As someone who likes to research every product I buy extensively, your site is a standout. I am now quoting you and boring people to death with my new found knowledge about mattresses! As a result of your site, I have narrowed my search for a new mattress down to 100% natural latex. I am based in Melbourne, Australia.
I recently tried out a Naturatex Chiro Plus in Queen size, from Natural Sleep, which doesn’t seem to be one of the well-known or widely reviewed retailers in Australia but it has popped up in these forums before.
The salesman really seemed to know his stuff, is very passionate about latex and told me that they source the latex from their own factory in Malaysia which is why they can keep their prices reasonable. Their latex is 100% natural (certified) Dunlop manufactured and the bed seemed very reasonably priced at $2641 (on sale) compared with others. It also felt comfortable.
He also told me that some retailers who produce their mattresses in Europe (eg. Belgium) are naturally passing on higher costs for transporting the latex from SE Asia to Europe and then transporting the finished product to Australia. This seemed to make sense to me.
I would welcome your views on this mattress and any questions I should ask when I return for another test. Specific questions I have:
The mattress was explained to me as being “progressive” made up of five 100% natural, pure latex layers encased in a non-removable cover, with the softer layer of Dunlop latex on the top. I assume this means I can’t flip it. Does this mean it is likely to last half as long as a mattress that is made of one block of latex that can be flipped and therefore is less economical overall?
The salesman offered to throw in the Thermotech and Airmesh cover at no extra cost. Does this material actually do anything or should I request a cotton or bamboo cover (the price is unlikely to change if I do so). There didn’t appear to be any foam or other fillers in this layer which was very thin. He said it was better to be able to feel the latex without padding getting in the way. This contains polyester. I am never sure if natural fibers are actually better or if this is marketing. I don’t suffer from any allergies but I have the option to choose the cover I want.
The mattress is quite high at 33cm. Does height make a difference to sleep quality?
The mattress doesn’t have zones like many others seem to. I asked about this and the salesman told me they weren’t necessary with quality latex and were a marketing gimmick.
However, they usually sell these with their thinner mattresses (21cm) which presumably aren’t as heavy. Would this base provide enough support for a 33cm pure latex mattress? They sell another slat bed base which seems to have more slats (and is more expensive). The salesperson seemed to think this option was only necessary if I needed further support or had a sporting injury but I’m wondering if his opinion was based on the thinner, lighter mattresses. Would be interested in your view. https://www.thecomfortshop.com.au/posture_slat_bed_bases/flat_bed_base_ergo.php
The other mattress option I have checked out is the Pure Comfort from Latex Mattress Australia. Page Not Found | Latex Mattress Australia I spoke to their salespeople and was quite impressed at their customer service.
The cost is considerably more at $4406 which I would be willing to pay if I thought there would be a significant benefit. This mattress was described as "a 15cm supportive core sandwiched between two 5cm layers of soft density latex for extra comfort. This is topped off with a luxurious Tencel quilted cover. The overall thickness of this mattress is 28cm which I think includes a woollen layer that they call Eden (not sure about this).
My question: is there a difference between a single core like this and the 5 progressive layers provided by the Naturatex mentioned above? And if so, is this better and worth paying extra for? Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have the option to try this mattress out prior to buying as they’re not based in Melbourne.
I’m not fixated on any partiular mattress at this point so the answers to these questions will help me to narrow down what I’m looking for.
Unfortunately … I don’t have any particular knowledge about the Australian market so I won’t be able to help much in terms of specific retailers or manufacturers I’m aware of there but the steps involved in choosing a mattress would be the same and the mattress materials that are used in Australia would generally be the same as the materials in North America.
I’m assuming that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial here but two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists (based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).
Post #2 here also includes links to most of the forum topics from Australia and post #7 here includes a list of many Australian manufacturers and retailers and a few comments about some of them as well that will hopefully be helpful as well.
Progressive means that the mattress has firmer layers on the bottom and then the layers become progressively softer as you go up towards the top of the mattress. This would be a one sided mattress.
While a two sided mattress will generally last longer than a comparable one sided mattress that has the same comfort layers on only one side of the mattress … it won’t be twice as long (perhaps 60% more if you flip and rotate it on a regular basis), but since latex in general is the most durable type of foam materials I wouldn’t have any concerns about the durability of any latex mattress whether it was one sided or two sided. One sided mattresses also have more design flexibility because a two sided mattress is limited by the thickness of the comfort layers on the bottom of the mattress (if they are too thick and soft then they can compromise the support of the mattress). There is more about the pros and cons of one sided and two sided mattresses in post #3 here.
I’m not clear if you are referring to the cover in the mattress itself or to a mattress protector that they would be adding to your purchase. Either way I’m not familiar with the “Thermotech and Airmesh” cover. If you can provide a link I may be able to make some comments about it. Thermotech appears to contain a phase change material that can make some initial difference in sleeping temperature when you first go to sleep at night but once the temperature equalizes then the benefits of phase change materials generally won’t last over the entire course of the night.
I personally tend to prefer natural fibers (such as cotton) or semi synthetic fibers (such as rayon made from bamboo or other cellulose sources) because of their ability to absorb and wick moisture and help regulate temperature over the course of the night (synthetic fibers can’t absorb moisture).
There is also more about the pros and cons of quilted covers vs thinner stretch knit covers in post #12 here and the posts it links to.
The thickness of a mattress or any individual layers inside it is really just a side effect of the design and the design goals of a mattress and is also only one of many variables that can affect the feel and performance of a mattress relative to any particular person and by itself isn’t particularly meaningful (see post #2 here). In some cases higher weight ranges will sometimes do better with a mattress that is thicker than lower weight ranges (see post #14 here for more about the effect of thickness) but even this depends more on the specific design and combination of materials in the mattress and on how well your testing or personal experience indicates the mattress “as a whole” matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP than anything else.
Zoning isn’t as important with latex as it would be with other types of materials or components (see post #7 here). Having said that … even with latex zoning systems can sometimes be useful and worth considering for people that have more difficulty finding a mattress with the right “balance” between comfort/pressure relief (under the shoulders especially) and support/alignment (under the hips/pelvis especially) or who have more challenging circumstances or sensitivities, body types that are more difficult to “match” to a mattress, more complex medical issues, or who have a history of having more difficulty in finding a mattress that works well for them. There is more about zoning in this article and in post #11 here and the additional posts it links to.
[quote]5. I am also interested in the Viva beech slatted bed base sold by another retailer also mentioned in these forums - The Comfort Shop. www.thecomfortshop.com.au/posture_slat_b…at_bed_base_viva.php
However, they usually sell these with their thinner mattresses (21cm) which presumably aren’t as heavy. Would this base provide enough support for a 33cm pure latex mattress? They sell another slat bed base which seems to have more slats (and is more expensive). The salesperson seemed to think this option was only necessary if I needed further support or had a sporting injury but I’m wondering if his opinion was based on the thinner, lighter mattresses. Would be interested in your view. www.thecomfortshop.com.au/posture_slat_b…at_bed_base_ergo.php[/quote]
You can see some thoughts about flexible slat systems in post #2 here and the posts it links to. A flexible slat system would be an “active” part of a sleeping system (just like any other layer or component either in, under, or over a mattress that flexes or compresses when you sleep on it) so the only reliable way to know whether a flexible slat system would be an improvement for you in terms of PPP compared to a non flexing support system would be based on your own actual experience when you test it or sleep on it in person and compare both types of support systems under the same mattress. For some people it could be neutral, for some people it would be an improvement, and for some it could be detrimental.
[quote]The other mattress option I have checked out is the Pure Comfort from Latex Mattress Australia. www.latexmattress.com.au/our-products/pure-comfort/ I spoke to their salespeople and was quite impressed at their customer service.
The cost is considerably more at $4406 which I would be willing to pay if I thought there would be a significant benefit. This mattress was described as "a 15cm supportive core sandwiched between two 5cm layers of soft density latex for extra comfort. This is topped off with a luxurious Tencel quilted cover. The overall thickness of this mattress is 28cm which I think includes a woollen layer that they call Eden (not sure about this).
My question: is there a difference between a single core like this and the 5 progressive layers provided by the Naturatex mentioned above? And if so, is this better and worth paying extra for? Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have the option to try this mattress out prior to buying as they’re not based in Melbourne.[/quote]
Other than the cover and any quilting material (they don’t specify whether the eden layer is wool) this mattress also appears to be all latex (although they don’t specify the type or blend of latex which I would want to know) which is a high quality material and like any all latex mattress there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress that would compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress. If the eden layer is wool then it would be more temperature regulating than a thinner stretch knit cover (see post #6 here). Every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover) will affect the feel and performance of every other layer and component in a mattress and the mattress “as a whole” so there would be differences in terms of “comfort” and PPP between any two mattresses with different designs (and this one is also zoned which could also make some difference) but only your own careful testing or personal experience can assess which one would be a better “match” for you and only you can decide whether any noticeable difference in “comfort” and PPP or in any of the other parts of your personal value equation that are important to you are enough to make the much higher price “worth it” to you. Both mattresses would be closely comparable in terms of durability since they are both all latex mattresses.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … I don’t make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress relative to your weight that you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else would have the same criteria or circumstances or would make the same choice.
Thank you so much for that quick and comprehensive response. For someone who doesn’t know much about the Australian market, you seem to know a lot more than any other person or site I’ve come across!
I have read all of these links and more and feel much more confident in making a choice. I am going back to test out the Naturatex mattress this weekend armed with your instructions on how to best to do this properly.
I’ll also get further information from the salesperson about the Airmesh cover and will check back to see if you have any comment on it. Thanks again for this useful response and wonderful site.
