Unwind and sleep easy with one of these eco-friendly bed frames that you know was sourced consciously, both in respect to your own health and the health of our common home: Mother Earth.
What is an Eco-Friendly Bed Frame?
Just as with other eco-friendly furniture, the key elements to consider when it comes to bed frames are the material, finishes, and general production practices.
Materials
If you’re looking for a natural bed frame, you’ll want to go the solid wood route.
Most plywood, particleboard, or engineered wood is made with glue that contains formaldehyde. As a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) and probable carcinogen, formaldehyde is an environmental and health risk for yourself and the workers producing that product.
There are some plywood/engineered woods that do not contain formaldehyde, but if the product page doesn’t specifically state that the product is formaldehyde-free, then it probably does contain it. You can always inquire with the company if you’re unsure.
Another material to consider if you’re looking for non-toxic furniture is solid metal, due to its durability, easy maintenance, and recyclability. However, this option isn’t so eco-friendly if that metal was newly mined, so look for recycled metal if you want to go this route!
Sourcing
Of course, although wood is renewable, it’s not always sustainably sourced. Look at a company’s About or Sustainability pages to see what information they can provide about how the wood they use is harvested and where it is sourced from. Look for things like:
- Local sourcing. This minimizes the product’s carbon footprint and typically means that a company has more transparency into their supply chain.
- FSC-certified. While not perfect, the Forest Stewardship Council seal is the most widely used third-party verification for sustainably-sourced wood.
- Reclaimed wood. Finding a bed frame made from repurposed materials is a fantastic option if you can find it. Not only does using reclaimed wood reduce waste, but it minimizes the need to cut down additional trees.
Finishes
Most conventional finishes used on furniture contain VOCs, which can cause a myriad of short-term and long-term health impacts. Look for non-toxic bed frames with low-VOC or even better, zero-VOC finishes.
Other Production Practices:
- Renewable energy use. Does the company use wind or solar power for its operations? Do they purchase Renewable Energy Credits?
- Waste reduction. How does the company handle material waste such as leftover wood? Do they work to minimize water use and energy use?
- Donations. Does the company give back to an environmental organization through a group like 1% for the Planet? Do they plant more trees than the number of trees cut down to produce their products?
Where to Find Eco-Friendly and Natural Bed Frames
As always, shopping secondhand is a great way to source furniture sustainably and more affordably! Sites like Facebook Marketplace, local Buy Nothing groups, and Craigslist can be resources for finding cheap eco-friendly furniture — sometimes, you can even get a piece for free if you’re willing to take care of the pick-up!
For a more curated selection of secondhand bed frames, check out sites like AptDeco, Apartment Therapy Bazaar, and Etsy.
If vintage furniture is more your style, check out Chairish, EBTH, and 1st Dibs
If you can’t find anything pre-loved, or you’d prefer to purchase a verified non-toxic bed frame, check out these brands below for sustainable bedroom furniture!
This guide includes partners and affiliates, which means we may earn a small commission through some of these links at no additional cost to you, which helps keep our resources free for everyone. As always, all brands are vetted through rigorous sustainability criteria and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Savvy Rest
Savvy Rest has everything you need to sleep more restfully, from organic mattresses to non-toxic bedroom furniture. The brand’s timeless all-natural platform beds — The Afton is their flagship platform bed and The Esmont is a platform bed with a customizable headboard — are made in their own Virginia workshop. Each bed is crafted out of sustainably-sourced maple and poplar wood and is available unfinished or with a zero-VOC finish.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainably-Sourced Wood, Zero-VOC Finishes, Local Production
Price: Starts at $699 for Twin
*Use code CONSIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off all products on Savvy Rest!*
2. Avocado Mattress
Made in their own GOTS-certified Los Angeles factory, Avocado Mattress makes eco-friendly bed frames with high environmental, health, and social standards. Each bed frame is made out of reclaimed wood or solid FSC-certified timber and zero-VOC finishes. For the bed frames made from new wood, Avocado Mattress uses non-toxic Titebond wood glues. The Certified B-Corporation also pays living wages and offers benefits, including family healthcare, to their production factory team members.
Conscious Qualities: Reclaimed or FSC-Certified Wood, Zero-VOC Finishes, Local Production in a GOTS-Certified Factory, Greenguard-Certified (Gold), Carbon Neutral Certified
Price: Starts at $595 for Twin
3. Masaya & Co
Beginning as a reforestation project, Masaya & Co. is dedicated to beyond sustainable sourcing. Not only does the furniture brand harvest their wood responsibly from their own forest (talk about transparency!), but the brand plants 100 trees for every product sold. All of Masaya & Co.’s eco-friendly bed frames are handmade by craftspeople in Nicaragua and finished with low-VOC natural oils.
Conscious Qualities: Invests in Reforestation, Made-to-Order, Ethical Production
Price: Starts at $1,650 for Twin
Check Out Masaya & Co on Made Trade
4. Thuma
Minimal yet functional, Thuma’s eco-friendly beds are designed with intention — they are supportive and sturdy yet simple and easy to assemble. Each minimalist bed is made from upcycled and repurposed rubberwood trees and is shipped out efficiently in recycled cardboard. (No styrofoam here!) With an average 4.9 star rating from over 4,500 reviews, there’s clearly a lot to love about Thuma’s sustainable bed frames!
Conscious Qualities: Greenguard Certified, Repurposed Wood, Eco Packaging
Price: Starts at $695 for Twin
5. Medley
Using only the highest quality non-toxic materials for their sustainable furniture, Medley has natural bed frames are made from domestically-sourced FSC-certified solid wood. Each wooden bed frame is made-to-order in Los Angeles using zero-VOC glue and zero-VOC all-natural furniture polish. (Note: Medley’s bamboo furniture uses low-VOC finishes.) If you prefer a padded bed frame, check out Medley’s Nein bed which has the option to use organic natural latex.
Conscious Qualities: Local In-House Production, FSC-Certified Wood, Natural Finishes, Made-to-Order
Price: Starts at $1,899 for Twin
6. My Green Mattress
MyGreenMattress.com has a simple sustainable bed frame made in the US from untreated domestically-sourced Poplar wood. The non-toxic bed frame does not have any wood stains, adhesives, or toxic chemicals. This slatted platform bed also eliminates the need for a box spring.
Conscious Qualities: Domestically-Sourced Wood, Non-Toxic & Untreated, Made in the US
Price: Starts at $299
7. VivaTerra
Green home and lifestyle retailer VivaTerra has a collection of Vintage Fir bed collections that are handmade in California from reclaimed wood. The beds are available in various styles and finishes, which are achieved using water-based non-toxic stains. VivaTerra also has other sustainable bedroom furniture like coordinating bedside tables, dressers, and storage chests to complete the set.
Conscious Qualities: Reclaimed Wood, Non-Toxic Stains
Price: Starts at $1,995 for Twin
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