Non Toxic Mattress Reviews: Newton, Brooklyn Bedding, Tuft & Needle
There’s a reddit group called Moderately Granola, and I fit in well there. I want to make non toxic, healthy, holistic, natural-ish choices whenever possible, but I get that it’s not black & white, there are so many unknowns and only so much you can do about anything even if you did know for sure what was best. Mattresses are one of the things that I’ve decided I really do think make a difference to have low tox materials, even when it means extra cost. We spend so much time on our mattresses. In my kid’s case, it's literally half his day, every day, breathing in and out on his mattress.
To me, low VOC was the most important, but cleanliness/low bacteria attraction and low allergy potential was pretty high also, which meant “all natural” wasn’t necessarily my best option. I wanted whatever material had been tested most and deemed safe, whether natural or synthetic. This led me to three different mattresses, and I’ll give you my take on each:
Tuft and Needle Mint Mattress (Queen) — 10/10
This is the mattress my husband and I have in our bedroom and we’ve had it for a few years now. We love it. It came in a box, has been nice and comfortable and this doesn’t matter but it’s honestly really beautiful (lol).
It’s synthetic material but rated well for being anti bacterial while still being GREENGUARD Gold and CertiPUR-US certified.
It’s expensive, but we got a good deal on Black Friday.
I will say it had a little bit of a fumey off gassing smell when it first arrived, which I am guessing was mostly from being wrapped in plastic for a while before we received it and opened it. We let it air out for a day or two before sleeping on it to be sure, but I wasn’t worried since it has those certifications for low VOC.
Newton Kids Twin Mattress — 6/10
We bought this at first for our son’s first big boy bed. We loved his Newton crib mattress, so I figured the twin would be similar, but we ended up returning this one.
Comes in three segments that fit inside a cover. When I tried this out on the ground, the creases between them did not bother me and it still seemed comfortable enough, but once it was on the bed, the edges didn’t line up with the slats, so they were falling through in some spots, which made them much more uneven and not comfortable (and concerning for a little kid) to sleep on.
It’s extremely firm. I didn’t mind this because firm is good for kids, but yeah it is almost like sleeping on the ground, so some people would not like it.
It’s breathable and easily washable, just like the crib mattress. This was the biggest perk! The cover was very easy to throw in the washer and dryer and it’s nice that I didn’t need a waterproof mattress protector like I do on the new mattress we ended up getting to replace this one.
It’s on the higher end price for a twin (We got it on sale for $400)
The return process was easy. I had saved the box just in case, so I repacked it up, and then we showed the return QR code at FedEx and dropped it off. You can also print a return label and schedule a FedEx pick up if you can’t transport the big box easily in your own car.
GREENGUARD Gold and CertiPUR-US certified
Brooklyn Bedding Kids Twin Mattress— 10/10
I’m not sure how I missed this mattress in my initial shopping research, but I came across it when looking to replace the Newton. We’ve been really happy with it!
It’s super soft. It’s considered a firm mattress officially… I’d say it feels on the more cushy side to me but it doesn’t seem too cushy for a toddler to sleep safely.
It’s made to order, so the shipping took a couple weeks. We also didn’t receive order updates in the meantime, so for a while I was concerned that maybe I’d been scammed or my order got messed up or something, but suddenly it arrived and there were no issues!
GREENGUARD Gold and CertiPUR-US certified
The price was great — On sale 4th of July weekend for $185
It’s not washable like the Newton, so I ordered this cotton lined SafeRest OEKO Tex certified waterproof mattress cover, and it’s working great.
Non Toxic Foam Bumpers
For my son’s bed, we added these side rails/bumpers and they’re working out great. It comes with covers so you can wash them, but I find the covers make them more slippery and prone to fall over the edge of the mattress, so I just left the covers off
I believe they are OEKO Tex certified. Delta Children seems to highly prioritize non toxic safety, but it’s a little unclear which exact certifications these bumpers have vs their mattresses etc.
Sheets / Bedding
For bedding I just look for OEKO Tex certified 100% cotton bedding. There are tons of options — Target has many! We also love Brooklinen Bedding.
Bed Frame
