You can’t get any purer than an OMI mattress, which is why they’re my top pick for both crib mattresses and adult mattresses. The only downside to OMI crib mattresses is that they’re so pure they’re… not waterproof. Still, this is easily remedied with a polyethylene cover and/or a combination of their organic wool puddle pads and cotton covers.
OMI Organic Innerspring Crib Mattress
Highlights: Features a super-firm 280-coil innerspring assembly covered with GOTS-certified organic cotton. Offers comfortable, solid support, and will last for years. Company provides some of the purest and most honest third-party-certified organic products in the industry.
OMI Organic Innerspring Crib Mattress at a glance:
| Country of Origin: | USA |
| Materials: | Steel innersprings, GOTS-certified organic cotton and wool, GOLS-certified natural latex, GOTS-certified wool and cotton |
| Certifications: | Raw-Materials Certifications Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS)-Certified Organic Latex National Organic Program (NOP)-Certified Organic Cotton Fill Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-Certified Organic Ticking Oeko-Tex Human-Safe – Certified Latex GOTS-Certified Organic Thread, Flannel, and Canvas GOTS-Certified Organic Barrier-Cover Fabric GOTS-Certified Organic Wool GREENGUARD-Certified Water-Based Natural Latex Adhesive USDA-Certified Organic Botanical Latex Sap Finished-Product Certification and Testing Certified by GREENGUARD® GOLD for Low VOC Emissions Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Flammability Tested and Passed 16 CFR 1632 and 1633 GOLS-Certified Organic Latex Mattresses GOTS-Certified Organic Innerspring Mattresses and Bedding Products Factory Processes and certifications Eco-Factory® Sanitized Organic Raw Materials GOTS- and GOLS-Approved Production Handmade in the USA |
Table of Contents
Overview
OMI sell two types of organic mattresses to fit standard cribs, oval cribs, and bassinets. Their children’s mattresses range from $299 for a bassinet mattress to $499 for an oval mattress, and $599 for a full-size crib mattress. All mattresses are Greenguard Gold certified, GOTS and/or GOLS certified, free from chemical flame retardants and use wool as a natural flame barrier. OMI also offer an organic natural rubber/latex mattress in a standard crib size and in an oval and bassinet shape and size.
The Certified Organic Innerspring mattress features a super-firm 280-coil innerspring assembly covered with GOTS-certified organic cotton. This is covered with a layer of GOTS-certified organic wool padding that is hand-tufted between four layers of GOTS-certified organic cotton fabric. The innerspring organic crib mattress measures approximately 28″x52″x6″ to fit full-size standard cribs.
OMI’s Certified Organic Natural Rubber mattresses are ideal if you’re looking for a metal-free bed that is also resistant to dust mites. This extra-firm Certified Organic Natural Rubber Crib Mattress offers comfortable, solid support, and will last for years. It is great for cribs that convert to a toddler bed and measures approximately 28″x52″x5″, making it a little thinner than the innerspring mattress.
OMI also offer their natural rubber mattress in an oval shape and bassinet size, ideal for fitting cribs such as the Stokke Sleepi and Stokke Sleepi Mini. The oval crib mattress measures approximately 27″x47″x3″, and the oval bassinet measures approximately 23″x29″x2″. Handmade in the USA, the bassinet mattress weighs about 5 pounds, uses certified organic wool as a flame barrier, contains no chemical flame retardants and ships in around 5 days. The material composition is approximately 83% Certified Organic Natural Rubber, 11% Certified Organic Cotton, and 6% Certified Organic Wool.
OMI provides some of the purest and most honest third-party-certified organic products in the industry. They provide a “purity guarantee” which means that all of their materials are certified organic (GOTS or GOLS), all raw materials have been sanitized with organic standards, all products are made in their Eco Factory, and all products are made in California, USA.
Hands down, OMI is my top choice for an eco-friendly non-toxic crib mattress, if cost isn’t your main consideration. OMI was founded by Walter Bader, a man so troubled by the toxic slew of chemicals used in mattress manufacture that he decided to do things differently. Organic Mattresses Inc. (OMI), makes handcrafted mattresses from cruelty-free wool, certified organic cotton, and 100 percent natural rubber latex. Their manufacturing facility (Eco-Factory®) is an organic production facility certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and is smoke-free, fragrance-free, and subject to regular audits. Those who work there are also prohibited from smoking, wearing fragrances, and even using fabric softeners, such is the company’s dedication to producing goods that can be used by those with multiple chemical sensitivities.
You can find OMI mattresses at many sleep stores, and you can buy mattresses online at Lifekind.com. Lifekind is the mail-order company established by Walt Bader in 1997 to bring natural, organic household products to a wider audience. This brand, which now sells online, through the catalog, and at retailers, sells latex and innerspring mattresses made with organic Dunlop latex, organic cotton, and organic wool. They are certified GOLS, GOTS, USDA Organic, and GreenGuard Gold for VOCs, as well as Oeko-Tex Standard 100. OMI offer a 90-day trial period and a limited 20-year warranty, and also offer financing options, including up to 6 months at 0% APR.
OMI mattresses were America’s first certified organic mattresses and there are now 15 mattresses in their OrganicPedic® collection, including crib, youth, hide-a-bed and adult mattresses. OMI also sell certified organic wool puddle pads and crib pads, as well as beautiful pillows and bedding.
Consumer Reports ran rigorous tests on OMI’s OrganicPedic Flora Nouveau mattress (for adults) and gave it excellent marks all round. They found that this mattress was more breathable than many mattresses, but for the crib mattress you would want to use a waterproof polyethylene cover or combination of puddle pads and cotton pads to keep the mattress from getting soiled.
OMI proudly display their certifications online and also offer a purity guarantee, which is basically a comprehensive checklist of what to look for when buying a truly safe, natural, eco-friendly mattress.
Their list of certifications and clear commitment to quality is impressive and unparalleled in the mattress industry. OMI was the first company to achieve “Certified Organic” status for a complex textile (mattress) and was the first company to prove that its products could pass flammability regulations without fire barriers or suppressants. They were arguably the first company to use certified organic natural latex cores in its products.
OMI also developed their own method of sanitizing certified organic raw materials (their Ozone Sanitation process). This process uses:
“specially designed, custom ozone cleaning chambers that reduce naturally occurring contaminants such as mold and mildew spores, yeasts, and bacteria that may have “hitchhiked” from the field or storage facility on raw materials. OMI is the only company in North America to sanitize its certified organic wool and certified organic cotton for purity.”
Although individual products can’t be LEED certified, OMI’s Greenguard Gold certified mattresses qualify under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s LEEDs indoor air-quality program.
The GOTS certified organic wool used in OMI / Lifekind mattresses comes from New Zealand. The GOTS certification means that family and commercial farmers adhere to strict standards for wool production, including using organic pastures and grazing grounds, minimal processing and humane shearing practices (along with other requirements). Certified organic, New Zealand wool is limited in production and fiber must be sourced years in advance, which is one reason why OMI mattresses are a little costlier than those without GOTS certified wool.
While the natural-rubber latex OMI use has had any allergy-causing proteins removed during processing, they are happy to send potential customers an allergy test kit that includes samples of their mattress materials for you to try before purchase. To ensure that your crib mattress arrives in a safe and sanitary condition, it immediately goes into a 6-mil plastic bag, and from there into a double-walled formaldehyde-free cardboard box. The box is then sealed using tight-seal mattress-wrapping equipment.
Unfortunately, OMI only ship directly to residential locations within the continental U.S., with free shipping on most products and a lower price when buying directly from the company. However, some product are available on Amazon, such as the OMI/Lifekind crib mattresses (View Price on Amazon) and oval bassinet mattresses (View Price on Amazon), and their other mattresses are available through the Lifekind website.
OMI vs. Savvy Rest, Soaring Heart, My Green Mattress, and Naturepedic
Non-toxic and eco-friendly credentials
If you are concerned about multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) or simply want a high-quality crib mattress free from toxic chemicals and made with care from sustainably and humanely sourced materials, OMI are the top choice. OMI crib mattresses carry more certifications than Savvy Rest, Soaring Heart, Naturepedic, and every other mattress on the market. Their adult mattresses have been rigorously tested and found to be durable and high-performance, but they are quite a bit more expensive than most other crib mattresses.
Soaring Heart mattresses are a little less expensive than OMI but are more expensive than My Green Mattress, who carry a wealth of certifications. Both companies are transparent about the materials and processes they use, which is nice, while Soaring Heart have been around for just as long as OMI and have a great reputation.
Wool and fire resistance
If you’d rather not have wool in your crib mattress, OMI is not the company for you and neither are Soaring Heart, Sleep Lily, or Savvy Rest. Lullaby Earth offer a decent wool-free crib mattress made with recycled polyester and polyethylene (View Price on Amazon), but it’s not entirely clear how Lullaby Earth meet fire safety standards. Naturepedic offer some of the best wool-free options and are transparent about using a mixture of baking soda, silica, and eucalyptus as a natural flame retardant instead of wool.
Waterproofing
If you’re looking for a mattress with an in-built waterproof cover, Naturepedic’s mattresses are your best bet (with the exception of the non-waterproof single-sided quilted mattress), followed by Lullaby Earth, and Nook’s Pebble Pure (which has a removable washable cover) (View Price on Amazon). For all the other mattresses I recommend at LeafScore, you’ll need to use wool puddle pads and/or a waterproof crib mattress cover or pad.
Cost
In terms of cost, OMI are the most expensive of my Leaf Score recommended crib mattresses at $599 for both their latex and innerspring models. Sleep Lily’s latex crib mattress costs $438, with slightly better certifications than Soaring Heart and Savvy Rest, but not quite so certified as OMI.
NaturalMat’s Quilted Coco Mat Crib Mattress retails for $424.00, and they also offer a Quilted Latex Mat for $574.00 and a Quilted Mohair Mat for $497.00, made with similar standards and construction but with latex or mohair for the core instead of coconut coir. I’m not convinced as to just how non-toxic and eco-friendly these NaturalMat mattresses are, however, given the lack of transparency over the materials and treatments used to make these mattresses and the fact that they are imported and therefore likely to be subjected to fumigation upon arrival in the US.
Soaring Heart mattresses cost around $420, with Savvy Rest priced at $399 with similar certifications and specifications as a latex, wool, and cotton mattress. Naturepedic’s 2-in-1 Ultra Quilted Deluxe mattress is also priced at $399 but is latex-free. Sleep Lily’s innerspring mattress costs $360, making it second only to OMI for most expensive innerspring crib mattress.
The Nook Pebble Pure Crib Mattress retails for around $395 and is made with organic coconut coir blended with natural latex foam and covered in organic wool. However, I’m not all that confident in the non-toxic, eco-credentials of this mattress either, given the lack of transparency over the cover materials including an organic cotton ‘non-toxic poly blend’.
In the mid-range for price, My Green Mattress offer an excellent mattress and my top pick overall, for $289, with a heap of certifications. Naturepedic’s Organic Cotton Classic and Lightweight Classic both cost between $255 and $299 and boast a waterproof cover, unlike My Green Mattress, where you’d have to buy separate covers or puddle pads.
And, finally, Lullaby Earth offer a much less expensive version of the Naturepedic lightweight mattress for $169-$259 made with recycled polyester and polyethylene. While this one has some decent eco-certifications, if you’re going to spend over $200 on a crib mattress, I’d strongly suggest going with My Green Mattress or Naturepedic instead. If it’s a lightweight mattress you’re after, the Naturepedic Lightweight is arguably your best option.
Weight
And, speaking of weight, it’s worth noting that both of the Sleep Lily crib mattresses are very heavy, weighing in at 33 and 35 lbs for the innerspring and latex mattresses respectively. In comparison, the My Green Mattress latex, coconut coir, wool, cotton, and innerspring mattress weighs just 15 lbs and 6 ounces, while the Naturepedic models weigh between 21 and 25 lbs for the cotton and innerspring models and just 8 lbs for their Lightweight mattress. Nook’s Pebble Pure mattress weighs in at 25 lbs, but there are no weight details available for OMI, Soaring Heart, Lullaby Earth, or Savvy Rest unfortunately, nor for NaturalMat.
Size
There are some size differences between these mattresses that are worth bearing in mind if you have already bought a crib. The Soaring Heart mattress, for instance, is a little bigger than Naturepedic’s mattresses and at the top end of the standard size measurements for a crib mattress (although it’s also thinner at just 3.5 inches compared to most crib mattresses measuring 5 or 6 inches. Savvy Rest’s crib mattress (View Price on Savvy Rest) is also slightly longer and wider than Naturepedic’s crib mattresses, while OMI’s mattresses are as long but a little wider. For comparison, here are the mattresses listed from largest to smallest in terms of width and length:
- Nook Pebble Pure – 28” x 53” x 4”
- Soaring Heart – 28 5/8” x 52 3/8” x 3 ½ “
- Sleep Lily – 28” x 52” x 6”
- OMI – 28” x 52” x 6”
- NaturalMat – 28” x 52” x 6”
- Savvy Baby – 27 ½” x 52” x 6
- My Green Mattress – 27 1/4″ x 52″ x 6″
- Naturepedic – 27 ¼” x 51 5/8” x 6”
- Lullaby Earth – 27 ¼” x 51 5/8” x 6”
CSR
In terms of charitable giving and corporate social responsibility, Savvy Rest can boast a robust charitable giving program and B Corp status (none of the other mattress companies have this currently).
Soaring Heart are also socially engaged, with quarterly Charity Pillow Builds and a goal is to direct 1% of annual gross sales to charitable causes. Soaring Heart also created a Scholarship at Seattle’s Pride Foundation to fund students working in the area of mental health and compassionate care.
OMI don’t appear to have any charitable arm to their businesses. Naturepedic are members of 1% for the Planet, at least, although they don’t seem to do much else. My Green Mattress offers a discount to members of the U.S. military, but there’s no indication that the company has a charitable arm other a donation/refund program if you return your mattress after your 100 night comfort trial.
Sleep Lily, Nook, and NaturalMat don’t mention any charitable side to their business and seem focused purely on their products.
Warranty and refunds
OMI offer a 90-day sleep trial and a 20-year limited warranty on all mattresses. Savvy Rest are rather miserly in terms of their return policy. Unlike most other companies, they just don’t do returns, claiming that to do so would necessitate them spraying their products with toxic chemicals.
My Green Mattress has a 100-night sleep trial and if you don’t want to keep the mattress after your 100 nights, My Green Mattress will work with you to donate it to a local charity and then refund your money. All Naturepedic crib mattresses come with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee provided the product was purchased directly from Naturepedic. You have to pay all shipping costs (including outbound costs associated with any promotions), however. Naturepedic have a 10 year warranty against manufacturing defects, with full coverage in the first 5 years and pro-rated coverage thereafter.
Overall, OMI is pretty much unbeatable for a non-toxic, eco-friendly, high-quality, latex or innerspring crib mattress, but my top pick is My Green Mattress because they make a fantastic eco-friendly and non-toxic crib mattress with great certifications for less than half the price of OMI’s mattresses.