You’ll likely spend seven to eight hours a day on your mattress. You’ll be close to it and breathing deeply, so you want to make sure it’s healthy to sleep on. Perhaps it’s something you’ve never considered before, but did you know not all mattresses were created equal when it comes to health and safety? Traditional mattresses, like memory foam or those made from manufactured materials, often contain chemicals. Sometimes they even emit funny smells. This isn’t hidden information, many mattress companies or retailers will openly inform you that your mattress might smell for the first few days whilst it lets off the gasses trapped inside. That’s the last thing you want when you’re looking forward to sleeping on your new mattress.

Some mattress manufacturers even declare that some sleepers report difficulty sleeping and breathing, as well as asthma and nausea, and suggest people stay away from the mattress if they experience symptoms to limit the effects.

So natural mattresses are a better option, but lots of people don’t know they exist, or, if they do, how to pick the best type. To help, we’ve pulled together this guide to shopping for the perfect natural mattress.

Look for sleep trials

You should do this with caution, because thousands of returned mattresses end up in landfill, so only buy a mattress when you are absolutely sure you are probably going to like it to limit the impact you have on the environment, but companies that offer sleep trials are usually fairly certain you are going to like their product, especially if they have lots of good reviews and testimonials.

Look for materials that adapt to temperature

If you’re looking for a natural mattress, you want to make sure it’s made from materials that give you all the benefits that come with the title, including adapting to temperature. For this, you should look for materials like wool. Wool is breathable, dissipates moisture and insulates the body. When it’s cold, wool layers enclose warm air and keep sleepers snub. In summer, the layers of wool allow additional moisture to dissipate as you perspire to keep you cool.

Natural mattresses should include materials that regulate your body temperature in this way.

Hypoallergenic materials

Another benefit of natural mattresses is hypoallergenic materials. As well as adapting to temperature, wool is hypoallergenic, and has the ability to absorb air pollutants. It also catches dust particles, so if you’re allergic to it, or if you have hay fever, natural mattresses made from materials like wool will help you sleep.

Natural springiness

If you ask almost anyone what they want in a mattress, they’ll tell you comfort. Part of that comfort typically comes from springiness, typically lots of little springs arranged as a layer, or bigger springs in a box. Natural mattresses typically get their flexibility from lots of layers of springy material, like horsehair. It’s like sleeping on millions of tiny individual springs. Horsehair bounces back constantlyEly  and never flattens out, which means your mattress should stay soft and bouncy for longer.

Fire resistance

Amongst the many benefits of natural materials, one of them should be fire resistance. Many natural materials used for mattresses have this added benefit. Where traditional mattresses use man-made products to make them fire resistance, natural mattresses should use materials with natural fire resistance, such as wool.

Materials that are naturally durable

Mattresses made from natural materials can sometimes be more expensive than those made from man-made materials, but they’re typically higher quality, which means they should last longer and are therefore worth the investment. Still, it’s a good idea to check your natural mattress is made from durable materials.

Amongst the most durable of natural materials is cotton, which used to be a key mattress ingredient before the worldwide availability of cheaper materials. Many manufacturers continue to use these materials because it increases their profit margins, despite the fact they don’t last as long and aren’t as comfortable.

Making sure your mattress is made from materials like cotton will mean you won’t have to change it ever seven to eight years.

Ely Mattresses are 100% natural

Ely mattresses are made from natural materials and thirteen layers, including wool, horsehair and cotton. We’re so confident you’ll enjoy them, they come with a 30 day sleep trial and a ten year warranty. They’re environmentally friendly and purchasable with 0% finance. They come in a variety of sizes, including our baby Ely cot mattress.

For more information, read ‘Our Story’.