How to choose a more sustainable bed and why we should all be saying no to foam [ad]

[AD – press gift. I will be receiving a Button & Sprung bed and mattress as part of this collaboration. All images: Button & Sprung, except where specified] 

It is estimated that we sleep for a third of our lives. That’s a lot of time spent snoozing, tossing and turning, and enjoying the odd lie-in under the covers. No wonder a good bed is an investment purchase – not something you just buy on a whim without giving it much thought. It pays to think carefully about what you’re sleeping on and how it’s made. 

I believe living sustainably isn’t just better for the environment, it’s also better for our own health and wellbeing. And if you’re putting your face to something every night and breathing it in, you want to know that what you’re inhaling isn’t harmful. A few years ago it hadn’t even crossed my mind that foam mattresses could be toxic. Sure, it smelt a bit pungent when you cut open the packaging and the mattress slowly unfolded and puffed up, but how clever, a one-size-fits-all mattress that came in a box and was so affordable. The marketing was seductive. Now I worry about the long-term effects of a cheap buy. I’m much more conscious about the things that go into my home – I want to know exactly what it’s made of and its impact on the planet. 

Light, white washed bedroom with grey linen bedding - minimalist bedroom - sustainable bed
A light, white washed bedroom with grey linen bedding

Button & Sprung is a bed and mattress specialist that believes natural is best. It was founded by Adam Black and Matthew Hardcastle with the idea of doing one thing well and knowing everything there is to know about getting a great night’s sleep. To that end, Button & Sprung only specialise in pocket sprung mattresses. All their mattresses are made in Yorkshire with natural fillings, such as wool, hemp, flax, cashmere and horsehair, and come with a chemical-free covering. Black and Hardcastle are encouraging consumers to adopt the same ‘foam-aphobic’ approach with their campaign to say no to foam. From autumn of this year, all of their mattresses are 100% chemical free and completely recyclable. 

I headed to Button & Sprung’s showroom to meet the founders and try their mattresses out for myself – here’s what I learnt and what to consider when choosing a more sustainable bed and mattress. 

light grey bedroom with period details - grey bed with crisp white bedding - elegant interiors
A nature-inspired grey bedroom with period details and a sustainable bed

Is the mattress natural or synthetic? Do you choose pocket sprung or foam? 

The big decision to make is between pocket sprung and foam mattresses – this mainly comes down to a choice between the natural and the synthetic. 

Memory foam was first developed by NASA for astronauts to cushion their landing. Synthetic foam mattresses are predominantly made of polyurethane foam (a byproduct of oil production), viscoelastic foam or latex foam. Some mattresses can also contain other toxic chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde; a known carcinogen, the exposure of which has been linked to cancer (two bed manufacturers had to halt production in 2017 after finding excessive levels of carcinogenic ingredients in their foam mattresses). These materials can start to off-gas, where they release airborne chemicals or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, or in this case, the bedroom – paint, carpet and furniture can also do the same too.

One study just this year found that the level of VOCs in polyurethane mattress could indeed be harmful, especially to children. Some chemicals you may be able to smell (the strong smell as the foam mattress starts to air), others may not be so noticeable. People with asthma or allergies are likely to be more vulnerable to their effects. But what is alarming is that the study found that more toxins are released during sleep when the bed warms up. Exactly the moment you put your face to the pillow. 

Light soft pink bedroom - calm interior - calm bedroom - pink bedroom
A calm bedroom with a soft pink upholstered bed that’s natural and chemical-free

The truth is we don’t really know yet what these foam mattresses are doing in the long term – there is no direct evidence of adverse health effects resulting from chronic exposure to VOCs from foam mattresses. There’s fire regulations for mattresses in the UK but there doesn’t seem to be any safety standards for the chemicals that go into foam mattresses. Interestingly, Button & Sprung was one of the first companies to remove the chemicals from the fire retardants that are needed for their mattresses to pass tests. They’ve made the viscose covering to the mattress chemical free.

‘We’re foam-aphobic and think foam’s a four letter word,’ says Button & Sprung founder Adam Black. ‘There’s a number of reasons why it’s not good. Foam’s an insulator, it makes you hot. If you’re going to future proof your decision, heat becomes a bigger issue in terms of sleeping. But there’s a bigger issue around what foam’s made of. We have a feeling we’ll look back in a few years time and understand that foam was one of the reasons why people didn’t feel very well.’

As well as the eco-friendly credentials, Black recommends natural materials because they better help regulate temperature and control moisture. I know with our foam mattress how much more it holds the sweat rather than absorbing it – I always have to give it a good air in the morning to release some of that dampness. If foam holds to a person’s shape and moulds to their contours, no wonder it’s not as breathable as a natural mattress.

‘If you go to the gym and want to make yourself sweat you cover yourself in polyester, well a foam mattress is covered in polyester, so the whole thing is designed to make you hot.’ Black told me, ‘There are studies to show that your core sleeping temperature is lower when you’ve got a natural filled mattress and if your core temperature is lower you sleep better. Overheating is one of the big reasons for waking up. Pocket spring mattresses are really good because if you roll around you’re not going to wake up your partner.’

Light beige bedroom with calm neutral tone and Japanese inspired design - Japanese inspired bedroom - beige bedroom
A soothing, Japanese-inspired bedroom with soft beige tones. A natural mattress won’t get you overheating and tossing and turning

How firm do you like your mattress?

Then it will come down to personal preference and how firm you want your mattress to be. Black recommends buying the best mattress you can afford – it’s an investment after all. Buying a new bed may seem like a large cost but if you break it down to cost per sleep, it’s probably not as expensive as it first appears. It’s worth it for a better night’s sleep. Black estimates that their most expensive mattress is only £1 a night for 10 years worth of use.

Pocket sprung mattresses are made up of individual pocket springs that support the whole body. Button & Sprung’s range of nine options spans from 3,300 springs with two layers of natural fillings to an ultra luxurious 24,800 springs with six layers of natural fillings. As well as deep core springs Button & Sprung also use layers of mini springs to provide more comfort (no princess and the pea feeling of a spring poking into your back). Where foam offers one solution, a pocket sprung mattress can be better customised to suit the user – Button & Sprung have two standard tensions (Regular and Firmer) and two bespoke tensions (Softer, Extra Firm). You can even have two different tensions in one mattress if you and your partner can’t decide on one. 

How to choose a more sustainable bed and why we should all be saying no to foam [ad]
You can tailor make a pocket sprung mattress to suit your preference when it comes to tension and style
Is the bed recyclable?

The National Bed Federation recommends replacing your mattress every seven years. In reality we’re probably not doing it as often as we should. But that’s still a lot of beds being thrown out – it’s always a shame when you see them chucked onto the street. Most beds and mattresses can actually be disassembled into recyclable parts at a recycling centre – the springs can be melted down into new metal products and the wooden frame can be reused. Foam can sometimes be recycled into carpet or sent to a plant to be converted into energy.

But, says Black, ‘Currently, just 19% of mattresses are recycled in the UK, which is having a terrible effect on the environment. Polyeurethane foam does not biodegrade and so, at the end of its life, it’s sent to landfill where it takes thousands of years to break down.’ Button & Sprung’s sustainable mattresses are recyclable and they’ll also remove your old mattress for free – if it can’t go to the recycling centre they’ll donate it to a charity such as the British Heart Foundation. They’ll also take away any packaging. 

You can find more information about recycling in general here (Recycle Now will collect your old bed and use the materials elsewhere in the furniture industry) while the British Heart Foundation offer free furniture collections as long as they have a fire label. 

Light white bedroom with pink bed - sustainable bed - pink bedroom
All of Button & Sprung’s mattresses are recyclable and they take away your old mattress

Always try the bed for size

Button & Sprung believes there’s no one-size-fits-all. Most mattress manufacturers recommend that you need at least 10-15 minutes lying on a mattress to get a real feel for it. There’s a lot of purchases you can buy online, but a bed ideally needs to be tried out in person. That’s why Button & Sprung have created a stress-free Bed Room in their south west London showroom where you can try out each of their mattresses for yourself. Once you’ve had a run down of what goes into their mattresses, you’re left to your own devices in the quiet of the top floor room with an array of beds. You’re encouraged to get comfy and take your time – they even give you cup of tea and a little bell to ring should you need any help. Each mattress on display has a regular and a firm tension so you can weigh up the options based on your physiology and shape.

Black encourages customers to lie in the same way they would normally in a bed, usually on their side – not just perch politely on the end, do a little bounce and walk onto the next! ‘You need something that will accommodate your hips and shoulders,’ says Black. It was brilliant to get a feel for the mattresses and have a wiggle about, lying on each side, without odd stares from other customers as you have the room to yourself. 

But if you do get it home and find your mattress is not for you, Button & Sprung also offer 100-night free returns and a 10 year guarantee on all mattresses. 

Button & Sprung bed room - natural mattresses - natural bed - sustainable bed
Button & Sprung’s Bed Room where you can try their mattresses
Button & Sprung bed room - natural mattresses - natural bed - sustainable bed
Customers are encouraged to lie back and get comfy (image: Cate St Hill)
Button & Sprung bed room - natural mattresses - natural bed - sustainable bed
You can even do it with a cup of tea!
Button & Sprung bed room - natural mattresses - natural bed - sustainable bed
You get the Bed Room to yourself for a calm, stress-free experience (image: Cate St Hill)
Button & Sprung bed room - natural mattresses - natural bed - sustainable bed
Each mattress has two tensions so you can weigh up the options that suit your shape

Double, Queen, King or Super King?

With interior clients I always recommend getting the biggest bed you can fit into the bedroom. You spend most of the time in the bedroom sleeping so giving more space over to the bed is well worth it, whether you’re starfish sleeper or not. I didn’t take my own advice and have always regretted getting a double bed and not paying a little more for a kingsize when we first moved into our house. As you get older you don’t sleep as well and need more space to spread out. If you’re going to have a bed for the next ten years, you need to think about the future too so it can last and evolve with your changing needs; one day we would love children, and if there’s three in the bed and the little one says rollover, as the nursery rhyme goes, we’ll likely need more room so one doesn’t fall out! 

Do you have enough storage?

When choosing a sustainable bed you might easily forget about storage solutions, but you might be missing a trick – you can never have enough storage space. If you do go for the biggest bed a room can take, what do you do about storage if it’s taking up most of the floor space? 

In small spaces get clever and maximise the space underneath a bed to hide away clutter. Out of sight, out of mind as they say. If you like an airy minimalist look and the bed’s on legs, consider if there is enough room below it to fit some storage boxes (you could mount them on castors for easy access). Divan beds come with built-in drawers to hide away additional bedding or smaller items, but if space really is at a premium and you need all the storage you can get, an ottoman bed might be the answer. They can hold up to three times more storage space than a divan with drawers. Gas lift arms help you raise the mattress and frame for easy access into the bed base, where you can store bulkier items such as winter duvets, spare pillows and even small suitcases. As Black says, ‘it’s like having an extra wardrobe’. 

Button & Sprung British-made beds - natural mattresses - natural bed - sustainable bed
Think about storage and make use of the space under the bed

The finishing touches – choosing colours and fabrics

Once the practicalities of choosing a sustainable bed have been carefully considered, then you can start to think about the look and the details. For the past few years we’ve had a wooden head board, but I always find it a bit hard for sitting up and reading in bed, so I’m drawn to upholstered designs for that added layer of boutique hotel style comfort.

Button & Sprung London showroom
100’s of fabrics to choose from – grey’s the most popular as it’s timeless and classic (image: Cate St Hill}

Button & Sprung have 15 styles of bed frames designed in-house and over 100 fabrics to choose from. Not surprisingly their most popular colour is grey (accounting for around 60% of sales), followed by oatmeal and beige, that will go with everything. It makes sense. If you’re keeping the bed for 7-10 years it’s a lot harder to change than the bedding or the colours on the walls. You have to think if the style will endure across a decade. 

Light white bedroom with monochrome tones - choosing a sustainable bed
A sustainable bed and mattress that will help create a more natural environment for you to sleep better at night

I hope that’s been useful and helped give you an overview of the things to consider when choosing a more sustainable bed that’s better for your own wellbeing and the wellbeing of the planet. I’ll be back in a few weeks once my own new bed has been delivered. I can’t wait to show you what we’ve chosen! It’s definitely put my mind at ease knowing that we’ve made a more sustainable choice and that we will only be breathing in natural aromas from now on. It might even help us sleep better at night.