Different brands/types of Dunlop latex

[phoenix]

Hi CosmicHam,

Although we are smaller people (140-160 lbs) we prefer a firmer mattress than most. We have tested the few Dunlop and Talalay mattresses available locally and found the most comfortable combination for us was a mattress consisting of three 3" Arpico Dunlop cores. Unfortunately, the store will not disclose the ILD numbers of the layers and will only say that the layers are Firm (bottom), Medium Firm (middle) and Medium Firm (top). Obviously this is pretty useless for comparison purposes.

The only way to make specific comparisons would be based on either knowing the ILD’s of the layers in both mattresses or the density of the layers in both mattresses . 100% natural Dunlop in a similar density made by different manufacturers will be reasonably comparable although the ILD of Dunlop layers is never specific and is always in a range (see post #6 here).

While there can be some variances in the specific ILD’s that a manufacturer will “rate” as being either soft, medium, or firm … for “most” people a mattress that used similar layers that had the same rating and used the same type of cover would be “close enough” although this would also depend on where you were in the sensitivity range between “princess and the pea” and “I can sleep on anything”. The most reliable way to choose a comparable mattress would be by using the experience and guidance of a manufacturer that is familiar with the mattress you tested and how their own mattresses compare.

Do you have a sense of how the Latex Green cores compare to the Arpico cores?

Outside of the normal variations of firmness that is part of the Dunlop process … if two different Dunlop layers are made by different manufacturers but are both 100% natural Dunlop and are the same thickness and density then they would be reasonably comparable in terms of firmness.

Are the two brands close enough that it would be worth the risk of an Internet purchase, or do you think we would be asking for trouble?

This would depend on your risk tolerance and how sensitive you may be to smaller variations in a mattress and on how comfortable you are with the return or exchange policies of the manufacturer you were purchasing from. In other words it would be part of your personal value equation when you were making your final choice (see post #2 here).

The large majority of people who buy a component latex mattress end up being happy with their purchase because of the options that are available to rearrange or exchange the layers but there will always be a small percentage of people that have more difficulty finding a layering combination that works well for them.

Phoenix