to kbT certification, although it does not encompass an organic standard.

Cradle to Cradle (c2c)

Cradle to Cradle is a robust green certification program you’re most likely to see applied to latex pillows and other latex bedding items. The independent non-profit organization behind the certification (The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute) offers various certification levels for materials and final products.

To be c2c certified, a product has to be sustainable and eco-friendly and created by manufacturers who demonstrate continual improvement in environmentally friendly industry practices. Assessment criteria include:

• Water use and conservation
• Sustainable energy inputs for manufacture
• Social fairness – no child labor or exploitative working practices
• Safe and sustainable materials and chemical processes.

Climate Neutral Certified

Many brands make a big deal about planting a tree or two with every bedding purchase. The reality, though, is that a couple of trees makes very little difference to climate change. Very few brands actually calculate and compensate for the carbon emissions associated with company operations.

Climate Neutral Certified means that a company has worked with the non-profit to assess and offset all its emissions, including indirect emissions from manufacturing to shipping. Note that most brands do a self-assessment of emissions which is then checked by CNC. This is not a comprehensive third-party carbon audit.

Only a few hundred brands have so far achieved this certification. Avocado is among them and was foundational in helping to establish the certification as the first mattress and bedding company with the seal.

Forest Stewardship Council Certified

Since 1993, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo has been present on paper, card, and wood products made using materials from responsibly managed forests. The idea behind FSC certification is that it helps promote products that benefit the local economy and community and don’t harm the environment.

For bedding, the FSC logo most often applies to latex (from rubber trees) and to product labels and packaging. Companies with FSC certification must donate a percentage of income to local communities and support access to medical care and education.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international non-profit organization and has several levels of certification, including ones for recycled tree products.

Rainforest Alliance Certified

Rainforest Alliance certification is most often seen for latex in bedding and means that the latex was sourced sustainably.

This certification encompasses social, economic, and environmental factors. It is a good indicator that the rubber tree plantations did not cause deforestation or other damage to the environment or local communities.

Third tier bedding certifications

Some bedding certifications are less robust and meaningful but still worth looking for in the absence of better certifications already mentioned. Again, mixing and matching these less comprehensive certifications can help identify products that are more safe and sustainable than conventional bedding.

Fair Rubber

The Fair Rubber Association manages the Fair Rubber certification program for natural latex products that fulfil the criteria for Fair Trade status. This means that the rubber is sourced in such a way as to promote:

• Improvements in working and living conditions for rubber farmers
• Environmentally friendly rubber production that is chemical-free.

Fair Trade Certified

Fair Trade USA is separate from the larger Fair Trade standard but is very similar in scope. This certification demonstrates that a product was made with:

• No child labor
• No forced labor
• Fair wages
• Safe and ethical working conditions.

The certification also encompasses environmental standards and shows that a company is committed to giving back to the communities that produce their products. Homebird is one example of a fantastic bedding company with a supply-chain that is entirely Fair Trade certified.

B Corp

Benefit Corporations (B Corps) are brands that have undergone and continue to undergo third-party auditing and assessment across a wide range of social and environmental standards. The idea is that B Corps have a positive impact on local and global communities and benefit customers, workers, and the environment.

B Corps are also meant to demonstrate consistent improvement to maintain or increase their B Score. And these companies are also typically more transparent about their policies and procedures, including sustainability practices.

Greenguard Gold

Greenguard Gold is another emissions standard (like Eco-INSTITUT) and is very robust and well established. That said, it mostly applies to bedding products that contain synthetic materials that typically off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Greenguard Gold offers some reassurance that bedding products contain less formaldehyde and off-gas lower levels of VOCs. This certification doesn’t ensure that a product is entirely free of toxic chemicals, however, and has no social or animal welfare component.

EcoWool

EcoWool is not so much a certification as a program for sheep farmers in the U.S. This program helps to curate and market wool from small farms in the U.S. where farmers treat sheep more humanely and care for the environment.

The main product of the scheme is Premium Eco-Wool™, which comes exclusively from small, local, sustainable farms in the Pacific Northwest. EcoWool is not an organic certification but may actually exceed the requirements for USDA Organic certification in some cases.

To qualify as EcoWool farmers must use healthy and sustainable farming practices for people, land, and non-human animals. The wool may not be processed with carbonization or bleach, and no mulesing, pesticide dipping, or overgrazing is permitted.

Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is similar to the RDS in that it’s meant to offer assurance that animals, in this case sheep, haven’t been subject to cruelty in the production of wool textiles. The RWS incorporates elements of animal welfare, land management, and social requirements (such as worker safety).

The trouble is, the scope of the RWS doesn’t extend past the farm, so there’s no way of knowing if sheep were transported and slaughtered in a ‘humane’ way. And while RWS claims to carry out unannounced audits of farms, it appears to still give 48 hours’ notice of inspections.

In addition some of practices still allowed under RWS rules include tail docking, ear notching, castration, tattooing, and electroejaculation.

All in all, this is not a standard on which to base an ethical bedding purchase. Instead, look to vegan bedding or wool bedding with GOTS, EcoWool, or kbT certification.

Responsible Down Standard (RDS)

The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) dates back to 2014 as a partnership between The North Face, Textile Exchange (a global nonprofit dedicated to sustainability), and Control Union Certifications.

RDA is an independent, voluntary global standard and offers some assurance that the manufacture of down bedding involved minimal or no harm to geese and ducks. It also provides traceability in supply chains, so you know for sure where the down came from.

While laudable for addressing the ongoing problem of extreme cruelty in the down bedding industry, the RDS doesn’t offer any assurances about how the down itself was handled after sourcing. This means that down could be cleaned, sterilized and de-odorized using toxic chemicals including formaldehyde.

If you’re keen on down, look for both RDS and a non-toxic certification such as MadeSafe™ or Eco-Institut.

Downmark

The Downmark® certification program certifies products made with down and feathers from birds killed for meat. That is, the feathers and down are considered ‘by-products’ of the meat industry and, to some, less cruel as a result.

Downmark is run by the Down Association of Canada (a non-profit organization). It applies purely to the sourcing of feathers and down, with no requirements for the living or slaughter conditions of birds nor the processes used to clean, sanitize, or de-odorize the feathers and down.

Final thoughts on certifications for bedding

These days, there are tons of green bedding certifications. The trick is knowing which ones actually mean something and which ones are mostly just industry greenwashing. And even when you do have a grasp on which seals matter, you still have to check they’re being used properly by a bedding company.

It’s also worth noting that for smaller bedding companies, keeping up with the latest trends in eco-certifications can be challenging, if not impossible. That means that some safe and sustainable bedding brands struggle to gain a foothold in the market because of the cost and person-power needed to pursue certification.

If you find bedding you absolutely love from a smaller company without more robust certifications, ask for more information about processes and material sourcing. You may find that the brand ticks all the boxes and is highly transparent. It may even be in the process of applying for certification but not yet be legally able to use a green seal.

And if a company doesn’t respond or tries to greenwash its wares, don’t lose sleep over it. There are plenty of highly transparent and ethical bedding companies that will happily take your green dollars. See our favorites here:

• The best green brands for bed sheets
• Best safe and sustainable pillows
• Leaf Score picks for the best eco-friendly and non-toxic duvets.