An Inside Look at the Brand behind the Naturpedic Organic Twin Mattress and Crib Mattress
If you have looked around our site at all, then you can tell that we like well made products for our children. We love modern design and don’t fall for the trends of the day. One of the things that really get us going is finding out more about how our items are made, and especially when we know that they are made by real people right here in the USA. So many products these days are just shipped from here to there with no way to know who, what, when or where they were made and what materials were used in that production. But, it is not that way with the Naturepedic Organic Mattresses.
Quality at Naturepedic
Naturepedic mattresses are made to be safe, we all know that, but a great deal of attention is paid to making them well, also. In fact, they have become a sort of standard in children’s mattresses and are used in over 150 hospitals in the United States.
The Process
At their facility in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is where all of the “making” happens. Everything is handmade here, with skilled craftspeople using building stations instead of an automated assembly line. You might ask how this is better, when we all know that a machine is usually more consistent. Well, this can be true sometimes, but what most assembly lines lack is a personal touch. And that is exactly what the handmade aspect of Naturepedic’s process is all about. They empower every employee with the responsibility and authority to check for quality and to stop the process if they see something that isn’t being built to the standard. Of course they use tools to do their job and machines where possible to add the consistency, but the personal oversight are the key to their process.
The Start
Naturepedic was founded by Barry A Cik after spending over 25 years as an environmental engineer. The idea for the company came when he was blessed with his first grand-child, and was stumped in trying to find a suitable crib mattress. According to Barry, “I knew all about vinyl/PVC, polyurethane foam, and the various chemicals contained in them and there was no way I was going to put my grandchild to sleep within a few inches of these chemicals.” So, he sought out to build a better alternative and a safe product for his grand-child which was the start of the organic crib mattress that you see offered from them today.
What Is an Organic Mattress
Doesn’t the term organic usually go with food? The answer is yes, but it mostly pertains to the lack of chemicals used in growing that food. And, when you start talking about chemicals, then mattresses are some of the most infested products on the market. According to Allan Woodburn, an environmental researcher, Cotton uses almost 25% of the world’s insecticides and more than 10% of its pesticides. The Environmental Justice Foundation says that cotton is the “dirtiest” crop because of all of the insecticides. And, this is just in the raw material. We haven’t even gotten to the added chemicals for fire retarding. So, an organic mattress in short is one that doesn’t use “dirty” materials.
Certifications
The main certification, of many, and you can look at the Naturepedic website for the full list of certifications, is the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). This is the certification that covers all textile products and is a worldwide certification and standards organization. Their requirements cover everything in textile production from harvesting raw material through environmentally sound process to manufacturing and labeling products.
What Is In an Organic Mattress
So, what does Naturepedic use in their mattresses?
Organic Cotton
This is the main material, and we have already covered some of its issues. But, Naturepedic uses only certified organic cotton, that has no synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or GMO’s (genetically modified organisms). Most other manufacturers would use a foam or latex.
Food-Grade Polyethylene
This only applies to waterproof mattresses. But, even for this, Naturepedic goes the extra mile and uses a material that is so pure that it could be certified for food prep. PE as it’s called is a common material in the food packaging industry and known for being non-toxic.
Steel Innerspring
The innerspring in all of the Naturepedic mattresses are made of high quality steel. They provide heavy duty support without any health problems. All of the organic twin mattresses and crib mattresses have anywhere from 150 coils to 360 coils.
Wavesupport Lightweight Technology
This is a Naturepedic invention that they use to reduce the weight of their mattresses by using the safe polyethylene.
PLA Comfort Layer
PLA is a fiber that is used for batting that is entirely based on plant material. It has no off-gassing and is actually used in sutures and stints in the medical industry. This is a great alternative for those with allergies, too, because of its hypoallergenic design.
Fire Protection
Fire retardants are the area that commonly makes mattresses just over the top on chemicals and off-gassing. But, no one wants their child to be at risk in a fire situation, and those extra minutes that the retardants give can sometimes be life-saving. Knowing that your child is sleeping on carcinogens for 12 or 14 hours per day isn’t a pleasant thought either, though. Some of this situation is caused by the material that is used in the first place, though, like polyurethane foam, which the National Association of State Fire Marshals refers to it as “solid gasoline.” This is where the organic cotton and PLA batting comes in. They are both natural fire retardants, and allow the Naturepedic mattresses to not need all of the chemicals.