First we have to distinguish between a "true” manufacturer and distributor.

A true manufacturer is one that assembles as well as sews, stores raw materials, and owns quilting and manufacturing equipment on site so that they can assure that quality control (QC), cleanliness and organic integrity is under their physical control. Ideally, this assurance would be attested to by an independent third party certifier. In essence, this is the same standard that is applied to food under the USDA National Organic Program (NOP).  To our knowledge, Lifekind has the ONLY third party Global Organic Certified Standard (GOTS) facility for mattresses in North America. 

Although our research continues it appears that Green Sleep and Soaring Heart Futon are controlling all processes in a 100 percent organic product environment, but do not have any third party certifications for their factories.  Neither appears to have GOTS facility certification, so consumers have a difficult time evaluating the manufacturing environment for potential contaminants, cleanliness and actual cotton supplier.

Natura is a "true manufacturer" but we are trying to confirm if they predominately make memory foam and polyurethane products. If so, there is potential for cross contamination even if they use a separate area. Do they use the same machinery for all their mattresses?  Do they have an organic philosophy?

FINISHED PRODUCT EMISSION TESTING

Lifekind has been testing their finished products for volatile organic chemical emissions through the Greenguard program since 2005.  None of the other companies does third party volatile organic chemical testing.

FLAMMABILITY CONFORMANCE

Lifekind has actually been audited by the Consumer Products Safety Commission in May of 2008 and passed all federal and state flammability requirements using wool instead of chemical fire retardants.  The other companies are hopefully conforming as well, but have never been audited to such an extent by federal and state regulators and passed with flying colors.

USA or CANADIAN MADE? Lifekind, Sleep Savvy and Soaring Heart are made in America but only Lifekind’s facility is third party certified.  Natura and Green Sleep are Canadian manufacturers who source raw materials from throughout the world (see below). 

WHERE DO THEIR RAW MATERIALS COME FROM?

Lifekind sources their certified fabrics and raw materials from North Carolina, Texas and California. They use only 100 percent Tallalay rubber cores fabricated in Connecticut.  Even their thread is USDA certified organic and made in the U.S. Natura, Soaring Heart and Green Sleep apparently are all using imported wool. (Green Sleep is importing their cotton from Peru.)

AND IS THE RISK OF FUMIGATION REAL?

We believe that even if you wrap products in plastic and they are not specifically fumigated coming into North American ports, we can guarantee that other areas of the ships are fumigated, and the general areas on shipboard are covered with the worst levels of pesticides. By sourcing in the U.S., Lifekind simply does not have to concern themselves with this issue, and believe it is safer for their customers and the environment. Thus where the organic raw materials are sourced becomes a critical issue in our opinion mind. 

RAW MATERIAL SANITATION

Lifekind has developed their own non-chemical, ozone sanitation chamber too make certain their certified organic raw materials have not been exposed to mold, yeast or bacteria.  Just because a company buys cotton certified to have been grown on pesticide free fields is no guarantee that it has not been subject to contaminants in storage or transport. What method of sanitation do these companies use? Natura has even claimed at one time to have "sterilized" products, but we have never seen anything to verify that claim. The other companies just sweep this under the rug.

More information forthcoming.