a latex mattress in montreal, canada

[Sensei]

Hey mksleep,

Thanks Sensei, I got so much from reading this site and I felt like I had to give back in a way

Consumer contributions, in particular citing current mattress specs and pricing, are helpful to the forum and much appreciated; thanks again for the good work, mksleep .

I have a few questions regarding density and firmness. From what I understand, a higher density means longer durability and higher quality (I may be wrong, please tell me if that’s the case).

Latex comfort/ support layers are only partially an indicator of mattress durability, the quality and choice of all components combined contribute to the longevity of a mattress as explored in Phoenix’s “Mattress Durability: How Long Will a Mattress Last?”. A person’s BMI plays a role in material choice; BMI ranges under 30 require a different comfort/ support system than those BMI ranges of 30+. Density in itself is not an indicator of “quality”, more a measurement of the latex’s mass.

but I have no idea how to interpret the density number. Can you tell me if 5.25lbs is a good density for Talalay latex foam? What’s the typical range for Talalay? Is it similar to Dunlop?

For other consumers following your research, a read of Phoenix’s “Latex: Pros and Cons”, “Mattress Comfort Layers: Latex Foam” and “Mattress Support Cores: Latex” are good resources for getting acquainted with the differences in these two latex manufacturing processes. You may find this information from Phoenix’s post #2, “Likelihood same Dunlop product is labeled differently (by ILD and “firmness”)?”, here are highlights as they relate to your question:

Here are some densities for Talalay Global’s blended Talalay (these are accurate within the tolerance of TG blended Talalay) …

14 ILD … 2.5 lbs/ft3

19 ILD … 3.0 lbs/ft3

24 ILD … 3.4 lbs/ft3

28 ILD … 3.7 lbs/ft3

32 ILD … 4.0 lbs/ft3

36 ILD … 4.3 lbs/ft3

40 ILD … 4.7 lbs/ft3

44 ILD … 5.0 lbs/ft3

And some rough guidelines that I believe would apply to manufacturers producing similar densities of 100% natural latex and don’t take into account the firmer feel of Dunlop:

EXTRA SOFT 16-18 … 4.05pcf (64.9 kg/m3)

SOFT 19-22 … 4.36pcf (69.8 kg/m3)

MEDIUM 23-27 … 4.67pcf (74.8 kg/m3)

MEDIUM FIRM 28-33 … 4.98pcf (79.8 kg/m3)

FIRM 34-38 … 5.30pcf (84.9 kg/m3)

EXTRA FIRM 39-44 … 5.61pcf (89.9 kg/M3)

X-EXTRA FIRM 45-49 … 5.92pcf (94.8 kg/m3)

How does a 4 lbs density differ from a 6 lbs density? Is that number even important and relevant to ask when shopping around?

A discussion of latex density would not be as meaningful as understanding your personal sleeping preference and needs. How you “feel” on a mattress is unique to you and the more clearly you can explain those details, the closer you will be to finding the right mattress for you. For more thoughts on that subject, review article “Your Sleep Style, Preferences and Statistics”. As you continue your research, article “Five Steps to Your Perfect Mattress” will help form more questions for discussion. A truly knowledgeable and transparent manufacturer/ retailer, such as the many fine TMU trusted members will also offer their knowledge and expertise to help guide you through the mattress selection process. Hope my response isn’t too long-winded as you already have put a great deal of time and energy in your process…

Thanks,
Sensei