I slept on a 550lb mattress made of just cotton, wool and coils for a month. Here's the case for old-school beds — Guardian journalism is independent. We earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.
This eco-friendly mattress made from organic materials as a nice balance of give and underlying firmness, though it’s pretty bouncy
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Sleep sits at the base of psychologist Abraham Maslow’s famous pyramid of needs, and it’s especially frustrating when a good night’s rest evades your grasp. Personally, thanks to a combination of a bad back and a sleep disorder, it’s all about the right mattress.
For nearly a month, I tested the Naturepedic Serenade, the cheapest mattress from an eco-friendly brand that offers three firmness options: Plush, Cushion-Firm and Firm, all made from cotton and organic materials rather than chemical foams. I tried a queen-sized firm version – I favor a mattress that supports me while sleeping on my back or side. And after a few weeks’ rest, I’m pleased to report that it is a great combination: I got a comfortable night’s sleep with reassuringly firm support and a little bit of give.
Naturepedic Serenade MattressNaturepedic Serenade Mattress (Queen)
I slept on the mattress with my wife, my dog and our two cats for several weeks, keeping notes on how well we (the humans) slept, and using my Apple Watch to track my sleep patterns. We invited others to lay down and test the comfort of the mattress, and I also used weights to simulate different body types using the mattress.
The give: how much you sink into the mattress when you lie on it.
Motion transfer: if you get up in the night, does the other mattress user feel the motion?
Edge resilience: if you sit on the edge of the mattress, do you feel like you are going to slide off?
How much the mattress captured heat and moisture, which I measured using an iButton sensor that logged the temperature and humidity near my skin as I lay on the mattress.
I also closely examined the construction and build quality of the mattress. After the review was complete, I returned the mattress to Naturepedic for donation.
I am a professional reviewer who has been breaking things to see how well they work since 1993. I have tested more laptops, cell phones and other gadgets than you probably have had hot dinners, plus a huge range of consumer appliances from coffee makers to washing machines to, yes, mattresses for publications such as Reviewed.com, PC World, CNET and many others. Basically, if you use it, I have probably tested it over the years.
Warranty: 25 years (depreciating refund after 10 years)
Sustainability credentials: GOTS certified organic, EWG verified, UL Formaldehyde-free validated