Published on November 27th, 2017 | by Guest Contributor
0Sleep Greener with Non-Toxic Pillows + Special Reader Discount on Organic Pillows!
I was recently sent some delightful pillows from Avocado Mattress, and I’m super in love with them.
I’ve been following Avocado Green Mattress for awhile now (let’s talk about my #wishlist, hey?!). Avocado makes super beautiful non-toxic mattresses that totally appeal to me, a ‘deep green’ consumer. I’m the type of person that actively seeks out and spends extra (if needed) to purchase products that are non-toxic to people and planet; I’m really dedicated to supporting businesses that are doing things right.
So when I was given the opportunity to try out their pillows as part of a combined campaign with prAna, I was super stoked.
The Avocado Green Pillows are made with healthy components that are easy to love: natural rubber latex (100% natural Dunlop latex, which is tree-tapped like maple syrup). The latex is shredded into ribbons for a light texture, along with generous piles of kapok fiber.
Kapok is like plant-based wool – kapok trees produce big pods (about the size of a pineapple) that are filled with soft, fluffy kapok fiber. Then, this nice filling is wrapped in a super lux organic cotton cover- it’s is so soft I almost didn’t want to put a pillow case on it! I actually slept on the pillows for days without a cover because they are so soft as is (also, I had to sew two new pillowcases to complete my bedding set!)
Why Choose an Organic Pillow
Think about this: assuming you’re getting a full 8 hours each night, that means your beautiful face is pressed into a pillow for ⅓ of your life! Shouldn’t you ensure that your pillow is non-toxic and natural (not to mention, super comfortable)? Want to learn more about some of the scary stuff that’s in your bedding? Ok, yes:
- Mother Earth News reports that poly-cotton bed linens and “no-iron” cotton bed linens are treated with a formaldehyde-based permanent-press finish to keep them wrinkle free.
- If you suffer from allergies, you’ve probably chosen “hypoallergenic” pillows. But these are stuffed with polyester and foam, which are made from crude oil.
- And no, memory foam isn’t good either: Huffington Post explains that memory foam is made from polyurethane and can release VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The production of these types of plastics are an environmental toxin, releasing formaldehyde and benzene into the environment.
Why Choose Avocado Green Pillows + Avocado Green Mattresses?
As I expected, the pillows are super comfortable. As they arrive, they are super firm, but it’s easy to make them softer by unzipping and removing some of the filling to make it custom for each sleeper.
- Avocado pillows and mattresses contain NO petroleum-based polyurethane foams to break down; NO memory foams to off-gas. NO chemical adhesives between the layers to emit chemical odors. And NO chemical flame retardants to endanger your health. In fact, they are so proud of how non-toxic our mattress that they openly disclose everything that goes into their products. Plus, every Avocado pillow is GREENGUARD Gold Certified by UL Environment. It means they’re scientifically tested to meet the world’s most rigorous emissions standards for chemical exposure and pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde and phthalates.
- Avocado is a member of 1% for the Planet, which means they donate 1% of revenues to vetted nonprofits in an effort to address the interrelated issues of climate change, healthy food systems, land management, water resources, pollution and wildlife diversity.
Mattresses are made fresh, on-demand in a facility just outside of Los Angeles, California that strives to consume natural resources (materials, energy, land, water, etc.) at a sustainable rate. They also seek a balance with our planet’s “human resources” — to maintain and promote health, human rights, labor rights, social justice, diversity, culture integrity and quality of life. - And finally, if you’re ready to commit, it’s awesome that they offer a risk-free 30-day trial (with free pickups!), a 1-year warranty, and free shipping anywhere in the USA (INCLUDING ALASKA AND HAWAII!) Excuse my excitement, but as a long-time island girl, dealing with shipping to the islands can be super frustrating, I’m sure you folks in Alaska feel me)!
- It’s your turn to delight in these natural pillows: use special Green Living Ideas reader discount code GreenLivingIdeas20 for 20% off all pillows. This cannot be combined with any other offers, and offer expires 12/31/17.
Thanks to Avocado Mattress and prAna for helping me share the #GreenEverywhere campaign; products were provided for review but all opinions are my own.