First off thank you for such an informative thread, you work here is amazing, and can get OCD about large purchases and this gave me all the info that I needed and more, I will definitely be making a Paypal donation as this site has helped me determine what I want as well as saving lots of $$$.
I have already worked on sourcing the layers for my mattress (it was mostly a matter of return policies and price as many seem to use latex green for their supplier of Dunlop and Radium Foam for Talalay (both great companies from the info). I have decided on a 5 x 3" layers from top to bottom: 6" firm, medium, soft soft.
The trouble I am running into is finding a cover for the latex layers beyond the common cotton stretch options: we have tried many different mattresses in stores and have found that we like options with other materials: namely, 1" Joomla wool, tufted wool, cavas fabrics ect. So my questions on the last leg of this search is are there any companies out there that make varieties of covers or for that matter custom covers.
So far the best feeling option we have tried was a canvas cover with tufted wool as it took a bit away from the bounce so we could feel the contour and support of the latex but avoided the bounce.
Thanks for the kind comments ⌠I appreciate it :).
I also appreciate some of the work you are doing along a similar line with helping consumers understand buying diamonds and some of the information youâve provided that Iâve read is also impressive ⌠and helpful!
The better online options for mattress zip covers Iâm aware of are listed in the component list in post #4 here in the cover section. Your 5 layer mattress is certainly thicker than the norm but some of them make custom thicknesses although you may need to call and ask if the thickness you need isnât listed on their website.
Thank you very much for the quick reply and the kind words, I really think the two industries are very similar in that there is a huge gap or knowledge which really needs to be bridged for consumers to make an informed and fair priced purchase.
Thank you for the link, and even more info for me to check into, I am really hoping to find a hand tufted, organic wool cover with canvas cotton to complement out mattress. Fingers crossed that one of the these sources can help.
Thanks again, donation sent, and I really encourage others to donate as well as this site is an incredibly valuable resource!!
I donât think you will find any DIY hand tufted covers since hand tufting in a mattress is normally used to secure the inner layers of a mattress to the cover. This would be unlike products such as wool duvets or toppers which are more often hand tufted so that they are âfluffierâ. Most wool covers would be machine quilted (vs tufted) to cotton and the wool is typically (although not always) quilted in between a knit top fabric and a woven (such as a twill or canvas) backing.
I keep hearing about the neutralizing effect of wool, but it is not cheap. I say âneutralizingâ because I think there is a mis-conception that wool is cooling. It really isnât, but it will keep both warm and cool temperatures more even. It will also help with moisture.
I keep hear about bamboo too. To be honest I am not sure what the advantage is. what is the whole think about bamboo?
Youâre right that wool can regulate temperatures in both directions so it would keep you in a more neutral temperature range rather than actually be âcoolingâ. This is why itâs used in desert environments (in thinner layers) as well as in arctic environments (in thicker layers).
There is more information about so called âbambooâ fabrics and other types of rayon/viscose fibers that are sourced from other cellulosic raw materials (such as beech trees or eucalyptus trees) in post #7 here and the posts it links to about sheets and bedding but the information there would apply to mattress covers as well.
Bamboo and other types of cellulosic fabrics are popular because it has good moisture wicking properties and have a soft and âsmoothâ hand feel as well.
My Pleasure, I guess I misunderstood what exactly hand tufting was. That being the case I guess I would have to go with a topper that would have the wool hand tufted into the layer of latex. Do you know of any online companies with good hand tufted wool toppers with latex?
Im still going through the DIY info wow, I had not idea there were so many great cover options. The main problem I am finding with DIY latex layers is that so far many companies wont warranty them, where as a complete mattress I can get up to 30 years which to me is well worth the extra few hundred dollars.
Tufting is done with a cord or tape that goes right through all the layers of a mattress (or a topper) at regular intervals and precompresses and holds all the layers and materials together and prevents shifting and is secured or anchored on either side (often with some kind of padded button or felt washer) and gives the product the unique tufted look (see here).
Latex/wool toppers usually have the wool quilted to a fabric cover and Itâs uncommon to see a latex/wool topper that is tufted although there are a few. Some searching came up with âŚ
Also sold under Sueno and Oyasumi. Their retail store finder is here. ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint 1: new.sleeptek.ca/product-categories/classic-toppers| Archived Footprint 2:new.sleeptek.ca/dealer-listing
I would keep in mind that mattress warranties only cover defects (which usually show up early in the life of a mattress or topper) and not the gradual softening (or âvirtualâ impressions) and loss of comfort and support over time which is the biggest reason that you would need to replace a mattress or a topper so a warranty has little to do with the useful life of a mattress or topper. I certainly wouldnât expect any mattress or topper to last for 30 years.
While there is no way to specifically quantify how long any mattress (or topper) will last for a specific person or predict exactly when they will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for them (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) and because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person ⌠if a mattress (or topper) is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isnât close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and you have confirmed that it meets the minimum quality/durability specs that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years (and probably a little less with a separate topper) and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer and the chances that you would have additional âbonus timeâ would be higher as well.
I will get in touch with a few of the suppliers you listed and see if I can find what were looking for premade as I am not so great at DIY projects, the mattress sounds easy enough though.
With the warranties I noticed companies like urban green mattress that offer a 30 year warranty âBoth the Talalay and Dunlop Latex inside the Urban Green Mattress carries a 30 Year (non-prorated) Warranty. We will replace any layer that loses 1/2 inch of thickness due to fatigue.â I guess maybe there is some fine print with this?
A 30 year warranty is more about marketing than reality because with good quality materials (such as latex) foam softening and the loss of firmness over time and the resulting loss of comfort and/or support is the biggest reason that most people will no longer sleep well on their mattress and will need to replace it ⌠not the loss of thickness or visible impressions which is much less common. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.
Having said that ⌠one of the advantages of a component mattress is that you can replace just a single layer instead of replacing the whole mattress if one of the layers softens or breaks down before the others (usually the top layer) or if your needs and preferences change over time.
and the kind words, I really think the two industries are very similar in that there is a huge gap or knowledge which really needs to be bridged for consumers to make an informed and fair priced purchase.