What makes bedding ‘sustainable’ or less harmful to our earth / our bodies? There are a few things to consider – material, supply chain, packaging and working conditions. 

To make it easier, I compiled a list of sustainable bedding brands I’ve tried or been recommended so that you can find the right fit for your household. I’ve also unpacked a lot of information regarding the importance of regenerative agriculture practices, natural materials over synthetic fibres and more at the end of the post. 

Sustainable Linen Bedding Brands I’ve Tried:

Parachute Home 

Linen, Percale, Brushed Cotton

These were my first introduction to linen sheets about four years ago and we still have that duvet and sheet set. We also got two sets for our home in Maine this summer from Parachute Home because we really love their quality.

Their sheets are made in Portugal in a family-owned factory. They are OEKO-TEX certified meaning their products surpass the highest criterion of testing for harmful chemicals and synthetics. They also don’t artificially soften their fabrics.

The one downside I have to mention is that recently they moved to plastic packaging (?!) which I found out when I ordered this summer. Previously, when I initially ordered years ago, the sheet sets came in (reusable) linen bags and zero waste packaging. Confused and very bothered by this change but I felt weird not including them as we LOVE our sheets from them.

Magic Linen

Organic Linen 

Magic Linen is the second eco-friendly bedding brand we have tried. Their products are also OEKO-TEX certified meaning they are absolutely absent from harmful substances and chemicals.

They prioritize plastic-free packaging made out of corn starch and PBAT, a bio-based polymer. More info on linen in general linked here.

Sustainable Mattress We Have & Love: 

Avocado Mattress Organic Mattress

Non-Toxic, Sustainable Mattress

We have the Avocado Green Mattress made with GOLS organic certified latex, GOTS organic certified wool, GOTS organic certified cotton, and up to 1,414 pocketed support coils arranged in 5 zones.

No polyester, polyurethane foams, or toxic fire retardants. Hand-tufted, not glued. They also have a vegan option (sans wool) and a fully latex option.

Lastly, they recently released a line of sustainably made linen bedding. Knowing the quality of their mattresses, I can only imagine how lovely their bedding line is and I can’t wait to try it!

Sustainable Comforter We Have & Love:

Under The Canopy

Sustainable Bedding

When looking for a sustainably made comforter to put inside our duvets, I came up short. Although I would prefer one made with only organic materials, I was able to find this comforter from Under The Canopy made with a mix of organic cotton cover and recycled down alternative polyfill.

They are a carbon neutral company with a focus on organic and recycled materials. We really love their matelasse blankets made with GOTS and OEKO-TEX certified organic cotton. Super cozy, soft & high quality!

Sustainable Bedding Brands I’ve Been Recommended: 

Coyuchi

Coyuchi is a brand that is dedicated to sustainable practices and using their platforms to educate their community which I find really refreshing. Linen bedding is by far my favorite but they have a few different options.

The organic flax that’s used for their linen is grown in France and supports a community of farmers who include it as part of their rotation of organic crops — including wheat, fava beans, alfalfa, and winter oats — encouraging organic farming practices for so much more than just linens. You learn more about sustainable practices here.

Holy Lamb Organics

I found out about Holy Lamb Organics from one of my favorite podcasts, The Good Dirt, and was blown away by the knowledge, care and intention behind this brand.

They craft beautiful textile products by hand. Combining heritage methods with pristine organic materials and sustainable business practices, they are dedicated to help people sleep well and feel their best.

Amber Fort Bedding

Hemp Bedding 

Beautiful, eco-friendly hemp bedding created by a woman-owned business. Thought goes into every aspect of the production process from the farming of the hemp, to the fair trade certified artisans that lovingly hand make their eco-friendly bedding, to shipping it to you plastic-free.

Amber Fort is named after a beautiful palace located in Jaipur, India where their bedding is made. Hemp bedding is sustainable, durable, thermoregulating, antibacterial and odor-mildew resistant.

Dazed But Amazed 

I Love Linen 

The Citizenry

Of The Sun

PACT

Rough Linen 

Flax Sleep

Brook Linen

Tips For Shopping Eco-Friendly Bedding

Something to keep an eye out for: organic materials

When we think of the term ‘organic’ we usually associate it with food. Over the past few years, I have learned the importance of organically farmed textiles for both clothing and household items. 

The main benefit of organic materials is that the crops (cotton, flax, hemp, etc) aren’t treated with pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. These toxins are harmful for farmers and workers, us as consumers and entire eco-systems.

Organic materials utilize crops that are grown with methods and materials that lessen the impact on our environment. A big effort in the organic movement is to use growing systems that replenish and maintain (or regenerate) soil fertility and build biologically diverse agriculture. Learn more about this by watching this documentary.

Bedding, table linens and slipcovers are commonly made from conventionally grown cotton (extremely detrimental to our environment) and synthetic fabrics like polyester. When we spend nearly half our lives in bed, this much interaction with synthetic materials is damaging to our endocrine system. 

The main raw material used to produce polyester (plastic fibers) is oil which is a non-renewable resource and not sustainable. Seeing that polyester is plastic means that it’s also not biodegradable, meaning that polyester fibers that end up in landfill will long outlive us.

Something to keep an eye out for: environmental certifications

• Certified B Corporation 
• GOTS Certified 
• OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100
• Made Safe Certified 
• Climate Neutral Certified 

Not all brands will have these as some are smaller / newer and these certifications can be hard to obtain. But these are certifications that are great to be aware of and look out for!

Podcast On Sustainable Bedding Industry

If you’re wanting to learn more about the importance of eco-friendly bedding, I really appreciated this episode of The Good Dirt Podcast! In general, this is one of my favorite podcasts to listen to which is hosted by a mother-daughter duo.

In this episode they deep dive into the importance of sustainable bedding and unpack a lot of the topics I introduced in this post!

Overall

The importance of sourcing sustainable bedding goes much deeper than just having beautiful or luxurious sheets.

It’s about the health and well being of the farmers growing the crops that become the materials.
About our health and well being as consumers who are interacting with these fibers on a daily basis.
About the lifecycle of the materials – will they biodegrade or end up in a landfill?
About regenerating the quality of the soil.

We have the opportunity to make powerful impact with our everyday choices.
For our own health & the health of the planet.