Best Hypoallergenic Mattress: A 25 Year Industry Veteran’s 10 Top Options
I spent 25 years as a mattress manufacturer before creating my list of 10 options for best hypoallergenic mattress for allergies. Many people suffer relentlessly from allergies often unaware that their current mattress is the source of many of the most toxic allergens from dust mites to toxic chemicals.
If you’re sleeping on a mattress that’s been around longer than 8-10 years, the odds are it’s harboring dust mite egg casings, dust mite feces, animal hair, human skin cells, and even mold and mildew.
Also, when consider how much water is trapped inside of your mattress simply by breathing, our mattresses might as well be in our backyards being soaked by a sprinkler!
Bottom line, you might need to purchase a hypoallergenic mattress and start using a mattress protector to prevent allergens from getting trapped inside.
Around around 26% (67 million) of adults and 19% (14 million) of children suffer from seasonal allergies, according to the Asthma And Allergy Foundation Of America. Up to 30% of the U.S. population is sensitive to fragrances, and 10% experience mild to debilitating respiratory and multi-system symptoms
Many mattresses are made using VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) such as flame retardants, benzene, and formaldehyde. Fortunately, a lot of mattress companies design and manufacture healthy mattresses that are made with either natural or certified safe materials to provide a healthy sleep environment.
BEST HYPOALLERGENIC MATTRESS OPTIONS: MY CHOICES
Nolah Natural 11" Mattress-Best Latex And Coil Hybrid | Go To Detailed Review | Q $1624, K $1754 | |
Plushbeds Organic 10" Botanical Bliss Mattress-Best Top To Bottom Organic Latex | Go To Detailed Review | Q $1699, K $1999 | |
Latex For Less 9" Reversible-Best Flippable Option | Read My Review | Q $1109, K $1529 | |
Avocado Eco-Organic Mattress-Best Value Latex Mattress | Read My Review | Queen $1199, K $1599 | |
Silk & Snow Organic Mattress-Best Value Overall | Read My Review Below | Queen $700, K $800 | |
Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid-Best Luxury Hypoallergenic | Read My Review Below | Queen $1595, K $1895 | |
AWARA Hybrid Latex MattressThickest Latex Layer | Read My Review Below | Q $949, K $1234 |
Bet Hypoallergenic Mattress: Mold And Mildew Living Inside Mattresses
After only short periods of time, mold and mildew can creep into the crevices of mattresses, especially this made with certain kinds of foam, fibrous components, and especially inside pillow tops, which are immediately adjacent to our bodies, are are kept at ideal warmer temperatures, providing a natural incubator for these organisms.
Finding the best hypoallergenic mattress can insure mold and mildew won’t grow inside your mattress. A mattress made with botanically derived, for example, is antimicrobial and does not harbor growth of these organisms.
Although mold is uncommon in mattresses for the most part, I have seen it grown in foam type beds and grow in the form of a silhouette of the person lying above it, like a shadow of the individual.
Foams and textiles can accumulate a lot of moisture in wet environments if there is inadequate ventilation, too.
Mattresses that are placed on the floor often get wet due to condensation created by the cold floor and contact with a human body.
Best Hypoallergenic Mattress: Keeping Dead Skin Cells, Sweat, Body Oils, And Dust Mites Out
Since we spend about 30% of our lives snuggled in our mattresses, slowly, over time, our beds start to collect pounds (literally) of dead skin and body oils, the perfect buffet for dust mites. The best hypoallergenic mattresses resist dust mites and microbes from getting established inside the mattress.
The average mattress that is 12 years old or older can be a nest for as many as 10 million of these terrifying organisms, according to Ohio State University entomologists and sleep experts.
And when you factor in dust mite feces, you’re sleeping in a pretty nasty stew.
But, if you suffer from allergies, dust mites can be a real problem. Dust mite allergies can cause itchiness, runny noses, sneezing, eye discharge, coughing, and sinus problems.
The symptoms are far worse if you have asthma or even sleep apnea, which can be made far worse by dust mites. You could be at risk for chest tightness, respiratory stress, or trouble sleeping.
Like TV’s, batteries, and appliances, we generally don’t think of our mattresses as things we need to replace fairly frequently, and we get attached to them, since they are nests, our sanctuaries, and let’s face it, shopping for a mattress is often a nightmare and an anxiety inducing experience.
In reality, we need to think of our mattresses kind of like we do our clothing- they have a limited lifespan, wear out, become tattered, and need to be replaced. Even the best hypoallergenic mattress should be replaced every 6-8 years.
An old mattress is essentially a waste receptacle for things that our bodies discharge, and to maintain a clean and hypoallergenic environment, we need to sanitize our sleep situation, about every 8 years or so.
Also, the kind of mattress you purchase is very important when you are shopping for a hypoallergenic bed. For example, I recommend that you steer clear of petroleum based foams, mattresses with thick pillow tops, and poorly ventilated beds.
Mattresses that are made using polyurethane foam, memory foam, or hybrids that are made with coils and foams are fine for most people ( so long as you replace them periodically), but for someone suffering from relentless allergies or those who have any level of immune system compromise or autoimmune disorders, your best bet lies with only one kind of mattress- Natural Latex.
Best Hypoallergenic Mattress Options: Natural Latex Mattress
Natural latex mattresses are pretty ubiquitous, but you’ll find only a handful below that we recommend, carefully chosen by our team. Why is natural latex the only real option for allergy sufferers? It is the material that is naturally hypoallergenic. It resists mold, mildew, repels dust mites, gives off little if any smell, and it doesn’t break down like petroleum based, denser foams.
Ever unzipped a couch cushion, and discovered the crusty brown or yellow foam, crumbling in your hands? That is synthetic, petroleum based foam that has degraded due to photo-reactivity, or exposure to light. Natural latex will not break down this way because it is not photo-reactive.
But why is natural latex antimicrobial, anti-fungal and capable of sending dust mites scurrying? It is very acidic, and having a low pH, these organisms do not thrive, even factoring in body moisture.
Also, most natural latex mattresses are designed with a fairly low profile outer cover to promote ventilation and to keep you as close to the latex as possible so that you reap the benefits.
Natural latex is also excellent for your back, is buoyantly supportive, delightfully spongy and elastic, and cradles your body without that sinking, trapped feeling. Add the antimicrobial and anti-allergy elements to a natural latex mattress, and you’ve got the perfect sleep surface, designed by nature.
Natural latex mattresses are made using a unique process, unlike anything else in the bedding industry. First, the liquid latex is hand collected by tapping into a rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis. There are rubber tree plantations in certain areas of the world where the temperature and humidity are just right.
The liquid latex is then collected, and poured into large Belgian waffle style ovens which steams the liquid latex, converting the liquid into a jiggly solid material, with no added chemicals or toxins.
The latex cores, as they are called, once solidified, are cut to typical American mattress sizes and then covered with an outer fabric, the most ideal hypoallergenic material being a natural fiber like bamboo or even wool.
Best Hypoallergenic Mattress Options
We’ve created a selection of Trusted Dealers that we have carefully vetted and evaluated, from the method of construction, the nature of the outer covering for hypo-allergenic use, customer reviews, price, warranty, and even trial period, so you can easily shop for a hypo-allergenic mattress that will give you a new lease on life.
Here are our recommendations for the best natural latex mattresses you can find. All of them can be ordered from your home, and will ship to you rolled and compressed, which causes no harm to natural latex.