Why I Traded My Organic Mattress for an Intellibed

When we moved last fall, choosing the items for our new home very carefully was important to us.  After all, we were benefiting from years of experience as adults running our own household, plus all the research I’d done into healthier living.  If we had to start over (which we pretty much did, because of the mold), we might as well do so very deliberately.

We got rid of all our plastic, and our dishes are now ceramic, glass, and stainless steel.  Yes, even for the kids.  I bought only organic prefolds and sewed up a stash of cloth diapers that perfectly matched what I wanted (based on my experience of using my other set for 5+ years).  I even adjusted one of my patterns and it’s perfect now.

So, of course, it made sense that when we were choosing beds for our family, we wanted the best option.

Sleep is so important to any type of healing.  Whether you have a specific health concern, or just are looking for general rest (since your body repairs itself during sleep) — it matters.  Plus, the average person spends 7 – 10 hours a day lying on that mattress, so it had better be quality.

We went off in search of an organic mattress.  Thus, round one of our sleep saga.

Choosing Organic Mattresses

Ben and I chose an organic mattress from a company we’ve worked with before.  I am not unhappy with the company at all.  They provide a quality, non-toxic product that held up for us, and good customer service.

…it’s just that the bed, for our personal needs, was really too firm.

For the kids, we bought regular ol’ mattresses, but we encased them completely in sealed plastic to prevent off-gassing, then covered them in organic mattress pads.  It wasn’t ideal, but kids grow so fast and organic mattresses are expensive.  We spent around $200 per kid getting these mattresses, plus covers, plus organic pads.  We’d have spent at least twice that, possibly three times, buying them each an organic bed.

Now, the kids’ beds were only for the older three, because at the time, our (then) youngest was still sleeping in a pack’n’play.  That lasted a few more months before he learned to climb out, just before he turned 2.  For a little while, he slept with a sibling or in a pile of blankets as a “bed” on the floor.  But we knew we were going to need to find a better solution for him…and the sibling he was sharing a room with.

Time for Something New

I knew from day 1 that our new organic mattress was firmer than I preferred, but I figured I’d adjust to it, and it would possibly soften over time.  I thought it might be better for me to sleep on something firmer, even if I didn’t realize it yet.  All in all, it wasn’t something I was going to fuss about.  I had a toxin-free mattress and pillow and that was what was important, really.

Only then I got pregnant.

It was okay at first, but the bigger I got, the more I realized this was not going to work.  This was especially driven home when we traveled when I was around 20 weeks pregnant, and I slept in softer beds while we were out of town.  It was so much more comfortable, and I slept so much better.  Then, I knew, something needed to change.

I looked at mattress toppers.  I looked into thicker organic mattress pads.  In desperation, I folded up some soft blankets and put them under my sheets to make the bed softer.  It helped…some.  But not enough.

I was in my final weeks of pregnancy when I ran across Intellibed.  Well, again.  I’d heard of them a year or so earlier, when one of their reps, Justin, had reached out to me.  But I had ignored it, then.

The more reading I did about Intellibed, the more I thought it might be just the solution we needed.  We had to have a softer bed, that was still supportive.  Having something that was still completely non-toxic and non-off-gassing was really important to me, too — especially since we co-sleep and were about to have a newborn.  I didn’t want harsh chemicals in my baby’s face all night!

I read everything I could on the company’s website.  Then I read several other reviews of the bed.  More and more, I was convinced that this was it.  I knew I was not going to get my husband to spend $1000+ on a new bed when ours was barely 8 months old.  So…I reached out to Intellibed.

This is our Intellibed right after delivery…!

Learning About Intellibed

I had a couple of phone calls with Intellibed to learn more about their product.  They showed me their tests, their materials, and more.  The Intelligel they have patented is medical-grade and has actually been used to cure bed sores in comatose patients (pretty impressive! I always thought those were inevitable in bed-ridden patients).  The other materials they use include organic cotton, latex, soy foam in some versions, inert polyurethane (I was very skeptical about this at first), and other safe materials.

Their tests show no off-gassing.  And, also important, they show that the bed lasts for over 30 years.  Most mattresses last 5 – 10 years; Intellibed’s warranty is actually for the full 30 years.  (And they could last longer, they just can’t legally claim a longer warranty.)

The cost was moderate, too.  A typical organic mattress, especially one that’s completely latex, is going to cost anywhere from $2500 – $5000.  Some have said that the natural materials break down more readily and this means it’s only comfortable for 5 years or so.  That’s a lot to spend.

In contrast, Intellibed is around $3500 (for a king size).  That’s pretty middle of the road for cost.  And if it lasts for 30 years, well….

Anyway, after our conversations, Intellibed sent us the bed of our choice.  We picked the Relief Perfect, the softest one they offer.  It has layers of Talalay latex, Intelligel, laced innersprings (at the bottom), and a cotton/poly top layer.  No soy in this bed, extra height for softness and support, and they use natural silica as a fire retardant (not harsh chemicals).  It sounded perfect, and I was excited.

Trying it Out

It took about a week and a half for the first box to show up at my house — our new pillows (made with the same Intelligel).  I had used a Tempur-pedic pillow before we moved, for years, and I had liked the contoured shape of it.  Giving that up was one of the hardest things for me, initially.  I try to bunch up my organic pillow every night to fit my neck curve better, but it just isn’t the same.

So, I was really excited to try out a similar-style pillow that was completely non-toxic.  (Memory foam is pretty toxic.)

I took the pillow up to my old bed the very first night we had it.  I set it up and went to sleep.  Unlike the memory foam, it wasn’t hot and it didn’t take me time to adjust to the firmness.  (I had tossed my memory foam pillow off the bed for the first several nights because it was just too hard to sleep on until I adjusted.  No such issue with this one.)  And, when I woke up in the morning — NO neck or shoulder pain!

Well, then I really wanted my bed to come.  I saw that the delivery place had called the night before, so I called them back.  I was told my new bed would be delivered the following day.  One more night on the old mattress!!

Now — what were we going to do with that old bed?  After all, it really wasn’t “old” (about 9 months) and it was organic.  We decided to remove the twin bed from our daughter’s room and replace it with our king size.  She shares it with our 2-year-old, who didn’t really have his own bed after he started refusing the pack’n’play.   They were excited to get a “new” bed, I was happy I didn’t need to buy anything else, and that this bed was getting put to good use.  And no yucky chemicals!!

Once our bed arrived and was set up (they have the delivery service bring it to your room and set it up for you, which made it super easy), we got to sleep on it. It was kind of weird to sit on because it was definitely softer — we sank down into it a bit!  But it was also really comfortable.

The first thing I noticed was that I could side-lie to nurse my toddler without hurting.  That was a big deal because the on the other bed that was impossible, even with extra pillows.

Then I actually slept on it.  And I woke up with NO pain or soreness!  It was completely different.  That’s been my experience every night now (it’s been a couple months).  No pain, no soreness.  I can sleep in any position.  But, since this mattress is so comfortable, I typically slept on my side when I was pregnant, and now typically sleep on my back since I’m not.  On every other bed I had, I couldn’t get comfortable without shifting from my sides, to back, to stomach several times.  I don’t move much at night anymore, and mostly so that I can switch my newborn to the other side while nursing.

Speaking of the newborn, he loves the bed too.  That probably sounds kind of stupid, but he sleeps more soundly than any other newborn we’ve had.  He relaxes as soon as we climb into bed at night, and even sleeps for a 3 – 4-hour stretch often times.  (By the way, “soundly” means without grunting, twitching, fussing — he still nurses as needed, at least a few times a night.)

So, I’m loving it.  I love that it’s toxin-free.  I love that it’s so comfortable.  I’m really glad we have this.

How You Can Try Intellibed

Here’s the thing.  Anyone can try Intellibed for 60 days, risk-free.  The company offers an in-home trial for this long.  And, they have excellent service.

If you decide you’re interested in one, you can call up Jason, one of their sales reps.  He’ll walk you through the science of their beds and answer all your questions.  Then he’ll help you decide which of their models is the best fit for you.  They have a “basic 20” model which is only about $2000 for a king size.  They offer kids’ beds for about $700, and crib mattresses for about $400 (which is in line with other organic companies).  Then, they offer a 30 Deluxe, Posture Perfect, and even a Decompression system.  (They work with chiropractors a lot.)

After you choose a bed, they’ll ship it out to a local mattress store, who will call you for delivery.  They will bring it in for you and even set it up.

Then, you have 60 days to sleep on it.  The customer service reps will call you at 3 days, 30 days, and 59 days to make sure you’re loving it.  If not?  They’ll send the delivery company to your house to collect it, ship it back at their expense, and refund your money in full.  They make sure to call you that final time before your trial ends so that you don’t miss out on the window to return it if you want.  But, hardly anyone does (less than 3%).  This is excellent customer service and even on a couple reviews I read where they did return the bed, they appreciated the service a lot.

Here’s the best part.  Using the code MAM10, you can actually get 10% off your purchase for a limited time.  So this is kind of the perfect time to make the leap.  Make sure you go through my link, so you get the deal!  (I am an affiliate of theirs as well.  But I am only doing that because I really like their product.)

I’ll update you all in a couple of months, on how we’re still liking the bed, plus some of the important research I’ve done into quality sleep (and how working for quality sleep is impacting us).  I’m really fascinated by it right now.

How do you feel about organic beds and quality sleep?