Avocado Green Mattress — is this non-toxic mattress the best you can buy?

Right before I tested the Avocado Green Mattress, I was testing a soft and spongy mattress that had an awful off-gassing smell. It was a hybrid mattress made of polyurethane foams, and though they were CertiPUR-US certified foams, I had such a hard time falling asleep. 

So, I was ecstatic when I opened the Avocado Green Mattress. I’d already tested the Avocado Eco Organic version, so I knew the joys of sleeping on an organic mattress. If you would have asked me three years ago if an organic mattress mattered to me or not, I would have said that I could go without one. However, in my experience in testing organic mattresses, I now know that I never want to spend half my life lying on something that could be potentially harmful.

Quick Menu:
1. TDLR
2. In review
3. Specs
4. Unboxing
5. Firmness
6. Support
7. Breathability
8. Motion isolation
8. Edge support
9. Is it right for you?

I can’t wait to share all the things I discovered in testing the Avocado Green Mattress with a pillow top. I was able to sleep on my back, stomach, and side. No wonder this mattress is highlighted in our best mattress in a box guide.

Our Avocado Green mattress review

TLDR: What I thought of the Avocado Green Mattress

To say I'm a big fan of the Avocado Green Mattress is an understatement. Every kind of sleeper will find this mattress comfortable. The medium-plush mattress does a great job of supporting your hips and back, as well as regulating your temperature throughout the night. I wish the motion isolation capabilities were slightly better than average, but I can overlook that for the pillow top upgrade and the fact that this mattress is made with entirely organic materials and put together through sustainable and ethical means.

You can’t order a pillow top with the Avocado Eco Organic mattress, so the pillow top option for the Avocado Green mattress is truly a treat. However, we know that not all people can afford the increase in price, and at least the Avocado Eco Organic is still considerably comfortable. If you dislike hybrid designs, consider the Birch mattress which is made of organic latex and has excellent motion transfer.

ICYWW: you can buy this mattress directly from Avocado.

Testing the Avocado Green Mattress

Reviewed the Avocado Green mattress

Reviewed the Avocado Green mattress

Alex Temblador

For the last three years, Alex has been a Real Homes mattress expert. During her time testing hybrid, memory foam, and organic mattresses, she’s gained a wealth of bed-buying knowledge. This has led her to write mattress reviews for other sites, too, putting her mattress reviews to 10 (and counting).

Alex's sleep stats: Sleep position: I usually fall asleep on my stomach, but you could call me a Flexi-sleeper because I do occasionally sleep on my back and side. Insomnia: Not usually, though sometimes it can take me an hour to go back to sleep if I have a lot on my mind.  Sleep problems: I have difficulty getting a deep rest with someone else in the bed. I also can't sleep on a mattress that is too soft.  Average sleep time: 8–9 hours. 

Everything to know about the Avocado Green mattress

• Firmness: 7/10 without pillowtop; 6/10 with pillowtop
• Type: Hybrid
• Construction materials: Organic latex, wool, cotton, and coils
• Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King
• Height: 11 inches; 13 inches with the pillow top
• MSRP: $1399 – $2599

Unboxing the Avocado Green Mattress

My Avocado Green Mattress with pillow top arrived rolled up in a cardboard box only a few days after ordering. All Avocado Green Mattresses are handmade in Los Angeles and shipped for free. Because I tested a queen mattress, it was shipped by FedEx. Those who order a King or Cal King size receive their mattresses by Doorstep Delivery because of the size.

While the top of the cardboard box was sealed with clear tape, the bottom was sealed with paper tape. Both the cardboard and the plastic wrapping around the mattress are recyclable. I was happy to learn that Avocado offsets more than 100% of their emissions, including those related to the shipping of their mattresses.

The most notable thing about the unboxing experience was how just how heavy the box was. I struggled to move the box from my porch to my room, but I did it all on my own with a lot of patience and breaks. Using a dolly would have been a good idea. The weight is likely due to the pillow top addition.

I had no issue removing the plastic wrapping around the mattress with a pair of scissors. The mattress expanded immediately. With the help of the side handles, I moved it to the position I wanted on my platform bed. The mattress was a bit wrinkly but for the most part, it seemed to fully expand in less than 30 minutes.

I noticed a slight bamboo or wood smell, but it’s quite pleasant and quickly dissipated after a day. It’s simply how the natural materials smell and is not bothersome at all.

 What is the Avocado Green Mattress like to sleep on?

1. Firmness

While the Avocado Green Mattress is rated as a 7/10 on the firmness scale, I tested one with a pillow top, and I have to agree with Avocado in their firmness rating — it’s a six. The pillow top is soft but incredibly supportive. I didn’t sink into the mattress like some soft and plush mattresses are designed to do. Rather, my body stayed on top of the mattress but the softness of the pillow top offered some snuggly-like comfort that helped me to fall asleep quickly.

I still have the Avocado Eco Organic mattress at my house and when I compare the firmness, I find that the Eco is more like a 7. It’s not hard or uncomfortable in the least, but it doesn’t have the cushioning that the pillow top offers to the Green mattress. If I had to choose, I’d go with the pillow top option that’s only available with the Green version.

2. Pressure Relief and Support

To test for support, I placed a 15-lb. dumbbell in the center of the mattress, and it sunk about half an inch. This is typical of most mattresses that I’ve tested. From my own personal experience, I can say that this mattress does a great job with pressure relief. I had tweaked my lower back right before testing, but after a few nights of sleeping on the Avocado Green Mattress, I didn’t have any pain. I found the pressure relief to be fantastic, which is likely due to the 1,414 steel coils that are placed in five ergonomic zones. My spine felt aligned no matter if I slept on my side, stomach, or back and I awoke each day without aches or pains.

3. Breathability and cooling

I tested the Avocado Green Mattress in late March in Texas when some nights were cool, and some were warm. This mattress does a great job with temperature regulation, which is due in big part to the hybrid design. The coils allow for consistent airflow, plus the organic latex and wool contribute to natural temperature control.

4. Motion Isolation

The motion transfer capabilities of the Avocado Green Mattress are average — not bad, but not particularly astounding either. I placed a wine glass in the center of the bed and dropped a 15-lb. weight 4, 10, and 25 inches away. Before I say how the testing went, I should mention that the wine glass was already titling when I placed it on the bed, and this is because the pillow top is tufted so it doesn’t offer the most stable surface.

When I dropped the dumbbell at 10 and 25 inches away, the wine glass stood strong. Dropping the weight four inches from the glass resulted in it toppling over. I’ve tested mattresses where this doesn’t happen, but those mattresses are usually memory foam and not tufted.

We know that there is a good chance you’d feel someone moving if they were four inches from you (just from the movement of the bedding alone). In my opinion, the Avocado Green Mattress does an average job of motion isolation. Sleepers with fidgety partners may feel their bedmates move slightly, but perhaps not enough to wake up each time they do.

5. Edge Support

The Avocado Green Mattress has a steel-coil perimeter, and I can attest that it provides great support along the edges and corners of the mattress. I felt secure getting in and out of bed or sitting on the side. Similarly, I never felt as if I was going to slip or fall off the mattress when I slept close to the edge.

To test the edge support, I placed a 15-lb. weight along the edges and the corners. The dumbbell stayed in place — which doesn’t always happen in my testing — and only sunk about half an inch.

Avocado Green Mattress vas Avocado Eco Organic

The Avocado Eco Organic Mattress was one of the first mattresses that I ever tested for Real Homes, so it was a nice experiment to test the Avocado Green Mattress. From what I can find, the Avocado Eco Organic and Green mattress are quite similar in construction. They have the exact same organic certifications — except for one. The Eco Organic was tested and endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association Board of Doctors, and the Green mattress was not. Both mattresses do a great job with breathability, are average in terms of motion transfer capabilities, and are not too different in terms of edge support (the Green may be slightly better).

Back in the day, I said that the Eco Organic was rated as a 5 on the firmness scale, but now that I’ve tested over 10 mattresses, I highly disagree with my original rating. I still have that mattress to this day, and I’d put it at a 7 on the firmness scale. It’s not hard or even plush, but rather medium-firm — comfortable and super supportive. On the other hand, I tested the Avocado Green with a pillow top and the pillow top does soften the mattress surface to a 6 in terms of firmness. I really enjoy sleeping on the Green more than the Eco Organic.

The biggest drawback to Eco Organic is that you can’t order it with a pillow top. You’ll have to order the Green mattress if you want some added softness to your mattress, but it will cost you more. For instance, a queen size Green mattress is $1999, which is $700 more expensive than the queen size of an Eco Organic mattress. Add the pillow top option to your Green mattress and it’s an additional $500.

The last big difference between the two? You get a one-year sleep trial with the Green mattress and only 100 nights to test the Avocado.

Is the Avocado Green Mattress right for you?

The Avocado Green Mattress is a phenomenal choice for any kind of sleeper and it's the perfect product to jumpstart your healthy sleep journey.

With the pillow top option, the mattress is a six on the firmness scale. It provides significant support for even the heaviest parts of your body and thanks to a hybrid design, you’ll never overheat at night. Motion isolation is average, while edge support is great. 

We love that you can test this mattress for a year and return it if it’s not a fit. If only there wasn’t a fee to return it, however, we understand that Avocado is trying to limit waste as part of their sustainability goals. 

The Avocado Green is not the most affordable mattress, and while you could go with the Avocado Eco Organic mattress, you’ll truly be missing out on that pillow top option that creates a far better sleep experience.

Still looking for the mattress of your dreams?

About this Avocado Green mattress review

Alex Temblador is one of Real Homes' mattress experts — which is a good role for someone who needs over 8.5 hours of sleep each night. She’s tested over 10 mattresses in her time as a reviewer. The Dallas-based freelance writer has covered home, design, architecture, and art in publications like Real Homes, Tech Radar, Tom’s Guide, Homes & Gardens, Dwell, Architectural Digest, Artsy, Neighborhoods.com, and Culture Trip, among many others. She recently bought her first home, a green Sears & Roebuck house that's over 100 years old, sits on half an acre of land, and features a stunning wraparound porch, original hardwood floors, pocket doors, and a butler pantry. In addition to her mattress reviewing duties, Alex loves to try other products for Real Homes buying guides and reviews so that she can continue to expand the richness of her first-time homeowner life. When she's not sitting on her porch with a cup of tea and her laptop, you'll find the Mixed Latinx writer scrounging through estate sales and vintage shops looking for unique objects to bring "The Starlight House" to life. 

As with all our reviews, the Avocado Green mattress has been tested first-hand in our home for two weeks, using it just as you would so you know exactly what you are buying. The products are given to us free of charge and we test them for as long as possible before sending them back to the brand unless we are able to keep it, as we are with this mattress. This means that we can continue to use the product which gives us the opportunity to return to our reviews for updating, so you can keep up-to-date with how it's fared over a period of time.