dreamfoam bedding talalay synthetic content does it post any kind of harm to body for long term use

i find myself turning more and more towards organic/all natural in my product selections lately

i bought this pad from them Amazon.com but now i am reading some other sellers on amazon selling “100% natural latex” foam pad such as this Amazon.com and this Amazon.com, i have very sensitive skin and wrong kinds of pad can cause undesirable conditions, not sure if it’s the right place to ask but i am looking for some distinction between all natural latex and others, and which ones would dreamfoam pads be using.

Hi spyle,

You may be getting caught up in a lot of the hype and misinformation that is common all over the internet about natural vs synthetic rubber, the Talalay method of production vs the Dunlop method of production, and the “safety” of different types of latex.

There is more information in post #6 here and the posts it links to about the different types of latex but the truth is that all of the latex you are likely to encounter (whether it’s Talalay or Dunlop or uses natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of the two) has been tested for harmful substances to the same testing criteria (usually Oeko-Tex standard 100). You can see the testing criteria that is used here.

Different people may have different preferences between Talalay and Dunlop because they feel and perform differently (see post #7 here) but not because one is inherently any better or worse or “safer” than the other.

There are also some people who prefer organic Dunlop (there is no organic Talalay) over 100% natural Dunlop for personal reasons but this would only be for personal reasons not because there is any meaningful difference between them in terms of purity or performance (see post #2 here for more about organic latex certifications).

The first topper you linked from Dreamfoam is blended Talalay and the ILD ratings they provide you for the topper you choose will be accurate.

The second and third toppers are both 100% natural Dunlop sold by Ultimate Sleep and both are listed at 4.7 lbs/ft3 which is about 75 kg/m3. If the density is correct then they are both unlikely to be between 16 and 18 ILD (you can see some densities for Latex Green’s 100% natural Dunlop and their ILD range in post #2 here).

I would decide which type of latex you prefer based on how it feels and performs in the layer you are planning to use it (comfort layer, support layer etc) and then choose the one that is the best “match” for you and your preferences.

Regardless of which one you prefer you won’t be sleeping directly on the latex. It’s a good idea to have a good stretch cover if you are using it as a topper but even without this you would have your mattress protector and sheets over top of the latex so you wouldn’t be in direct contact with the latex anyway.

Hope this helps alleviate any kind of “safety” concern with any type of latex you are likely to encounter so that you are making your choice based on personal preference and the actual differences between them rather than treating one as being somehow “better” or “safer” than the other.

Phoenix

would conventional memory foams similarly pass the kind of tests these talalay go through? example Amazon.com
because i can say with a year of ownership and how my skin sensitivity lessened after changing pad that if these pads all share similar tests with standards set by a certain agency, that criteria perhaps is not sufficient

Hi spyle,

In most cases no. There is a testing standard called CertiPur which is less stringent than Oeko-Tex and is a voluntary standard put together by foam manufacturers which is used to certify much of the memory foam or polyfoam in North America which for many people would be “safe enough” for them but there are still some people may still be sensitive to memory foam or to a lesser degree polyfoam even if it has passed CertiPur. This type of sensitivity would be very rare with any type of latex and Oeko-Tex is an independent testing agency not “industry sponsored”.

The topper you linked is made by Sleep Innovations which is CertiPur certified* but is only 3 lb density which is a low quality and much less durable material (you can see the criteria I would suggest for memory foam in post #10 here).

ADMIN NOTE: *Removed 404 link|Archived Footprint: certipur.us/pages/for-consumers/find-products/

Phoenix

thanks, too much pollution during my childhood i guess,

i spent 10 years growing up overseas in a developing country and perhaps due to all the influences of pollution and toxins influencing my body early on, now it’s almost like body sometimes has a self defense mechanism warning me when i spend too much time with chemicals by delivering various symptoms. spent couple nights with dreamfoam talalay so far and there hasn’t been any noticeable issue.

Hi spyle,

I would be surprised if there was. I have known of people with MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities) that weren’t able to sleep on either memory foam or polyfoam that were fine on blended Talalay.

Phoenix

this question is for another relative

i haven’t slept on this all that long but a relative has back issues and i am thinking about letting him be at least aware that there is such a product out there, the interesting thing is that chiropractor seems to have a habit of recommending people to sleep on things as hard as floor when people go to them with back pains or spine problems, i am just curious whether that is really the best solution because i have seen several relatives and a friend who does that and it seems once they do they are stuck for life, the back issue is lingering and it never quite solves the problem long term, so i am curious whether this is just an old advice before talalay and memory foams came up or what.

maybe sleeping on hard surface is just a better alternative than spring beds? because hard surfaces don’t eliminate any pressure points, and it’s not like you will sleep always 90 degrees perfectly vertical to correct whatever bad back angle you could have at the time, once you turn your body doesn’t that actually exacerbate the problem by bending your back the wrong direction? is that’s the case, maybe the softest available talalay bed may be the solution? contrary to even the firmest talalay options. i may add that my relative is probably on the more severe side of spine issues than average americans who has back problems, i see him walk around with a neck support a lot

Hi spyle,

Unfortunately … many chiropractors know as little about mattresses as most people know about back issues … but unfortunately many of them recommend their “favorite” mattresses anyway because they just don’t know any better. Of course there are exceptions who are knowledgeable about both (and they tend not to recommend specific mattresses) and all chiropractors know the importance of good spine and joint alignment but in most cases they have much less knowledge of the “how” and “why” behind why different mattress designs and materials can provide this on an individual level.

The advice of “firmer is better” was never accurate although it was more common many years or decades ago. More recent research and studies have long ago debunked it as a viable way to choose a mattress. Both Talalay and Dunlop latex have been around for many decades (long before polyfoam and memory foam were even invented) although Dunlop has been used for a little longer than Talalay so the advice didn’t change because of the type of materials that became available. This diagram gives a good illustration of how both too firm and too soft can create alignment issues.

The most important part of choosing a mattress that is suitable for each person is that it is a good match in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) in all their sleeping positions regardless of the type of materials or firmness levels in any of the layers of the mattress (comfort layers, transition layers, or support layers). Different parts of the body need different levels of support to keep the spine and joints in good alignment and this is part of the reason there are so many different types of mattresses and why different people do better or worse on the same mattress regardless of any health or physiological conditions they may have.

There is no type of mattress that is inherently better or worse than another … only a mattress that is a good match for the unique needs and preferences of each person.

There is good general description of a “perfect mattress” in post #4 here.

There is no “theory” that can either predict or replace the personal experience of each person with any certainty.

Phoenix