Earthfoam mattress review: This affordable organic mattress sleeps cool and helps my back pain

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Despite having a preference for softer mattresses, I opted to take the plunge on something more supportive about a year ago. I said goodbye to my existing mattress — a plush gel-infused memory foam bed that did little to help my stomach sleeping tendencies and history of back pain — and welcomed in the Earthfoam organic mattress.

The certified organic mattress is made with all-natural rubber, an eco-friendly memory foam alternative that stays cooler than its counterpart. I tested out the medium firmness, which proved to be a great option for couples with different sleeping styles, combination sleepers, and hot sleepers like myself. Plus, the medium option is a stellar segway for new-to-firm sleepers.

Earthfoam launched in 2022, from SleepOnLatex, which is known for its affordable latex foam mattresses and toppers. The two brands are the same company, sharing a factory and an overlapping product assortment. Likewise, if the brand's name isn't a hint already, Earthfoam markets its rubber foam mattresses as environmentally friendly with playful messaging, whereas SleepOnLatex appeals to those directly seeking out latex materials.

Just under one year later, I can report that my initial praise of the mattress was warranted. I'm still sleeping cooler than I did on my old mattress, and I've yet to run into any major back pain issues. The Earthfoam has also held up well against general wear and tear so far, especially considering I haven't added a mattress topper. Other than some mild pilling on the top cover layer, there aren't any major signs of use yet.

Design

The 8.5-inch rubber foam Earthfoam mattress has two firmness options: medium and firm. As a new-to-firm convert, I opted to test the medium, which is the more popular option of the two. It has a little extra cushion to it but still has a fairly firm base. The medium mattress has a 2-inch soft comfort layer, 2-inch medium comfort layer, and a 4-inch firm base layer. The firm mattress has a 2-inch medium comfort layer and a 6-inch firm base layer. Both share an organic cotton knit cover, organic cotton quilt backing, and organic wool batting that works triple duty for comfort, cooling, and a natural fire retardant. 

Earthfoam is certified Fair for Life by Fair Trade and meets the Global Organic Textile Standard, the Global Organic Latex Standard, and the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. It comes from natural liquid rubber tapped from trees in Sri Lanka, which is then mixed with sulfur, zinc oxide, accelerators, and antioxidants before being baked to reach its foam form, using the Dunlop process. Earthfoam owns its own rubber foam production factory in Sri Lanka; the mattress is assembled in Illinois. 

Our review of the Earthfoam mattress

Set up

As with many modern mattress brands, Earthfoam mattresses ship free (to the continental US) via FedEx. Earthfoam also ships to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and most other places in the world, although customers will need to cover the shipping, customs, taxes, and other associated fees in those areas. There is no white glove delivery option, but when asked after, the company shared that if customers call to order over the phone, they can facilitate inside delivery and setup through FedEx in most areas.

Arriving in a long box, the mattress is notably heavy at 125 pounds,  so it took two adults about 10 minutes to get it up two flights of stairs. The mattress itself is tightly packed in a brown paper/parchment-type covering (as opposed to tons of excess plastic). It took us almost 30 minutes to cut open (partially out of caution to not cut into the mattress due to how tightly wrapped it was).

As soon as it was unwrapped, it was ready to sleep on. There was no additional expansion time or lingering smells. Once you get through the ordeal of getting the mattress onto the bed frame and unwrapping it, it's immediately ready for bed.

Comfort

Due to its resilient latex, the mattress is firm but bouncier than any memory foam alternatives. I felt instantly supported getting into bed at night and had less immediate pain when laying down than I previously did with a too-soft memory foam mattress due to the gentle pressure on my back. 

I'm a lightweight combination sleeper (with a tendency toward snoozing on my side and stomach), but the Earthfoam is firm enough that I naturally gravitated toward sleeping on my back when I started testing it. However, the medium has a soft enough top layer that eases any pressure so that sleeping on your side is not uncomfortable on your shoulders, nor is it too hard to sleep on your stomach, but it is most comfortable when you're on your back. 

This is about a 6 out of 10 firmness, with a couple of inches of comfort foam to cushion the base foam layer. I've long struggled with back pain, but my lower back and tailbone are particular problem areas. The mattress provided enough support to soothe my back when I laid on it, but it was soft enough that I could move around comfortably without putting too much pressure on any one point of my body.

After sleeping on the mattress for almost an entire year, the comfort and relative firmness have remained. I've grown used to the more supportive feel of Earthfoam, and any initial trepidation about venturing away from softer mattresses has passed.

Heat dissipation

Most mattresses will advertise themselves as breathable, and I'm pleased to report that the Earthfoam sleeps cool — and I consider myself a very hot sleeper. In the past year, I've only had a few majorly sweaty nights in the summer, less overall than I did in past years. Rubber foam traditionally stays cooler than other mattress materials, like memory foam.

After an average night's sleep, the mattress measured 87.5 degrees Fahrenheit right after getting up, but within two minutes, it measured 76.1 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's able to drop more than 10 degrees in the time it takes me to brush my teeth. This is a solid choice for hot sleepers without being so engineered for cooling that it might be uncomfortable for cold sleepers.

Edge support

Edge support is crucial in any mattress, especially if you sleep with a partner who may or may not unintentionally push you to the side. It can also help make getting out of bed a little easier. The Earthfoam edge feels comfortable to lay on, and I didn't immediately feel like I was going to fall off when I started to roll to the edge. 

When I sit on the edge of the bed, such as to put on shoes, there is about 2.5 to 3 inches of sink, which is slightly better than the average sink of 3.5 inches. Overall, the Earthfoam mattress has better than average edge support.

Motion isolation

Motion isolation is another important component of any mattress, especially when sharing a bed with a partner or pets. We examine motion transfer with a 12-pound weight, a full unopened soda can, and a vibrometer app to measure the vibrations on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. I repeatedly dropped the weight about a foot from the can to see if it would fall over and noted the maximum readings on the vibrometer, which sat another foot away from the can (about two feet from the weight).

According to Business Insider's mattress expert, most mattresses fall between 6 and 8 on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. Earthfoam's maximum 5.9 rating is indicative of strong motion isolation.

The can fell over 2 out of 5 times, giving it more of an average rating for topical motion isolation. It's worth noting that the top two inches of the medium mattress are extremely cushy and the soda can struggled to stay up in the first place, so the can falling over doesn't seem so much like an indictment of the motion isolation as it is a nod to the softness of the medium mattresses' very top layer.

Despite having different rise times and being pretty active sleepers, my partner and I don't usually feel each other move throughout the night. We also didn't notice our dog moving on and off the bed; she is about 70 pounds. Between the solid edge support and motion isolation, the Earthfoam mattress has proven to be a strong choice for couples.

Trial period and warranty

Earthfoam offers a 100-day trial period for the mattress, with a full refund, no questions asked. The company will have the mattress removed from your home at no extra cost and works to donate it to local non-profits, but occasionally, they are disposed of. 

The 10-year limited warranty covers one-inch sinkage or indentations beyond normal wear and tear and any cracks or splits in the foam that significantly impact the mattress' performance (as long as this damage isn't due to misuse, mishandling, or lack of proper mattress support).

Cons to consider

Due to the latex mattress's weight, it was definitely heavy and a little more cumbersome to set up. You will want someone to assist with getting it upstairs and onto the bed. As mentioned earlier, you can call Earthfoam and see if they're able to organize an in-home setup, but for now, there's no way to do this online (although they're hoping to add this option to the website soon). The comparative simplicity after you finally get it on the bed frame and unwrapped and its immediate readiness to sleep on makes it a flaw that might be worth overlooking.

It's a great medium for me, but sleepers who like firm beds will probably want something firmer with a tiny bit less sink. Fortunately, there's a firmer option, so this qualm solves itself. If you're looking for a soft or plush mattress, you'll definitely want to look elsewhere.

What are your alternatives?

If you're curious about more of the best organic mattresses, our top choice overall is the Birch Natural by Helix; it's a latex-hybrid design that's breathable and offers medium-firm support that suits back and stomach sleepers, but it didn't pass our motion isolation tests. Birch offers an in-home setup service for a fee (read our full Birch Natural by Helix review). The queen-sized Birch Natural is nearly double the price of the Earthfoam, though, so Earthfoam is by far the more affordable option here.

The PlushBeds Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress is another latex option that sleeps cool all night and has more customization when it comes to height, with three different options ranging from 9 to 12 inches and two firmness options. It's also one of the best mattresses for stomach sleepers and sleeps cool. For a fee, they offer in-home setup, and the mattress is backed with a lifetime warranty. Without any promos in effect, this alternative is more than double the price of the Earthfoam. However, from our experience, PlushBeds is almost always offering discounts.

The bottom line

The Earthfoam is an excellent mattress for people seeking a happy medium between the benefits of a firm mattress and still having some of the comforts of a soft one. Couples with different mattress needs and those hoping not to feel each other's movement too much at night could benefit greatly from this. Solid all-natural latex mattresses are typically pretty pricey, and Earthfoam is the most affordable that we've tried and can recommend among the best mattresses. At $1,099 for a queen-sized mattress, it's a relatively affordable latex option compared to its peers. For those curious, the price of the mattress has increased by $100 in the past year.