Bed Mattress 'Eco-Friendly' Era... "Focusing on Safety"

Shinsegae Casa Obtains Environmental Label Certification for 3 Mattress Types
Simmons Uses Biodegradable Natural Material in 'N32'

‘Eco-friendly beds’ that reduce harmful substances and use more natural materials than existing products are emerging as a trend. This is because consumers are increasingly focusing on safety, given that they come into contact with beds for 6 to 8 hours a day.

The 'Matera So Forest Collection' mattress by Shinsegae Casa, certified with the environmental label [Photo provided by Shinsegae Casa]

Shinsegae Casa announced on the 1st that three types of mattresses from the ‘Materasso Forest Collection’ obtained the Environmental Label Certification on the 12th of last month.

The Environmental Label Certification, an eco-friendly certification system led by the Ministry of Environment, thoroughly checks for the presence of carcinogenic substances or materials that may cause allergic reactions, assessing human toxicity more rigorously than general products. From this year, the standards have been partially revised, raising the evaluation criteria, making certification more stringent. Nineteen certification standards for filling materials (foam) were added, formaldehyde detection standards were strengthened, and the detection standards for harmful elements were increased by 5 to 10 times per item. The eco-friendly material grade is also determined by the amount of formaldehyde emission. Materials with high formaldehyde emissions are classified as non-eco-friendly. Eco-friendly furniture is characterized by using materials derived from nature rather than synthetic substances and reducing chemical treatments to minimize harmful substances, thereby lessening environmental impact.

The products that received the Environmental Label Certification this time are three types from the Materasso Forest Collection: ‘Cloud,’ ‘Breeze,’ and ‘Sand.’ The main materials include natural wool, alpaca wool, coir made from coconut husks, and linen. These products passed 169 tests related to harmful substances across a total of 17 materials, including fabrics and fillings. Harmful substances such as formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the filling materials were detected at levels less than one-tenth of the standard limits, confirming their safety. Shinsegae Casa aims to obtain eco-friendly certification for all products in the Materasso Forest Collection within this year.

Simmons’ vegan mattress collection ‘N32’ also maintains eco-friendly certification. The main materials are ‘Iceland SeaCell,’ which contains organic seaweed and dietary fiber cellulose from clean regions, and natural plant-based linen. Iceland SeaCell is biodegradable and returns to nature. Additionally, earlier this year, N32 became the first in the bedding industry to obtain vegan certification for all seven products, including spring mattresses, foam mattresses, and regular toppers. The Vegan Standard Certification Institute grants vegan certification marks only to products that pass criteria such as not using any animal-derived raw materials or components at all stages from raw material selection to product development and manufacturing. For toppers, natural plant-based materials extracted from soybeans were also used in the foam.

Fursys Group’s bed and mattress brand Slowbed introduced the eco-friendly mattress ‘Starry Night’ in July. It was produced using eco-friendly manufacturing methods that allow material recycling through separate disposal. It also uses materials that have obtained the EU Ecolabel, which prohibits the use of chemical disinfectants and sterilizers and regulates excessive dye use, and the highest level (class 1) fabric certification from Oeko-Tex, an international eco-certification. Oeko-Tex tests textiles for harmful substances to confirm human safety.

An industry insider said, “As the sleep market grows to around 3 trillion won and becomes more sophisticated, standards for good sleep have risen. Since bed mattresses come into contact with the human body for about 6 to 8 hours, consumers are increasingly considering eco-friendliness that adds human harmlessness and safety when purchasing.”