Bedroom
Fewer chemicalsBody heat made polyurethane foam mattresses give off more VOCs in a 2019 lab study. A natural latex topper gives you a latex surface to sleep on instead of memory foam; a latex mattress skips the foam when it’s time to replace yours.
Our pick
Sleep On Latex Pure Green natural latex topper, firm, 2 inch, queen
A topper of natural Dunlop latex that the maker says is made ‘without the use of synthetic latex or fillers’, with GOLS organic, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and eco-INSTITUT certifications. It comes with no cover, so there’s no polyester. If the mattress under it is foam too, the latex mattress below is the bigger step.
Memory foam is a polyurethane foam. In a 2019 lab study in Environmental Science & Technology of eight polyurethane foam mattresses, VOC emissions rose significantly under sleeping conditions, mostly from heat, and estimated exposure for sleeping children reached concerning levels for a few compounds. The study tested mattresses, not toppers.
General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.
Natural latex: skip it if anyone in the house has a latex allergy. The topper comes without a cover, and the maker recommends keeping the foam covered, so put a fitted sheet or mattress protector over it. New foam mattress? Air it out in a ventilated room for a few days before a child sleeps on it: in a 2014 University of Texas at Austin study, new crib mattresses gave off about four times the VOCs of older ones.
Sleep On Latex Pure Green natural latex topper, firm, 2 inch, queen: Natural Dunlop latex with no cover. Not for anyone with a latex allergy.
Sleep On Latex Pure Green natural latex topper, medium, 3 inch, queen: Softer and thicker. Natural Dunlop latex with no cover. Not for anyone with a latex allergy.
Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.
Memory foam is a polyurethane foam, and in a 2019 lab study of eight polyurethane mattresses, VOC emissions rose under sleeping conditions, mostly from body heat. The study tested mattresses, not toppers.
Only partly: a topper sits on top of your mattress and doesn’t take the foam away. A natural latex mattress skips the foam when it’s time to replace yours.
100% natural latex, not a blend with synthetic latex, with certifications such as GOLS in the maker’s words, and no polyester cover.
Skip natural latex if anyone in the house has a latex allergy.
Baby & Kids
All 20 crib mattresses in a lab study gave off VOCs, about 2.5× more when warmed to body temperature, so pick one certified low-emitting.
Our pick
Serta Perfect Start Limited dual-sided crib mattress, fibre core
Bedroom
Replacing your pillow? Natural fills like buckwheat hulls, feathers and down, or latex skip polyurethane foam, which gives off more VOCs when new and warm.
Our pick
LOFE organic buckwheat pillow, organic cotton shell + extra organic cotton pillowcase, 20×26
Bedroom
Polyester fill is plastic fiber. Down in a cotton shell keeps what you sleep under natural.
Our pick
WENERSI Feather & Down Comforter, organic cotton shell, queen
