Sunday, April 8, 2012

A new organic sleep system!

Alrighty then...the orders have been made, the financing has been completed...and I'm ALMOST done hyperventilating over the cost.  Here's what it finally came down to, after hours upon hours of research.

Mattress -
Choice #3 - Pure Latex Bliss (model: Pamper) - found for $2500 in Silverdale - $1400 online at The Healthy Back Store - very good reviews on this one
Choice #2 - Sealy Embody (model: Insightful) - found locally for $1450 on sale
Choice #1 - Emerald (model: Tierra/Earth) - found locally for $1599

Why did I choose #1?  It came down to this - the Emerald mattress, though lesser known and much harder (if not impossible) to find information on, is from a local manufacturer (Tacoma).  This company has been in the mattress making business for around 40 years.  I liked that the salesman explained his reasoning for stocking only Emerald and one other brand was that they both came from WA and the factories were close enough he could drive over and walk through them to see exactly what was going into the mattresses.  Of course, I'm not naive...I realize salesmen have their sales pitch.  I also liked that this mattress had all the specs I was looking for (100% natural latex, organic wool top layer, soy-based foam beneath, organic bamboo cover) and it wasn't $4000 like most other mattresses with these qualifications.  I like the organic part of the whole thing, and the wool topper - for it's natural anti-microbial properties and it's ability to breathe and, ironically, stay cool.  I also appreciate the absence of polyester or polyurethane foam.  This was pretty much the least toxic, most natural mattress I could afford.  The store didn't have the mattress on hand, so they are ordering - with the written promise that if I don't like the product, I will be given a full refund.  At that point, I'll move on to Choice #2.  But, if I keep it, I'll be writing a full review...as I can't find one anywhere on the web.

Pillows$66 for two king
I looked at wool, Kapok, organic cotton, latex, and silk.  Organic cotton was the first to be ruled out, because so many people complain about them flattening out too quickly or losing their shape.  Kapok is similar, but garners better reviews.  Those are the cheapest options.  I was initially then deciding on latex (shredded for pliability and flexibility), but the reviews were all over the place.  So then it was on to wool, but my wallet started to quiver in fear.  I got lucky and found a great deal on a set of Smartsilk pillows on Amazon.  The Smartsilk brand gets great reviews.  I hadn't really though of silk, but like like wool, this particular material is naturally anti-microbial and recommended for people with allergies and asthma.  I do think these are made in China but Smartsilk is a Montreal-based company.

Mattress and Pillow protection$169
To protect our investment, I've ordered waterproof mattress and pillow protectors.  I didn't want anything vinyl or plastic or anything that remotely looked like a crib protector.  This is more to protect the mattress from sweat and skin and to keep dust mites from setting up shop (the wool in the mattress will help that, too).  I looked at four particular brands that received great reviews and that fit my budget.  Luna, Dusk 2 Dawn, Gotcha Covered Organic, and Magnolia Organic (listed from least to most expensive).  While the Luna earns shining reviews and is U.S. made, it is not organic.  Dusk 2 Dawn is about 20-30$ more expensive and is made of organic cotton and a "breathable membrane" of some fancy concoction that isn't really explained on the website.  Magnolia Organic has a mattress barrier cover in thick organic cotton ($139 on Amazon, but only $89 on their website), but the matching pillow protectors were unavailable in king (if you don't need king size, I'd go with this one because it's 100% cotton but thick enough to fend off icky critters and protect your mattress from normal use).  It was my first choice, but I ended up going with the Gotcha Covered Organic and matching pillow protectors because they are made in the U.S. and contain recycled, non-toxic poly material on one side as a barrier and 100% organic cotton on the other.  I got an acceptable deal online at Living in Comfort.

Bedding - $125
I went with Magnolia Organics for the sheets and blanket (very good prices on Amazon - comparable to much lesser quality goods).  Not made in U.S., as far as I can tell...but impressive fair trade agreement and apparently good company ethics.  Also, they receive consistent 4 and 5 star ratings across the web.  Luckily, my homemade quilt will still fit and I already have matching shams for that...so I didn't have to incur the added expense of a bedspread or comforter - and my curtains already match that, so I'm set there, too.

So....mattress and bedding for under $2000 and every last bit of it is ecologically responsible.  In all reality...all that research saved me hundreds...if not thousands.  Though, if I'm honest, there's no way I would have spent an outrageous 3 or 4 thousand on a mattress, no matter how wonderful it was.  I just don't have that kind of cash to spread around.  So, this was the absolute best I could do at getting exactly what I wanted on a budget.  Could this have been done cheaper?  Possibly, but quality would have suffered and I would not have been as happy with my choice.

I must say I am damn glad to be done with it.  After having stopped the sale of my first mattress purchase (took me roughly an hour to change my mind and go back to the store and say no) and taking back pillows and bedding to Kohl's (all Pakistan- and India-made and not much cheaper than what I ended up getting),  I'm exhausted, mentally and physically.

I hope you can benefit from all the time and energy I put into making these decisions.  There are a lot of eco-conscious and health-conscious choices available out there.  For example, I loved the wool bedding (Natura and Shepherd's Dream have a lot of great stuff), but it's very, very expensive.  And I saw dozens of mattresses in the $2500-4000 range.  The Smartsilk company also sells bedding packages, but they were all in the $400-$800 range.So, as you can see, my choices were made with more than just environment and health in mind.  Compromises had to be made, but as with all of my major consumer purchases, I weigh the factors.  I make a list of dream qualities for a given product and then I try to meet as many of them as possible.  That's what I hope I've done here.

Now, it's time to sleep on my crummy old mattress.  I'm up way too late, and tomorrow is my last day of Spring Break.  Time to relax.  Finally.



1 comment:

LJ said...

Phew! This was a lot to digest. You seriously spent a few hours on this...the companies owe you a kickback! I know where to send my friends if they are in search of a new matress in the near future- your blog!