Hello, I’ve been reading and researching, but at this point, I’m asking for opinions.
Is there a distinctive difference in FEEL between Dunlop & Talalay?
I understand the process difference, and what it does, but when the mattress is put together, and zipped-up, covered in a quilted layer of wool, would a body truly be able to distinquish between the two?
[quote=“Pennycuts” post=68250]Hello, I’ve been reading and researching, but at this point, I’m asking for opinions.
Is there a distinctive difference in FEEL between Dunlop & Talalay?
I understand the process difference, and what it does, but when the mattress is put together, and zipped-up, covered in a quilted layer of wool, would a body truly be able to distinquish between the two?[/quote]
To me, the Dunlop feels more solid and it feels firmer too. The Talalay feels like a stable marshmallow, almost? If you can, I would go into a store to try it out. I prefer the the Dunlop, though.
Hi Pennycuts,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
[quote]Is there a distinctive difference in FEEL between Dunlop & Talalay?
I understand the process difference, and what it does, but when the mattress is put together, and zipped-up, covered in a quilted layer of wool, would a body truly be able to distinquish between the two[/quote]
The short answer is, yes. There is a difference in feel between the two processes, but how much of a difference is of course dependent upon the individual and the location of the foam layer within the mattress, and what other foam layers it might be combined with.
The common analogy you may have run across is that Dunlop is like pound cake and Talalay is like angel food cake. In the same ILD, Dunlop will be more dense than Talalay (Talalay has more air in it). Comparing at similar ILDS, Dunlop gives at a different rate, with the initial compression generally being softer than Talalay, then it feels firmer as it compresses more deeply.
I have more complete information about Dunlop vs Talalay latex in post #7 here, and the posts linked therin.
I hope that’s helpful, but your best choice would always be to test out an item in person, as nothing can replace your own careful testing of an item and your response to the properties of that item after spending some time upon it.
Please let me know if you have other questions. The choice between Dunlop or Talalay would be one of personal preference as opposed to quality, as both styles of latex are high-quality materials.
Phoenix