The short answer: YES!
If you are like most newcomers to the organic mattress marketspace, it may seem overwhelming, confusing, and you may experience something called "sticker shock." There is a lot of industry jargon to break down, several phrases that are carefully worded to make everyday people think they are getting an honest product when they may not be, and most importantly, the price! Holy smokes, these organic, artisanal, handcrafted mattresses are the price of a Smart Car! It doesn't help either that the salespeople at some retailers are trying to squeeze every red cent out of you for a bigger commission, which can make one wonder if they are being honest about a product in the first place.
But why do these products seem to be so costly, and are they REALLY worth the spend overall? Absolutely.
We like to think of it like a diet. Sure a fast-food burger and fries is a relatively cost-effective meal and will fill someone up. But for long-term sustainability and overall health, it serves absolutely no purpose for a sound mind and body built to thrive.
Consider the same thing when shopping for mattresses. The lower the cost, the cheaper it's made and with less than pure or even safe ingredients. You might be able to at least fall asleep in the short-term, but long-term? The effects can range from chronic illness and active allergies to discomfort due to a poor quality product, and even a high risk of cancer due to chemical exposure.
For starters, making the switch to a certified-organic, truly handcrafted mattress is going to do wonders for one's of sleep. Anything that is meticulously crafted in fine detail is going to serve you well for years to come. Especially when it comes to bedding.
It will contribute to better air quality in your home and reduce your exposure to unhealthy and toxic chemicals used in general mattress production; i.e., chemically-laden polyurethane foams, and synthetic and blended fabrics. It will also carry with it proven long-term health benefits like better physical and mental recovery for better focus, productivity, and effectiveness in all aspects of daily life.
Organic mattresses are made with higher quality materials that often cost more than synthetic materials. They are purer in form and non-toxic. Typically, GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) Certified-Organic Dunlop Latex is the most common and ONLY latex that qualifies as being truly organic. Brands like Ivy Organics use Dunlop Latex for its purity. Before the sap extraction process can even begin, the trees must be chemical and pesticide-free for a minimum of 8 years.
Another quality aspect to consider is the specific cotton and wool used to make these wonderful products. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic cotton and cruelty-free wool™ are particularly important in knowing that materials used in the mattress are in fact pure and sourced responsibly. More importantly in regards to organic wool, that it is sourced ethically. Wool sourced from New Zealand or Australia tends to be produced in less than friendly environments for the animals and treatment methods used in the care of these amazing creatures are primitive and dated, and frankly cruel.
Let's compare:
On the left, a truly handcrafted luxury-organic mattress, The Benson, from Ivy Organics. On the right, a leading "handcrafted" organic mattress brand. This is a comparison of Euro-Top to Euro-Top.
The one on the right is merely a slip-cover designed to look like the Euro-Topper is integrated into the product when in fact it is not. Notice the rather conservative amount of wool used at the top. The only additional cushioning added to the product is the slab of latex at the top. Aside from that, it is simply "organic" latex slabs glued together with a fancy looking sock over it.
On the left, a literal work of art. Note the individually nested coil system complemented by layers of GOLS certified-organic Dunlop latex with additional layers of abundant cotton and wool. While wool has incredible biological properties like being anti-microbial, hypoallergenic, and antibacterial, it is also great for temperature consistency because it wicks away moisture.
Based on the cost of some of these higher-priced luxury mattresses and the total 10-year product warranty life, the total spend breaks down to about $0.92 per day.