Hi WhyIsMattressShoppingSoDifficult
[quote]and I am fairly certain I want one containing only
- natural latex (100% natural, but that should be obvious. marketing pollutes language),
- cotton or maybe bamboo, and
- maybe organic wool. (I’ve read that being as close as possible to the latex is better.)[/quote]
“Natural” is mostly used for Greenwashing. The word is thrown around to make you think you are buying something that is good for you. Tar sands and cyanide are also natural, but are they good for you?
Most 100% Natural Latex advertised, is a blend of natural rubber and synthetic latex aka “styrene butadiene rubber” (SBR) which are two petroleum-based chemicals, and each listed as VOC’s. To be sure your getting what you pay for, ask for the GOLS or ECO-Institut certifications, which tests for VOC’s, including styrene and butadiene. If either of these compounds are found in the latex sample, even in fraction amounts, it will fail and not receive the certification. A red flag should be considered if a company does not post their certificates online for you to inspect.
Did you know that cotton can be labeled as “Organic” even if it only contains 10% organic cotton! The remaining 90% can be polyester or other synthetic materials. When in doubt ask to see the actual GOTS organic cotton certificate. As for bamboo fiber, it’s no more “natural than rayon”
Wool is a wonderful product. It regulates temperature and humidity and is the finest flame retardant available. As for organic wool a key point to remember about the USDA and OTA organic wool designations: the organic certification extends only to livestock –it doesn’t cover the further processing of the raw wool source and Potentially harmful processing methods
[quote]I am a 165-lb stomach and back sleeper. My wife is a 125-lb side sleeper. As far as I can tell that means I should go for:
- medium or firm support on my side,
- medium support on her side, and
- maybe a soft layer on the entire top.[/quote]
The first question we ask our customers is have you ever tried an organic Dunlop mattress? We always suggest to our customers to try one first and see if you like the feel of this unique material. In our experience, 6" is great for back and stomach sleepers, but it’s not thick enough for side sleepers. Dunlop latex is dense and extremely supportive, we would suggest 8" as a minimum for side sleepers.
They state that they are GOLS certified , however, no certification is posted and without actually viewing the certificate how can you be sure?
Next, they label their ECO-institut certificate with “Global Organic Latex Standard” which actually stands for the GOLS organic certification. This labeling can confuse the customer in thinking that this is an organic certification which in fact ECO-Instut is not an Organic certifier and furthermore this certification is expired.
Remember that there are no regulatory agencies that oversee the organic latex mattress market in Canada, so you must exercise due diligence when shopping. Here is an example of what has been exposed in the past by TMU.
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand your statement. You come to this forum seeking advice on buying a “natural” mattress, and when presented with cautious advice from the moderator of the forum and previous customers you see no reason to not trust this seller? Wouldn’t you rather buy a mattress from a company with a long standing trustworthy reputation? Or are you simply looking to buy at the lowest price?
I understand that shopping for a “natural” mattress can be a confusing, frustrating and that the information can be overwhelming. Yes, authentic natural/organic mattresses do cost more than conventional mattresses, but if you figure the average cost per night for the comfort and quality you are getting, you’re looking at about $0.25 cents a night over a 20 year period. (most organic Dunlop latex mattress will last over 20 years)
We always suggest that our customers set their mattress budget to get the best Quality / Price ratio, because “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten”
Here is a list in alphabetical order of Canadian organic latex mattress retailers(manufacturers) we recommend:
en.memoryfoamcomfort.ca (Trusted Member of this site)
obasan.ca
tmasc.ca [/indent]
Good luck in your search and please let me know what you decided to buy in the end,
all the best