The Naturepedic Serenade, an eco-friendly mattress made from organic cotton, wool, and coils, offers a comfortable balance of give and firm support, though it is bouncy and transmits motion.
Testing the Naturepedic Serenade
For nearly a month, I tested the Naturepedic Serenade, the cheapest mattress from an eco-friendly brand that offers three firmness options: Plush, Cushion-Firm, and Firm. All versions are made from cotton and organic materials rather than chemical foams. I tried a queen-sized firm version, favoring a mattress that supports me while sleeping on my back or side. After several weeks, I found it to be a great combination: a comfortable night's sleep with reassuringly firm support and a little bit of give.
I slept on the mattress with my wife, my dog, and our two cats for several weeks, keeping notes on how well we (the humans) slept and using my Apple Watch to track sleep patterns. I invited others to test the comfort, and I used weights to simulate different body types. I tested the give, motion transfer, edge resilience, and how much heat and moisture the mattress captured, using an iButton sensor to log temperature and humidity near my skin. I also closely examined the construction and build quality. After the review, I returned the mattress to Naturepedic for donation.
What the Mattress Is Made Of
The Serenade has five layers: a cotton, wool, and PLA (polylactic acid, a plant-based plastic) quilted top layer, a 2-inch organic latex comfort layer, and a cotton insulator that distributes heat. Below this is the 8-inch spring layer, made of enclosed coil springs individually wrapped in polypropylene. Unlike most mattresses, these springs are not glued together, so there is no chemical glue smell from deep within. A cotton batting layer forms the base, with the whole enclosed in an organic cotton wrapper.
The mattress is about 11 inches deep and very well constructed, with extensive and robust stitching connecting the quilt and enclosure. It feels like it would stand up well to years of use. Naturepedic offers a 25-year warranty, though they will only replace the mattress within 10 years; for the remaining 15, you get a decreasing refund. Like most warranties, it doesn't cover damage from cleaning, water, or other liquids.
Eco-Friendly and Setup
Given the traceable and organic materials used in the Serenade, it is not surprising that it is also very recyclable. For returned mattresses, Naturepedic works with Liquidonate, a company that routes surplus products to nonprofit organizations in the US, or recycles those that can't be donated. A PR rep for Naturepedic told me that over 95% of their returns end up with nonprofits and charities.
If you're installing the mattress yourself, it's shipped in a vacuum-packed box about the size of a human adult, and somewhat heavier than most at 550 pounds. Once I unwrapped the sticky plastic rolls and punctured the heavy-duty plastic bag, the mattress quickly gained its full 11-inch depth and was ready for use in a couple of hours. I didn't get the usual chemical stank that foam and synthetic materials release on unpacking: there was just a slight odor of cotton, like the smell of freshly washed jeans. Naturepedic also offers a white-glove install option at a cost of $299.
Pros and Cons
The Serenade's Firm version has a great feel: the top layers contour to the body with a small amount of give, while the rest of the layers provide robust support. It's a great balance for someone with back issues like me. On hot, sweaty nights, my back and sides stayed relatively cool. My tests with a sensor mounted on my back revealed that the bed's temperature didn't rise much above skin temperature, meaning that my natural body heat and sweat wasn't being trapped next to me. The cotton layers feel nearly as firm as foam mattresses I have tried, but with much better ventilation.
However, the material does transmit motion: I could feel the movement of the other person in the bed. The Serenade is a bouncier mattress than most because the cotton material is less absorbent than foam or latex. Naturepedic dealt with this to some degree by using metal coils that are loosely wrapped, not glued or fixed together, so each spring can spring without forcing its neighbors. There is still some transfer, though: if your co-sleeper falls in, you are going to feel it. The heavier testers I recruited could also sometimes feel individual springs moving through the layers of cotton and latex when lying on their back, which one described as somewhat annoying. The bounciness also means that when you sit down on the edge to put your socks on, you sink several inches into the mattress.
Is It Worth Buying?
I liked this mattress a lot. It has a pleasingly firm feel with just enough give to conform to the shape of my body and provide some relief to my achy back. There are caveats: when my wife came to bed and sat down, I could feel the mattress shift a little on the other side. Likewise when I woke suddenly and sat up, she felt a small bounce in the mattress. There was also the issue of sometimes feeling the individual springs.
At $2,000, the Serenade I tested is more expensive than similar hybrid mattresses such as the Avocado Eco Organic, which costs $1,599 if you're seeking a budget-friendlier alternative. But if you're looking for first-rate construction and finish – and a longer 25-year warranty – the Serenade is the way to go.
