Eco-friendly products have joined the mainstream, and that’s definitely a good thing. In the mattress industry, quality materials from a sustainable production method are guaranteed to help us sleep better at night – both literally and figuratively.
The Quick Overview of the Awara Mattress
- Medium-firm, a 6.5 on the 10-point firmness scale where 1 is the softest, and 10 the firmest
- Best for sleepers who weigh around or above 230 pounds
- Uses Dunlop latex, inherently firmer and more durable than counterparts
- Comes from a green company: uses all-natural materials, is hypoallergenic, sustainable, and eco-friendly
- Has record-setting trial and warranty periods
- May be too firm for sleepers who weigh around or below 130 pounds
- May be too firm for sleepers who prefer to sleep on their sides, or who generally want to ‘sink into’ their mattresses
- May be too expensive for sleepers who prefer $500 mattresses but is priced $100-300 lower than comparable premium brands
About The Awara Brand
A relatively new company in the mattress industry, Awara is a subsidiary of San Francisco’s Resident. The team of around 200 employees from 15 cities across 5 countries could have rested on their laurels for raking in $250 million worth of sales in just 2 years.
Instead, they show no signs of stopping.
They are so confident in their product that they back it with an industry-leading 365-night risk-free trial period with free shipping and returns. Believing that a new mattress is not only an investment in money but also of time and energy, the company adds that the 1-year trial period starts 30 days after delivery.
After that, a Forever Warranty™ follows.
For context, the mattress industry standard is 100 days and 10 years, respectively.
After testing and hand-selecting the best, naturally-sourced materials, and then following a meticulous manufacturing process, the company is confident that the Awara mattress will last a lifetime without significant sagging or breaking down. Else, they promise to repair or replace the mattress at no cost to the owner.
In their books, not having to replace mattresses every few years ties right into being firmly green. As does promising to work with you in getting your Awara mattress donated locally, or disposed of properly if in case you do decide to return their product.
In every sense, The Awara brand is truly nature-based and ethically-made.
With a clear focus on creating a product from naturally-sourced materials, the Awara mattress is Rainforest Alliance Certified. This international nonprofit conservation organization certifies companies based on standards for forestry operations.
Certified companies need to show sustainability, as well as ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of farm and factory workers. As if those weren’t enough, they are to look after the communities surrounding these farms and factories, too.
The Awara mattress uses 100% natural wool and cotton, natural latex foam, water-based adhesives, and is handmade. It has zero ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons, has no polyfoams, no formaldehyde, no lead, no mercury, zero heavy metals, no artificial chemical flame retardants, and no phthalates.
What more could you ask for in a mattress?
Comfort, You Ask For Comfort
Quality materials and excellent design make for a comfortable mattress. Having briefly gone over how the Awara mattress uses naturally-sourced materials and is sustainable both for the environment and the people who make it, we now consider the inherent qualities of these materials from top to bottom.
Bigger Than The Sum Of Its Parts
Euro Top Cover
The Awara mattress uses natural cotton, which is mindfully-harvested before being woven into the Euro Top cover. Cotton is no stranger to both clothing and bedding because it is soft and durable, has moisture-wicking properties, is breathable, and as a consequence, regulates body temperatures well.
Underneath this natural cotton Euro Top cover is a layer of 100% organic wool fiber humanely-sourced and imported from New Zealand sheep. Wool has the same moisture-wicking, breathable, temperature managing properties as cotton. Moreover, wool keeps dust mites away and is a natural fire retardant. Add to that another layer of a natural silica-based fire retardant, and you get even better peace of mind and a good night’s sleep.
Four Inches Of Natural Dunlop Latex
Dunlop Latex complies with CertiPUR-US standards for durability and content emissions. Naturally sourced from the Hevea brasiliensis tree, it is hypoallergenic, biodegradable, and recyclable. With zero chemical fillers or artificial latex, the Awara mattress is not expected to produce any lingering odor that buyers have come to associate with highly synthetic memory foam mattresses, for example.
As an aside, Dunlop latex is named after the manufacturing company, which developed the rather energy-efficient and straightforward process of turning rubber tree sap into foam. The all-natural sap is whipped to incorporate air bubbles, much like a froth, and are then placed in steam molds and baked into sheets. Naturally occurring sodium fluorosilicate found in volcanic rocks is added to lower the pH level of the foam, which helps turn the sticky liquid into supple latex foam. This process, being less electricity-hungry, is firmly, the greener choice.
Compared to Talalay latex, which follows a different but similar process, Dunlop latex is firmer and more durable but is heavier. The Talalay process involves a more complicated and electricity consuming sequence of pumping all-natural sap into a closed mold, with the air subsequently vacuumed out. It is then frozen, with carbon dioxide gas injected into the cold mixture to produce even bubbles. The mold is then heated, which turns the cold rubber into a lighter, softer, but slightly less durable latex foam versus the Dunlop.
Premium Innerspring Coils
Back on track, the four-inch Dunlop latex layer is followed by 9 inch, individually-wrapped premium innerspring coils. Being individually-wrapped allows for more independent movement. This reduces the sometimes unwanted wave-like motion transfer when one occupant shifts positions in one side of the bed to the other occupant on the opposite side.
The individually-wrapped, or pocketed coil support system is also zoned. This means that thicker-gauged, firmer coils are placed under where heavier parts of the human body – hips and midsection – are expected to be. Thinner, softer coils are used in areas nearer to the head, neck, or legs where contouring is better suited.
Moreover, unlike the traditional hourglass-shaped bonnell springs from older mattress designs, the pocketed, multi-gauged coils have fixed, even dimensions. This means that there are no weaker spots where the spring could bend or fail.
Finally, the Wrapping
This coil support layer is then wrapped in a cotton-polyester fabric with integrated handles for when you need to move the Awara mattress a bit.
How do they all go together?
Individually, the materials that go into making the Awara mattress are of excellent quality. But when integrated into one product, short of actually lying on the mattress itself, only Awara mattress reviews can provide helpful information.
Talking Points & Answers to Common Frequently Asked Questions:
Common questions from prospective buyers are the twin, “how long after I get my Awara mattress can I sleep on it?” and the rather key wordy phrased, “how long for Awara mattress to expand”?
The consensus between the manufacturer and among buyers is that because the Awara mattress does not have Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which emit smelly gasses, the mattress can be slept on the same night it was delivered.
Some users noticed a rather sweetish scent instead, which dissipated in 24 hours, and was unnoticeable after 2 days.
Other Awara mattress reviews that used pressure-recording pads in conjunction with the Awara mattress reported similar results from ordinary buyers. The common factor among these professional and casual reviewers is that the experience of firmness, pressure relief, and contouring varies between users based on weight.
Sleepers under 130 pounds found the Awara mattress firmer than what they usually prefer. Those who weighed around or heavier than 230 pounds found the medium-firm Awara mattress just right.
Stomach and back sleepers of any weight reported being comfortable with the supportive feel of the mattress. Side sleepers, except those who were heavier, said they would prefer a softer mattress.
Sleepers from across the different weight classes and sleeping positions were of the opinion that latex does feel cooler compared to memory foam. The cotton and wool also provide that pleasant skin on fabric contact, with none of the dampness or itchiness.
Buyers retain the option of using their favorite sheets, and may, of course, use blankets if being warm feels cozier.
In this category, waterbeds and airbeds would be on the extreme end. On the opposite end are flat-on-the-floor traditional Japanese futons.
The Awara mattress is by design, just a bit bouncy with its Dunlop latex so that you don’t have to feel like you are getting up out of a swimming pool on the one hand, or a trampoline on the other. The pocketed, multi-gauged coil springs also find itself in between the aforementioned wavy waterbeds and stiff Japanese futons.
An added bonus to this well-thought out pocketed, multi-gauged coil spring and Dunlop latex combo is that sleepers who find themselves on the bed’s edge won’t find themselves rolling off because the edge gives too much. It does so, but only slightly – the edges won’t dig through your thighs either for when you sit on the sides to put on or take off your socks and pajamas, for example.
Product Comparison
So, how does it stack?
No, we don’t mean the princess and the pea. Instead, we mean to compare* the Awara mattress with similar products.
Price
The Awara mattress is priced lower than the Avocado with Eurotop, Zenhaven, Brentwood Cedar, Casper, Birch, Happsy, Nest, Ghostbed, and the Loom & Leaf.
Other Brands
Only the Avocado with Eurotop, Brentwood Cedar, and Casper come close. They have also extended their trial periods to 365 days, following the example set by the Awara mattress.
Warranty Guarantee
Only the Nest has taken up the Forever guarantee challenge started by the Awara Mattress. Everybody else follows the 15 to 25 year warranty period.
Return to sender
Free shipping from the manufacturer to the buyer comes standard across all brands. It saves the customer quite an amount considering the size and weight of these products. However, as for returns, Loom & Leaf, Nest, Casper, Brentwood Cedar, and Zenhaven do not offer free returns, unlike the Awara mattress and the rest.
Latex types
Only the Awara mattress uses Rainforest Alliance Certified Dunlop latex. Zenhaven and Birch both use Talalay latex, Happsy, and Loom & Leaf opt for High-Density Memory Foam construction, with the rest using the Dunlop manufacturing process.
Loom & Leaf, Zenhaven, and Nest all get thicker layers, while Happsy and Birch fall below the Awara mattress’ 4-inch latex thickness.
Going green
From among the different brands, only the Awara mattress gets the green light for being all-natural, free from harmful chemicals, and eco-friendly.
Conclusion
Having covered the basics about the Awara mattress, its reviews, and a quick comparison with similar products, let’s get right to the icing on the cake, shall we?
With Awara’s mission to go green, not only are you spared from having to come in contact with pesticides and harmful chemicals, the farm and factory workers are, too. The land and bodies of water remain as clean as they are as well, the way Awara mattresses are sourced and manufactured.
Moreover, for every Awara mattress sold by the company and bought by you, 10 fruit trees are planted to restore forests in Guinea, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, or Uganda. Through ClimatePartner, local farmers are partnered with to get them, their families, and their communities on the road to food security.
After all, at the day’s end (pun intended), it’s always a good thing if your choice in mattresses has other positive effects beyond your bedroom.
Manufacturers and distributors constantly roll-out new promos and deals, prices and other details may have since changed. Contact the manufacturers for the latest deals.
