I FINALLY think I’ve settled on a latex mattress for my 3 year old, and perhaps also for my husband and me as well if we like hers. I have pretty much decided on the Sleep On Latex beds both for price and also their certifications (air quality/reducing chemicals on our sleep surfaces is pretty much our #1 priority right now).
I emailed them and asked how long the mattress should last if taken care of properly and was told 5-10 years. I think I was hoping to hear more like 10 years. The 5 number is scaring me a bit. This leads me to this question:
Does latex last as long as other mattress types (spring mattresses etc.) if cared for properly?
Also, will latex break down faster than other types of mattresses with small children jumping on it? I know this isn’t good for ANY mattress, and will void my warranty in most cases, but I have a 3yo (small for her age - under 30lbs) and another on the way and, honestly, playing and jumping on mommy and daddy’s bed is a favorite in our house as a short pre-bath activity at least a few times a week. Yes, I of course could make an absolutely no jumping rule, but lets face it: little kids LOVE to jump. I’m willing to sacrifice a little bit in order to let her be a kid for a while longer, but don’t want a new bed to be falling apart after only a few years! Our current mattress (innerspring) is 10 years old and, while definitely not like it used to be, is still “functional.”
Latex in general is the most durable of all the foam materials (latex foam, memory foam, polyfoam) regardless of whether it is Dunlop or Talalay or is made from natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or a blend of both so the choice between different types and blends of latex is more of a preference and budget choice than a “better/worse” choice. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.
While there is no way to specifically quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when they will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for them (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) and because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and you have confirmed that it meets the minimum quality/durability specs that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer and the chances that you would have additional “bonus time” beyond that would be higher as well.
There is also more detailed information about the variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress (and the materials inside it) in post #4 here and the posts it links to as well.
No .,… if anything it would tend to hold up better than most other types of materials and components that are generally used in the industry.
Thank you both! This makes me happy. I was afraid I finally made a decision and then was going to have to really question it. Glad to hear my kids shouldn’t destroy it any quicker than other types of mattresses.
I’ll check out the links provided in detail over the next day or two when I have time to read through. Thank you for your time and quick response!