Hi laura_latex,
SleepEz is one of the members of this site which as you indicated means that I believe they are among the best of the best in the country yes. You can read more about why I recommend them and why I invited them to become members here.
A forum search on Berkeley Ergonomics (you can just click this) will bring up much more information about them and I also think highly of them and the mattresses they make.
A forum search on Plushbeds will also bring up more information about them and in essence I believe they are good quality mattresses but not in the “best” value range compared to the other choices that are available to the members here.
You can read more about the different types of latex (including talalay) in this article and in post #6 here along with post #6 here. Talalay can be made with either 100% natural latex or with a blend of natural rubber and synthetic rubber. Dunlop is the same (it can be either 100% natural or a blend of natural and synthetic). SleepEz carries 100% natural Talalay, blended Talalay, and 100% natural Dunlop (that uses either organic latex raw materials or just 100% natural raw materials).
All talalay latex is Oeko-Tex certified whether it is blended or 100% natural or made by Radium or latex international (the two main suppliers of Talalay latex). Their 100% Dunlop they use is also Oeko-Tex certified (and has other certifications as well).
Synthetic latex was developed before WW2 but it became more widely developed and used then because the allies lost their access to the natural rubber plantations in SE Asia and needed a replacement. Mattresses can use either natural, blended, or synthetic and knowing the blend ratio would depend on the information provided by the supplier of the latex. Better retailers or mattress manufacturers will provide you with this information.
SleepEz has 3 different lines. In their organic line you can choose between 100% natural Talalay or the organic version of their 100% natural Dunlop in each layer.
In their regular line … you can choose between blended Talalay or 100% natural Dunlop in each layer.
There are 4 different layering choices in each line (with a total of 6", 8", 9", or 12" of latex)
Their special uses 100% natural Talalay in the comfort layer and 100% natural Dunlop in the base layer. The cover is a stretch knit rather than wool quilted. There is a 6" and an 8" version.
All the information on their site is accurate as far as I know (and if any of it isn’t they will tell you on a phone call).
100% natural latex is just that … it contains all NR latex and no synthetic. They almost always have certifications such as Oeko-Tex which test for harmful chemicals and VOC’s.
The difference in pricing reflects the difference in their material costs. If there was a bigger difference then the pricing difference would be larger. Questions about the reasons for the pricing of a specific merchant though would probably be best directed to them since this is a business decision that each manufacturer or merchant makes based on many factors.
Many manufacturers add a significant premium to certain materials (especially organic) knowing that people in the “organic market” that are looking for either natural or organic materials as a priority are often willing to pay a significant premium … in some cases for questionable benefits. Other manufacturers will price their mattresses based more on their actual material cost and not add a premium to materials based on the willingness of a more specialized market to pay higher profit margins.
Both Latexco and SleepEz provides both natural and blended latex. Latexco is also not the only provider that SleepEz uses. Latexco itself offers many different types of latex (their own and other manufacturers) but they are a wholesale supplier that normally only deals with or provides more specific information to manufacturers.
I think that they would all be roughly comparable (assuming you are comparing 100% natural to 100% natural). There are year to year differences between different batches of rubber based on weather and growing conditions and different rubber tree clones are usually matched to the specific country and climates they are grown in to compensate for different conditions (just like grapes that are used for wine) but I personally wouldn’t have a preference between countries. There are many good sources of Dunlop latex that originates in many different countries and variations in the formulations can also be used to change the properties of the latex.
I think that SleepEz’s opinions would be much more valuable than my own because they can see the quality of any specific shipment and can tell you which they believe is the best at the moment for any particular type of latex. This may vary from shipment to shipment but I would trust their opinions (as well as the opinions of any of the other members of this site). Having said that they can use any type of latex that is available to them.
Post #1 here includes the steps that are the most effective way of choosing the most suitable mattress with the best possible quality and value that I know of.
Besides this … the best advice I have is to test as many different mattresses or layering combinations locally as is necessary to get a reasonable idea of which works best for you and to talk with the different merchants or manufacturers that are most attractive to you (again either in person or on the phone). They are the ones who know all the details of their mattresses and can provide you with the best possible advice and suggestions that are specific to the mattresses they sell and which ones may best match your own needs and preferences.
IMO … the knowledge and experience of who you buy from (either locally or on the phone) is just as important as the mattress you buy because they are the ones who can give you the best possible advice.
Phoenix