After hours of research and shopping for natural mattresses without flame retardants, I have come to the decision of buying components to make our own mattress. My initial thought was all natural latex, but since we are buying two of the all natural latex mattresses for our kids, Iām not sure we can afford to do the same in a King for ourselves. That being said, I wanted to find out about the 7" dunlop that latextoppers offers. I have spoken with them and they have informed me that their 7ā is a dunlop blend from latexco. They have stated that it is still Oeko-tex certified, and after looking that up, Iām still not EXACTLY sure what that means. I guess I am just wondering if that blend is still safer (less VOCās, etc) than the polyurethane foam in conventional mattresses or memory foam. I know that the dunlop blend is cheaper than all natural dunlop and talalay, but I am wondering if it is still durable and if it will last as long as a conventional mattress.
Since it is labeled as cushion firm and I like something a little more plush feelingā¦I would like to buy a 2 or 3 inch soft talalay topper. Is cushion firm (26-30 ILD) comparable to medium-firm? I am also wondering if there is anyone else that sells 6-7" dunlop blended cores out there besides latextoppers? Lastly, I am wondering where I can buy an affordable cover for a DIY mattress?
Thank you for all your help. All this information makes my head spin!
If you are considering a DIY mattress I would make sure that youāve read option 3 in post #15 here to make sure you have realistic expectations of success and the trial and error that may be involved. The ābestā approach with a DIY mattress is a āspirit of adventureā where the process itself, your experiences, and what you learn along the way are more important than any cost savings which may or may not happen depending on whether you purchase any layers or components that end up needing to be replaced.
Oeko-Tex is a certification that tests for harmful substances and VOCās. All the latex you are likely to encounter (whether itās Dunlop or Talalay and made from synthetic, natural, or blended latex) will all have an Oeko-Tex standard 100 certification or a similar certification from Eco-Institut. Both of these are a little more stringent than the CertiPur certification that is usually used for memory foam and polyfoam. You can see what Oeko-Tex tests for here. In other words ā¦ if itās latex of any type ā¦ then it would be a āsafeā material.
There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here. All latex is a durable material compared to other types of foam.
All of the firmness ratings would depend on how you perceive them which can vary widely with body type, sleeping positions, and individual sensitivities and preferences. Different people will have a very different experience on the same material and something that feels ātoo softā for one person can feel ātoo firmā for the next. The firmness of a mattress will also depend on how each layer interacts with all the other layers of a mattress and I would also be aware that there are different ātypesā of firmness and softness (see post #15 here) and that ILD alone isnāt the only thing that determines how firm or soft a material will feel (see post #4 here).
The component post here includes the better sources for different types and blends of latex and covers that Iām aware of.
Hi sleeplikeabear, not sure if youāre familiar with latex or not (laying on it, the feel etc). The most vague sounding yet most invaluable advice given by Phoenix or others with experience is to try and test it out somewhere at a mattress store. I had no personal experience with latex and it took me awhile to find a place close by to go try them out but it made all the difference in the world. Iād only seen videos and felt samples and trying to determine how latex would āfeelā in different firmness levels is nearly impossible. For a material even in itsā softer forms (soft/medium) it can be quite supportive. Iām 5ā6, 190lbs male and expected to sink into the latex, however even the low to mid 20ās had me sleeping āonā the mattress rather than āinā (like a plush or pillowtop) and it reacts so much differently when in a full layer even 2-3" thick over other layers. In terms of āsoftā or āmedium firmā descriptions that apply to latex, those are subjective terms and at best may only differentiate between āsofterā and āfirmerā latex. A āmedium firmā loose description for latex will likely be nothing like āmedium firmā used to describe an innerspring mattress from my experiences just because the materials have different properties.
This isnāt to say that what I experienced due to my personal preferences would be the same as your experience, however I found latex to be much firmer in terms of support all the way around. For me personally what I would consider more of a āmediumā feel according to what Iām used to (innersprings with plush top) is much closer to the softer range of talalay. I noticed you were asking about feels at ild ranges and this is what I was going to do as well. But even after hours of researching before I felt them in person, chances are my close guesstimates would have made for a much firmer bed than Iād bargained for.
Iām by no means an expert, Phoenix knows much more about this stuff than I do and provides solid advice. Just trying to share my own personal experience and findings so hopefully it will help you in making your choices and getting something closer to what youāre after. Trying to describe how firm or soft varying firmness of latex layers, without having the same foundation layers underneath to someone (like myself) who isnāt as familiar with latex is a whole lot like trying to describe how something feels āsilkyā smooth if theyāve never felt silk. For the investment cost of latex vs less expensive materials, I think itās well worth finding a place to try it out and see what feels best to you. Best of luck.
