It started with the Coco Mat.
Over 20 years ago, our founders created the first 100% natural fibre nursery mattress to pass British safety standards with no synthetic ingredients, glues or chemical fire retardants whatsoever.
Since then, we've ensured that every key material that goes into a Naturalmat has been carefully selected from natural, regenerative and sustainable sources. This not only reduces our impact on the planet, but creates a safer and healthier sleep space for your baby.
From certified organic wool and organic coir to plastic-free packaging, we handpick the best materials from suppliers we trust.
Organic Coir
Coir (coconut fibre) is an entirely natural fibre extracted from coconut husk, which surrounds & protects the coconut as it falls from the tree. Coir fibre is a byproduct of the coconut farming process, where the outer husk is separated from the fruit.
All of our coir is responsibly sourced from a GOLS-certified organic supplier in Sri Lanka. This certification ensures that the workers & farmers make a decent living in good working conditions, with regular audits ensuring that the coconuts are grown without any chemical pesticides and fertilisers - keeping the soils healthy and enhancing biodiversity.
Certification: Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS)
Organic Wool
We are particularly proud of our organic wool, which comes from sheep grazing the lush, green fields of the Westcountry - all local to our purpose-built workshop on the banks of the River Exe. A local natural resource, for a locally made product.
Our wool is sourced directly from local wool farmers in the South West that are organic certified - either by the Soil Association or Organic Farmers & Growers. Sourcing direct from farmers means we are able to pay a premium of at least 30% extra for their wool than if they went through standard market auctions, in recognition of what we believe is the wool's true value.
Exceptionally comfortable and a wonderful insulator, wool almost magically traps heat when your little one needs it and disperses it when they don’t. It is also naturally fire-retardant and antimicrobial, making it free of chemicals and dust-mites, for the most natural night’s sleep possible.
Certifications: Soil Association Organic, Organic Farmers & Growers
Natural Latex
The delightfully soft and springy layers of natural latex in our mattresses are undoubtedly a superior alternative to the synthetic foam usually found in conventional childrens' mattresses. Our latex is full of tiny bubbles, which not only give it spring, but also encourage air circulation - helping to regulate temperatures and prevent overheating.
To make it, sap is tapped from the Hevea Brasiliensis rubber tree and collected in buckets (pictured). The sap is then whipped up into a foam and heat-cured in tray shaped moulds, transforming the sap into a naturally hypoallergenic, durable and supportive mattress filling.
If you’re wondering why our latex is grey instead of white, it’s because we mix in a touch of graphite to make it naturally fire-retardant, ensuring our mattresses are completely safe for your homes.
To find out more, please read our Latex FAQs.
Certifications: OEKO TEX 100, Eurolatex, Rainforest Alliance
Organic Cotton
Our natural-fibre childrens' bed linen is made from 100% unbleached and undyed organic cotton, certified by GOTS. This means that our cotton is sustainably grown using no chemicals or pesticides, in healthy soils that need much less water.
Certifications: Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), IVN BEST, Fair for Life
Mohair
Mohair is the fine fibre coat produced by the Angora Goat - a species native to the hills & mountains of Central Asia. Mohair is one of the most luxurious natural fibres known to man, and is much finer than sheep's wool - making it the perfect material for our sumptuous Mohair Mat.
Because Angora Goats evolved in the warm climates of Central Asia, they lack the fatty outer layer typically found in sheep. Instead, they have evolved hair which is lighter, softer and more efficient at controlling temperature compared to wool.
This superiority is one of the reasons that mohair is more expensive than wool. In addition to this, Angora goats are much more difficult to farm, produce less fibre per year in comparison, and have to be shorn twice a year - doubling labour costs.
Feather & Down
Our feather and down is sourced from European geese and duck. A by-product of the food industry, our feather & down is breathable, moisture-wicking and temperature regulating.
Feathers have a hard quill shaft, and are typically found on the wings and back of the waterfowl. A layer of down is generally found under the feathers and belly of the bird, and provides natural insulation.
Our feather & down bedding is luxuriously soft and fluffy, and exclusively uses materials certified by the European Down and Feather Association (EDFA). This ensures that all of our feather and down comes from responsible sources that do not harm any living animals.
Certification: European Down & Feather Association (EDFA)
Cotton & Wool Covers
Our quilted mattress covers are made from just two main ingredients: locally sourced organic wool, and pure, unbleached cotton. We harness the natural properties of wool to ensure that our covers are naturally fireproof - meaning that we don't have to spray them with synthetic fire retardants.
Our covers are finished with an all-natural geraniol treatment - making them bed-bug and dust-mite resistant, perfect for children with allergies.
All nursery mattresses above crib size feature a quilted outer cover, which is removable for washing, and an unquilted cotton inner cover. All crib-sized nursery mattresses feature an unquilted cover which is also removable and washable.
All our covers are washable at up to 40ºc (wool wash recommended). For more information view our Mattress Care Guide.
Steel Pocket Springs
As a part of our sustainable and regenerative sourcing practices, we make a conscious effort to find certified suppliers wherever possible. Although not certified, our pocket springs are produced with at least 25% recycled steel content, with some of them containing up to 93% recycled steel from steel scrap.
We recognise that metal has a relatively higher carbon footprint due to its energy intensive production process, which is why we're actively working with our suppliers to increase the recycled steel content in our Spring Teen mattress.
Sustainable Packaging
Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond our mattresses, beds and bedding - extending to our packaging too. We are aware that a large portion of our impact rests on our packaging, which is why we have chosen compostable, recycleable and reusable options where possible.
Compostable Plastic
Our nursery mattresses are wrapped in an allergen-free, certified home-compostable potato starch packaging - a sustainable solution we pioneered back in 2006. This plastic-like wrapping is fully biodegradable, and is free of GMOs or plasticisers. Our branding is printed onto the packaging with a water-based ink.
This packaging can be disposed of in your home compost, or placed in your food waste caddy or green waste bin* for collection by your local authority. At constant temperature this packaging will fully decompose in 6-12 months, leaving behind no contaminants.
*please check with your local authority before disposal
Cotton Bedding Sacks
Our pillows, duvets & wool protectors are packaged in drawstring sacks handmade from ethically sourced, undyed cotton, and printed using water-based inks. This ensures that our bags are not only reusable, but biodegradable too.
Once your bedding has arrived with you, these handy bags have many uses. They can be used as a replacement for plastic shopping bags, as laundry bags, or as storage space for out-of-season bedding. The only limit is your imagination!
Paper Sacks
Our paper sacks are a great alternative to plastic shipping packaging, and are used to protect your bedding from dust and dirt while it makes its journey from us to you.
These sacks are made from two-ply Kraft paper, with reinforced side gussets and a strong stitched bottom seal. They are strong, durable and water resistant, and are fully recycleable (aside from the stiched seal).
We use a handmade stamp and water-based ink to brand our sacks before they leave the workshop, and seal the top closed with recycleable paper tape.
Mattress Boxes
Our nursery mattresses leave the workshop packaged in sturdy boxes made from recycled cardboard, which themselves are recycleable and compostable.
These boxes ensure that your little one's mattress is protected from being bent during the shipping & handling process.
These boxes can be disposed of responsibly at your local recycling centre, or collected by your local authority as part of their green recycling scheme.