For those of you that are confused about the dunlop versus talalay latex question (which one is better) the video on the Flobed site may help with a demonstration of the amount of spring back each type of latex had after years of compression. Personally, this has been a very confusing issue since each company has it’s own claims to why one is better then another.
Hi vwinslow,
I think if anything this video could add to the confusion. The Flobeds video has been brought up on a number of occasions on the forum and I have commented on it in posts such as post #4 here and in post #4 here. It certainly doesn’t reflect the reality that many people have slept on a Dunlop latex mattress for decades (you can see an example here of one that is almost 50 years old).
I would completely avoid the temptation to call one type of latex better or worse than the other and just treat them as being different with each one having different properties that some people would prefer over the other. I would treat the choice between them as strictly a matter of preference and not as a “better/worse” choice at all which IMO completely misses the point.
There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #2 here and in post #6 here and more about the “feel” or Dunlop vs Talalay in post #7 here.
Phoenix
Thank you for the info/links! This has been one of the most confusing parts. I am trying to decide between the Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress with talalay and the natural version with wool and dunlop latex. I think I am leaning towards the talalay because I do like a softer feel.
After talking with many vendors (each suggesting one type or another), my conclusion is
1.Talalay material feels softer to direct touch, however I believe the support (measured in ILD) will even the difference between Tal vs. Dunlop. I am assuming an ILD 20 Talalay is same resistance and compression as ILD 20 Dunlop. . perhaps they are different thicknesses (I believe the Talalay may be fluffier or larger) but they should feel equivalent under weight.
2.Dunlop is much more cost effective to produce.
3.I have been told (by Dunlop vendor). . . the material is less likely to degrade . . however I have NOT found support for this statement. My feeling is if properly encased and cared for, both should last many many years or more.
Hi cityslicker561,
You can’t really measure support in terms of ILD (because support and firmness aren’t the same thing) but “IF” two layers of latex are the same thickness AND the same ILD and one is Talalay and one is Dunlop “AND IF” the ILD in both is measured the same way (which often isn’t the case) … THEN they would be the same firmness if they were both compressed by 25% (where ILD is most often measured). If you compress the layer more than 25" (which would often be the case for a comfort layer) then the Dunlop layer would feel firmer to most people because it has a higher compression modulus which means that it gets firmer faster as you compress it more deeply than Talalay. This is why most people will tell you that Dunlop feels firmer. If you were to compress them less than 25% then the Dunlop may feel softer because of the difference between the shape of their response curves. Because of the variables involved with different types and blends of latex they are not directly comparable in terms of ILD (see post #6 here) and ILD itself is only one of several specs that affects the sensation or perception of softness (see post #4 here).
Both Talalay and Dunlop come in a wide range of ILD’s from very soft to very firm and both are usually manufactured in cores that are about 6" thick (although some are a little more or less) but can be cut into any thickness less than this as well.
There is also more about primary and secondary support and their relationship to pressure relief and firmness in post #4 here and in post #2 here.
If the blend of natural and synthetic latex is the same in both and the Dunlop isn’t certified organic then Dunlop is usually less costly yes.
I personally think that it’s mostly pointless to try and describe one as being “better” or more durable than the other because there are many variables involved with durability and the useful life of a mattress as well (see post #2 here) but both have a long history of being very durable and lasting for many years (see post #9 here).
Phoenix