Ikea Sultan Heidal Mattress

Ahh a new year!  Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season.  

One of the things I did over the holiday break was get a new bed.  Beds are something I get a lot of questions about from readers - however they are often difficult to review or test - for obvious reasons.  So I thought I'd share my own personal story of searching for a greener bed.

Fortunately for people looking for greener more eco-friendly mattresses and bed frames there are a number of options out there.  The major downsides are the cost of greener beds and the lack of availability of stock in many locations in the US to actually go look at options and try them out. 

Most major furniture retailers do not carry truly eco-friendly beds and unfortunately these types of retailers are who dominate the market here in the US.

After lots of research and trying to keep the costs within reason I focused my search on two beds from IKEA.  The Sultan Heidal and the Sultan Erfjord mattresses.  The Sultan Heidal is a spring based mattress with eco-cotton, wool, PLA fibers and latex and the Sultan Erjford is a latex mattress covered in eco-cotton, wool and PLA.

Living in Providence, RI the closest IKEA is outside of Boston in Stoughton.   I made several trips to try the mattresses in the store and ended up preferring the Sultan Heidal - which sells for $799 in queen size.  I liked the support and firmness of the bed and its overall construction seemed to be a better long term choice than the latex mattress.

The problem with obtaining either of these two mattresses from IKEA is they are in very short supply, stock is low and demand is high.  So I ended up waiting more than a year to finally get the Sultan Heidal in queen size. 

There are rumors around that IKEA plans to introduce a new line of greener beds later this summer - and will be phasing out these two beds in the process.  So after hearing that information in the fall I had all but given up hope of getting the Sultan Heidal mattress - until the week of Christmas I was checking the stock levels online at IKEA Boston and New Haven and noticed they had mattresses in stock. 

I went up and purchased the Sultan Heidal with the Heimdal steel bed frame and the Sultan Luroy slightly curved slatted bed base.  I made some modifications to the bed frame with my trusty hack saw and its all set.  I love the new bed.  The whole thing cost just under $1200 delivered - which is a typical price for a mid range conventional bed and box spring from a traditional retailer.

The Sultan Heidal is a greener bed - its not perfectly green but its definitely a greener option than most beds out there.  In terms of price the Sultan Heidal is the cheapest greener full normal sized thickness queen mattress I found anywhere.  

After about ten days of sleeping on my new bed setup - I am very pleased.  The mattress is firm but not too firm the quality is very high and the slatted frame works well - its curved slats add just the right amount of give. 

I know there is a tremendous lack of information out there for people looking for greener beds on a budget - trust me I spent many hours looking for options on the Internet. 

I would suggest checking out these two beds if IKEA is an option for you.  Alternatively there are retailers like Organic Grace - who I really like that carry several very green beds for those on a budget.  The costs are higher than IKEA when you factor in shipping and a frame but they are still below $2000.    The downside with retailers like this is - you cannot try the bed and returns are very difficult if even an option at all. 

As an aside if your looking for a green pillow - I'd highly recommend the shredded natural latex pillow from Organic Grace the filling is from scrap latex and the case is made from organic cotton - its by far the best pillow I've ever used.

Comments

[katie]

thanks so much for this review! i've been curious about this mattress ever since i saw it a few months ago and haven't found that many comments or reviews of it. how is it working out?!

[cheap beds]

The green pillow by Organic Grace is really recommended to eco lovers.

- Mathew J.

[Steve]

Hi, I just purchased one but when looking at the materials tag on the bed there is no mention of latex. It says that the comfort material is 80% polyurethane. Does your bed say the same thing? I wrote a note to Ikea customer service but I still haven't heard back from them.

[Ken "latex mattress man" Hightower]

There is a lot of misleading information out there about eco friendly and latex mattresses. Facts are if it's truly made with 100% latex, the manufacturer will state that on the law label. If it says 80% polyurethane as someone just commented on, buyer beware. It might have a small layer of latex but the main ingredient is run of the mill petro-chemical based poly foam.

[Ali]

IKEA Sultan Heidal mattresses sold nationwide from June 2007 through April 2010 recalled for "violation of flammability standards"

What do you think that means?

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2010/06/04/IKEA-Sultan-Heidal-mattresses-recalled/UPI-17561275681902/

[james francisco]

Thanks for this good review, this is the kind of bed,I'm looking for. An organic and non toxic mattresses for my family for a healthier lifestyle

[An Honest Mattress Salesperson]

I've been amused by mattress manufacturers attempt to "green" their product. Be careful with the marketing spin of the salespeople out there. As someone mentioned above, check the law tag - its your best friend. Also ask for a manufacturer's spec sheet.

[ikea mattress review]

Its been a month since you first posted your review. Can you give us an update how your Ikea mattress is holding up? Some people tell me their bed was comfortable at first and then started to sag and become much less enjoyable to sleep on.

[Carey Ellis]

I like the features of the bed very clean and neat....

[Jean Wilson]

Nice mattress I think i should purchase one to replace my old mattress.

mattress los angeles

[MemoryFoam Adviser]

The problem with 'green' products is their reliability. You could spend over the odds on what is promised to you as an environmentally friendly product; only to find that it lets you down in a very short space of time! If you're looking for the greener option but are also looking for a product that lasts, it's very important to consult the experts at the showroom. Make sure to strike a fine balance between environmental awareness, durability and, most importantly, value for money!