March 17, 2015
Disclosure: This site receives a payment from Keetsa, Nest Bedding, or Leesa when you purchase a product using any links to that company in this article (or use my coupon code)
One thing I often get asked is about so-called “green” mattresses or “eco-friendly” mattresses. That has never been a huge focus of mine; I prefer to talk in terms of comfort and support, but I am aware that a mattress being environmentally-friendly is a big selling point for a lot of people. I also have had quite a few readers ask me specifically about Keetsa, which is one of the more popular online sellers of “green” mattresses and bedding, but I was unable to respond since I had not actually tried them out.
So, I took a trip to New York City to their showroom in Lower Manhattan to try out their models. I spent over an hour in the showroom testing out their 7 mattresses, so I can give you a good overview of what to expect when you buy. Unlike some other predominately online direct-to-consumer brands, Keetsa will charge you a return fee (10% of the price) if you don’t like the mattress, so it is my goal here to make this somewhat less of a “blind” purchase.
About Keetsa
Keetsa has been selling eco-friendly mattresses for a decade now, so they’re an experienced company in this field. They’re based out of California and have three showrooms there (San Francisco, Berkeley, and Los Angeles), and they also have a showroom in New York City (which is the one I visited), but they do a lot of business online. They ship anywhere in the mainland US and most of Canada. The mattresses come compressed in a box and expand quickly to regular size when opened.
They sell seven different models, and I’ll review each of them below. They also sell other accessories such as pillows and mattress toppers.
All of their mattresses have a 12 year warranty against manufacturer’s defects and sags 1.5 inches or greater. This is slightly better than the industry “standard” of 10 years. (read more about mattress warranties here).
Eco-friendly, but not totally organic
Keetsa puts a lot of effort into making sure their mattresses reduce their impact on the environment and are free from anything toxic in the mattresses. (Not that mattresses by the major manufacturers have been proven to be toxic. I don’t believe they are. However, if this is something you’re worried about, I’m unlikely to convince you to not worry, and Keetsa goes the extra mile to test for these things).
They use plant-based oils in their foams to offset some petroleum use, they use organic cotton and natural latex, and they do their best to minimize carbon emissions in their supply chain. They’ve been recognized as a “green business” by several California organizations.
That said, these mattresses are NOT totally organic. Completely organic mattresses are very pricey. Just down the road from the Keetsa showroom in NYC, you’ll find a totally organic mattress shop that will sell you a coconut fiber and natural latex mattress for $6,000. Keetsa hits that middle ground of being eco-friendly, but still affordable and attainable by most of the population. They use a car analogy. Getting a Keetsa is like getting a Prius, or other hybrid vehicle. It still uses gas, just less of it. There are cars that use no gas at all (like my dream car, the Tesla Model S), but they are MUCH more expensive.
It’s the same with the Keetsa. Like I said, it’s the middle ground of being eco-friendly while still affordable.
UPDATE: A lot of readers have emailed me that a lot of Keetsa’s advertising is “greenwashed,” making them seem more eco-friendly than they are. They’re probably right. But again, I don’t really pay much attention to that stuff. My focus is on things like comfort, support, durability, etc. That’s what this review is about. If you decide to buy a Keetsa after doing your due diligence on their “green” advertising, my job is to make it less of a blind purchase.
The Mattresses
Keetsa has seven models of mattresses. Two of them are all foam, and the other five are a hybrid of foam and coils. The coil mattresses all use the exact same coil system. It’s an individually wrapped coil unit with a very thick gauge of steel (13 gauge, for any other mattress nerds out there). Individually wrapped is one of the better types of coil systems out there, since they’re designed to take the shape of your body and minimize motion transfer. In that way, they somewhat mimic the effect of an all-foam mattress. The foam mattresses are somewhat simpler in construction, but just as good as the coils.
They have two collections: The Tea Leaf collection (which are the more expensive ones) and the Keetsa collection (which are a bit less expensive.) I’m not going to review them grouped like that, though. I’m going to review the foam mattresses separately from the coil mattresses, because people are generally looking for one or the other.
All of the below mattresses have a 5% off coupon, but the code is specific to the mattress. The corresponding 5% off code is at the end of the review of each mattress.
Keetsa all-foam mattresses
Keetsa has two mattresses that are all foam: the Tea Leaf Supreme and the Keetsa Cloud.
Tea Leaf Supreme
The Tea Leaf Supreme is a medium-firmness foam mattresses. If you’ve ever had the chance to try a Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme, it’s in the same ballpark of firmness. It felt great when I was on my side; I didn’t feel any pressure in my shoulder. It uses 8 inches of a base support foam and 4 inches of memory foam on top of that (which is broken down into two layers: an inch of “quilted” memory foam in the top followed by 3 inches of memory foam underneath).
The Tea Leaf Supreme is the more expensive of the two all-foam mattresses, but you’re paying for a higher quality mattress. It ranges from $1164 for the twin size to $1889 for the king size mattress, and you’ll need your own platform foundation. (Note: according to their website, these are NOT adjustable base friendly. Using an adjustable base will void the warranty).
5% off coupon code: KEETSA5POFFSUPREME
The Tea Leaf Supreme is a medium-firm foam mattress. Good for sleeping in any position, but it’s a bit on the expensive side compared to the others.
Keetsa Cloud
The other all-foam Keetsa bed is the Keetsa Cloud. Don’t let the name “cloud” fool you; this is an extra-firm mattress. It’s one of the firmer all-foam mattresses that I’ve tried. It uses an organic cotton cover, 1 inch of “quilted” memory foam, another 1.5 inches of memory foam, and then the high density support layer. That means you really only have 2.5 inches of the memory foam to sink into before you hit the support layer, but even those first couple of inches is very hard. It’s a 4 pound high density memory foam.
I would not recommend this for side sleepers, and if you have a pronounced curve in the lumbar section of your back, you might not be supported on your back either. This is a great option for people that like a very firm mattress similar to a Japanese futon. The price ranges from $839 in a twin to $1322 in a king. (And again, you’ll need your own foundation). If you get this mattress and it’s too firm, a mattress topper might help make it be a lot more comfortable.
5% off coupon code: KEETSA5POFFCLOUD
The Keetsa Cloud is a very firm foam mattress. Good for stomach or back sleepers, and is less expensive than the Supreme.
Keetsa innerspring mattresses
There are five models of Keetsa innerspring mattresses. The models are the Tea Leaf Dream, the Tea Leaf Classic, The Keetsa Latex, the Keetsa Pillow Plus, and the Keetsa Plus. All except the Tea Leaf Dream use exactly the same coil system, and that coil system is very firm. That means even the softest mattress is still very supportive underneath. The Tea Leaf Dream uses a “hybrid core” in which the coils are encased in foam.
Tea Leaf Dream
The Tea Leaf Dream was my favorite mattress out of the bunch. I like a mattress just a little on the firm side of medium, and this mattress hits that spot. However, it is the most expensive one, and it does not come in a twin size. (It ranges from $1784 in a full size to $2309 in a king).
On top of the firm coil system, it uses 3 inches of a firm latex, which gives the mattress a little “bounce” that the foam-only mattresses from Keetsa don’t have. Then, on top of that, there are 3 inches of memory foam, for a total of 6 inches of pressure-relieving material. I like the “gradual” firmness that this one has. It starts off quite soft, and then it gradually gets firmer as you go deeper into the mattress. This allows you to kind of “float” to your correct level of support based on your body’s needs. It’s a real “hybrid” mattress, between a foam and a coil mattress.
5% off coupon code: KEETSA5POFFDREAM
The Tea Leaf Dream is a true “hybrid” mattress. It feels like a bouncier version of a memory foam. This is my favorite in the lineup, but it is more expensive, so there’s a trade-off.
Tea Leaf Classic
The Tea Leaf Classic is another model that uses a lot of foam up top and coils underneath, but the foams in this model are a lot firmer. It’s not an “extra” firm like the Keetsa Cloud mentioned above, but it is pretty firm. If you have broad shoulders and sleep on your side, it might be too hard. Otherwise, for a back or a stomach sleeper, it’s nice. The foams up top are high density foams (and only the top layer is memory foam) so it’ll contour a little, but not that deeply.
The Tea Leaf Classic starts at $933 in a twin size and goes up from there, so it’s a little less expensive than the Dream or Supreme models in the Tea Leaf lineup, but it’s still a premium mattress.
5% off coupon code: KEETSA5POFFCLASSIC
The Tea Leaf Classic is firm, but does give a little bit (at least in comparison to some of the other models below). It’s another hybrid mattress, but it feels a little more like a coil mattress than the Dream. It’s also a lot less expensive.
Keetsa Latex
The Keetsa Latex is not an all-latex mattress as the name might imply. It is a coil mattress with a layer of latex in the top. I generally like latex bedding. I’ve had a latex pillow for many years. It’s a very durable foam, and Keetsa uses natural latex. However, this mattress is hard. It is extremely stiff. I mentioned the thick gauge coils earlier, which makes all of the Keetsa coil mattresses pretty firm. On this model, there is just an inch and a half of a very firm latex separating you from that coil system.
I would recommend this mattress only if you get a mattress topper to put on top to soften it up a little. The mattress itself is built like a tank and should last quite a while. The warranty is 12 years, and I’d expect it to last at least that long. There’s just no weak spot that should start sagging any time soon. However, the mattress alone is just going to be too rigid for most people.
On the other hand, if you grew up in one of the Asian countries in which sleeping on a very hard mattress is common, you’ll feel right at home on this mattress. It starts at $891 in a twin and goes up from there.
5% off coupon code: KEETSA5POFFLATEX
The Keetsa Latex is one of the hardest beds out there. I’d strongly recommend using a mattress topper with this one, unless you like an extra firm mattress.
Keetsa Pillow Plus
The Pillow Plus is one of the lower priced Keetsa mattresses, but it’s still reasonably comfortable. I’m told it’s popular for students, kids, etc. For me personally, it’s not the quality I’d like to sleep on every night (then again, my wife thinks this website should be called “The Mattress Snob” based on my tastes in mattresses), but for the price it’s a good value. It’s a medium firmness not too far off from the all-foam Tea Leaf Supreme, but it feels a bit springier (which is sensible, since this is a coil mattress). It uses one inch of memory foam and several layers of what they call “super soft foam.” I’m a little skeptical about the durability of the foam layers in this one in the very long term because of the types of foam on this, but like most things in life, you get what you pay for.
The Pillow Plus is only from $576 in a twin to $996 in a king. So, if you need something for temporary use, a dorm room, guest room, etc, this is a comfortable yet affordable option.
5% off coupon code: KEETSA5POFFPILLOWPLUS
The Keetsa Pillow Plus is a decent “budget” alternative to the Tea Leaf Dream or the Tea Leaf Supreme. It’s a good cross between quality and price and a medium firm feel. It isn’t too hard, but you won’t sag into it too far either.
Keetsa Plus
The Keetsa Plus is their least expensive offering. It’s a more basic mattress and on the firmer side, but actually not quite as hard as the Keetsa Latex. It’s constructed somewhat similarly to the Pillow Plus, just without quite as much padding on the top. So, if you’re in the market for a temporary mattress or a guest room or something, and like a firmer mattress, this is a great option.
The price starts at $471 in a twin and goes to $891 in a king.
5% off coupon code: KEETSA5POFFPLUS
The Plus is the most basic, and least expensive, Keetsa mattress. I actually prefer this to the more expensive Keetsa Latex, but I suspect the Latex will last longer.
Accessories by Keetsa
Keetsa has their own collection of accessories as well. They have a selection of pillows, mattress toppers, and mattress protectors to choose from, so you can complete your sleep experience and get the whole eco-friendly package. (See reasons you need a mattress protector here.)
Conclusion
The Keetsa mattresses are fairly high quality, but you do pay for the “eco-friendly” aspect of the mattresses. The Keetsa models are more expensive than the alternatives that don’t put as heavy of a focus on the “green” story. However, if that is an important factor to you, you’ll be willing to pay the extra.
The Keetsa mattresses tend to skew towards the firmer side of the spectrum. Their firmest mattresses are extra firm, and their softest mattress is what I’d consider “medium.”
If value for your money is the only criteria you’re interested in, I think you can find a little better value and have less risk if you go with another direct-to-consumer mattress, like Leesa or the Alexander by Nest Bedding (the latter of which is both CertiPUR-US and Oeko-tex certified). These two also have a free return policy. However, if you’re looking for an eco-friendly mattress with a bigger focus on natural materials but won’t break the bank, Keetsa is a decent option.
Disclosure: This site receives a payment from Keetsa, Nest Bedding, or Leesa when you purchase a product using any links to that company in this article (or use my coupon code)
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P.S. I’d like to give a special thanks to Kyle and Josh at the NYC Keetsa showroom for patiently answering all of my questions even though I wasn’t there to buy anything. If you live in NYC and can make it to the showroom, I’d encourage you to buy from them rather than from me online.
MattressNerd Says
April 24, 2016 at 12:57 pm
All foam mattresses generally get higher customer satisfaction ratings than innerspring mattresses, so I'd go that direction if you're not sure.
Isadora Tang Says
April 20, 2016 at 7:59 pm
Thanks so much for this review -- it is so helpful. I am torn between an Alexander Bed Medium and the Keetsa Tea Leaf Dream. I'd probably go with the latter on intuition alone, but it's almost double the price. I find it so impossible to compare and to know whether it's justified to get it, since I also did like the Alexander a lot as well. And the warranty is better for Alexander. Do you have any thoughts? Hybrid vs. Foam? My main hope is alleviation of neck/shoulder pain -- I have super stiff shoulders/neck, and have always slept on firm mattresses.
MattressNerd Says
April 5, 2016 at 2:18 pm
If you're going into a Keetsa store to try them out, I'd recommend also going into the Nest store. There are Nest stores near all of the Keetsa stores that I'm aware of. (One of the guy who helped set up Keetsa is the guy behind Nest, by the way).
david Says
April 4, 2016 at 7:12 pm
I've tested out the Keetsa Tea Leaf Classic and Dream. Above you mention you really like Nest. I found the classic to be pretty firm and the dream to be more plush/soft. If I was looking for a 'hybrid' which model would you suggest I look at from Nest? How would the classic and dream compare to the nest honest bed? Any other thoughts/suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks
MattressNerd Says
April 4, 2016 at 2:16 pm
Also, consider stopping over at the Nest Bedding store in NYC if you go to Keetsa, just so you can compare. I'm a big fan of the products at Nest.
MattressNerd Says
April 4, 2016 at 2:15 pm
If you're heading to the Keetsa store to try it out, trust your body over anything I can tell you. In generally, having coils is not a good thing in a mattress. It will feel familiar if that's what you've slept on all your life, but foam mattresses get better reviews than innerspring.
Susan Says
April 3, 2016 at 4:58 pm
PS we may go to the NYC store to try Keesta out.
Susan Says
April 3, 2016 at 4:57 pm
We purchased a tempurpedic flex prima and instantly had regret about the price. We canceled before delivery. We look a chance on the Loom & Leaf and found it to be very firm at first. We have it about 10 days. Now we are finding it softer but it's really not comfortable. I have pain in my shoulder and feeling pins and needles in my arms. Maybe it's too firm. We are considering returning it. Keesta was recommended and I wondered if you could tell me what model would compare for comfort? We think we liked the tempurpedic because it was coils, foam and gel. Loom & Leaf only was gel and foam. What's your take? Thanks
kaz Says
February 7, 2016 at 2:42 pm
We have had a Keetsa PillowPlus since 2011. It wasn't ever terribly comfortable but has degraded significantly during the last year, becoming too firm, while also developing sagging, compressed spots where we sleep. I would not buy another one. We also had a Keetsa Kare Kit which, according to the salesman, was supposed to allow us to replace it with another if we ever wanted. This turned out to be impossible. We sent them photos as they requested and they said that they couldn't see what the problem was.
Jason Says
January 26, 2016 at 3:22 pm
Hi! Thanks so much for your site, it's a great resource for those of us who don't know much about this stuff... I've been sleeping on a Keetsa Tea Leaf Classic for 3+ years, and I think it's great. It's time to get a bigger bed, though... you said in your excellent review that it's a little pricy because of all that "green" nonsense. If I didn't care much about that stuff one way or another, what would be a similar mattress in firmness/quality that might be less expensive?
MattressNerd Says
January 6, 2016 at 10:18 pm
I don't believe any mattress is "toxic." If you can prove that, you can make millions in a lawsuit. That's just not based in reality. Second, I state in my article that it's not organic. I have an entire section on that. Third, they have a return policy in which they take care of the disposal, and you're responsible for the fee less 10% of the purchase price.
Sue Says
January 5, 2016 at 10:24 pm
As Jeff said, Keetsa is selling a toxic, non-organic foam mattress manufactured in China.I had the misfortune of purchasing this horror from a vender who claims to sell organic products in Santa Fe, New Mexico and I have the systemic allergic reactions to prove it.Beware.Now how do I get rid of it?It must be hauled to the dump but even disposal costs money and it is too heavy for me to pick up.
Terry Says
August 17, 2015 at 7:10 pm
I have been sleeping on a Keetsa Plus for 5 years now: the mattress is just as firm as it was when I bought it. I use a lambswool mattress topper which solved the 'sleeps hot' issue. I couldn't be happier with this purchase.
MattressNerd Says
July 31, 2015 at 9:31 am
They should file a warranty claim in that case. I don't get the impression that the foams are cheap at all, but there are always quality assurance issues with pretty much every mattress being made. While they are Chinese made, I'm inclined to believe them that they didn't just pick the lowest bidder on Alibaba to make their mattresses. I was told they carefully selected the factory, and I haven't seen anything to the contrary. If you look at the reviews for virtually any mattress, you'll hear people complain about the foams falling apart. This is the nature of reviews. Overall, people seem to be relatively happy with their Keetsas. The review aggregation website, Sleep Like The Dead, shows that they have an 83% customer satisfaction rating (though with an admittedly small sample size... there should be about a 4% margin of error). In any case, as I stated in the review, it is my intention to make Keetsa less of a blind purchase by explaining how each mattress feels. I think they're a bit on the expensive side for what you get, but if you really want to buy a Keetsa anyway, I want people to buy the one that best fits their needs.
William Says
July 31, 2015 at 2:31 am
If you look at Keetsa yelp page in San Francisco and Berkeley you'll find many people finding their foams are failing after just 2-3 years. This is the issue with cheap Chinese foam filled with charcoal. Yes, charcoal.
Ana Says
July 19, 2015 at 6:30 pm
Great review, I loved your analogy of the Prius and Tesla S. I'm shopping around for mattresses right now and am considering a keetsa pillow plus because it fits the budget. Would you recommend any other brands similar to Keetsa I can compare with?
MattressNerd Says
June 28, 2015 at 9:54 pm
Here's the thing: I don't really care about any of that. My review is based on the comfort and support of the mattresses. At no point did I claim they were perfectly environmentally friendly. At no point did I say that they were not petroleum-based. In fact, I admitted as much. I am not a part of the hysteria claiming that fire barriers are dangerous. They're not, and they're mandated by law. And saying something is "chemical-based" is just plain dumb, because everything you can touch is a chemical. Water is a chemical. Oxygen is a chemical. Everything is a chemical. Chemical does not mean harmful. Like I said in my article, there will be people who want to buy this mattress because they take some steps to minimize environmental impact (again, not eliminate environmental impact. They're not organic mattresses, and I said as much.) I provided this review as a service for people so they have a better idea of how the mattresses feel before ordering them. And people DO order them. Keetsa is a rather popular brand, despite what you would hope to be true. And outside of a few showrooms in 2 states, people generally don't have a chance to try them, so I tried all of them, so people who order the mattress will know what they're getting. As far as integrity goes, I only sell products that I believe in. It is my honest belief that Keetsa mattresses are well-made, if a bit expensive for what you get. And I also believe that they do take steps to be more eco-friendly than the other Chinese-made products. Again, I'm very up-front in the article that they only replace some of the petroleum with plant-based foams, and as you point out, they replace some of the cover with hemp. At no point have I ever stated differently. If you know of a mattress that fits your litmus test for what "eco-friendly" means and is just as well-made as Keetsa at a lower price, let's hear it. I know of some that are well made and organic, but expensive. I know of some that are organic and cheap, but low quality. I don't know of any that fit all of the criteria that you want them to fit.
Jeff Says
June 28, 2015 at 7:44 pm
Keetsa is a petroleum based memory foam with a chemical fire barrier mattress made in China and shipped from China. The only thing green is the logo. They use 12% hemp in some covers and say it's a hemp cover. Do you have any integrity or is this strictly a pay to play website?
Lauren Says
May 19, 2015 at 8:36 am
We are looking for a mattress this week and were considering the Keetsa Tea Leaf Supreme. In your review you compared it to the Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme (planning to go test it out). In other reviews I have read that the Tempurpedic sleeps hot and that would be a turn off. We are also considering the Saatva Luxury firm. When we went try out the mattresses in the store, both of us seemed to like the hybrids the best. Do you have any thoughts? We sleep on our side and back. I recently hurt my back (herniated disc) and have been complaining about our mattress being to soft for years, so it is a pretty important purchase.
MattressNerd Says
April 7, 2015 at 2:35 pm
I address the cons in my "conclusion" section. They're a bit more expensive than the "non-green" alternatives, and if you try it and don't like it, they charge you a 25% return fee.
Sleepers Mattress Says
April 7, 2015 at 10:09 am
what's the cons of Keetsa? I think they are quite expensive for a mattress