Birch launches new Essential mattress — eco-comfort from just $692

The Birch Essential Mattress on a bed frame in a room — (Image credit: Birch)

Luxury organic mattress brand Birch is making eco-friendly sleep more accessible with the launch of the new Birch Essential mattress, a latex hybrid that's just $799 for a queen. And it comes from good pedigree: it's pricier counterparts the Birch Natural and Luxe both impressed with their high-quality builds.

$799 for a queen a highly competitive price, as organic beds can often set you back upwards of $2,000. For example, the Saatva Zenhaven is the best organic mattress we've tested, blending luxury with latex. It's $3,149 at Saatva in the current sale. That's a massive price gap (although the Saatva is dual-sided.)

The Essential is an exciting addition to Birch's line-up and further proof that latex is becoming an accessible eco-material for the consumer. But here we're focusing on the most pressing question: what's this affordable latex mattress like to sleep on?

Birch Essential Mattress: Price

Let's get straight to the price. Value for money is one of the key metrics we evaluate when testing the best mattresses you can buy online, and with a queen Birch Essential under $799, it's a mid-range mattress made with premium materials.

Here's the price at launch for each size of the Birch Essential mattress:

Twin: $692 ($865 at MSRP)
Twin XL: $746 ($932.50 at MSRP)
Full: $778 ($972.50 at MSRP)
Queen: $799 ($998.75 at MSRP)
King: $999 ($1,248.75 at MSRP)
California King: $1,066 ($1,332 at MSRP)

In comparison, a queen Birch Natural Mattress — the next step-up in the collection — is $1,499 for a queen in the 4th of July Birch mattress sale (from $1,873 MSRP) while the flagship Avocado Green mattress is $1,699 for a queen at Avocado.

And there's a chance we'll see even further price drops. Right now there's 20% off at Birch but we're hoping to see 25% off in future sales.

However, more affordable latex beds are becoming increasingly common as sleep brands take advantage of this responsive material. The Avocado Eco Organic Mattress, for example, is just $1,359 for a queen in the current sale (was $1,599) while the Awara Essential Hybrid is just $799 at Awara.

Birch offers a 120-night sleep trial and a limited lifetime warranty.

Birch Essential Mattress: Features and design

When it comes to design, the Birch Essential mattress keeps things streamlined. There are just two comfort and support layers (a spring base and latex foams) plus a cotton cover and a layer of fiberglass-free fire protection.

Compared to say, the Birch Luxe Natural mattress, which has multiple layers of latex foam alongside natural wool, the Essential seems basic. It's also only nine inches tall, putting it at the lower end of our recommended mattress height for adults.

An exploded chart showing the interior layers of the Birch Essential Mattress, including layers of organic latex and steel springs — (Image credit: Birch)

However, the simplicity of the design is likely what keeps costs down — it's a tactic used by many of the best mattresses in a box.

And while the build is modest, the materials are high quality. The natural cotton and latex are both known for their breathable feel to aid temperature regulation, while latex has excellent durability. They're also both certified organic, with GOLS and GREENGUARD GOLD recognition.

Birch says this mattress has a medium-firm feel and based on our testing of the Birch Natural Mattress, we predict this is largely accurate but that it might skew slightly firmer. With only one foam layer, there's not much to sink into.

The Birch Essential mattress on a wooden bed frame in a simply decorated bedroom, — (Image credit: Birch)

Birch also describes the bed as "responsive" — considering our experience on the "bouncy" Birch Natural, that's probably apt.

So, a medium-firm mattress with a responsive feel and a cooler build. It's likely to suit back and stomach sleepers and we're interested to see how it stacks up against the best cooling mattresses we've tested.

But perhaps most excitingly, the Birch Essential follows the trend of more affordable organic mattresses. Could low-cost latex beds be the next big thing in sleep comfort?

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Alternatively, you can read our content on the Tom's Guide app available now for iOS and Android. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.

Ruth is an experienced Senior Staff writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things sleep and mattresses. She writes to help people sleep better, from how-tos to the latest deals to mattress reviews, and has interviewed an array of experts who share her passion. She is also our specialist on memory foam — she’s flown around the world to see memory foam being made — and leads our hotel mattress content. She has a deep interest in the link between sleep and health, and has tried enough mattresses, from Helix to Nectar to Simba, to know the right bed really can make a difference to your wellbeing. Before joining the team at Tom’s Guide, Ruth worked as a sleep and mattress writer for our sister website, TechRadar.