This is the question that I have been most often asked these days.  There is a simple, quick answer and then there's the reason for the answer.

The simple answer is:  There are too many people that want organic mattresses and bedding and too few manufacturers and raw materials suppliers.  In fact, the entire organic "sleep" system is very much on the verge of being completely overwhelmed at this point.

Why?  Well, as some of you may know or have heard, the Federal Government is mandating, beginning July 1, 2007, that all mattresses sold in the United States (that is "Sold" not "Manufactured" - which means imported mattresses have to meet the rule as well) must meet a new flame retardant standard.  Specifically, the rule is 16 CFR 1633.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission adopted this rule in February, 2006.  Because the window of adoption and the effective date are so close together, the entire mattress industry is scrambling and spending literally hundreds of millions of dollars to bring everything into compliance.

The rule is very strict and making mattresses that are compliant in the standard mattress world is not easy.  Because polyurethane foams are flamable and also emit toxic fumes while they burn, manufacturers are having to put very thick flame barriers between the outer ticking (fabric) and the inner cushioning materials (foam). 

This has a lot of consumers very scared!  On the one hand, the mattress is not going to "flash over" (which is what the standard is trying to prevent - it's not about cigarettes but about an "open flame", as if the sheets and bedding were burning).  However, on the other hand there is a significant amount of chemical and, in many cases, unhealthful flame retardants within the mattress - in fact just under the surface - to make it compliant with the new rule. 

The industry has had to move so quickly to become compliant that there has been little to no testing on the long term effects of these flame retardants, many of which are proprietary to the manufacturer and thus the specific specifications are not even known to the mattress manufacturer who ultimately puts it into their mattress!

So, what does this have to do with organics?  Well, because organic mattresses quilt with wool, they are already flame retardant and actually meet the new standard without having to add any other flame barrier!  Some organic manufacturers are adding a woven silica layer (a fiber spun from sand), but that's is about the extent of it. 

The basic result is, if you want a mattress without a chemical flame barrier, you have to buy organic.  If you want one without wool (if you have an allergy) you have to have a medical prescription.  You can also get a standard mattress without a flame barrier with a medical prescription, however I wish you good luck there as it would have to be custom made and the record keeping is unbelievable. 

Ultimately, my advice to you right now is get your name on the list - either with a retailer or manufacturer - so you are in line for an organic bed quickly. 

Here are some examples of current delays:

Green Sleep (#1 organic bed in the world) used to take 4 to 6 weeks - now 7 to 8 is the norm.

Vivetique (Natural Bedroom - the top organic supplier in the U.S.) is chugging along but you can expect a 2 to 4 week order time - and on some products it extends out to 8 weeks or more.

OMI-Lifekind is out 2 to 4 weeks longer, some products further than that.

Land and Sky has been keeping up, although they've had a few quality issues.  They are taking care of them very quickly, but so far they've been able to fill orders on time.

Royal-Pedic is the oldest name out there and, as such, are 1st on every supplier's list.  So far, no delays or quality problems - plus they just totally revamped their organic offerings.  They did, however, have their first price increase in 2 years.

Organic Sleep Products is hit and miss.  They report they can not make queen mattresses at this time due to the materials shortage, but expect to be back in operation there in about one to two weeks.  Vivetique supplies them, so you can sort of draw your conclusions there.  They are, however, flush with natural latex because they are a regional direct importer - so there's a little "clout" there.

Everybody else, you can expect at least 1 to 2 weeks longer wait on most products, with some items as far out as 8 to 12 - seriously.  The product that seems to be the most difficult right now are wool puddle pads as Vivetique reports that they did not even receive raw materials for 2 months. 

The industry is responding, but as with anything organic (or worthwhile for that matter), it's going to take time.  As demand is expected to increase, I would look for supply shortages throughout the rest of 2007 and into 2008.