Natural Mat + LaLicious Sweepstakes Update

You're never too young to start living the green life!

That's why the eco-friendly baby bedding products from Natural Mat caught our eye.

Handmade in Devonshire, England, Natural Mat says it uses only the finest natural and organic raw materials in its crib mattresses and sheets.

One of these mattresses, the Coco Mat (MSRP $375) is actually filled with coir, a fiber extracted from the outer shell of a coconut. Natural Mat says its coir comes from the only certified organic coir plantation in the world.

(Personally, the thought of coconut-based products being made in England puts us in mind of the Monty Python Holy Grail migratory coconuts bit.)

Anyway, Natural Mat wraps its coir in lambwool bathed in the extracts of lavender, lemon and eucalyptus, which not only smells lovely but supposedly makes the mattress anathema to dust mites. The mattress is then covered with a removable and machine washable unbleached cotton cover.

Since England presumably has resident horses, we don't need Monty Python to figure out where Natural Mat got the horsetail hair for its Mohair Mat. The Mohair Mat features horsetail hair (which Natural Mat calls the longest and most durable natural fiber in the world) at its core, sandwiched between layers of organic coir. The whole bit apparently offers a firm, supportive base for baby.

Like some nocturnal layer cake, the coir is in turn wrapped with mohair fleece, which is then itself covered in that washable, removable unbleached cotton. The whole shebang will set you back $625 (MSRP), but we say that any natural product with the potential to help a baby sleep through the night is probably worth its weight in horsehair.



Love your baby, but don't have so many spare Benjamins sitting in the bank? You can still pick up that English organic cred with some 100% organic cotton sheets and mattress protectors. All the sheets are unbleached and undyed, and all bedding can be washed including the waterproof mattress protector. Prices on the bedding start at less than $50.

In addition to the eco-benefits outlined above, Natural Mat also claims that its products offer superior breathability (keeping baby cool and comfy), naturally fire retardant (passing fire regulations without the use of chemical fire retardants) and durability.

According to Natural Mat, a number of parental celebrities like Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba and Laila Ali have Natural Mat products.

Where to buy:

Many online retailers carry Natural Mat products, including Barebabies.com.

Natural Mat has kindly provided a discount code for our readers. Enter code gp10offnm and you should be able to receive a 10% discount on any Natural Mat products ordered through the Barebabies.com website. UPDATE - Barebabies.com has apparently suddenly gone out of business. To get 10% off Natural Mat products, use the code "1gpnm" on the site Goores.com.

LaLicious Sweepstakes Update:

We have our first winner in the LaLicious Sweepstakes. Congratulations to Michele from Waterville, Maine!

Meanwhile, we're still waiting to hear from our second winner. He or she has until December 5th to respond and claim the prize. If he or she does not respond, we'll hold a second drawing to find an alternate winner.

Thanks to everyone who signed up to participate in the Sweepstakes. Stay tuned for more eco-friendly product discounts and sweepstakes in the near future!