You don't buy a mattress every year. Fortunately, because it's quite a purchase. But sooner or later, yours really will be due for replacement. And when you start looking for a more sustainable mattress, what do you actually look out for? We visited Greensleep and discovered mattresses made from natural materials that you can even customise entirely. Now, we wanted to know more about that!
A more sustainable mattress: where do you start?
When you think of a mattress, you probably think first of a comfortable lie-down. We certainly do. But what such a mattress is actually made of? We tend to think about that a lot less often. Many mattresses consist largely of synthetic foam, such as polyurethane foam or memory foam. Polyester is also frequently used in the cover. Such synthetic materials are generally made from fossil raw materials such as oil and gas. At the end of their lifespan, they are not always easy to reuse or recycle. Greensleep takes a different approach, choosing natural materials such as natural latex, organic cotton, wool and flax instead. And that is just the beginning!
A mattress that you configure completely to measure
What immediately stands out when we see the mattress in the showroom is the colour. Not brilliant white, but a lovely natural cream colour. That is because the materials are not bleached. But it gets even more interesting when we unzip the mattress. A Greensleep mattress actually consists of several separate blocks of natural latex. Those blocks come in various firmnesses, from extra soft to firm, and can be combined with each other in different ways. This way, the mattress is completely put together based on your build, sleeping position and what you yourself find comfortable to lie on. The idea behind this is that your body needs more support in one place and, conversely, needs to be able to sink in a bit further in another place. This allows your spine to lie as naturally as possible while sleeping. And because every body is different, virtually every Greensleep mattress is unique.
In the Greensleep showroom, we didn't just look at the bed, but also at what's inside it. The mattress consists of individual natural latex blocks in various firmnesses, which are combined completely to measure.
Natural latex, wool, flax and organic cotton
Also in terms of materials, Greensleep takes a different approach to many standard mattresses. The blocks we were just talking about are made of natural latex: rubber derived from the sap of the rubber tree. In addition, Greensleep uses natural materials such as wool, flax and organic cotton. Each material has its own function. Natural latex is resilient and forms the basis of the mattress, while wool helps to regulate moisture and temperature, amongst other things. Therefore, these natural materials have not only been chosen because they are an alternative to synthetic foam, but also because they work well in a mattress that you lie on for hours every night.
Not straight away a brand new mattress
Those loose blocks have another advantage. If, after a few years, a part of the mattress needs replacing, you don't automatically have to throw away the complete mattress. You can replace one part and simply keep using the rest. Even if your body or sleeping needs change, the composition can be adjusted. That makes the modular system not only handy for customisation, but it can also ensure that your mattress lasts longer. And for a product that is normally discarded in its entirety, we think that's a pretty clever idea.
Now slow sleeping alongside slow fashion
We came for the mattresses, but it turns out Greensleep makes a whole lot more: from solid wood beds and bed bases to pillows and bed linen. And you can actually see the same philosophy reflected everywhere. A bit like slow fashion, but for your bed. For instance, the wooden bed we look at in the showroom is completely modular in design, and even the joints are made of wood. If a part ever breaks, you can simply reorder it rather than having to buy a whole new bed. Also special is the Orthoflex bed base, which features coconut fibre among other things. So no traditional slatted or sprung base, but a flexible system that works in harmony with the mattress. Moreover, many of the products are handcrafted at their own production site in Belgium. Everything is geared towards not just buying a bed on a whim, but putting together something that will last you for as long as possible.
View the beds and mattresses from Greensleep.
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Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
