Being green has just gotten easier, with the launch of Leesa's new GreenFlex BioFoam. This plant-based material is designed to deliver the same cushioned feel as memory foam, but with less impact on the planet.
The best mattresses you can buy online typically use foams derived from plastic — big on comfort but harsh on the environment. The GreenFlex BioFoam swaps petroleum for plant-based polyols, and it's made in-house to further cut down emissions.
This biobased material can be found in all Leesa mattresses (except the Oasis Chill, Legend Hybrid and Natural Youth) and just in time for the 4th of July mattress sales. But before you shop 30% off mattresses at Leesa, here's everything you need to know about the new GreenFlex foam.
What's the new GreenFlex BioFoam?
Traditional mattress foam is made from polyurethane, a synthetic plastic that's molded and baked to form the cushioning in your bed.
Leesa's new GreenFlex BioFoam swaps polyurethane for plant-based polyols, a sustainable and renewable material. It's a new take on eco-foams, delivering a more traditional foam feel than bouncy latex foams but with less waste than soy-based materials (GreenFlex uses 45% of the oil extracted from the base planyt, compared to just 14% from soy.)
And it's backed up with triple certification: CertiPUR-US (a must for any memory foam mattress), GREENGUARD Gold and USDA BioPreferred. Certifications are one of the best ways to determine if your natural mattress goes beyond greenwashing, so it's reassuring that Leesa's collecting awards.
Base material aren't the only way Leesa intends to dial-up the eco-comfort — the crops are harvested on 'marginal land' to prevent deforestation while the material has been created in-house to reduce transport emissions.
What does this mean for your mattress?
Leesa stresses that when developing the foam, it strived to maintain the 'characteristic feel' its mattresses are known for. So what is that feel? In our testing experience, Leesa foams tend to deliver squishy, slow-moving body contouring that wraps you up in a 'hug'.
We've been particularly impressed by the pressure relief of beds such as the Leesa Original Mattress. And you might notice our Leesa Sapira Mattress review team specifically praises the "dense, high-quality foams" — fingers crossed the GreenFlex delivers a similar performance.
Leesa also promises "cooler" comfort (and a breathable feel is a hallmark of the best organic mattresses) alongside durability, which means your mattress should evade the dumpster for longer.
So if you've been eyeing up a Leesa mattress, this update is good news. The beds should feel the same, but you can sleep sounder knowing you're doing your bit for the planet.
