Debating between an Avocado Green Mattress and a Birch® Mattress?
Birch® is a quality mattress made in the U.S. by a respectable brand, Helix Sleep®. Even so, there are significant differences between Birch and Avocado. Simply put, Birch® uses less latex, fewer springs, and fewer zones; has fewer certifications for transparency, social responsibility, and sustainability; uses Rayon mixed with wool for flame retardancy; and does not make or farm any of their own products or natural materials.
Avocado offers 3 inches of GOTS-certified organic Dunlop latex, which we farm and process ourselves. In our pillow-top model, Avocado offers 5 inches. In contrast, Birch® uses only 2 inches of "natural" Talalay latex.
Avocado is a needle-tufted mattress. We use a traditional handwork process in which long steel needles are pulled through mattresses (up to 32 spots) to hold the mattress together without glue. It's a hallmark of a quality mattress. Birch® does not needle-tuft their mattresses. Instead, they use adhesives to glue their layers together. Adhesives are major contributors of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which pollute indoor air quality. In contrast, an Avocado Green Mattress is Greenguard Gold certified and verified as Formaldehyde Free by UL Environment®.
Avocado uses organic certified wool (from our farms) to inhibit flammability and meet all safety standards naturally. Birch uses natural wool but mixes it with rayon in the batting and flame-retardant layers. Rayon is a natural material heavily treated with chemicals in the production process. (Read more about the impact of Rayon here.) As a result of this and other factors, the Birch mattress is not MADE SAFE® certified. This rigorous scientific screening process screens for known or suspected toxins that may harm human health, animals, aquatic life, or ecosystems.
Avocado uses one of the best innerspring units on the market, with seven zones and up to 1,459 individually wrapped innersprings that float independently. In contrast, Birch uses fewer springs and has only three zones. The innerspring unit is a major component cost. Fewer innersprings and zones mean less full-body support and durability.
Avocado is one of the most sustainable mattress brands in the industry. We're a Climate Neutral Certified company and the highest-scoring Certified B Corporation in the mattress industry. Our mattresses are MADE SAFE® certified.
Avocado makes our mattresses in our GOTS and FSC® certified (C156318) facility in Los Angeles. We also farm and produce our organic certified latex and wool in India and Guatemala. Like many online mattress brands, Birch® does not produce its products or components or materials.
Compare Avocado vs. Birch® Mattress:
| Birch® Mattress | |
Ratings & Trust |
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Consumer Reports® | #1 Highest Rated Mattress: 2018-2021 | CR® Rating |
Awards | ||
Sleep Trial | 1 Year | 100 Nights |
Warranty | 25 Years | 25 Years |
Firmness rating per Consumer Reports® | Standard mattress 7; | 3 |
Construction |
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Latex for comfort & support | GOLS-certified organic Dunlop | Talalay latex. (Talalay latex cannot be certified organic to USDA or GOLS standards.) |
Latex volume | Three inches (standard), 5 inches (pillow-top), 1 inch of which is in the base. | 2 inches |
Fabric-encased innersprings for pressure relief & contouring | 1,459 (King), 8-inch coils, in 3 wire gauges + 2 coil sizes | 1,280 (King), 8-inch coils |
Motion Transfer | Best (Lowest motion transfer) | Good |
Zoned Innerspring Support | Seven ergonomic zones in the fabric-encased innersprings | ❌ No interior zones, only perimeter reinforcement. |
Reinforced edge support on all sides | ✅ | ✅ |
Construction method | Needle-tufted by hand | Adhesives |
No Flame Retardant | None. (We use GOTS-certified organic wool.) | ❌ Natural wool and Rayon blend. |
Grip handles | 4 Reinforced | ❌ None |
Organic Certifications |
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GOTS-Certified Organic Mattress (full product) | ✅ However — it does not use GOLS-certified organic latex? | |
GOLS-Certified Organic Latex | ❌ No. Birch uses FSC-certified latex, not GOLS-certified organic latex. Forest management and organic are not equal. | |
GOTS-Certified Organic Wool | (Natural wool and Rayon blend.) | |
GOTS-Certified Organic Cotton | ✅ | |
GREENGUARD Gold® Certified | ✅ | |
Formaldehyde-Free Claim Verified by UL Environment® | ❌ | |
MADE-SAFE® Certified | ❌ | |
Responsible Forestry |
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FSC® Certified (Latex, Wood, and Factory) | ❌ | |
Social Responsibility |
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Certified B Corporation | ✅ Certification | ❌ |
1% For the Planet® Verified Giving Program | ❌ | |
Vegan Certified Option | ✅ Certification | ❌ |
Landfill Waste Diversion | ✅ Avocado became the first mattress and bedding company to have its Landfill Waste Diversion rated and validated by UL. In 2021, Avocado’s goal is to achieve its Zero Waste certification. | ❌ |
Climate Change Mitigation |
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Climate Neutral Certified | ✅ Certification | ❌ |
Ownership & Trust |
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Mattress Trial | 365 days | 100 days |
Customer mattress reviews | 14,000+ (as of 1/21) | 1,000+ (as of 1/21) |
Does Not Owns Mattress Review Website(s) | ✅ For ethical reasons, we do not. (Many brands do.) | ❌ |
Makes their mattresses | ✅ Our factory in Los Angeles. | ❌ Subcontracts |
Makes organic latex | ✅ From our farms. | ❌ Subcontracts |
Harvests organic wool | ✅ From our farms. | ❌ Subcontracts |
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