Decisions...Decisions...

[phoenix]

Hi bear12t77,

Ok, in respect to the latex mattresses, is there a big difference between just talalay and all natural talalay? I realize that one is a blend and one is (or should be) 100% talalay, but do you have an opinion on which one would be better? From a comfort/durability/maintain shapablity stand point.

This article along with post #6 here talks much more about the different types of latex and how they compare. I think in terms of overall “value” and performance that blended Talalay or 100% natural Dunlop would be the most common choices … and if you ask Ken he would probably tell you the same thing.

Is the $200 increase worth it? Or is that just the equivalent of the “free” bamboo cover?

100% natural Talalay is a more expensive material than the blend and whether it was “worth it” would depend entirely on what was most important to each person (some people place a high value on the fact that something is natural regardless of any actual benefits of the material itself) but i think that most people would probably consider the blend to be better value and in the softer ILD’s it would also be more durable.

This really is a scary decision. Much more so that I initially realized. I knew of the mattress retail “scams” where you couldn’t really compare them store to store, but I had no idea that there was this whole new world of manufacturer direct selling. I realize my first post was very subjective and it really pointed more towards individual preferences, etc., but I would like to get your opinion on the latex vs. the gel memory foam. I’m really looking for something that won’t leave indents. I have one now that is insanely indented on both sides. It’s like having Mt. Everest in the middle of my bed . That is one requirement that I DO know at this point that I don’t want :).

If your preferences are strictly about durability rather than how something feels then latex is the most durable foam. If you are comparing them in terms of “feel” and how they respond when you sleep on them then this would be strictly a preference and they are very much an apples to oranges comparison. If you are looking at gel memory foam then it would be roughly comparable in terms of durability to the same density of memory foam without gel. I would suggest that for those where durability was the single most important issue or that were in a higher weight range then any type of memory foam should be in the 5 lb range and up which would be in the higher durability range of memory foam. with memory foam … durability increases with density up to the range of about 5 - 6 lbs and beyond that the durability benefits of higher density begins to level off. Many people prefer the feel of many 4 lb memory foams though because it tends to be a little more breathable, faster responding, softer (by most people’s perceptions) and less temperature sensitive although there are hundreds of different chemical variations that can produce any combination of properties in any density of memory foam. The main reason for the type of indents that you are experiencing is the use of lower quality and thicker layers of foams in the upper layers of a mattress (which is the weak link of most mattressses) … particularly pillowtops and eurotops. You can read more about durability and the many factors that contribute to this in post #2 here.

Phoenix