It turns out that buying organic latex isn’t all that important to me anymore. It’s simply beyond my means! But knowing the contents of a given mattress is important—when that information isn’t transparent, I have trouble trusting the manufacturer and seller. So thanks for backing me up on that. B)
Knowing that you, chanpou, were able to try different layer combinations at LP does assure me that I can find something great there. It was that personalized service and construction that I enjoyed at Matelas Selection. I’m a bit overwhelmed by how much mattress shopping I’ve done, and I only discovered this (amazing) site weeks into my research.
I have a couple of questions about foundations and reversible latex mattresses, which I’ll post in other more relevant threads.
Thanks again! I look forward to reading about your new mattress once you’re back in town.
We returned home on Saturday, March 7th and the defective mattress was picked up by Literie Provinciale on Thursday, March 12th. They delivered a new mattress 2 days later, on Saturday, March 14th. We were told that the problem with the previous mattress was that the latex glue was probably not completely dry and when they rolled up the mattress in the wrapping machine, parts of the mattress got permanently compressed. We now have a new mattress which is fine. I am sleeping well and my husband is also starting to appreciate the latex feel (he is no longer rolling into the depressed markings of the previous defective mattress).
As for the 100% natural latex vs blend, I brought up this issue with Serge again during a telephone call yesterday. I questioned him repeatedly on 100% natural vs blend type Talalay latex, and he assured me that he knows the difference between the two and that what they sell is 100% natural Talalay latex. Regarding the labels, he stated that when they receive their latex from the manufacturer, it has a “natural” label on the outside of the packaging, but then they put their own labels with ILD ratings on the individual components when they unwrap them and set them up before they are configured into an actual mattress. He explained that it is easier for clients and their warehouse / manufacturing people to work with the ILD ratings. For my part, I remember seeing an ILD rating when we went into the backstore to try a firmer latex core, but I cannot recall the specifics of this label.
The bottom line, for me, is that I am quite happy with the feel of my mattress and the quality of the materials (insofar as I can tell for the latex - but I also find they have quality accessories like mattress protectors made to our specifications) - and, more importantly, the price factor.
Perhaps someone else from the forum will look further into the labelling issue on a future visit to Literie Provinciale and report back.
Thanks for the update … and it’s great to hear that your issue was resolved :).
It’s also not unusual that a manufacturer uses their own labels on their layers for the reasons they mentioned.
Latex International’s terminology can be confusing because they call their blended Talalay “natural” and their 100% natural Talalay (with no synthetic latex in the blend) “all natural”. If the label you saw was their own and they are aware that the “natural” they mentioned usually refers to blended Talalay and that “all natural” refers to 100% natural Talalay then they are probably providing you with accurate information.
If the label you saw was a label from Latex International and referred to a specific ILD then it would almost certainly be the blend.
The only way to really find out if you bought 100% all natural latex, would be to ask the owner were they source their Talalay from, and contact the company directly to confirm what type of latex the company is buying from them and how it is labeled.
I’m glad to hear you’re happy with your bed. Comfort is so important!
We end up buying our mattress at Matelas Selection, and it arrived yesterday. We chose a “super soft” comfort layer, and yet the mattress feels firmer than the firm comfort layer we had tried in the showroom! (We end up buying an innerspring mattress with a latex and foam comfort layer.) I’m wondering if it isn’t a manufacturing error. I’ve been searching with no success for a thread on showroom vs. home comfort—Phoenix, can you point me in the right direction?
While there’s always a possibility that your mattress is the wrong firmness level … it’s completely normal for a new mattress to feel firmer than a mattress in a showroom because there will be a break in and adjustment period over the course of the first few weeks. There is more about this in post #2 here and in post #3 here.
Thanks for the links, Phoenix. We’ll be patient and let the mattress loosen up a bit before making further assumptions about our comfort. 30 nights it is!
I thought I’d post an update given that it’s been over 6 months since our purchase, and I can now give a more accurate account on our comfort with our new mattress… We just came back from a 1-week vacation and I was sooo happy to get back in my own bed - that made me realize how much I’ve come to love my new latex mattress. Even my husband, who wasn’t too sure about the latex mattress initially, has confirmed recently that he really loves it as well, even more than our prior coil mattress with pillowtop. Speaking for myself, the latex mattress feels just right: soft enough for pressure relief, but firm enough to offer good support. I’ve come to appreciate it more and more as the weeks went by - so I certainly recommend giving it some time even if it doesn’t feel quite right or “perfect” from the start, after the initial purchase. To complete my new mattress, I also now sleep on a latex pillow, also purchased at Literie Provinciale, and I have a Lanoodle body pillow that I purchased after reading about their products on this site - it’s heaven! The only downside to all of this: it makes it difficult to get out of bed in the morning !
I forgot to add: thank you Phoenix for this site. Had I not found this site, I would probably have made another purchase of a lower quality traditional coil mattress with pillowtop, or have paid too much for a latex mattress. The information you provide is invaluable.
Reading chanpou’s post today, I was reminded that I didn’t send an update on my mattress. I purchased a coil mattress with a top latex layer from Matelas Sélection last spring.
The mattress is heaven! I too always look forward to get home in my bed, even if away only for one short night. The latex is soft enough to relieve pressure points but provides great support. It is the most comfortable mattress I’ve slept on! And it’s worth every penny paid and every hour spent researching the ABCs of mattresses and spent trying different mattresses.
Thanks to everyone who answered my questions in previous posts!
After some research on the net and the feedback from this board, I also decided to go with my first latex mattress. I went to check in 2 local stores, Futon d’or and Literie provinciale. I found the dunlop latex matresses at Futon d’or too firm, so I decided to go with Literie provinciale.
I purchased a 9 " (6 +3) with tencel cotton, which they refer to as their Vienna model for $1395, taxes incl. Having slept on it for a few days, I can say it is very comfortable and good as advertised.
My only issue is that the matress looked thinner than the floor model, so I decided to measure it, and it came at around 8" with the tencel cover. Is that due to normal compression of the latex when it is being wrapped with the tencel? Or should i contact them to verify if there was a mistake in the order.
It sounds like you made a great quality/value choice … and congratulations on your new mattress
If your mattress contains 9" of latex then it should measure close to 9" at it’s thickest part (and perhaps just a little bit thicker depending on the thickness of the cover) but depending on the type of cover it’s possible that the outside edges may be compressed a bit by the tightness of the cover.
You were right phoenix, I was measuring the outside edges, but from the thickest part it does come to 9". I will come back in a few months to give you guys an update.
Forgot in my first post to report that I also purchased from literie provincial a latex pillow, which feels like heaven for my neck and head !
Believe it or not, I’m not used to forums, so I dont know if I’m posting my questions in the right section, but I AM looking for a latex mattress in Montreal! And thank you so, so much for this forum. Without it I would be much more discouraged than I am now What a crazy market.
I have 2 main questions. My first one relates to the percentage natural rubber in the Talalay latex. I read the thread about the difference between natural and synthetic latex and the advantages and disadvantages of both. Because of my budget and because I want to make sure my new mattress lasts, I don’t mind the mattress not being 100% natural latex. But I want to know what I am buying (and at the same time get a feel of the trustworthiness of the retailers I am visiting) so I am asking, and I get all kinds of answers. The first one I asked was Matelas Dauphin. They first told me it was 80% natural, then 60, and finally the person who really knew said it was 30% of natural rubber, the rest being “additives”. That person told me their supplier was Talalay Global.
Then at Matelas Sélection, they told me that their Talalay latex was 80% natural, and that their supplier is ALSO Talalay Global. Is this possible? I read in another post that the blends are usually 30 NR/70 SBR. Do Talalay Global make different percentages in their blends? I even wrote to Talalay Global directly with this question and they were very evasive in their response. I mean, there is no way for me to verify the validity of what Matelas Sélection is saying. I do prefer their mattress, especially because they have more choice of firmness for the comfort layer (Dauphin only has 2: one with just a 6" 36 ILD, the other one with a 6" 36 ILD and a 2" 19 ILD comfort layer. I like the in-between for the comfort layer, like 28 ILD.) They also have a cover with a zipper in case you want to change the firmness of the layer. But the matress is more expansive, and I would have to take the hybrid (6" high density foam and 3" latex on top). They say their foam is excellent quality, from Belgium. Their customer service seems to be really good too.
Then at Literie Laurier, they say their supplier is better, Vita Talalay. Is their latex really better quality? At Literie Provinciale, they say their latex is 100% natural but their prices are a bit lower so I am skeptical… They also seem to have had problems with their customer service in the last few years.
Thanks for joining the TMU Forum ! Thanks too for your kind words, good to know that you find the resources here useful.
This is a good question as there is often confusion between “latex” the natural rubber from a rubber tree and “Talalay” the blended process of manufacturing latex as a mattress component. Talalay Global, located in Shelton, CT is an international supplier of Talalay Latex, providing cores, toppers, pillows and other components to mattress manufacturers worldwide. They produce 3 recognized formulations: (1) a “standard” synthetic blend, 30NR /70 SBR, consisting of roughly 30% natural rubber combined with 70% synthetic rubber or “SBR”; (2) a “natural” blend formulation for the growing category of “Natural” components, featuring 100% natural rubber with no “SBR”; or (3) a “custom” blend, the ability to create any variety of natural/ synthetic combinations by manufacturer request. This type process is generally cost-prohibitive to most manufacturers as nearly 80% of the component business falls into the “standard synthetic” blend category.
Referring back to the above mentioned 3 formulations/ point 2, it is possible that Matelas Sélection carries something closer to a “natural blend” formulation, just visited their web site and they have more of a “natural” product story, but this is merely speculation as I have no way to verify this as fact.
Both Talalay Global and Vita Talalay would feel that each has a superior product; perhaps we turn this one over to the TMU consumers and ask what their experiences have been…
Read your latest post and saw you found this answer earlier ;). Glad that you feel the Trusted Member Guidelines are helpful and looking forward to hearing about your mattress purchase decision, keep us updated .
Thanks so much Sensei for your reply, it helps a lot.
I think Matelas Sélection seem to be trustworthy, so I think I’m going to go with them. I made a mistake (if I go with the foam support layer instead of all latex): I said their foam was HD but they say it’s HR. I don’t understand though, they say it has a “comfort factor” of 3, but they say density is “more than 2.3 lbs/cu.ft”. Isn’t density supposed to be 2.5lbs/cu.ft or more to be considered HR?
Thank you again for your help! Yes, I will absolutely let you know what I decide.
30 nights it is!