Allergies Keeping You Up? 6 Mattresses To Help You Breathe Easier

Birch (a sub-brand of the mattress company Helix) only makes one mattress: the Birch Natural Mattress. It’s a medium-firm hybrid with natural Talalay latex, individually wrapped steel coils, and comfort layers of organic cotton and organic wool. As long as latex and wool aren’t allergens for you, these two materials do an excellent job of wicking away moisture and preventing dust mites.

This mattress arrives compressed and rolled into a box. Once unboxed, the brand recommends allowing just one to two hours for the mattress to expand before sleeping on it. Thanks to the natural materials, there shouldn’t be any unpleasant off-gassing smell.

Unfortunately, this bed does have a shorter sleep trial than some other beds on this list—but you still have 100 nights to make your decision.

What customers say:

It has an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, with over 3,200 reviews. One customer writes, “I love that it’s 100% organic cotton, and the quality exceeds my expectations. With other mattresses, I used to wake up congested and with allergies. This mattress doesn’t do that to me, and it’s by far the best decision I have made.”

There aren’t a ton of negative reviews on the brand’s website, but some people complain that this mattress is too firm, and recommend adding Birch’s Organic Mattress Topper, which is also made with latex, cotton, and wool.

One of our favorite non-toxic and organic mattresses, this bed has no shortage of certifications for nontoxic materials, making it a great pick for people with asthma. It’s a hybrid combination of supportive coils, GOLS-certified organic latex, and GOTS-certified organic wool and cotton—you won’t find any synthetic foams, chemical adhesives, or chemical flame retardants here. It is a firmer bed, but there’s also an option to add a plush latex pillow top, which the brand recommends for smaller bodies or side sleepers.

Avocado’s beds are compressed in a box before being shipped from the brand’s California factory. It’s actually a carbon negative company, which means it voluntarily offsets more than 100% of its emissions. Because the mattress is made with natural and organic materials, you won’t experience any weird smells while it expands.

What customers say:

This mattress has 4.7 out of 5 stars overall, with more than 17,000 reviews in total—and a lot of comments from folks with asthma. One person writes, “The mattress itself is firm, but the pillow top is so soft and comfy. As an asthma and allergy sufferer, I love that it is organic. There were no funky smells or irritating materials.”

Negative reviews are mostly from people who found this mattress too firm without the added topper. And, while the brand offers a generous 365-night sleep trial, a handful of people complain about customer service during the return process.

For a latex-free option, this mattress is a great pick. It combines the traditional support of steel innersprings, with a plush layer of non-toxic memory foam and an organic cotton cover. Plus, the brand uses a botanical antimicrobial treatment on all of its beds, to ward off bacteria, mold, and mildew.

You can customize this bed by choosing an 11.5 or 14.5 inch height, and selecting from three different firmness options: Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm. It’s definitely a firmer bed—smaller-bodied side sleepers should try the Plush Soft model.

The brand delivers all of its mattresses through white glove delivery, which means someone will bring it into your home and help set it up. Another allergy-friendly perk is the lack of off-gassing smells.

What customers say:

With 4.8 out of 5 stars and over 2,800 reviews, most of the feedback is very positive. One person writes, “For the first time ever I wake up every morning without allergies and without back pain. I think it has to do in part with bed and bedding not being sprayed with chemical fire retardants and also the design of the mattress. Strongly recommended for allergy sufferers and people with inflammatory conditions that may be exacerbated by chemicals.”

If the mattress ends up not working out for you for any reason, you have one year to return or exchange it for free.

This air bed allows you to customize your sleep, by choosing between 50 remote-controlled firmness options. In a queen size or larger, each side of the bed offers a separate air chamber and remote, great for anyone sharing their bed with a partner. 

Because most of this mattress is, well, air, there’s less chance of dust mites staking their claim in your bed. Plus, it has the same botanical, antimicrobial treatment as the Saatva Classic (which helps prevent the growth of mold, mildew, and bacteria), and the same allergy-friendly organic cotton Euro-top. Just note that there’s a layer of natural latex underneath, which may not suit folks with latex allergies.

Your order comes with free white glove delivery and setup—and the extra help will be welcome if you order a split king model or the brand’s adjustable base.

What customers say:

There aren’t very many reviews of this bed on the brand’s website (and none that speak to allergies specifically), but most of the comments are positive. Plus, both positive and negative reviews rave about the generous trial period and the customer service, so if you decide to return it you’ll be in good hands.

This memory foam mattress has more certifications for non-toxic materials than most foam-based options, and people with allergies will appreciate badges like OEKO-TEX Standard 100, CertiPUR-US, and GREENGUARD Gold. The brand uses a blend of plant-based memory foam, which is better for the environment and reduces the potential for off-gassing smells. That said, it’s worth noting that there is wool in the paneling (so it’s not fully vegan)—in case that’s a deal-breaker for you.

You can choose from an 11- and 13-inch height, and there’s an option to make this bed a hybrid, which adds an additional layer of coils for support and airflow. The firmness will vary, depending on the model you choose.

This mattress is compressed and rolled in a box for shipping, but it shouldn't have any off-gassing smells when unboxed. Like Brentwood Home’s sister brand, Avocado, it's also a carbon-negative company. On the downside, some reviewers complain about poor customer service during returns.

What customers say:

Another highly-rated choice, this mattress has over 1,000 reviews and is rated 4.7 out of 5 stars overall. One shopper writes, “I've had this mattress for two years now and I love it! It truly has been wonderful. I have lots of allergies and I wanted something that would not have a smell that would give me a headache or rash.” Just note that a few reviewers warn that this mattress is pretty firm, so it’s worthwhile to weigh your options between all-foam and hybrid models.

As our experts explain, a zippered mattress cover can help protect your bed from dust mites, mildew, mold, and bacteria. This option uses soft organic cotton and a thin layer of nontoxic polyurethane, to create a waterproof, antimicrobial shield for your mattress. It’s designed to be noise-free, so it won’t make any annoying crinkling sounds if you move during the night.

The cover will fit mattresses up to 15 inches tall, which is great for thicker mattresses, but could be considerably bigger than you need—so you may need to tuck some of the fabric under the mattress to avoid bunching.

What customers say:

With just over 150 reviews on the brand’s website, this mattress has a 4.9 rating overall. One person writes, “I needed a protector for a dust mite allergy, and it was great to find an organic one that was designed to fit my mattress perfectly.” 

The only negative callout is that it’s a little more expensive than other mattress protectors, but if organic cotton and nontoxic materials are important to you, it’s worth it.