If you're shopping for a new mattress, you've likely noticed that many models feature various certifications. Manufacturers often display certification seals prominently, lending an air of legitimacy and trust to their products. But what do they actually mean? While most mattress certifications are related to indoor air quality and limiting exposure to harmful substances, each has its own focus and specific set of guidelines. These guidelines typically include specific limits for things like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, and phthalates, as well as restrictions on heavy metals, certain flame retardants, and other substances that can harm human health.
Understanding what some common mattress certifications actually mean can give you a leg up when navigating this confusing industry. Here, we cover the most common certifications in the mattress industry and explain what each one signifies so you can choose a new mattress based on what matters to you.
CertiPUR-US
You'll likely encounter CertiPUR-US a lot while shopping for your new mattress. This makes sense since this seal only covers polyurethane foam, one of the most common mattress components. So, what does CertiPUR-US certified mean? Foam certified under this program is lower in indoor air pollutants, hazardous chemicals, and heavy metals. More specifically, CertiPUR-US certified foam (polyfoam and memory foam) meets the following standards:
- Formaldehyde: Foam must have less than 0.1 parts per million of formaldehyde, a chemical linked to poor air quality.
- Ozone Depleters: The manufacturing process doesn't include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or other ozone depleters.
- Phthalates: The use of phthalates, a group of chemicals mainly used as softening agents, is restricted. While this doesn't cover all types of phthalates, it does prohibit those regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, as certain types have been linked to developmental and reproductive risks.
- Heavy Metals: Foam is tested for trace amounts of heavy metals and must meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission standard for lead in toys.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): VOCs are another source of poor indoor air quality. CertiPUR-US compliant foams contain less than 0.5 parts per million VOC emissions.
- Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, and Reprotoxic Chemicals: Foam is screened for chemicals (including flame retardants) that may cause cancer, genetic defects, or damage to fertility.
Most mattresses contain at least one layer of foam, so it's a good idea to keep an eye out for this seal. If you want more details, see the CertiPUR-US website.
Certified Mattresses: the Bear Elite Hybrid, the Casper Snow (Canadian Version), and the DreamCloud Premier Hybrid (Canadian Version)
GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD GOLD
The GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold certifications come from UL (originally known as Underwriters Laboratories). Like CertiPUR-US, UL is largely focused on indoor air quality. However, it certifies a variety of materials, including flooring, electronics, and cleaning products, not just foam.
GREENGUARD
GREENGUARD is UL's main certification, and they say products that meet the requirements for GREENGUARD have minimal impact on indoor environments. UL screens for more than 15,000 VOCs, though they only set limits on a handful at this level.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Products must have less than 500 µg/m³ or less than 500 micrograms of volatile organic compounds in one cubic meter of air.
- Formaldehyde: Products must have less than 61.3 µg/m³ or less than 50 ppb (parts per billion).
- Total Aldehydes: Aldehydes are a group of chemical compounds (including formaldehyde) that can be found in mattress materials. UL limits total aldehydes at 100 ppb for this certification.
GREENGUARD GOLD
GREENGUARD GOLD is a more stringent certification, aimed at children's products, healthcare facilities, and any other circumstances where sensitive groups are concerned. It places stricter limits than GREENGUARD and adds specific limits for more than 360 individual VOCs.
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Products must have less than 220µg/m³.
- Formaldehyde: Products must have less than 9 µg/m³ or 7.3 ppb.
- Total Aldehydes: Products must have less than 43 ppb.
For more information, see the UL website, and for details on exact limits for individual chemicals and VOCs, refer to this table.
Certified Mattresses: the Bear Elite Hybrid (Gold) and the Saatva Latex Hybrid (Gold)
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
Another common certification you might encounter while shopping for a new mattress is OEKO-TEX Standard 100. This comprehensive standard covers every component of a product, including mattresses. For mattresses, this means that everything from the thread used to make fabric right up to the finished product as a whole has been tested. Then, either the entire product or the relevant components are declared safe for human health. Each component is tested against more than 1,000 harmful substances, with separate limits for products meant for babies, products with or without direct contact to skin, and decorative items. For example, the limits for formaldehyde are as follows:
- Baby: Less than 16 mg/kg
- Direct Contact with Skin: Less than 75 mg/kg
- No Direct Contact with Skin: Less than 150 mg/kg
- Decorative Components: Less than 300 mg/kg
While Standard 100 is OEKO-TEX's most common certification, they offer a number of others geared towards the textile and leather industries, including MADE IN GREEN, ORGANIC COTTON, and ECO-PASSPORT. For more info, see the OEKO-TEX website, or to check whether your mattress is certified by the organization, use their label checker.
Certified Mattresses: the Casper Snow (Canadian Version) (cover only) and the Sleep On Latex Pure Green Organic
eco-INSTITUT
The eco-INSTITUT is an independent testing lab based in Germany that reviews products in a number of categories, including electronics, construction materials, furniture, and, of course, mattresses. They test for and set limits on more than 300 chemicals, heavy metals, and other substances, including phthalates, flame retardants, and pesticides. For example, in order to be certified, mattresses or mattress components must respect the following limits:
- Total Volatile Organic Compounds: Less than 400 µg/m³ (after two days in the testing chamber).
- Formaldehyde: Less than 24 µg/m³ (after two days in the testing chamber).
For more information, see the eco-INSTITUT website or this detailed list of their testing criteria.
Certified Mattresses: the Saatva Latex Hybrid and the Sleep On Latex Pure Green Organic (latex only)
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is more focused than the previous certifications, though it still has a fairly large set of requirements. In order for a mattress to meet the standard, textiles, foams, fabric-covered supports, adhesives, and other minor components must meet the following criteria:
Organic Fibers
Textiles and fabrics must contain a minimum of 70% certified organic fibers. This means that fibers must be produced sustainably, be plant-based (e.g., cotton, hemp) or animal-based (e.g., wool, cashmere), be free of harmful pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers, and be non-GMO.
Social Responsibility & Human Rights
The production of materials must also meet a number of standards related to human rights. This covers everything from the prohibition of forced and child labor to gender equality and the right to collective bargaining.
Environmental Criteria
Manufacturers must also follow stringent environmental guidelines during production. GOTS prohibits the use of heavy metals and other harmful substances, mandates proper wastewater treatment, and ensures monitoring of energy consumption.
If you'd like to learn more, you can visit the GOTS website.
Certified Mattresses: the Sleep On Latex Pure Green Organic
Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS)
Although the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) sounds very similar to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), they're actually unrelated and certified by different organizations entirely. That said, they cover a lot of the same criteria. GOLS comes from Control Union Global and, as you might imagine, focuses solely on certifying latex. In order to carry the GOLS seal, latex and latex products must meet the following criteria:
Organic Materials
Latex must be at least 95% organic and meet certain limits for VOCs and chemicals during production. For example, they must have less than 200 µg/m³ of VOCs and less than 24 µg/m³ of formaldehyde.
Social Responsibility & Human Rights
Latex must be produced in safe and hygienic working conditions without forced or child labor. Workers must be paid a living wage and have access to collective bargaining, and their working hours must follow national standards.
Environmental Criteria
Latex producers must also follow certain environmental guidelines. They're required to have a plan for waste and pollution management, wastewater treatment, and energy and water conservation.
For more information, see Control Union Global's website.
Certified Mattresses: the Saatva Latex Hybrid and the Sleep On Latex Pure Green Organic
Conclusion
Mattress certifications can give you useful insight into material quality, health and safety concerns, and even the environmental and social impact of your purchase. Now that you have a better understanding of the most common certifications, you may want to read our mattress buying guide for a full breakdown of what to look out for while shopping.