Why Natural Bedding is Worth the Investment
We spend approximately one-third of our lifetime in bed. During sleep our bodies are rejuvenating and repairing from the previous day. What our beds are made of – mattresses, sheets, comforters and pillows – all contribute to how our bodies react to the sleep we get. If you are dressing your bed in conventional materials, the nightly skin to fabric contact you are enduring might be covered in toxins such as polyurethane foam, flame retardant chemicals, formaldehyde, pesticides and GMOs.
Creating a comfortable, healthy and toxin-free space for a good night’s sleep is pretty important, we’d say. That’s why we source our bedding from Holy Lamb Organics. Holy Lamb combines tradition, organic materials and sustainable practices to deliver handmade textiles that make your bed not only incredibly comfortable but naturally chemical-free as well.
But we know how it can be. With a simple search online, you can find supposedly organic sheet sets much cheaper than the ones we sell. So how are they priced so low, and why should you pay more? What’s the scoop? We break it all down below!
Yes, you will find organic cotton sheets that are cheaper, but let’s take a closer look at why…
MATERIALS
double-check those certification claims and thread-count
Holy Lamb
…uses 100% GOTS certified organic cotton sourced from India and milled in Pakistan. Their cotton is never bleached or dyed, and they use no synthetic chemicals at any stage of the process. All of their certifications are supported by IOAS, a nonprofit that independently verifies certification standards. Want to try out the fabric yourself? HLO offers material sensitivity kits so you can experience the fabric and determine if you would like to purchase a product or not.
Other Suppliers
Claims of GOTS certified organic cotton aren’t hard to find. But GOTS certifications have to be renewed every year, and you can double-check if a certification is still valid by searching for the company in their public database. Of the top recommended organic cotton sheets listed on Amazon this month, we weren’t able to find their company names or parent company names in the GOTS database. All of that aside, lower-cost manufacturers may also minimize thread count to save on material, resulting in thinner or “scratchy” sheets.
TRANSPARENCY
keep an eye out for flowery language!
Holy Lamb
With the GOTS certification, Holy Lamb is able to detail exactly where each step of production takes place. This ensures that the company is only working with fellow GOTS certified facilities and that each product is made as environmentally-conscious and responsible as possible. With the GOTS supply chain, materials can be traced back to the farm where the cotton was grown, the sheep the wool was sheared from and the tree the latex was tapped from. If you ever have a question about HLO’s practices, their website provides extensive information and full transparency regarding their sourcing and processes.
Other Suppliers
When looking at other sheets that state they are organic, there is often a lack of transparency regarding sourcing and production. In other words, the consumer can’t find out where it came from or the circumstances around its production. The information might mention the “buttery soft feel” or the “luxurious luster,” yet the only reference to origin might simply say “imported.”
LABOR
U.S. made adds a premium
Holy Lamb
A GOTS certification ensures that every step of production is fair. Fabric for Holy Lamb products is produced at a GOTS certified facility in Pakistan from certified organic cotton grown on GOTS certified farms in India and Pakistan. The raw fabric is then rolled and sent to Oakville, WA where the HLO staff cuts, sews and packages the product. Their domestic manufacturing adds a premium, but it boosts the local economy and offers a space for trained and skilled sewing professionals within the US.
Other Suppliers
Many other sheet companies create their product completely overseas and send out directly from an international warehouse. If the company is verified to be GOTS certified, then these labor practices are defined as fair. If companies are not GOTS certified or their certification can’t be verified, be wary!
CERTIFICATIONS
…don’t come cheap!
Holy Lamb
Holy Lamb’s products are certified by GOTS, IOAS, Eco Wool, Forest Stewardship Council, and tested by the UC Davis Toxicology Lab and the Element Materials Technology. Costs can add up when choosing more ethical methods to ensure the safety and low environmental impact of HLO’s product which ultimately leads to higher prices. GOTS certification alone ranges from $1400-$3500 annually, depending on the size of your operation.
Other Suppliers
Look out for promising language without independent stamps of approval. And even when claims are made, it’s best to double check with the certifying agency (wherever possible) and be sure that the company is up-to-date on meeting their standards. If a company is stating their product is organic, this is typically a very loose statement. A product that is “certified” organic has to endure a lengthy audit to ensure the raw materials are completely traceable- such as being GOTS certified.
INTEGRITY
is the manufacturer thinking about their footprint and giving back to their communities?
Holy Lamb
Holy Lamb is dedicated to being as sustainable and zero-waste as possible. All of their manufacturing by-products are reused, recycled or composted – you can read more specifics on their zero-waste and plastic-free initiatives in this blog post. Holy Lamb focuses on fair labor practices, secure working conditions, diversity and inclusion. The team that creates your products are composed of skilled craftspeople that have a shared mindset of social and environmental safety and responsibility. Take a look inside their offices in the video below!
Other Suppliers
We wish every company was as transparent as Holy Lamb Organics. Unfortunately, with the amount of greenwashing in marketing nowadays, you have to be careful about what you’re reading. We encourage you to do your research when making a purchase-especially a purchase as important as sheets. Keep your eye out for the GOTS certification as this ensures that the company is keeping records of exactly where each material is coming from and how each product is being produced.
