I went shopping this past weekend, but not the normal kind of shopping that most people would think about; I went mattress shopping to see what was being offered on the general market. The selection and price variation was amazing.
On the surface, the array of offerings was like a fashion show. The colors, textures and designs attempt to lead the consumer to believe that mattress shopping is a beauty contest; but itâs not.
Once purchased, a mattress remains covered with sheets and other bedding most of itâs life. All the flash and glitter on the surface of the mattress becomes meaningless and invisible. The soul of a mattress is itâs contents – not itâs ticking, yet more attention is placed on itâs exterior aesthetics than on itâs interior components and construction; that alone is cause for concern.
Upon exploration and investigation itâs easy to understand why most mattress dealers shy away from exposing the ugliness of their mattress contents; the inside looks like some sort of medieval torture devise and not something that represents comfort and relaxation. Typically, traditional mattresses are made from twisted metal wires that are covered in chemical foam.
Even most mattress sales people will tell you that a traditional mattress is not the ideal sleep system and that a natural latex bed is far superior but generally more expensive; at least in the short term.
Traditional mattresses begin to show wear and âbreak-downâ after 3 â 5 years of use and are normally in need of replacement within 7 years. Organic, natural latex mattresses maintain their âlike-newâ qualities for 20 years or more. When calculating cost, itâs simple to understand that over itâs life, an organic mattress is the much better value.
In addition to the financial benefits of an organic latex mattress, the health factors should also be considered.
A natural latex mattress provides even temperature regulated support and comfort while not discharging potentially harmful off-gasses that are common with traditional mattresses which have been saturated with fire retardant chemicals. Natural latex mattresses use wool or other eco-safe elements in order to pass strict federal fire and burn regulations. High quality natural latex mattresses that are produced from an eco-friendly company that has been manufacturing organic products for 20 years, such as Tomorrowâs World, which heavily monitors quality control is your safest bet.
Not only is a natural, organic latex mattress more comfortable and better for the environment, but it is also dust mite, mold and mildew resistant; anyone with allergies or asthma can testify to the benefits of an allergen free mattress.
In essence, though some conventional mattresses may appear to be beautiful on the outside, on the inside, where it really matter, they are not much more than knotted up metal and chemicals. Before mattress shopping, ask yourself: Would you eat a rotten cake just because it has pretty frosting?
