Avocado Green Mattress Review

Michael Magnuson

Founder of GoodBed, Leading Mattress Expert

Is Avocado a Good Mattress?

If you are looking for a chemical-free, natural mattress, then the Avocado Green mattress may be on your shortlist. The Avocado bed is one of dozens of competing "bed in a box" models that are shipped directly to you sight-unseen. But not many of its competitors focus so heavily on the use of natural materials, and on the avoidance of chemicals. 

The Avocado Green mattress is an 11-inch mattress available in two versions. We review the standard version here, but it can also be ordered with an attached pillowtop to give the mattress extra softness. The pillowtop adds an extra 2" of height to the mattress and is essentially an additional 2" layer of natural latex. Otherwise, construction of the two versions is identical.

The top comfort layer of the Avocado mattress is a 2" layer of GOLS-certified organic Dunlop latex sustainably harvested from rubber trees. Note that companies are allowed to call their latex "natural" even if they are a blend of actual rubber and synthetic rubber made from petrochemicals. That is not the case with the Avocado Green mattress; its latex is 100% from rubber trees and has been independently certified as such. The support layer of the mattress is pocket springs, and the steel coils themselves are made of recycled steel. Instead of glue, the layers of the mattress are held together by functional tufting--yarns that travel through the entire mattress, secured on either side by a fabric button. The cover is made of certified organic cotton and wool, and the entire mattress has been certified as Greenguard Gold, meaning it's safe for use in hospitals and for babies, with extremely low levels of off-gassing or VOCs. 

We were impressed with the depth and detail of the information on the Avocado website regarding its eco-friendly materials, sourcing, and certifications. There's an extensive section on health and safety.

How did the Avocado Green mattress perform in our tests? We tested the standard version of the bed, and on our scale, found it to be a Firm mattress. So if you like a feeling of floating above your mattress rather than sinking deeply into it, we think you'll like the Avocado mattress. Support for back and stomach sleeping was excellent, in our view, and we felt it would be for a very wide range of individuals. The mattress's coils are zoned, meaning that the middle third of the bed is slightly firmer while the head and foot are slightly softer. This style of construction is designed to add a little bit of extra support to what is typically the heaviest part of a person's body - their hips.

Edge support was excellent; one of the best mattresses we've tested in fact. Ease of movement--changing from one position to another--was also a major highlight, and again, one of the best mattresses we've tested in this respect. 

We did have some concerns. For side sleepers, we felt that the mattress would be too firm for those who sleep predominantly in this position, as well as those who need good pressure relief. For those who just occasionally sleep on their sides, we felt the standard version of the Avocado Green mattress would be fine, but the pillowtop version is likely the better option for side sleepers.

If you are a person that's easily disturbed by a partner's movements, motion isolation may be important for you. This was not a highlight for the Avocado Green bed. If this is a critical priority factor for you, a softer all-foam bed with memory foam on top will generally be better able to absorb impact and movements. 

Price-wise, the Avocado Green costs more than a basic all-foam bed-in-a-box, or even a hybrid mattress that combines a spring layer with foam or memory foam. But few competing mattresses offer this degree of natural materials, lack of harmful chemicals, and myriad safety certifications to back it up. Compared to natural mattresses you'd find in a bedding or department store, it is an excellent value. The Avocado Green bed comes with a 100-night trial period, with a full refund and pickup should you decide to return the mattress. Delivery, however, is a non-refundable $99 fee.

Read on for our detailed report, and be sure to check out the video to see the Avocado Green mattress in action as we put it through our tests.

Note: This review is for the Avocado Green mattress, which, as the name suggests, aims to be as natural and chemical free while still competing price-wise with other online mattresses. We'll discuss the bed's materials and construction, as well as subject it to our standard tests for support, motion isolation, and other performance and priority factors.

Who Is the Best Match for the Avocado Mattress?

BEST if you:            

• Want a chemical-free mattress
• Move around and reposition frequently
• Enjoy a buoyant feeling of floating on top of the mattress
• Sleep or sit right on the edge of the bed
• Like a mattress with some bounce 

NOT IDEAL if you:

• Prefer a slow, melting into the bed feeling
• Enjoy being ‘cradled’ by your mattress
• Are easily disturbed by a partner repositioning
• Are primarily a side sleeper (consider pillowtop version in this case)

Comfort and Feel

The “feel” characteristics of a mattress cannot be universally better or worse. They can only be more or less desirable to you, based on your personal preferences. For this reason, we call these “preference-based” attributes. Our ratings here are based on objective measurements that we apply to a consistent scale for products from all brands.

Softness ( what’s this )

Keep in mind that what mattress companies call “firm” or “soft” is a purely a preference. All mattresses should be supportive and promote healthy spinal alignment. Whether a mattress is fluffy and squishy (what mattress companies call soft or plush), or less so (what companies call firm), is purely down to your personal needs and preferences.

We classify the Avocado Green mattress as a Firm on our scale. If you prefer a softer mattress, you can order the pillowtop version, which adds an extra 2" of latex to the top of the mattress. We did not test this version but based on feedback from our readers we estimate it to be a Medium-Firm (meaning softer than the standard version, but still to the firmer side of Medium) on our softness spectrum.

Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out. 

Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )

This refers to how deeply you sink into the mattress or feel cradled or hugged, versus a feeling of floating on top of the bed. The Avocado Green mattress is definitely to the "floating on top" side of this spectrum. We would call this shallower than average cushioning. If you prefer more of a "hugged" or "cradled" sensation, the pillow top version will provide more of this.

Responsiveness ( what’s this )

Responsiveness refers to how quickly a mattress recovers its shape after being compressed. When you press your hand into the mattress, for instance, then remove it, does it take several seconds for the mattress to return to flat, or does it recover immediately?

There is no memory foam in this mattress, so there is none of that slow-responding "melting" feeling of memory foam. The latex at the top of the Avocado Green bed springs back immediately.

We also took a look at bounce. This is where we noticed the pocket springs responding from below. When our tester dropped his weight to the bed, he bounced several times before settling. If you like a mattress that has the traditional bounce of innersprings, the Avocado has that.

Back Support

The key to good back support is for the mattress to support your spine in a “neutral” position while you sleep, meaning that the shape of your spine is roughly the same as when you're standing. The ability of any given mattress to do this will vary by sleeper, depending on its “fit” for your weight, body shape, and preferred sleep position(s).

We found the Avocado Green mattress to be excellent in this respect when in back and stomach sleeping positions, and we felt that regardless of body weight, most people would have the same support and spinal alignment when back sleeping and stomach sleeping.

We questioned the Avocado mattress for side sleepers, however. The same firm support that's perfect for back and stomach sleeping may be too firm for those who sleep predominantly on their sides. Side sleepers may want to opt for the pillowtop version of the Avocado Green bed.

Spinal Alignment

The key to good back support is maintaining proper spinal alignment while you sleep. This means that the mattress should hold your spine in roughly the same position it's in when you're standing. The ability of a given mattress to do this will generally depend on your weight, sleep position, and body shape.

Here is how we break down the spinal alignment of the Avocado Green mattress:

Back Sleepers:

Our 200-pound tester felt this mattress to be exceptional while on his back, with almost ideal spinal alignment. And we felt that most people would have the same experience and excellent spinal alignment in this position. Our tester felt his hips sink just the right amount into the mattress, and felt excellent support in his lumbar area.

Side Sleepers:

Spinal alignment for side sleepers was more challenging on the Avocado Green mattress. The same firm support that was so helpful for back and stomach sleeping was too firm in the side sleeping position. When your hips and shoulders can't sink into the mattress deeply enough, it can create a curved spinal position, and that can lead to back pain. If you are a predominant side sleeper, the pillowtop version, with an extra 2" of latex, will most likely serve you better in this position.

Stomach Sleepers:

Achieving good spinal alignment for stomach sleepers can often be trickier as the hips can tend to sink down too far with some mattresses, but our tester felt very well supported in this position. Further, we felt that most stomach sleepers, regardless of body weight, would have a similar good experience on the Avocado Green mattress.

Pressure Relief

Inadequate pressure relief from your mattress results in “pressure points,” which can be a source of pain, soreness, loss of circulation, restlessness, and other problems. Pressure relief requirements will vary be sleeper, with side sleepers needing the most. Likewise, the amount of pressure relief that a given mattress provides will also vary by sleeper, depending on its “fit” for your weight and body shape.

Pressure Relief ( what's this )

If you sleep only occasionally on your side, or don't have acute pressure relief needs, the standard Avocado Green mattress might be adequate.

Performance Features

With the “features” of a mattress, performance will tend to be consistent across all sleepers – without regards to your body type or preferences. However, these attributes have differing levels of importance to each sleeper, which is why we consider them “priority-based” characteristics.

Motion Isolation ( what’s this )

With a bowling pin standing upright on the Avocado Green bed, we tested motion isolation by dropping a 16-lb. bowling ball on it, as well as the whole weight of our 200-lb. tester. In both drop tests, the bowling pin wiggled but did not fall.

However, when our tester dropped his weight on to the bed, the pin fell right over. We noted earlier that the Avocado Green mattress is relatively bouncy, with its support layer of pocket springs.

In practical terms, the Avocado Green bed isn't the best choice for those who might be easily disturbed by a partner's movements on the bed, or by pets or kids jumping in and out of bed.

Temperature ( what’s this )

For those who tend to sleep hot, or for those that experience hot flashes, temperature is a concern. The Avocado Green mattress has a number of features that we think promote heat dissipation and air flow. First, this is a firm mattress, which means your body doesn't sink deeply into it. That means more of your body is exposed to the air. Second, the majority of this bed is springs, and air can travel freely around springs, allowing hot air to move away, and cool air to replace it. Nest, the Avocado bed's cover includes wool, which has heat-regulation and moisture-wicking properties.

Taken altogether, we think that the Avocado Green mattress will not feel hot to most people.

Edge Support ( what’s this )

If you tend to sleep right on the edge of your bed--or you tend to get pushed there by kids or pets, then edge support will be important. A mattress with good edge support means more usable area for sleeping and sitting.

Edge support was excellent with the Avocado Green mattress, and it was one of the best mattresses we've tested in this respect. The bed has a perimeter of firmer coils all around the sides, and when both sitting and laying on the edge, our tester felt perfectly comfortable, supported, and never felt he was slipping off.

Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )

Another highlight in our testing was exceptional ease of movement on the Avocado mattress. Changing from position to position was virtually effortless.

Green Features ( what’s this )

For mattress shoppers concerned with the use of natural materials, sustainable manufacturing practices or the like, we offer our subjective evaluation of any efforts taken by the company to make the mattress more green, healthy, or safe. 

We have already talked quite a bit about the exceptional environmentally friendly materials and safety certifications awarded to the Avocado mattress. To sum up, the latex is both 100% natural and certified organic (GOLS), meaning that it is made from organic rubber trees. As with all certified organic latex, this latex is made using the Dunlop method, which avoids the small amount of chemical processing that is required to make Talalay latex, the other predominant manufacturing method. Next, the steel used in the pocket springs is recycled (and would be recyclable when you dispose of the mattress eventually).

The cotton used in the cover is USDA organic and GOTS-certified. Likewise, the layer of wool directly underneath the top cover of the mattress is also GOTS-certified organic wool. This layer serves as a natural fire barrier, and thereby avoids the use of any chemical fire retardants in the mattress. In addition, as shown in the video, functional tufting is used to hold the layers of the bed together in lieu of glues or adhesives. Overall, this mattress has certifications for almost all of its materials to ensure that no harmful off-gassing, odors, or other potential issues are present. And the entire mattress is certified Greenguard Gold, meaning its off-gassing is rated as safe for indoor use in hospitals and child care facilities.

Note that in the case of the Avocado mattress, the GOTS and GOLS certifications referenced above apply only to specific components (GOTS for the cotton cover and the wool quilt, and GOLS for the latex), not to the mattress in its entirety. Mattresses that are certified as organic in their entirety are available, but this type of certification is a more costly process for the manufacturer.

Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )

If you plan to use your mattress atop an adjustable base, the Avocado Green bed is a very good choice. Right out of the box, it conformed well to our adjustable base, and we noted no bulging, bunching or other issues.

Materials & Construction

What is in an Avocado Green Mattress?

Overall, we classify the Avocado Green mattress as an "All Natural Latex over Pocket Spring" construction type.  The standard version of this mattress (without the Euro Top) is an 11″ thick mattress comprised of 3 layers (listed below from top to bottom):

• 2" GOLS-certified organic Dunlop latex
• 8" zoned pocket spring support layer
• 1" GOLS-certified organic Dunlop latex base layer

The top comfort layer of the Avocado Green mattress, as well as the bottom 1" layer, are natural latex, made from real rubber trees. The latex is 'Dunlop' latex ( what's this ), one of the two predominant manufacturing methods for latex. The Dunlop method requires less processing than Talalay latex ( what's this ), the other major type. Since the time of our original review, Avocado has now started using latex that is officially certified as organic according to GOLS, which is the widely accepted standard for certifying the organic status of latex.

The 8" support layer of the mattress is comprised of a zoned system of pocketed coils. This means that the center third of the mattress is reinforced with a different style of construction to support what is usually the heaviest part of a person's body - their hips. The Avocado achieves this by using a zone of narrower, higher gauge coils (note - a higher gauge coil is thinner and typically thought to be softer), but packs these tightly together so the combined effect is a firmer, supportive feel. The upper and lower thirds of the Avocado mattress use a lower gauge coil (another note - a lower gauge coil is thicker and typically thought to be firmer), but these are spaced out a bit more to achieve a slightly softer, relaxed feel. If this sounds confusing, don't worry too much about it. Just know that the center third is designed to be a bit firmer and uses densely packed coils to support one's hips. The edge of the bed is also reinforced for extra support.

The cover of the Avocado mattress uses a GOTS-certified fabric made from USDA organic cotton. Directly below the cover on the top surface of the mattress is a layer of GOTS-certified organic wool, which provides some additional cushioning while also serving as a natural fire barrier (in lieu of silica or any other chemical fire retardants).

Holding the layers of the mattress together is functional tufting ( what's this ); these are organic cotton yarns that travel through the mattress at intervals to hold the layers in place, and are secured on the top and bottom by soft fabric anchors. 

Cover

Durability, Warranty & Value

The “value” of any mattress is both subjective and personal – reflecting how well it meets that person’s unique sleep needs and preferences, relative to their budget. As a result, our ratings in this area are focused on more objective factors like quality and longevity.

How Much Does the Avocado Mattress Cost?

Prices shown are list prices for the Avocado Green mattress — as well as the cost to upgrade to its softer sibling, the Avocado Green Pillow Top. Remember that GoodBed keeps our site current with the best available discounts on all online mattresses, many of which are exclusive discounts for our readers.

Other Factors to Consider

Delivery

• $99 delivery to door or curb
• Optional white-glove service

Avocado charges $99 for delivery for most mattress sizes through UPS. However, the larger mattresses with the pillowtop option are too heavy for delivery by common carrier. In that case, the company will arrange delivery for $249 and up.

A white-glove option is available starting at $249; this includes delivery to the room of your choice, setup of the bed, removal of all packaging and removal of your old bedding if you choose.

Returns

• 100-day trial period
• Full refund, including free pickup within trial period

Avocado offers buyers a 100-day trial period. Returns within the trial period are free, with pickup of the mattress. See: Avocado return policy.

Warranty

• Warranty Length: 25 years
• Indentation Coverage: 1.5” and above

One of the biggest, if not THE biggest complaints about any mattress from consumers regards body impressions — the inability of a mattress to spring back, eventually creating a low spot/sinkhole in the mattress. As such, mattress warranties all contain a term defining how big a sag or ‘body impression’ (measured when no one is on the mattress) is considered a defect, and thus covered under the warranty. The industry standard for mattresses is generally between ¾” and 1.5”. Avocado has chosen to cover indentations that meet or exceed 1.5”. Practically speaking, that means any softening or sagging would need to be at least that deep before the warranty would offer you protection. See: Avocado warranty policy.

Years 1-10 of the warranty are non-prorated, meaning you''re fully covered for repair or replacement should your mattress qualify for coverage under the warranty. For years 11-25, the warranty is pro-rated, meaning you would be responsible for part of the repair or replacement cost based on years of ownership beyond 11.