If you have been following Essentia, you know that the Stratami Organic Mattress has been recommended by Consumer Reports for over 8 years now. This has been a great achievement for us and one we proudly shout from the rooftops. Now, we have even more to celebrate!
The trusted, independent authority on the product review space has now recognized three of our foam mattresses – the Grateful Eight, Stratami, and Classic REM5 – with high ratings in their latest round of testing. This recognition truly reinforces the quality and performance of Essentia mattresses.
Consumer Reports: A Trusted Authority for Consumers
This non-profit organization is the industry standard, providing independent research, ratings, and recommendations to empower consumers to make informed choices for some of their most significant purchases, including mattresses. They consistently provide consumers with objective, independent ratings and reviews, testing over 5,000 products annually.
To be objective, there must be no influence from the manufacturers of the products being tested. This is why CR purchases all products tested anonymously, ensuring their findings are honest and free of any influence.
CR’s Stringent Testing Protocol: Why is This Important for Mattresses
If you have been shopping for a mattress, you know that all brands offer different benefits, but how do you know if the mattress can truly last 20 years? Or if you are purchasing a mattress without trying it first, will it be similar to a feel you enjoy?
This is why these independent reviews can be so invaluable for a shopper. CRs testing is designed to stimulate real-world usage and longevity. The process is not about opinion, it’s about measurable performance. Here is a look at the key criteria they use to evaluate mattresses:
Body Support
Testing measures the spine’s curvature using test dummies of various sizes and weights (petite, average, large/tall) across all different sleeping positions. The aim is to ensure proper spinal alignment, which is critical for comfort.
For a side sleeper, for example, they analyze spinal alignment by graphing points along the spine to measure deflection from a straight line. For a mattress to score well, the spine must remain correctly aligned and fairly parallel to the mattress surface.
Durability
A key part of the ratings is the mattress lifespan test. To mimic the typical 8 to 10-year lifespan of a traditional mattress, they use a heavy 309-pound roller that is pushed across the mattress 30,000 times, simulating years of regular use.
Testers look for physical damage, height changes, and the maintenance of support after this stress. The objective is to evaluate whether the mattress can truly stand the test of time or not.
Minimizing Disturbance or Stabilization
For couples, movement transfer is a major concern. CR tests for stabilization, which rates how much movement a person will feel when their partner shifts position. The higher the stabilization score, the more easily you are able to change sleeping positions without waking your partner.
Sensors measure how much movement is felt across the mattress when a weight is dropped, indicating the mattress’s ability to minimize disturbance. In turn, keeping you in your REM and Deep Sleep cycles.
Essentia Mattresses Earning Recognition
Having three models receive favorable recognition from CR highlights Essentia’s achievements in producing high-quality, high-density organic latex foam mattresses that not only stand the test of time but also deliver on what we all want most from a mattress: COMFORT!
The Stratami: A Highly Rated Foam Mattress
#4 of 101 foam mattresses.
The Essentia Stratami organic mattress has been consistently noted in the foam mattress category.
In previous testing, the Stratami was the highest-rated foam mattress evaluated by Consumer Reports. The Stratami has been rated Excellent in the strenuous CR Durability test, demonstrating its potential for longevity. Essentia reinforces this quality with a 20-year warranty.
Where the Stratami truly stands out is in comfort for petite, average, and large/tall back AND side sleepers. With our exclusive dome shaped contour comfort layer, the Stratami is able to provide contour and comfort that cannot be replicated by a traditional Talalay latex.
A core of Essentia’s lifestyle collection, the Stratami is unmatched for comfort, durability, and organic benefits when compared to other latex mattresses. You would be hard-pressed to find a medium to medium soft feel latex mattress that will stand the test of time like the Stratami will, due to the high-density organic foams.
The Grateful Eight: The New Leader
#2 of 101 foam mattresses.
The Grateful Eight organic mattress now outranks the Stratami on CR’s foam mattress ratings.
Like the Stratami, the Grateful Eight tested favorably for both stabilization and reducing motion transfer as well as durability, proving it can stand the test of time.
Where the Grateful Eight truly stands out is its excellent ability to support petite, average, and large/tall back sleepers. Providing excellent comfort and posture support, the Grateful Eight is an amazing value with benefits that surpass traditional latex mattresses.
As a newer addition to Essentia’s Lifestyle category of mattresses, the Grateful Eight is made of certified organic materials; you won’t find any springs, polyurethane foams, fiber batting, wool, or latex proteins in this mattress.
The Classic REM5 Active: A Pressure-Relieving Standout
#9 of 101 foam mattresses.
Of the Essentia models tested, the Classic REM5 Active mattress is the only one in our Performance Collection of mattresses, featuring our patented Beyond Latex™ organic foam.
Earning extremely high ratings for durability as well as petite, average, and large/tall side sleepers. The Classic REM5 contours to the body, filling the negative space and evenly distributing body weight. The surface of the Classic REM5 also sleeps up to five degrees cooler than the body over an eight-hour sleep cycle, as needed, based on your heat output.
Given the nature of the quality of the components used and the patented Beyond Latex™ organic foam featured on the Classic REM5, it does fall on the pricier end of the spectrum of all mattresses reviewed by CR. As this is something they take into account when ranking their mattresses, it does count as a negative to the model. Even with this, it still makes the top 10!
What Consumer Reports Doesn't Measure: Essentia's Stacked Benefits
While we are exceptionally proud of our high ratings in CR’s measurable categories—like Durability, Support, and Stabilization—these tests represent only a part of the true Essentia difference. Consumer Reports focuses on universally measurable attributes, but what they don’t take into account are the sleep benefits that make Essentia unique.
To achieve truly restorative sleep, you must eliminate the stimulants in a bedroom that can potentially pull you out of REM or Deep Sleep cycles. This becomes the real differentiator between Essentia and other mattress brands because you simply aren’t comparing apples to apples.
Most mattresses are one-dimensional, addressing only one problem that you may face when trying to get proper sleep. This usually means they also trade one benefit for another. For example, you need pressure relief and weight redistribution so you choose a memory foam mattress… however, that memory foam is made from petrochemicals introducing toxins and VOCs to your bedroom!
Essentia doesn’t compromise; it’s about innovation and moving past a single solution. This is why we have pioneered stacking sleep benefits. This patented, proven approach, unique to Essentia, combines the necessary elements for optimal sleep into one high-performance mattress. Something that CR's protocol does not address:
100% Certified Organic & Toxin-Free
While CR acknowledges organic claims, Essentia is dedicated to minimizing your exposure to the VOCs and harmful petrochemicals found in traditional memory foam. All our products are GOLS and GOTS certified, and made in our GOLS and GOTS certified organic factory.
Active Cooling
Essentia's patented Beyond Latex™ organic foam does not just sleep passively cool; it actively cools by drawing heat away. Most importantly, Essentia’s patented organic foam is able to do this without the need for phase-changing chemicals found in traditional cooling technology. This process is essential for micro-hibernation and uninterrupted rest, which is not evaluated in CR's standard heat dissipation test.
Allergy Friendly
Essentia mattresses are made without wool or fiber batting, which are prime spots for dust mites. Our patented foams are naturally impervious to dust mites, a fact confirmed by research from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine—a vital health element that transcends CR’s core testing.
Optimized Oxygen
Essentia’s patented Beyond Latex™ organic foam eliminates pressure points & evenly distributes body weight allowing for oxygen & blood to flow more freely, this helps to eliminate numbness and soreness. Exposure to high levels of oxygen at night encourages the brain to remain in deep, restorative sleep cycles.
EMF Protection
Available for over four years and backed by conclusive blood testing results, Essentia's EMF Protection Foam is a pioneering solution. This proprietary formula integrates informed quartz into Essentia's Beyond Latex™ organic foam. This quartz acts as a dominant organic wave pattern, overriding the erratic frequencies caused by EMFs and promoting healthy blood cell behavior. The Dave Asprey Upgrade takes this technology to the next level with the addition of a graphene-infused organic cotton cover. This innovative cover is naturally antimicrobial and highly conductive. The graphene enhances energy flow and amplifies EMF protection through increased conductivity, working synergistically with the dominant low-level wave pattern produced by Essentia's foam.
Mold Protection
A truly hidden sleep disruptor, Essentia’s high acidity Beyond Latex™ organic foam creates a safe space by hindering the growth of mold on the mattress itself. This is vital because mold exposure can cause chronic fatigue, allergies, and other health problems.
Conclusion
The power of Essentia lies in this integrated, patented approach. Our top ratings in categories like Durability and Stabilization prove our foundation is solid, while our stacked benefits deliver a complete, high-performance recovery tool designed to maximize your time in REM and Deep Sleep cycles.
You deserve a mattress that does more than just support you; you deserve one that actively boosts your health and delivers truly transformative sleep.
Interested in hearing from Essentia customers? You can watch them right here in our YouTube playlist, including this one from Bailey who shares his Classic REM5 mattress review and shopping experience with Essentia:
