Three tips for sleeping on a greener mattress that preserves your health

Perrine Brami, Alexandre Dalifard 6:26 p.m., September 28, 2022

Can we sleep on a mattress that is more ecological and healthier for our health?

In "Benefit for you" on Europe 1 Perrine Brami, gives her advice for sleeping greener and healthier.

A subject that is all the more important as we spend an average of 25 years between a mattress and a duvet.

It is therefore important to question the materials used for this.

Exit synthetic foam, make way for materials that are more respectful of the planet and which also allow you to be in better health.

greener moss

Lighter, cheaper, convenient to turn over, the foam mattress has some undeniable advantages.

However, it is not the most respectful material for the planet or health.

Used since the 1930s, is very often of synthetic origin.

Specifically, it's polyurethane, a derivative of petroleum, which can have a huge impact.

"Beyond the synthetic side, these are materials that will release volatile particles", confirms to the micro Europe 1 of Perrine Brami, Alexandre Tepper, co-founder of Cosme, a mattress manufacturer.

"The different layers of foam will be glued with synthetic glue. So that also releases vapors and volatile particles. The vast majority of mattresses that exist on the market will be made of these materials."

Faced with this problem, and with the ecological concern increasingly present in our societies, some manufacturers are moving towards products that are more respectful of the environment.

This is the case of the company Le Mattress Vert, which has developed a soy-based foam with a ticking made from fibers impregnated with aloe vera, more natural components.

A first step towards a greener sleep, but it is possible to go further. 

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Latex, a 100% natural material

Indeed, if natural foam remains a good derivative, latex is the best solution for obtaining a mattress that respects the environment and health.

“Basically, latex is a liquid material that is harvested from a tree, the rubber tree. In mattresses, it will be put into molds that will be heated and cooled several times. this is called vulcanization. Once this step has been carried out, the latex will swell and stabilize in a solid state which is ultimately the final form to be integrated into the mattresses", explains Alexandre Tepper.

A technique which makes it possible to avoid the addition of chemical products, since all that is needed is a thermal action in order to model the mattresses.

Be careful however, the name latex does not necessarily rhyme with respect for the environment: there are synthetic latexes which are derived from petroleum and therefore less ecological.

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Greener, more expensive

Another advantage of latex compared to synthetic foam, it can adapt to different ways of sleeping, and thus improve the state of fatigue.

"For people who will sleep on their side, we will try materials that are a little more flexible and therefore stay on natural latex alone. For people who sleep only on their back and for example with a larger size, we will try to have a mixture of latex with a layer of coconut fiber in the middle", explains Alexandre Tepper.

Finally, "if you want something fresh and very soft, we will use camel."