Do latex matttresses need to come in layers?

I live in Quebec and the offer for latex mattresses is very limited (I’m considering buying online from USA but a bit worried about buying without trying…). I’m considering a Talalay mattress made in Quebec (by Matelas Dauphin) that has a single 8 inches layer of latex. I recently started to read on the subject and I rarely see latex mattresses that only have one layer of latex. I sure would like your opinion on that! Is it preferable to have multiple layers of latex?

Do they tell you the firmness rating in ILD? That would be a key factor to know.
If its a uniform layer of 8 inches of latex, then the issue may be that:

  1. if its a soft ILD, then it will be soft but you may sink too far down
  2. if its a firm ILD, then it may feel too firm. I guess you could put a soft topper on top of it though.
    as you imply, many mattresses have multiple layers with firmer ones down below for support, and becoming softer towards the top for comfort and pressure relief.

Hi Marisacote, and welcome to The Mattress Underground :slight_smile:
Glad to have you here with us.

Apologies for the delay in answering your post; glad to hear that you have found a potential mattress locally. Any mattress is unique to the sleppers using it, abased on their stats(height, BMI, sleeping position(s) and any underlying health conditions) and your PPP(Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). I would say that the reason you see multiple layers on latex mattresses are first and foremost, to allow customization - there are a lot of DIY enthusiasts and the ability to customize the feel by swapping out layers of Talalay(which is considered a bouncier or springier feel) and/or Dunlop(which has more of a cradling feel) and move to different configurations is a feature many consumers want. This also allows for inserting breathable layers with materials like cotton, wool or coconut coir between layers to increase air circulation, and o it makes it easier to move the mattress by removing layers rather than the entire mattress, if needed.

There is nothing wrong with a single 8" layer of latex – as long as it feels right for you. If the ILD(indentation load deflection, the firmness/feel of the latex) feels comfortable, and the manufacturer has a good return policy and trial period to test it out(as it can take weeks to ‘break in’ a mattress to ensure it feels right for you) then you should have no issues. If you have not already done so, you may want to take a look at ourMattress Shopping Tutorial to get a better idea of what to look for when shopping for a new mattress, and also the mattress specifications you need to know as well as the mattress durability guidelines to see what to consider before shopping, and how long different materials will hold up. Latex is one of the most durable mattress materials, and a good mattress can last for many comfortable years.

Is this the Matelas Dauphin Euphora medium firm or firm mattress? I looked on their site, the medium has an 8" talalay layer of 36, and the firm has an ILD of 44 with a wool/cotton cover. It looks like a good mattress, and they have a 120 night trial; I would make sure you use a platform or base that is approved so that you do not break their warranty. There is an older discussion of Matelas Dauphin mattresses in this post as well.

You also may want to look at the offerings of ourTrusted Members of the site, many of who carry latex mattresses in various configurations, since you say you may consider buying online, as these are all manufacturers with transparency in the construction and materials used, and great customer service- with a bit of information from you they can try to ‘match’ the feel of any mattress you have tried.

I wish you success in finding the perfect mattress!

~ Basilio