It’s a tough decision these days to go totally green. In the case of mattresses, many people cannot afford to do so because prices are out of reach for them. I understand that it probably does cost more to produce a completely environmentally safe product, and we should care for our environment, but for those who can go only half way,…I have two questions:
Is there a total mattress enclosure that will protect against off-gassing and other harmfull chemicals that could be coming from any chemicals that are produced in a NON natural mattress?
and
How much depth in “layers” of latex does it take to make a difference in the “comfort” layers whether the core is latex or not?..until you get to the core? Would it matter what the core was made of as long as it was durable and had the firmness/give to create the experience needed to support the upper layers? I don’t know if I’m asking this right…haha
Is there an advantage over a latex or polyfoam core as long as you have the correct latex comfort layers in the correct thicknesses? What are the advantages and disadvantages,… including longevity,… if you have a very good poly- core verses all latex? (Minus the “green” part)
I am standing by to receive my Ultimate Dreams mattress which I anticipate I will have to add a softer topper to, but still will have saved big bucks over an all latex bed… adding an extra two or three inch topper I will still be way ahead of 2 or 3K, and hopefully will be in the same ballpark as the all latex.?? I ordered the Euro top because it had a thicker base for aesthetics, and because I could flip/exchange the top layer. But compared to the “big guys?” (many layers…)
there are only two layers,…a base and a top layer. So I left room in my budget to “tweak”
Any suggestions welcome! Lord knows I need a good nights sleep. …
I think I understand the question and it would depend on the person (their body type and sleeping style) and how sensitive they were to the different types of feel and performance that comes from the differences between polyfoam and latex. There would also be differences that may not be as easy to feel initially but could be noticed over the course of the night which come from better support/alignment (again depending on the specific construction of the mattress). It would also depend on many other factors such as the type of polyfoam that was used (some of the highest grades of polyfoam approach latex in performance) and the layering of the latex above the support core. I would think that for most people once you were past 8 or 9 inches or so of latex in the upper layers of a mattress that there would be little difference between a deeper additional layer of latex and polyfoam if they were a similar ILD. For some people … the thickness where they wouldn’t notice a difference they could feel either initially or over the course of the night could be as little as a few inches (I’ve seen some people say they cant tell a difference between a latex hybrid with several inches of latex and an all latex mattress) but I would think this is a small minority.
Yes. Latex is more durable in any layer, more point elastic (takes on the shape of the body better which provides more even support and aids in better pressure relief), has a higher support factor (gets firmer faster with deeper compression which helps with deep support), is more breathable (regulating humidity and temperature), has higher resilience, elasticity, and “liveliness” which provides for a better “feel” for most people, is more natural than polyfoam for those who prefer more natural materials, has less complaints about offgassing and odor, is biodegradeable, is less flammable, and is overall a much superior material in any layer … but as you know is also more costly.
Having said that … some of the highest grades of polyfoam approach latex in performance but they are very rarely seen in mattresses (most polyfoam mattress cores are HD polyfoam and the highest grade HR uses a different chemical formula with high performance polyols). Many sites use HR to indicate that a layer has “higher resiliency” rather than using it to indicate a specific grade of foam.
Clear polyethylene plastic in the range of 5 mil thickness would work but it would be completely non breathable (anything that breathes would allow VOC’s to pass through) and it sure wouldn’t be comfortable or be good for temperature regulation. You are much better off using safer materials that have little offgassing in the first place IMO unless there was no other alternative for someone who was very sensitive to levels of VOC’s that most of the population would consider safe. There is also a synthetic mattress material that is made from densified polyester fibers that are made from recycled plastic that is used in a few mattresses. One example of these polyester or PET materials is made by Indratech and has very low levels of VOC’s. Bodyrest is an example of a mattress manufacturer that is also using it (in their Green Karma line) and another is Michiana Mattress that uses it in some of their mattresses but it’s not widely available yet. Synthetic materials such as polyfoam, memory foam, or synthetic latex that are certified by CertiPur or Oeko-Tex or Eco-Institut have also been tested for harmful substances and VOC’s (offgassing) and would also be “safe” by most people’s standards or level of sensitivity.
Congratulations on your new mattress
As you know I think very highly of Dreamfoam and the quality and value of the mattresses they make. You may not even need a topper with it unless you specifically chose a firmness level that was firmer than you would otherwise need with the specific idea of adding a topper. I personally prefer simpler constructions and in many cases more complex layering is used to “simulate” the feel and performance of higher quality materials using lower quality foams.
Compared to the “big guys” … you did very well IMO!
While this is an interesting product … I would sure want to validate some of the claims they are making based on actual testing of their product in “real life” before putting too much weight into some of the information on their site … especially the medical claims which I think are over the top.
The product itself is OekoTex Standard 100 class 1 certified so I would have no doubt that it was safe but regardless of how helpful or beneficial their product may be … these are the types of claims that would require specific testing and verification before they could be considered as credible or more than just marketing IMO.
adding an extra two or three inch topper I will still be way ahead of 2 or 3K, and hopefully will be in the same ballpark as the all latex.?? I ordered the Euro top because it had a thicker base for aesthetics, and because I could flip/exchange the top layer. But compared to the “big guys?” (many layers…)