Hi All,
After local testing, we are strongly considering a 100% natural Dunlop latex bed (DIY).
Can anyone provide info regarding the different types/brands of 100% natural latex? I know there are a few brands such as Latex Green and Latexco which I believe are considered “traditional” Dunlop latex. I also read that there is also continuous pour Dunlop which is slightly softer than other Dunlop. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Hi ps99115,
I’m not sure of what specific information you are looking for but 100% natural molded Dunlop made by a reliable manufacturer would be very similar in terms of quality and durability and firmness level to the same density and thickness of 100% natural Dunlop made by another reliable manufacturer. Some of the more common suppliers you will encounter include Latex Green, CoCo Latex, and Arpico and all of these are good quality materials that are very similar.
The 100% natural continuous pour Dunlop made by Mountaintop foam is also a high quality and durable material that would be comparable to these as well in terms of quality and durability.
All of the different Dunlop foam manufacturers produce their Dunlop in a wide range of firmness levels or densities so any one of them can be firmer or softer than another. The firmness of 100% natural molded Dunlop in the same density (or ILD for those that provide them) will be similar among different manufacturers. The ILD of the continuous pour Dunlop made by Mountaintop probably won’t be as close a match as “molded to molded” comparisons (ILD numbers often aren’t comparable between different types of foam or manufacturing methods) but they do produce softer firmness levels than you would normally find with molded Dunlop that are closer to some of the softest Talalay layers.
Phoenix
Thanks Phoenix, that was the information I was looking for.
Hi Phoenix,
I was told by a mattress salesman that CoCo Dunlop latex make their toppers in individual 3 inch molds. Some other manufacturers make 6 inch or larger molds for their 100% natural Dunlop and then cut the molds to make individual 3 inch toppers. Given the nature of Dunlop being firmer on the bottom and slightly softer on the top this would create an issue in terms of firmness and density with the cut toppers. Is there any truth to this? If so, what other manufacturers make 100% natural Dunlop toppers in 3 inch molds (versus cutting a larger molded topper)?
Hi ps99115,
I don’t know the mold sizes for all the Dunlop manufacturers but I do know that they are correct and that CoCo latex makes their cores in both 3" and 6" molds. I have also had some limited feedback from one manufacturer that they prefer the feel and resilience of their 3" slit layers over their 3" cores.
Dunlop does have a natural variance from top to bottom because the latex can “settle” in the mold so the bottom layer can be a little firmer than the top layer (see post #6 here) although there are also ways to compensate for this with the pincore shape and pattern and with production methods that don’t allow the latex to settle as much. In most cases it isn’t a significant issue that would make a meaningful difference to most customers in “real life” and most mattress manufacturers will also check the layers that they use in their mattresses to make sure they are in a normal firmness range for Dunlop.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
We just came back from local testing at Savvy Rest and we very much liked the feel of the all Dunlop mattress (9 inch height) in medium/firm/firm configuration (top-bottom). Also liked the feel of swapping out the top medium Dunlop layer with a medium Talalay layer but not that noticeable of a difference overall and would rather go with all Dunlop. We are going to construct a DIY mattress and try to duplicate the 9 inch Dunlop bed as close as possible. Just have a few questions:
I know that Savvy Rest uses organic Dunlop from CoCo latex. We are not passionate about having organic products and feel it does not warrant a the higher price tag for us. I have read on the forum that 100% natural Dunlop from LatexGreen is very similar in terms of durability and performance as compared to the organic CoCo Dunlop Latex. Is this correct? Would the other 100% natural molded Dunlop manufacturers be similar as well (Aprico)? Is CoCo Latex available in a non organic form?
In searching for 100% natural Dunlop toppers, some come in densities of soft/medium/firm, while others come in more variations: soft,medium,med-firm, firm, x-firm. Should I call the retailers to find out comparable ILDs for the layers I am interested in?
Also, I was considering using a quilted cotton/wool mattress cover. But I have a moderate-severe dust mite allergy and was told to avoid wool as much as possible as it harbors dust mites. If I were to place a 5 or 6 sided allergy mattress protector over the wool/cotton cover would this reduced the potential exposure to allergens in the mattress cover? Would it be better for me to get a 100% cotton quilted cover instead to reduce allergens?
Thanks so much in advance!
Hi ps9915,
Yes … they would be very similar in terms of performance and durability although of course each manufacturer has a range of firmness levels.
Yes … most of the better manufacturers that make 100% natural molded Dunlop that you are likely to find available would be closely comparable.
Yes … they make a 100% natural version but I don’t know of any suppliers that sell their raw layers directly to consumers.
Savvy Rest doesn’t disclose the specific ILD’s or density of their layers outside of a very wide range so without knowing what you are trying to approximate knowing the ILD of what you are purchasing wouldn’t be particularly useful outside of more generic comparisons. Having said that … ILD’s aren’t exact anyway so even if you knew the exact ILD’s of what they use in one mattress it may be somewhat different in the next and relatively small variances aren’t something that most people would notice (although you would notice it more in comfort layers than in deeper layers). There is more about Dunlop ILD’s in post #4 here and in post #2 here and in post #6 here.
The ILD “range” that Savvy Rest has disclosed in the past is in post #2 here.
I would also read Option #3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to if you are considering putting together your own DIY mattress vs a component mattress just to make sure you are comfortable with the learning curve and the trial and error and in some cases the additional expense that may be involved.
As you can see … ILD comparisons between different manufacturers may not be accurate because sometimes with Dunlop ILD’s are listed inaccurately and sometimes they are tested differently (such as on different thicknesses of materials or at different percentages of compression which can produce results that have the same number but aren’t the same softness).
There is more about dust mites in post #2 here but wool has natural properties that can help with dust mites because of its ability to control humidity and its lanolin content (see post #9 here) and if you have a mattress protector on top of the wool layer or quilting that prevents skin cells from reaching the wool (which dust mites feed on) then it’s not likely that wool would be an issue with dust mites.
Yes … it would reduce exposure more than a mattress protector that only protected the top surface but less than a mattress encasement that completely surrounded the mattress. There is more about mattress encasements in post #2 here. There are also some sources for membrane type mattress protectors that protect on 5 sides (vs just the top) in post #2 here.
This would depend on whether you are talking about a mattress cover or a mattress encasement but pore size of the fabric wasn’t small enough to protect against dust mite allergens and skin particles entering or escaping your mattress then it wouldn’t have much effect on dust mites and allergies.
Phoenix
Thanks Phoenix!
From the links you supplied it seems to be a lot more difficult to have an “exact match” for Dunlop layers from different manufacturers.
The approximation for Savvy Rest’s layers are (big ranges):
Med 31-39 ILD
Firm 40 ILD and above
I am looking at building a 100% natural Dunlop bed with Aprico Dunlop hopefully close to the Savvy Rest Dunlop configuration of med/firm/firm. So my options are as follows with Aprico:
Firm (31-35 ILD)
X Firm (36 - 42 ILD)
Hard (43 - 48 ILD)
Firm (31-35 ILD)
Hard (43 - 48 ILD)
Hard (43 - 48 ILD)
Firm (31-35 ILD)
X Firm (36 - 42 ILD)
X Firm (36 - 42 ILD)
Option #1 would be a little softer but the bottom Hard layer could be moved up to the middle layer if needed if I wanted a firmer feel. Any thoughts of how these 3 beds would feel and compare to the Savvy Rest Dunlop?
Thanks again!
Hi ps99115,
Savvy Rest doesn’t disclose the more specific ILD ranges or the density of their latex layers and I don’t have any personal experience on their mattresses so I really don’t know how they would compare.
If I had to guess though, and assuming that the ILD’s of both were comparable, I would guess that their soft was more in the range of low/mid 20’s, their medium was more in the range of low/mid 30’s and their firm was in the range of high 30’s or low 40’s.
If my guess is right (and I don’t know that it is) then that would mean that #3 would probably be the closest to M/F/F although the top layer may be a bit firmer than some of their mediums (although it’s probably in the range) and the bottom two layers may be a little softer than their firm. It may be worth considering the firmer layer on the bottom (43 - 48) so you have the option to exchange it with they layer above. I would also keep in mind that the cover can also have a significant effect on the feel and firmness of a mattress.
All of your configurations would be firmer than many people would prefer or be comfortable with but of course this will depend a lot on body type, sleeping positions, and individual preferences.
Phoenix
One last question, is organic Dunlop latex typically firmer than 100% natural Dunlop? The only benefit to getting organic Dunlop is just personal preference correct? (there should be no difference if safety, reliability, or performance right?)
Thanks again!
Hi ps9915,
Organic Dunlop and 100% natural Dunlop are basically the same material (they are both made from 100% natural rubber) and the main difference between them would be the organic certification itself, not the feel or performance of the material. There is more about organic Dunlop latex in post #6 here. If an organic 100% natural Dunlop core and a non organic 100% natural Dunlop core were both the same density and thickness then they would have a similar firmness level as well.
Phoenix
Phoenix-
Thanks for this site and your generosity with your time.
I am involved in a similar exercise as ps9915.
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.
We have the option to buy a similar mattress (also three 3" cores) via the Internet at a significant savings but it uses Latex Green cores instead of Arpico cores. Unfortunately, there is no place locally that we can give Latex Green cores a try.
Do you have a sense of how the Latex Green cores compare to the Arpico cores? What would be your guess of the ILD for the Arpico “Medium Firm” that we like so much and what Latex Green core would be the equivalent? 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?
Thanks for anything you can suggest.
Hi CosmicHam,
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.
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.
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