Now I have found myself in a quandary…I have found two sources for a blended latex 3"topper but I am unfamiliar with the differences between the two options. One says it is a talalay process topper with 30% NR and 70% “domestic” latex. The other says it is dunlop process that is a 50/50 blend. The prices are very similar but they sound like two different toppers. Am I right or should I not get so excited since I am being cheap anyway?
There’s sort of a few questions in 1 here:
Blended vs natural: latex foam is made from either natural latex, which comes from the rubber tree (often abbreviated NR), or instead from synthetic latex, which is a man made chemical (SBR). Blended means they combine the 2, and can do so in varying amounts. Natural latex foam (100% NR) is usually felt to be more elastic (maybe feels better) and more durable, although many feel that for very soft talalay latex a blended latex is the most durable. Natural latex is usually more expensive, and generally accepted as better.
Dunlop vs Talalay: these are 2 different ways to make latex foam. They can be made from either natural latex, or blended. How the foam is made changes how the foam feels, and neither is particularly better than the other but is personal preference.
I don’t know what ‘domestic’ latex refers to specifically, but it may be related to where the latex foam is made. Generally, product made in the USA has the benefit of stricter laws relating to health, safety, and more accurate sales info than some foreign products, but, natural latex doesn’t stay in its liquid format long enough to get it from most plantations to the USA (without chemical treatment) and so some (high end) vendors create their natural latex foam where it is harvested and don’t add chemicals to it (and just because it’s not made in the USA doesn’t mean it is, by definition, unsafe or that info about it is inaccurate… As I said several premium products are not made in the USA, and meet/exceed the safety regulations). So, based on what I know, the word domestic may refer to being made domestically, or the seller might be trying to say they make their latex foam in the same place as they harvest it.
Basically, Dunlop vs talalay significantly determines how it will feel; and blended vs natural determines its quality, durability, and to a minor extent may change how it feels.
If it’s memory foam, on the other hand… It’s a whole different discussion. Latex and memory foam being totally different.
Thanks dn…I was just curious if there may be quality differences between the two products as well as comfort issues…would the 30/70 talalay last longer than the 50/50 dunlop or vice versa…is one commonly ‘stiifer’ than another thus requiring me to order a softer topper to adjust for the process of construction. If I am requiring a ‘medium’ level firmness topper can I trust 'ILD" nos. or do I have to adjust due to the ingredients and process of construction of the topper? Is one going to be considered ‘cheaply made’ and should I avoid it? And so on and so on, etc., etc., etc…
Most of your questions can be answered with ‘it depends’… Although I realize that doesn’t help you.
- Either could be made cheaply (there’s always someone that can make something poorly).
- yes talalay vs Dunlop has an impact on the perception of firmess/softness and feel, but that is a pretty personal feeling and so there’s no really useful means to communicate that. Some people like one, but dislike the other.
- A lower ild will usually be softer than a higher ild
- most people would find a Dunlop layer slightly more firm than a talalay layer if they both had the same ild
- latex is usually pretty good quality, so I don’t think 50/50 vs 30/70 is a huge difference. It’s not 100% NR which some people want.
- more firm/dense material will usually last longer and be more durable than a softer material
To truly gauge which is ‘best’, you’d need to test them side by side and ensure it achieves the softness+feel you want without negatively compromising the support/alignment/ posture. Neither is likely materially better than the other, but they will be different.
The only reason I bring up the idea of one being ‘better’ than another is I thought I read an earlier thread where Phx. suggested he would avoid any blended latex less that 50/50. I was curious why he might state this and what I should be looking out for in the 30/70 blended latex.
Ahh, fair enough. Thankfully Phoenix is pretty active. I’d read the part where you wrote you were being cheap and put more emphasis on that. Maybe he will chime in with his top expert advice 
Hi dadibones,
These are both good quality materials (almost all latex is generally good quality regardless of the type or blend) but the blended Dunlop would (or should be) be a lower cost than the blended Talalay. You can read a little more about the different types of latex in post #6 here (which I just revised a bit to include more information about some of the newer continuous pour Dunlop latex materials).
You can also read a little more about the difference between blended Talalay and 100% natural Talalay in post #2 here (the blended is generally more durable in lower ILD’s).
There is also more about the differences in how they feel in post #7 here but your own experiences and testing on each would be a much more reliable indicator about which you prefer.
The suggestion to avoid latex that has less than 50% natural content was more specific to molded Dunlop … not Talalay. The reason for this is that the higher natural latex content with molded Dunlop is a better performing material because natural rubber is more elastic and has more of the desirable qualities of natural rubber than the synthetic. Talalay has a different cell structure which contributes to both its durability as well as its feel, and performance relative to Dunlop. For the very lowest budget ranges though even synthetic latex (or mostly synthetic) … especially continuous pour … is still a high quality product relative to other types of foam.
In the end it’s really a matter of preference and the balance between budget, the specific performance and feel of each type of latex, and on how a particular layer contributes to and interacts with your specific layer combination.
Phoenix