Local business hopes to give you a healthier night’s sleep

According to Cloud Nine Furniture Co, your bed might be harming your health, but there is a better – and comfier – alternative.

These days, many of us are clued up on living clean, choosing organic food, and reading the labels of our beauty products. But according to Yves St Hilaire, owner of Squamish’s Cloud Nine Furniture Co, our health might be under attack while we’re asleep. Typical mattresses can release harmful gases and are coated in fire-retardants that may cause health issues. Metal coils are also said to act as antennae, amplifying the electromagnetic fields created by electronics (electromagnetic radiation has been linked to certain types of cancer). Says St Hilaire: “These aren’t products you use for half an hour. One-third of your life is spent in bed, so where you sleep is important.”

Cloud Nine opened in September with the tagline, “Possibly the best bed in the world,” because St Hilaire says there’s zero compromises made. “The mattresses are made from natural Talalay latex rubber foam from sustainable sources. The covers are 100 per cent organic cotton, sewn and assembled in Canada. The toppers are untreated sheep wool, which is naturally fire retardant, so we can skip the chemicals. And the frames are made in Canada from sustainably sourced wood,” he says. Each material has certificates to prove its eco- and health-friendly credentials, including Cradle to Cradle, Oeko-Tex and Eco-Institut, which monitor the chemicals in products, and FSC, which covers the supply chain for items made from wood.

St Hilaire says Cloud Nine’s beds offer the most comfortable night’s sleep you can get. Unlike memory foam, they’re breathable, and they’ll last for years. They’re also good to look at – St Hilaire is a product designer and owned Sticks and Stones Furniture for a decade – and affordable at $3,000 for a king-sized mattress and frame, including delivery.

One per cent of Cloud Nine’s annual sales goes to environmental causes through the 1% For the Planet organization. Closer to home, the company gives back by employing local people. Ultimately, St Hilaire wants to educate. “I once saw a picture from the 1920s of cyclists smoking during breaks from the Tour de France,” he says. “It looks crazy to us. I wonder if in 100 years, our descendants will look at the materials and ingredients we used and think we were crazy too.”

Try Cloud Nine’s beds at Bedding Focus, 40330 Tantalus Way, Squamish (between London Drugs and the Independent Grocery store, beside the Sea to Sky hotel). Find out more at Cloudninefurniture.ca, visit the Facebook page, or call 778-939-6463.