In the past ten years or so, mattresses and bedding made with organic and hypoallergenic materials have begun to compete with more traditional and conventional brands. Since many components of ordinary mattresses — even very expensive models — use petro-chemical products and other synthetic materials in their construction, padding, covers, or fire retardant, these materials can cause allergic reactions for people who are chemically sensitive, and can certainly disrupt a good night’s sleep.
To address the need in the marketplace, a number of manufacturers now produce sleep products that contain none of these irritants, instead using organic wool, cotton, and natural latex. And, since most people would like to try out a mattress before they buy it, retail outlets for “green” bedding have moved from a primarily online marketplace to bricks and mortar locations. Recently, two entrants in this category have set up shop in Fairfield County.
Organic, hypoallergenic products are the rule at The Clean Bedroom. Left to right: Coco-Mat 4-Layer Bed with organic cotton slipcovered headboard, Green Sleep Nui pocket coil/latex customizable organic mattress on our Eco Quinn organic upholstered bed frame, Green Sleep Dolcezza organic mattress on a Kirei reclaimed wood bed frame.
As she prepped her new East Putnam Avenue location in Greenwich for its opening on September 14 — complete with beds made from reclaimed wood and shelves filled with organic pillows, comforters and sheet sets — Christine Chamberlin, co-founder of The Clean Bedroom with her husband, Ted Duquette, described her company’s beginnings.
“Because we spend more time in the bedroom than any other space in the home, it makes sense that where we sleep is the first place to remove toxins from the environment,” says Chamberlin. This fact helped Chris and Ted hone in on the focus of their business.
The couple started selling mattresses made from organic materials online in 2004, to serve people with chemical sensitivities. As demand increased, they began opening retail shops; Greenwich is their seventh location. Christine notes that each shop is a “chemical-free zone,” finished with non-toxic paints and furnishings that complement the green products on the showroom floor. The Clean Bedroom offers mattresses from a number of manufacturers; the company also stocks high quality air purifiers, sleep products for children, and non-toxic, organic beds for pets.
Further east on the Post Road in downtown Westport, a storefront guarded by an endearing sculpture of a wooly sheep is the latest location for Healthy Choice Organic Mattresses. The company’s mattresses, which incorporate organic wool, cotton, and all natural latex, are manufactured by a local source in Connecticut, in varying degrees of firmness. Every mattress has a 6” natural latex core; all have 25-year warranties. Healthy Choice has three other locations, in Brookfield, Westchester County and New Jersey.
Click on the company names above for further information or visit the stores' locations.
The Clean Bedroom
1869 Post Road East
Westport, CT
(203) 292-9275
OR
79 East Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, CT
Healthy Choice Organic Mattresses
141 Post Road East
Westport, CT
(203) 557-3900