As you curate or redesign your evening sanctuary, you may be wanting to limit your exposure to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other potentially toxic chemicals. The EPA reports that many VOCs are 2-5 times higher indoors than outdoors, and that these VOCs are widely used in household products, including furnishings. Thus the need for this guide to non-toxic bedroom furniture companies!
Why Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture Matters
The EPA states that they “from an indoor health perspective”, they have “no authority to regulate household products”, which is concerning to say the least.
That said, the EPA does have the authority to regulate on certain chemical substances in the Toxic Substances Control Act which has protected us from chemicals like asbestos and lead-based paint.
And after California Air Resources Board issues requirements, the EPA released formaldehyde emissions standards for composite wood products, as formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen. (The standards lower the maximum formaldehyde emissions a composite wood product can have, but does not require the emissions to be zero.)
Many states have their own regulations around VOCs. I won’t bore you with the details, but you may want to search for your own state’s stance on VOCs.
All this to say, while there is some regulation around toxic chemicals in our products the standards still allow for many toxic chemicals in what we bring into our home, like furniture.
What is Sustainable and Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture?
I know it can be overwhelming to find out that there is relatively little control over the chemicals that are allowed to enter our home. This is why it’s essential to advocate for better consumer products regulation that actually protect our health. And, if you’re looking for companies that are taking environmental and human safety seriously, there are several non-toxic bedroom furniture brands doing so.
Here is some of the criteria I looked for when making this list.
Solid Wood is a Safer Bet
Composite wood products must be stuck together, and that’s typically done with glue that contains formaldehyde. There are some companies making composite wood products with more sustainable alternatives, but I would recommend either sticking to solid wood or looking for an explicit explanation of the alternative glue being used. (Ideally the composite wood product would also be tested by a third party. More on that in a moment.)
In terms of sustainability, look for wood that is reclaimed or responsibly sourced from well-managed forests and at the very least, not coming from old-growth or endangered forests.
Unfinished or Low VOC Finishes
Most wood furniture is finished with some type of finish. These can be natural oil finishes like linseed oil or they may also be polyurethane (plastic material). Generally natural oils and water-based finishes are recognized as emitting lower levels of VOCs. And I’m always a fan of avoiding fossil-fuel products where I can.
Some of the brands on this list even have unfinished wood options, which would be the safest bet.
Natural (or Even Organic) Materials
Synthetic fibers make up 64% of global fiber production. In other words, the majority of fabrics we see today — whether in clothes, home textiles, or upholstered furniture — are either fully or partially synthetic.
Look for materials like natural latex, organic cotton, and linen in your non-toxic bedroom furniture. Even natural materials often are colored with synthetic dyes, but we’re doing the best we can!
Third Party Certifications
To be clear, no certification is going to be perfect but there are several certifying parties adding an extra layer of protection to non-toxic related claims.
GOTS: Global Organic Textile Standard
As is in the name, GOTS is a standard for organic textile processing and certifies the entire supply chain of a textile. It can be used to certify fiber products like fabrics, clothes and mattresses.
GOLS: Global Organic Latex Standard
This standard certifies products, like mattresses, that are made from organic natural rubber latex.
GREENGUARD Gold
This is a globally recognized certification from the Greenguard Environmental Institute that verifies products for low emissions of VOCs indoors.
FSC-Certified: Forest Stewardship Council
The FSC certifies wood and other forest products to ensure that they come from forests meeting certain environmental and social standards.
Where to Find Sustainable and Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture
With those considerations top of mind, I’ve curated my top picks for sustainably-crafted furniture (and mattresses) for your bedroom.
1. Avocado
Categories: Mattresses, Crib Mattress, Kids Mattress, Beds, Bedding, Nightstands, Dressers
Highlights: GOTS and GOLS Certified USA Mattress Factory, FSC-Certified USA Woodshop, GREENGUARD Gold Certified Products
Avocado was first founded as a green mattress company, making GOTS-certified organic non-toxic mattresses that meet STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® standards. The brand has since expanded into bedding and furniture with the same high standards, using sustainably sourced wood, organic fabrics, and zero VOC finishes.
2. Savvy Rest
Categories: Beds, Mattresses, Pillows
Highlights: Organic & Natural Materials, Zero VOC Finishes, Unfinished Option, USA-Made
Savvy Rest uses the best of the best when it comes to eco and non-toxic bedroom furniture and mattress materials. The beds are made from Appalachian wood in Virginia and finished with zero VOC linseed oil, zero-VOC stain or can be left unfinished.
The mattresses are made in a GOTS-certified facility with GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) certified natural latex, certified organic wool and certified organic cotton.
*Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off all products on Savvy Rest
3. Medley
Categories: Beds, Mattress, Dressers, Nightstands, Accent Chairs, Benches + Ottomans
Highlights: FSC-Certified Wood, GOLS-Certified Latex, USA-Made
Medley’s specialty is contemporary sustainable and non-toxic furniture. Their eco-friendly bedroom furniture is made with responsibly-sourced wood, organic natural latex, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100-certified wool, and zero-VOC finishes. The brand also carries a mattress made in Illinois from 100% GOLS-certified latex.
4. Birch
Categories: Mattresses, Kids Mattress, Beds, Bedding
Highlights: GOTS-Certified Factory, Fair Trade Certified Factory, GREENGUARD Gold-Certified Products
With “Best Organic Mattress” awards from outlets like CNN and Forbes, Birch’s popular mattress is made with quality natural materials like organic cotton, organic wool, and natural latex. Birch’s foundation is made with spruce hardwood and organic cotton; note that their bed frame’s upholstery option is polyester (plastic) fabric, so I would avoid that variant due to sustainability concerns.
5. Cisco Home @ Urban Natural
Categories: Beds, Dressers, Nightstands, Accent Chairs + Sofas, Benches + Ottomans
Highlights: Sustainable Furnishing Council Founding Member, FSC-Certified Wood, Organic Material Options, USA Made,
Cisco Home’s “Inside Green” collection is your ticket to sustainable and non-toxic bedroom furniture. When you select this option on their products — from upholstered beds to benches — your selection will be made to order with FSC-certified wood, jute, hemp, organic latex, organic cotton and wool.
6. Healthier Homes
Categories: Accent Chairs, Lighting, Dressers + Nightstands, Storage + Shelving, Bedding, Rugs, Paint + Wallpaper
Highlights: Solid Hardwood Furniture, Natural Fabrics, Vets for Non-Toxic Materials
Founded by the “world’s first healthy home builders” Jenny and Rusty are on a mission to make non-toxic natural furnishings more easily accessible to their community. Healthier Homes is a destination for all things non-toxic home, including furniture, decor, home textiles, and even paint.
7. Thuma
Categories: Bed, Dresser, Shelving, Bedside Tables, Mattress, Bedding, Rugs
Highlights: Upcycled Solid Rubberwood, GREENGUARD Gold-Certified Products
Everything Thuma sells is thoughtfully designed with functionality top of mind. Thuma’s dresser is modular and adaptable to varying needs with 7 different configurations (including a bedside table). The bed’s pieces are also configurable — buy just a bed frame or add on a headboard and/or cushion knowing that everything is designed to work together seamlessly.
8. My Green Mattress
Categories: Mattresses, Kids Mattresses, Crib Mattress, Bed Frames, Bedding
Highlights: GOTS + GOLS Certified Mattresses, USA Made, Zero Wood Stains
The certified organic mattresses from My Green Mattress are all made in their own factory in Illinois. These quality mattresses come with a year-long sleep trial and 20-year warranty so you can rest easy about your purchase. The Amish-made platform bed is made with the same commitments and is left unfinished with zero wood stains.
9. Natural Home by the Futon Shop
Categories: Mattresses, Beds, Futons, Dressers & Bedside Tables, Bedding
Highlights: Organic Materials, Solid Wood Options, Zero VOC Finish Options
If you’re looking for a non-toxic futon frame or sofa bed mattress, The Futon Shop is just your place. The retailer offers organic cotton, natural Dunlop latex, and natural wool mattresses for both sofa beds and regular beds. Many of their futons and platform beds are made with solid wood. Look for the options like this one that say “Chemical Free” or “Natural” for non-toxic bed frames finished with linseed oil only.
More Furniture Guides:
15 Best Non-Toxic Furniture Brands for a Healthier Home
11 Eco-Friendly and Non-Toxic Beds for a Sustainable Slumber
7 Best Places for Sustainable and Non-Toxic Nightstands
The post 9 Sustainable Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture Companies for a Safer Sleep appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
9 Sustainable Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture Companies for a Safer Sleep
Curating a conscious home is a thoughtful process involving much consideration — who made my products, how they were made, and what are they made from — and this guide aims to support you on your journey towards finding ethical and sustainable home decor you truly love.
What is Sustainable Home Decor?
Sustainable home decor includes any home decor that is made in a way that takes into consideration both the makers and the planet. Sustainable home decor will be ethically made using eco-friendly and natural materials. Eco-friendly decor will also be produced using sustainable supply chain practices. This includes using renewable energy and recycled or compostable packaging.
While there are numerous sustainable home decor brands, some of which are featured below, first consider what’s already been made in order to prevent contributing to new waste. Secondhand, used, or DIY home decor options are typically more sustainable than buying new.
What is Ethical and Fair Trade Home Decor?
Ethical and Fair Trade home decor is produced in a way that adheres to Fair Trade standards and is, ideally, Fair Trade Certified. Fair Trade means paying artisans and makers a fair, living wage and providing ethical working conditions. Ethical home decor also includes supporting goods made by artisans using traditional heritage techniques and art forms. Many cultures around the world are at risk of losing their age-old artisanal crafts forever in the age of mass manufacturing.
It’s important to note that sometimes a major brand may use an “eco” fiber while still supporting irresponsible labor practices, and excessive production amounts that inevitably lead to a lot of waste. This is not true sustainability in my mind!
Most artisan-made home decor is ethically produced and directly supports the makers. However, it’s important to check if a brand or marketplace is transparent about their business practices to ensure they are ethical or Fair Trade.
Where Can You Find Sustainable Home Decor?
In terms of environmental sustainability, looking secondhand and vintage is always a great first place to look for sustainable home decor.
But if you’ve scoured those options and haven’t found what you’re looking for and/or if you’re looking to financially support artisans and traditional crafts around the globe, this shopping guide is designed for you. You’ll discover many brands with artfully designed and artisan handmade goods for furnishing any space among this list of decor brands.
All of the brands in this guide use natural and/or recycled fibers and avoid the use of virgin synthetics like polyester; however, some brands do use materials that are not the most environmentally-friendly option on the market, such as conventional cotton.
And of course, I wanted to choose brands that followed slow, thoughtful production practices, prioritizing artisan handmade over factory labor and quality over quantity.
So without further ado, here are my favorite small-batch, artisan-made, and ethical home decor brands.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links — as always, we only curate brands vetted for sustainability that we love (and that we think you’ll love too).
1. Urban Natural
Categories: Accent Pillows, Tabletop, Lighting, Wall Art & Mirrors, Blankets & Throws
Eco-friendly home retailer Urban Natural is on a mission to curate high-quality furniture (and other home goods) built with quality and free of toxic chemicals. Urban Natural carries several sustainable home decor brands, including artisan brands Ethnicraft and Jaipur Living as well as ethically USA-made brands Farmhouse Pottery and East Fork.
2. GOODEE
Categories: Pillows, Lighting, Wall Decor, Planters, Baskets, Blankets, Candles
GOODEE is an ethical marketplace featuring numerous sustainable artisan brands and designers. You’ll find a variety of beautifully crafted home decor goods to suit a wide range of styles. Goodee is a Climate Neutral and B Corp Certified company. They publish an annual impact report so you can easily ensure their business practices align with your values.
Our favorite brands on Goodee are Texidors, Baba Tree, Makaua, and Tensira.
3. Healthier Homes
Categories: Rugs, Lighting, Tabletop, Baskets, Wall Decor & Wallpaper
Founded after years running an award-winning healthy home building firm and publishing a book by the same name (Healthier Homes) this retailer is a go-to online destination for finding non-toxic home goods. The eco-friendly home decor on Healthier Homes is primarily made with natural materials like clay, cotton, seagrass, mango wood, and bamboo,
4. Will & Atlas
Categories: Baskets, Tabletop
Will & Atlas is a women-owned small business making most of their homewares from plant materials like jute, palm leaf, and hogla grass. Their natural fiber baskets are flexile but sturdy built to hold blankets, pillows, laundry, magazines, toys, or just to stand alone as a decor piece. You’ll also find jute coasters and placemats in their tabletop collection.
The brand is committed to ethical practices, partnering with nonprofit fair trade artisan groups in Bangladesh and craftspeople in the U.S. to build long-lasting production relationships.
5. Ten Thousand Villages
Categories: Baskets, Pillows, Throws, Candles, Wall Art, Planters & Vases
Founded 80 years ago, Ten Thousand Villages is the original fair trade store. Throughout the decades, the nonprofit business has continued their commitment to fair wages, safe working conditions, as well as sustainability.
As a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization, with artisans around the world from under-resourced communities. Most of the products they carry are made from recycled, upcycled, and natural materials.
6. MagicLinen
Categories: Curtains, Kitchen Linens
Linen is an exceptional material for home decor — there’s a reason we say “kitchen linens!” It’s natural, beautiful, and is often high quality.
I purchased a set of linen curtains from Magic Linen one year ago and they remain one of my favorite home decor pieces. The fabric they use meets the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, meaning its been tested for harmful substances.
7. Passion Lilie
Categories: Pillow Covers, Table Linens
Passion Lilie is a fair trade fashion and lifestyle brand with ethically made home decor, too. The Fair Trade Verified brand has handwoven cotton blankets, organic cotton kitchen linens, unique ornaments, and hand-dyed throw pillow covers.
Each piece is made by Passion Lilie’s partners in India who pay living wages and ensure a safe working environment. Beyond this, the brand supports efforts to enable artisans to continually develop their skills and creates opportunities for community development.
8. 54kibo
Categories: Throw Pillows, Wall Hangings & Artwork, Mirrors, Baskets, Rugs, Lighting
A destination for modern African artisanal decor, 54kibo curates a stunning selection of ethically made home decor. The pieces on 54kibo are made with time-honored techniques using locally sourced materials with rich histories. The designs are exceptional, but the stories behind them make the pieces beautiful additions to your home beyond the surface.