Looking for a comfortable green bed in the US

August 23, 2010 10:06 AM

My wife and I are looking for an environmentally friendly queen-sized bed, ideally from the US to cut down on shipping costs/impacts. Also, what's the best thing to do with an old bed? Details and thoughts inside.

1) We have an old bed, and we'd like to do anything besides chucking it in the local dump. It's beat to hell, so we agreed that posting it for free on Craigslist is less than kind. Could/Should we still post it on Craigslist and clarify we don't think people would be comfortable if they slept on it, but it could serve for soundproofing a large garage for band practice (I've seen it done).

2) We'd like something new and comfortable, but also something we won't chuck in a landfill when it's old and worn out, or if we do, there's some vague possibility it will break down (I realize landfills are generally great dry tombs of human refuse) or can be broken apart to be recycled / composted / whatnot. If nothing else, having it made of recycled parts and renewable resources sounds feasible.

Details: we'd like a queen bed, we're in California, and the potential price depends on the qualities.

posted by filthy light thief to shopping (14 answers total)

we bought our bed from a guy in town who made them in the back. i'm sure he would have let us source the materials for him if we wanted something else. also: it was more comfortable and about 1/3 of the price of name brands. i'll probably never buy a branded bed again.

googling brought me here which looks promising.

fwiw, i searched - tailor made mattresses california - so you might find more with that search string.
posted by nadawi at 10:13 AM on August 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

You could try Keetsa. We just bought a queen-size mattress from them, the least expensive model because of its firmness, and are very happy with it. I was also fed up with hearing it would take weeks to get a new mattress at other stores, plus $65-$100 shipping fees, so I was happy the Keetsa fits on the backseat of a sedan (all folded up with the air vacuumed out). The box even has wheels on it! We rolled it into our bedroom, unfolded it on our platform bed, and cut the plastic. The thing fills up with air and pops into shape. Very cool!

Also, they have resources listed on their website for recycling old mattresses.
posted by JenMarie at 10:16 AM on August 23, 2010

ps. I had never heard of Keetsa even though there's a store less than a mile from me. A search of mattress-related questions on MF showed several people recommending and describing experiences with Keetsa...
posted by JenMarie at 10:18 AM on August 23, 2010

I'd give posting your old bed on craigslist a try. Last year we got rid of an old beat up, cat peed on, pooped on love seat. The lady who took it off our hands (it was a freebie) was going to use it as a couch for her dog! So, give it a go. List it for free, mention that it's very worn, and who knows - someone might be desperate for a free mattress.
posted by Sassyfras at 10:30 AM on August 23, 2010

yes, list it on CL or similar (freecycle) anyway ... I just listed an incredibly beat-up desk chair as an incredibly beat-up desk chair and someone wanted it for a basement workstation that rarely gets used but they were tired of hauling a kitchen chair there when they wanted it. A beat-up mattress could not only be soundproofing but the basis for a couch or a "game room lounge" for video gamers or whatever. Someone will almost definitely want it.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:36 AM on August 23, 2010

I found this chart from the NY Times very helpful when doing this research last year.
posted by judith at 10:37 AM on August 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

ditto Eyebrows McGee -- freecycle your old mattress
posted by anadem at 10:38 AM on August 23, 2010

McRoskey - made in SF - and Bedbusters mattress recycling.
posted by gyusan at 10:42 AM on August 23, 2010

Most retail vendors will take your old mattress away, and recycle it. I doubt you'll have great luck giving it away as people are freaked about bedbugs.

I bought mine at the Macy's outlet in Los Angeles.
posted by Ideefixe at 10:52 AM on August 23, 2010

Check out Monterey Mattress. I bought my bed from them and their service was awesome. Not only do they offer an organics line, but their standard mattresses last forever and ever. Friends have one that's 13 years old and it looks and feels brand new; it has no lumps, bumps, valleys, etc.
posted by annaramma at 11:03 AM on August 23, 2010

You could try a non-traditional mattress. Shepherd's Dream have all wool mattresses that have a futon-like setup. I've been sleeping on mine for about 3 years now and I really like it--I used to wake up always with lower-back pain, haven't had that problem since getting this mattress setup.

Keeps me cool in summer and warmer in the winter. I've often wondered if when the time comes for me to get a new mattress, if I can somehow have the wool cleaned and spun for sweaters or give it to some kind of craftworker...That would save the landfill space for sure.

Anyhoo, just an idea...and they're in California!
posted by Zoyashka at 12:10 PM on August 23, 2010

A huge component of environmental friendliness is not needing to throw it away at all. Ideally, you want something that will continue being comfortable for the rest of your lives, and is light and easy to move (cuts down on the impact from shipping). Given that, I would recommend considering a sleep number bed. They're extremely durable, easy to move and can change to fit your needs in the future. They do not need to be plugged in and drawing power except when you're inflating or deflating the bed.
posted by stoneweaver at 12:28 PM on August 23, 2010

You could try Earthsake in Berkeley. I got a chair from there and love it, and their mattresses are really comfy.
posted by mingodingo at 4:10 PM on August 23, 2010

Thanks everyone! Unfortunately, we're a bit far from the Greater Bay Area and Monterey for a mattress (at least at this point in our lives). I'll be tracking down what I can find locally, because I'm adverse to having something shipped to us, even if shipping is inexpensive and we can return it after sleeping on it. It looks like we'll be bed shopping in the next few weekends, so I'll return with more then.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:45 AM on August 30, 2010