We went to our first test of all latex beds today in Mt. Kisco, NY at Healthy Choice mattresses. They are all organic 100% Talalaly and when I asked about the use of a Dunlop core, the saleslady adamantly insisted that the only reason anyone would build or buy a mattress with Dunlop in it is to save money. That isn’t exactly what I understood from what I’ve read here, but I haven’t read everything yet!
She says that the Dunlop is cheaper to manufacture and becomes bottom heavy and is simply a lower grade of material and that they use only Talalay because it is the absolute “best”. The mattresses are very expensive, the top of the line being close to $5,000, way out of our price range, but I’m seeing some of the other places in our region, which is NYC and New York Metro, close to that so I’m getting a little bit dispirited. But I’ll get a good education before buying, but want to move on it, especially since my husband just got a diagnoses of his back pain being a herniated disc!! Really hoped to find something under $3,000…
“Best” really depends on how it is defined and the preferences of who is defining it but the choice between Talalay and Dunlop is really a preference choice not a better/worse. There are certainly some people who prefer the more resilient feel of Talalay over Dunlop and there are other whose preferences are the opposite way around.
This kind of “misinformation” or sometimes “disinformation” is fairly common in the industry and is the source of constant debate and questions but it is mostly related to “marketing” and what someone is selling.
There is more about the different types of latex in this article (which has a video of a Dunlop latex mattress that was in use for almost 50 years) and in post #6 here. There is also more about 100% natural Talalay vs blended talalay in post #2 here and as you can see the blended Talalay is more durable than the 100% natural Talalay at least in the softer ILD’s although some people prefer the 100% natural because they prefer its properties or that it has a higher natural rubber content for personal reasons. Even Latex International (who owns Pure Latex Bliss) readily acknowledges that blended Talalay can be more durable than the 100% natural version. There is also more about the differences in “feel” between Dunlop and Talalay in post #7 here.
Some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the NYC region are listed in post #2 here and there is a more “categorized” list with more detailed descriptions of some of them in post #7 here. There are certainly latex options in your budget range in the area.
The tutorial post also includes a link to the members of the site that sell mattresses online and many of these make latex mattresses that include a wide range of features, designs (including 100% natural Talalay), prices, and return or exchange options that are well within your budget range.