Most of you know we moved to our new house in the beginning of October. For the first time, Sebastian and I own a home and can comfortably call this space our own. Personally, I take pride in our new house. Not only have I begun to fill it with everything that brings me and my family joy, but I’ve also thought critically about about choosing products and items that preserve the safety of my family.

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Our mattress upon moving in was about 8 years old and well loved. I knew it was time we start thinking about investing in a new mattress. Honestly, at the time, we had not even considered an organic mattress. However, I need to tell you a story that was ultimately the deciding factor in why I switched to an organic mattress.

So here’s what happened.

[Do you want to skip to the good stuff] Happsy has a Black Friday special going on RIGHT NOW. You can use code BLACKFRIDAY250 for $250 off your organic mattress. You can also use code TOP40 for 40% off a Happsy mattress topper. Trust me on this one, you want to grab that mattress topper while it’s on sale. We really love ours!

In October, I went to my first ever blogging conference in Atlanta called Shiftcon. While at the conference, I met outstanding eco bloggers and great brands that do good things for the planet. During the event, I’m walking around the expo hall with my friend Marisa, and we decide to check out the Happsy mattress booth.

We sat down on the mattress with other blogging friends and casually chatted, not specifically about the mattress. One of the representatives for Happsy mentioned preferring to sleep on the Happsy mattress in the expo hall over the mattress in her hotel room. (The mattress really are super comfy!!) Then, someone in our group says, “Oh and more importantly, to avoid the off-gassing from those hotel mattresses!” Everyone chuckled and agreed, and I did too. However, let me be totally honest with you. I had never heard of off-gassing, and (hello anxiety) didn’t want to single myself out as the only confused one in the group!

what is mattress off-gassing?

When I had a break from the conference, I immediately started researching off-gassing. And guess what I learned? Companies that sell mattresses that off-gas wrote half of the top ranked articles on Google about off-gassing. They claim that off-gassing will not harm anyone and is completely normal. However, companies that sell organic mattresses wrote the other half of the articles, and they all express concern about off-gassing. 

Ok, have I peaked your curiosity about off-gassing yet? Apparently, it’s a strong odor that occurs when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) leak from upholstery and mattress materials into the air. Common VOCs are formaldehyde, toluene, chlorofluorocarbons, benzene, and trichloroethane.

Since I didn’t feel like I could get a clear answer from the mattress companies, I decided to dig a little deeper. So I researched VOCs and found a reliable source (epa.gov). You’re welcome to read the information about VOCs for yourself. But in summary, off-gassing of VOCs in your home may have short and long term adverse effects on your health. Depending on exposure, some of the health effects include: eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination and nausea, and damage to liver, kidney and central nervous system. Some of these VOCS are even cancer causing.

flame retardants in mattresses

My research didn’t stop at off-gassing, though. I learned that the composition of conventional mattresses often contains quite a few chemicals that could harm your health. Mattress companies aren’t required to list all of the chemicals that they use. In recent years, laws have required that mattress companies create mattresses that contain a specified amount of flame retardant chemicals in their mattresses as a safety standard. However, the vast majority of mattress companies have been using a highly controversial flame retardant that many countries have banned.

Let’s circle back around to the Happsy mattress that sparked my research originally. The Happsy representatives were kind enough to send me a mattress to test out, so that I could share my thoughts on it with you. So, I’ll break it down in detail for you.

organic mattress safety

The Happsy mattress is a GOTS certified organic mattress. That means every component of this mattress is organic, not just one particular material. It’s also Made Safe Certified, Greenguard Formaldehyde Free, and Greenguard Gold certified. Ultimately, this means that this brand doesn’t just tout that they create safe and organic mattresses. They’ve been tested to the highest organic standards by third party testing to assure you that their mattress is safe for humans and the environment.

organic mattress comfort

I would describe the comfort level of this mattress as the perfect balance. It’s not overly soft or firm. Sebastian and I have both slept comfortably on it. In fact, even Vasco has dozed happily on the Happsy mattress! Oftentimes, people think modern foam mattresses provide the best comfort for sleeping. However, Happsy mattress’ classic and simple design makes it perfect. We also got the Happsy mattress topper, and it makes for an extra luxurious night’s sleep! 🙂 Of course, it’s not a necessity because the bed is comfortable without it, but we love the extra cushion it provides!!

organic mattress price

Yes, the Happsy mattress is more expensive than a conventional non-organic mattress. However, they’re reasonably priced in comparison to other organic mattress brands, one of the most affordable I’ve found. Also, we spend A LOT of our lifetime sleeping. It’s a big investment but for something really truly important, a healthy and good night’s rest. I give Happsy a gold star on price!

organic mattress environmental responsibility

Again, this organic mattress brand impresses me when it comes to being responsible for the environmental impact their mattress makes. Happsy is a member of the organization 1% For The Planet, which means they give at least 1% of their annual gross income to environmental organizations.

I know my zero wasting pals are curious about the packaging too! I was so surprised to find the mattress and topper on my doorstep in tall, thin rectangular boxes. I’m sure this slender mattress packaging allows for more mattresses to be shipped on a truck meaning less carbon emissions from transporting. Yes, the warehouse wrapped the mattress in lots of plastic. To be honest though, every mattress comes wrapped in plastic, conventional, organic, or otherwise. Luckily though, the plastic it is wrapped in is film plastic which can be recycled wherever you recycle single use plastic bags in your city. Another reason I love this mattress brand – they will collect your used Happsy mattress to recycle it responsibly themselves. How cool!

Also, after reading all about off-gassing and the chemical odor that you often smell when unboxing a conventional mattress, I was happy to open up my new mattress to no strong chemical smell at all.

All in all, our new Happsy mattress checks all the boxes in what I was looking for in a new mattress and more. I really wished I had learned about this brand sooner. I’m happy I made the switch to an organic mattress. And that is why I’m here sharing with you about my new mattress. I’d love to save you the trouble of researching high quality mattresses that are good for your own health and the environment. My plan next is to invest in Happsy‘s organic queen sized pillows when they are back in stock. I want to transform my whole house into an organic oasis 🙂

One more really important thing! Happsy has a Black Friday special going on RIGHT NOW. You can use code BLACKFRIDAY250 for $250 off your organic mattress. You can also use code TOP40 for 40% off a Happsy mattress topper. Trust me on this one, you want to grab that mattress topper while it’s on sale. We really love ours!

Have you made the switch to an organic mattress? What was your experience? Have you heard of the Happsy mattress brand before??

You might also enjoy these blog posts from Tiny Yellow Bungalow!

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