Buy Local Santa Monica: Avocado Green Mattress is more than a mattress, and more than a store….it’s a community hub!
May 21, 2021 9:00 AM
by Jennifer Taylor
Describe what your business does. What types of products/services do you offer?
Our mission is to be one of the world’s most sustainable brands. Our green mattresses and bedding are certified organic and non-toxic, and they’re all handmade in our GOTS organic and FSC-certified facilities in Los Angeles. We are the world’s only Climate Neutral Certified® mattress and bedding brand and a certified B Corp. And we donate one percent of all revenues to environmental nonprofits through our membership with 1% For The Planet.
How did your business get started and how has it evolved or grown over the year(s)? What is unique about the products/services you offer?
We were fulfilling a need. Traditional mattresses are often full of junk — toxic glues, nasty flame retardants, VOC-emitting foams. We wanted to create a mattress that was safe for our families, safe for the environment, and something that people could actually afford. Since launching our Avocado Green Mattress, we’ve developed more mattresses, a line of pillows, bedding, and furniture — all held to the same organic, natural, and non-toxic standard we established when we started the company.
The most unique thing about our products is that all our mattresses and furniture are handmade in Los Angeles with materials that meet the highest certifications for social and environmental responsibility.
A fun fact about Avocado is that we own our own organic farms. We manage about 200,000 Gadi sheep that roam among 40,000 hectares within the Himalayan foothills. We also co-own our Avocado Organic Latex processing facility in Kochi, India, along with more than 4,000 acres of latex farms.
Why did you decide to open your business in Santa Monica?
Santa Monica was a natural fit for our first experience center. Our products are handmade in Los Angeles, and because of its commitment to social and environmental responsibility, Santa Monica felt like the perfect place to showcase the natural, healthy ethos upon which Avocado was founded and all our products are made.
It has been a challenging year. What has helped you get through this difficult time?
It has been a challenging year, but we’ve been inspired by the resilience and continued support of our Santa Monica community. Despite how the pandemic has limited us, we’re energized by the ways we were all able to adapt, and how we are connecting with our community in new ways. Sure, we had to cancel our free in-person yoga classes, but we hosted new virtual programs and reached more people than ever.
It’s also in our nature to want to help. When COVID-19 first came to California, we knew we had to act. We repurposed our factory to produce some of the first GOTS organic certified, reusable face masks. We’ve distributed more than 500,000 of them, and were even able to donate 10,000 to the State of California to help ensure safe voting in November. We’re really proud to be able to do our small part to help limit the spread of the disease.
And as Santa Monicans started spending more at home, we were proud to safely open our doors and offer certified healthy and natural homegoods to support healthy bodies and a healthy community.
How can people support you and other local businesses?
Stop by and say hello! Can’t make it to the store? Keep an eye out for experiential events hosted through our Instagram page, like sound baths and concerts. When it becomes safe to do so, we’ll host more in-person events for the local community, like free talks, concerts, and classes. We also look forward to reopening our cafe and kombucha bar soon!
What do you hope for the future of our Santa Monica community?
2020 was a gut check on the interrelated issues of the climate crisis and social inequity. We want to be part of a thriving community that embraces the hard work of social and environmental responsibility and helps ensure access to a safe and healthy space for all.
What do you want the community of Santa Monica to know about you and your business?
We don’t just want to be your primary resource for luxury, organic bedding and furniture. We’re in Santa Monica to be a vehicle for community engagement and growth, and whether you’re shopping for a new mattress or not, we invite you to say hello and be a part of the Avocado family.
What is your favorite Santa Monica business?
So hard to choose! But when we have a break, it’s pretty much impossible to not stop in and say hi to our friends at Kreation Cafe and Frozen Fruit Co., where one Avocado employee is such a regular they often let her pick the flavor of the month.
Is there anything else you want to share?
We’re so grateful for the support of our Santa Monica community. We truly feel that together we can be a vehicle for good, supporting wellness and social and environmental awareness, both locally and globally.
Avocado Green Mattress
Open 10am – 6pm, daily
1120 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Authored By
Jennifer Taylor
Economic Development Manager