DiMare Design wants to make sure you rest easy at night, knowing that your mattress is safe, clean, and ethical. That’s why vegan design expert Deborah DiMare produced a video titled “How to Choose the Best Healthy & Ethical Mattress.”

In it, she explains that some mattresses contain wool, which is cruelly obtained and often treated with pesticides, preservatives, and other chemicals to keep it from decomposing.

Some mattresses are also treated with flame retardants, formaldehydes, and benzene, all of which can pose problems for children, the elderly, and others.

DiMare urges everyone to shop for a vegan mattress, especially one made with natural latex that’s derived from rubber trees—not synthetic latex made from petroleum compounds.

While of course, you should never consider a mattress that contains wool, there are certifications that can help you avoid ones that may have been treated with harmful chemicals, including the following:

• OEKO-TEX: This certification indicates that the materials are nontoxic.
• GREENGUARD/GREENGUARD Gold: The GREENGUARD label means that the mattress generated few chemical emissions while off-gassing. The “Gold” version meets stricter standards for vulnerable populations, including babies, elderly people, and pregnant women.

You can always check out DiMare’s top mattress picks, but if you’re considering shopping elsewhere or buying a secondhand mattress to save money, be sure to research your options carefully, especially since older mattresses may contain toxic substances that are now banned.

DiMare offers lots of other information about vegan interior design and buying vegan—something everyone who cares about animals strives to do!