Are Mattresses Vegan? (Everything you want to know)

When I first became vegan, all of my attention went towards food. Does this product contain any meat? What about milk or eggs?

Then, Jen started to point out all the things not on my dinner plate that might also contain animal products. Some things are obvious. Leather shoes? Obviously an animal product.

But, what about things like… mattresses? Are mattresses vegan?

There are no immediate red flags when it comes to mattresses. It’s something that requires a bit of investigation. And here’s the answer:

Most mattresses, unless intentionally made vegan, are generally not vegan. Most commonly, this is due to the inclusion of wool and/or feathers in the bedding of the mattress itself. Chemicals that have been tested on animals can also cause a mattress to not be 100% vegan. However, there are some mattresses that are specifically made vegan.

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What Makes a Mattress Vegan?

The easier question is probably, “What makes a mattress not vegan?”. As stated above, the two easiest culprits to spot is wool from sheep and feathers from birds. These are often seen in the bedding inside the mattress and sometimes may even be in the cover of the mattress itself.

While wool and feathers are pretty easy to recognize, if you’re looking through the specs on a mattress, other materials are not as easy to decipher.

This is because there are some materials made with certain chemical processes. Processes that involve testing on animals. Materials such as polyurethane foams, synthetic foams, polyester, blends of fillings with polyester, latex blends and chemical flame retardants.

Polyurethane foams and synthetic foams are the materials used in many popular memory-foam mattresses.

So… What Makes a Mattress Vegan?

Now that we’ve ruled out what makes a mattress not vegan, let’s go back to the original question: what makes a mattress vegan?

In other words, what materials should you actively look for?

Natural Latex is the most popular substance used for vegan mattresses. Natural latex is made from the rubber tree plant and can easily be sustainably resourced.

Not only is natural latex vegan, but it is resistant to a lot of stuff that makes it a great material for a mattress. This includes mold, mildew, bacteria, insects and even fire. Another material to keep your eye out for is Organic Cotton. Organic Cotton is obviously derived from a plant, but because it’s organic, will also be free of any chemicals.

GOLS, GOTS and GreenGuard

If you start doing you’re own research on vegan mattresses, you’re going to start running into the acronyms GOLS, GOTS and GreenGuard. So what exactly do those acronyms stand for?

GOLS is the Global Organic Latex Standard certification. This means the latex comes from organic rubber tree plants. If the mattress comes with this certification you’ll know it’s vegan latex.

GOTS is the Global Organic Textile Standard certification. The certification will come with both organic cotton and organic wool. Obviously the wool is still a no-no if you’re looking for a vegan mattress, but it is an important distinction when it comes to the cotton used in the mattress.

Finally, the GreenGuard certification means the product in certified for low chemical emissions. This also means that the product meets rigorous emission standards for chemical exposure and pollutants. It also means the mattress is formaldehyde free.

What Mattresses Are Vegan?

We’ve established most mattresses are not vegan, but there are some that are. The problem is you really have to know where to look. Luckily, we’ve already done that research for you. Here are a few of the vegan mattresses that we’ve found scouring the web:

Note: None of these brands are 100% vegan. They all make both vegan and non-vegan mattresses. Make sure you select the specific mattress that we reference here.

Avocado Vegan Mattress

We list the Avocado Vegan Mattress first, because we are personally very satisfied Avocado Vegan Mattress Owners. Jen has even written two reviews on our Avocado Mattress. One when we first received it and one after eight months of sleeping on it. It’s now been about a year and a half and we still love the mattress as much now as the day we got it.

Avocado makes their mattress using GOLS organic certified latex and GOTS organic certified cotton. They also don’t use any polyurethane foams, polyester, or toxic fire retardants.

How can you be sure that the mattress is definitely 100% vegan? It’s actually vegan-certified and PETA approved.

Want to try one out, but a little hesitant whether you’ll like it? No worries. Avocado mattresses come with a one-year trial. That’s not a typo. They offer a one-year trial. Then once you decide to keep your mattress after a year cause it’s amazing, they back it up with a 25 year warranty.

For more info, check out the Acocado Vegan Mattress at Avocado.

PlushBeds Natural Latex Mattress: The Natural Bliss

You may have never heard of PlushBeds and be wondering if it’s a new company. It’s not. Plushbeds has actually been around since 2008 sending mattresses direct to consumers. They offer free shipping, a 100-night trial, free returns and a 25 year warranty.

Within their line of organic mattress options, they have a purely vegan one: The Natural Bliss. It’s made in the USA and 100% natural latex. The mattress contains no blends, no synthetics and no chemicals. It also comes with a GOTS certified organic cotton cover.

For more info, check out the Natural Bliss mattress at PlushBeds

JoyBeds LXC

JoyBeds has been making mattresses in Grand Rapids, Michigan since 1889. That’s over 130 years of mattresses! Their vegan mattress is the JoyBeds LXC. 

It starts with a lightweight GOTS certified Cotton Cover. Plant fibers (made from potato and bean plants) then create a fire-resistant layer without the use of chemicals or synthetic additives. Finally pocketed coils and hypoallergenic cotton make for a breathable and supportive cushion.

JoyBeds, similar to both Avocado and PlushBeds, offer a free trial and free delivery. JoyBeds trial is 120 days, not quite a year like Avocado, but a touch longer than PlushBeds. Their mattresses come with a 10 year warranty.

Finally, JoyBeds is a proud supporter of the local Michigan Humane Society. How awesome is that?

For more info on the JoyBeds LXC, check out the JoyBeds website.

Final Thoughts

Finding vegan options so you don’t have to is literally our motto here at VeggL. That holds true whether it’s the vegan options at Starbucks or finding a mattress you can feel good about getting a great night’s sleep on.

We hope this article helped you be able to figure out not only how to spot a vegan mattress, but gave you a head start on a few places you can search for your next mattress. Just keep in mind that a mattress is something that we spend 7-9 hours a day with for years, so choose wisely!