This is a collection of pillows, sheets, and blankets that are well-liked by the chemically sensitive. The list was gathered over the last decade of being in community with chemically sensitive folks as well as being chemically sensitive myself and trying out some of the options.
Pillows
Organic Pillow Fills
Wool and Cotton
For pillows, you generally want natural fibers like wool or organic cotton.
When I was highly sensitive I needed to open pillows up and wash the cotton. Organic cotton batting sometimes still retains a strong smell from the oils of the cotton plant. Some of them have a zipper, so you can pull out the cotton batting easily.
Never use non-organic cotton batting, if you are avoiding chemicals, as the batts retain a lot of the pesticide.
Alternatives to Wool and Cotton
Healthy pillow fills also include down, kapok, buckwheat, bamboo, and silk.
This silk pillow from Allergy Buyers Club is very pure, as some silk is coated in a surprising amount of chemicals.
I’m not a fan of latex pillows for the reasons outlined in the mattress section.
Synthetic Pillow Fill
Flexible Plastic
I like the Purple pillow, which is made of a type of flexible plastic grid that some very sensitive folks have reported to be safe and tolerable. I really like that it’s easily cleanable.
Polyester
I do like polyester as well, even though it’s not natural, because it’s more moisture-resistant than cotton. I don’t find it very toxic, though sometimes it has chemical residue on it.
I use this polyester-filled pillow, which needs to be washed or aired out before use. Polyester is also referred to as “down alternative”.
Natural Polyester
PLA is a type of polyester made from plant starch that is a more eco-friendly option compared to standard polyester.
Naturepedic has a really good brand of PLA-filled pillows
that are not treated with chemicals and many sensitive folks like them.
You can find them on Amazon as well as their website.
Sheets
Organic Cotton
Coyuchi makes organic sheets, pillows, and other bedding that are made with the chemically sensitive person in mind.
You can find them on Amazon as well as through their website.
I highly recommend this company. They use natural dyes but the safest bet is always virgin (undyed) fabric. If you react to the product you can return it. I’ve been really happy with all their products.
Even with GOTS-certified sheets, I find they usually need one wash to get the smell out (probably the smell of cotton oils).
Those more sensitive than me like the brands Organics and More and Brooklinen.
Non-Organic Cotton
Cotton that has been processed into fabric (sheets, pillowcases, etc) no longer contains pesticides, in theory. But stay away from permanent pressed finish (wrinkle-free finish), and make sure the dyes are steadfast or all-natural.
Almost all cotton that is not organic has a chemical added to it that smells. Look for OEKO-TEX certified fabrics which is the best certification after GOTS.
Polyester
In a high moisture environment like a trailer, I use all polyester sheets and pillowcases instead of cotton.
Pillowcases
I use these affordable organic pillowcases.
Blankets
1. Wool Blankets
I use wool blankets from Coyuchi – the natural color with indigo stripes. It does have a wool smell, so if you are sensitive to wool try their cotton blankets.
I really like wool because it’s hard for me to stay at the right temperature at night without them.
The wool blankets were a super good investment in my case, as they stopped me from waking up throughout the night due to being too cold.
The wool blankets were a little difficult for me to wash though, I like these Pendelton washable wool blankets a lot too.
2. Cotton Blankets
I also tried these organic cotton blankets which I really liked when I was very chemically sensitive.
These are thick and take a long time to dry. Though I used to lug them everywhere with me while traveling.
Others more sensitive than me have really liked the blankets from Organics and More.
3. Polyester Blankets
When I became less chemically sensitive, I used polyester blankets for mold avoidance.
They are cheap! (from Walmart or Amazon).
If you are chemically sensitive you can try to wash out the odor.
Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.
Dave
Hi Corinne, just curious which lines from coyuchi you’d recommend? EXTREMELY sensitive and am reacting to our bamboo sheets now that I never used to.
Is the Coyuchi organic crinkled one you’d suggest over the refined organic percale or cloud soft organic sateen?
Also, are you able to give me your opinion on silk and snow from Canada? Thank you very much. I appreciate all the work you’ve put into your site.
JL
Hi!
What is your take on Organic Tencel material for a weighted blanket?
I see other products on this site (and others) that seem to indicate Tencel is clean, but would love your opinion!
This one here: https://bearaby.com/products/tree-napper?srsltid=AfmBOooOs_647NS-LvUJlkWd1zVVsYkrVazUJvRHdbvB8hPyEbGKxx9k
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
It’s more about what natural fabrics are treated with than whether it’s cotton, wool, tencel etc.
JL
Ok, I will email them to ask. Are there common chemicals I should watch out for and explicitly call out in my email?
Thanks in advance!
JL
This is their response – do you consider Oeko-tex certification to be a high standard?
“The purity and safety of our products is part of our brand promise, so we’ve also secured third-party verification to ensure that all of our raw materials meet international standards for organic farming and are free of harmful substances — all our products are Oeko-Tex certified.
Our Tree Nappers are made of Tencel™, a soft and sustainable fabric made out of wood pulp, sustainably milled by industry leader LENZING™ in Austria, and uses nine times less water than conventional fabrics.”
DKI
Also…Ikea used to have amazing wool blankets and throws — I still have mine from the mid-2000s. I’m not sure if they still have good quality wool blankets, but you mentioned in previous posts that Ikea tends to be good at not putting hazardous chemicals in their products.
DKI
I’ve been using Nordstrom’s 400 Thread Count Organic Cotton Sateen Sheets the past few months and like them so far
400 thread count
100% organic cotton
Machine wash, tumble dry
Imported
OEKO-TEX®–certified Standard 100 materials free of harmful substances
Organic Content Standard: made with 100% organic cotton
This product meets Nordstrom Preferred Materials criteria: contains at least 30% more-sustainably sourced materials
Item #5324030
Previously I’d been using target organic cotton sheets, which I would not recommend, they are not soft at all and not that durable.
DKI
Forgot to mention, the Nordstrom organic sheets do not smell after washing them.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
thank you
Brooke
Hi there! I am looking at bedding from Pottery Barn and PB Teen. A lot of it is made from recycled plastic water bottles, and/or polyester, I am not sure if that is one in the same. Is it bad to be sleeping with bedding made from plastic? Thanks so much!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
recycled water bottles are PET/polyester. I talk about that (risks etc) in the sofa post.
Brooke
Thank you!
Brooke
Do you explain the difference anywhere between polyester and recycled polyester?
Kathleen Yager
Thank you for all that you do! I’ve ordered the polyester pillow you recommend on Amazon. Several years ago the price was $10 per pillow. The price has gone up over the past several years and is now $42. I cannot spend that much on a pillow. Do you happen to have other recommendations in this category? After the price increase I purchased a number of pillows that all were crap and I don’t want to keep wasting money
Charlotte
How do you manage to wash the cotton batting without shrinking it?
vi
I am searching for a fitted sheet that doesn’t have toxic rubber all around the edge
Anyone know of a company that might work?
Sarah
A word about kapok. I’ve been using it to make my pillows for several years and love it. BUT, be aware that:it flattens very quickly, as in a matters of days. It seems unimaginable since it’s looks like cotton candy. But it degrades very fast so you have to keep filling the pillow with more to maintain the firmness you need. In addition, it is, apparently, highly flammable, so, fyi. I would also imagine that like cotton and many other natural fibers w/wood being the exception, it absorbs water easily so that’s always something to consider when it comes to bedding. Natural is great, but mold, not so much. Despite these issues, I’m still a huge fan of kapok given the alternatives.
Sarah
wool, not wood. sorry.