Latex Mattress in Canada

Talk To The Experts MFC Canada
48

Yes, thanks, it makes sense to sleep on a firmer layer if I want a firmer mattress, but I just donā€™t understand (yet) whatā€™s the difference between sleeping, letā€™s say, on a 4" firm layer alone vs. on a 4" firm layer on softer layers. I donā€™t see anyway softer layers below firm layers, but Iā€™m a newbie so there must be a reason.

Anyway if I buy two medium layers that would solve the problem.

I think I still need to test or think about what is best for my needs. 2 soft layers and I fear my body wouldnā€™t be aligned enough (too soft) and 1 soft layer and maybe I wouldnā€™t have enough support. I know there is a study somewhere that says that trying isnā€™t better than pure science, but Iā€™m not sure what to do.

49

Hi John667,

Thereā€™s no difference, because the 4" firm core is predominant and will not be affected by a soft 2" layer underneath. However a 2" medium layer placed over a 2" soft layer will have a different feel, and may just right for certain sleepers.

Good luck in your search!

All the best
Mario

50

Thanks

51

Hi Mario,

I recently bought a 8" Maoli from you, received and setup with 3 nights in so far! First time for latex and the quality and support, both incredible, at an incredible price. Thank you!

A couple questionsā€¦

Support really is most incredible but I feel like I want the top to be a little more plush (so far, again only 3 days in) so Iā€™ve been thinking about a soft 2" topper, Talalay perhaps? Or what do you think a 2" soft Dunlop would do for me? (knowing thereā€™s already a 2" soft on the 6" firm core) I sleep all of the ways, more side and back I suppose.

I had a 3" Costco memory foam topper on my last very firm coil spring mattress. It was very plush, a bit more than wanted or needed and a bit too cradling but I slept on it for 6 years that way, it was fine but not supportive enough. I like the looks of your 2" 5 lb memory foam topper but Iā€™d really prefer to stay away from the chemicals and all that at this point which is a lot of what led me to the natural latex in the beginning down the rabbit hole of study about 9 months ago.

I also feel like I should protect the mattress with a protector/cover/pad of some sort. The waterproof option seems like a really good idea, but is it really? I want reasonable price and quality but donā€™t want to effect mattress performance. Iā€™m not worried about wetting the bed really (haha) but you never know what sort of accidents can happen.

Iā€™ve been reading and studying up on toppers and protectors and am still confused. Maybe a pad that is the topper and protector in one?

Lost in Halifax, help! :slight_smile:

52

Hi Brewer,

Personally I would wait a few months before adding anything on the mattress. Our bodies take time to adjust to a new mattress, and since organic dunlop is one of the most supportive sleep surfaces, we need time to adjust to it. Later if you feel the need, I suggest getting 2" organic dunlop latex topper to help relieve pressure points. Talalay is also great, but make sure you get 100% natural (vita Talalay) if you want to keep sleeping on a all natural mattress. MFC who is an expert and site Member here has a collection of Toppers and the organic dunlop latex toppers are discounted for TMU consumer members.

We suggest the Merino Wool Mattress Protector Itā€™s our best seller because it protects the mattress (ok for small spills) it regulates body temperature and humidity, and is machine washable.

Did I answer all your question?
Please let me know if you need any further information.

All the Best!
Mario

53

Thank you for the advice and sharing of knowledge. I will certainly give it longer before grabbing a topper but will jump on a protector straight away. 6 nights deep - amazing mattress, feel the quality and support each night and morning. A world of difference from any other type of mattress Iā€™ve used.

cheers

54

Hi Brewer,

Iā€™m happy youā€™re pleased with your Maoli latex mattress. One more thing to remember is that latex does soften during the break in period, and the mattress will feel slightly softer in a few months.

Thank you for your confidence in our products.

All the best

55

After so many hours looking on so many websites (and some in-store visits, but none of them had latex mattresses) I am finding shopping for a mattress way more difficult than it should be.

What is the most cost-effective way to buy a natural latex mattress in eastern Canada?

I am looking to buy a

  • king-sized mattress
    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. (Iā€™ve read that being as close as possible to the latex is better.)

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.

So far the best option seems to be a ā€˜Green Appleā€™ mattress from Naturelle. It has just 6 inches of latex, but we are not heavy, and (according to this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji3zfNBvMA8) apparently people slept comfortably for decades on 6-inch latex mattresses. Also, after calling I confirmed that

  • It does not have to be 6-inch-thick blocks, but can instead be two 3-inch layers and
  • the mattress cover could accommodate an extra 2-inch layer (or maybe more) if we ended up needing to add thickness.
    It is listed for 1199 CAD, which makes it the lowest-price mattress that fits my criteria. They also have an 8-inch model, the Lavender, listed for 1699 CAD, which is lower than any other 8-inch model I have found. Even better, the latex is not just natural, itā€™s organic.

I did find some discussion on this website about problems with Naturelle, but I canā€™t see any reason to trust any seller over any other since in the end it looks like I have to do this at a distance (by internet or phone).

Please help!

56

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. (Iā€™ve read that being as close as possible to the latex is better.)[/quote]

ā€œNaturalā€ 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 ā€œstyrene butadiene rubberā€ (SBR) which are two petroleum-based chemicals, and each listed as VOCā€™s. To be sure your getting what you pay for, ask for the GOLS or ECO-Institut certifications, which tests for VOCā€™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 ā€œOrganicā€ 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, itā€™s no more ā€œnatural than rayonā€

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 ā€“it doesnā€™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 itā€™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 ā€œGlobal Organic Latex Standardā€ 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.

Iā€™m sorry, but I donā€™t understand your statement. You come to this forum seeking advice on buying a ā€œnaturalā€ 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? Wouldnā€™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 ā€œnaturalā€ 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, youā€™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 ā€œThe bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgottenā€

Here is a list in alphabetical order of Canadian organic latex mattress retailers(manufacturers) we recommend:

[indent]dormio.ca (Trusted Member of this site)
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

57

Hi. Thanks for the reply. One step closer to figuring this out. :wink:

[quote=ā€œMFCā€ post=79325]ā€œNaturalā€ 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 ā€œstyrene butadiene rubberā€ (SBR) which are two petroleum-based chemicals, and each listed as VOCā€™s.[/quote]

How in the world can petroleum-based chemicals be considered natural? That should just not be allowed. Marketing is out of control, and yes, apparently regulation is needed. If petro-chemicals are natural, then what would be considered unnatural?
Maybe a better question is: How can I buy a mattress that is entirely made from the sap of the rubber tree but that is not necessarily organic? Surely there exists such a thing. If a tree were sprayed with a chemical pesticide 10 years ago, its sap would then not be organic, but latex made from it alone would still be far, far better than any with SBR.

Good to know. I had no idea about bamboo materials other than that some may involve harsh chemicals in their processing.

I am interested in how much wool can help keep latex in good condition (ā€˜breathabilityā€™ etc.). I am not at all concerned, however, with my mattress being flame retardant. The ridiculous US requirement for mattresses to be flame retardant (leading to added harmful chemicals in most cases) is half the problem with the mattress industry, from what I can tell. A person would die of smoke inhalation long before the mattress caught on fire unless the mattress itself were the first thing to be set on fireā€¦and I donā€™t plan to generate flame or handle extremely hot materials in the bedroom! Who would??

Weā€™re back to square one. There seems to be no way to try a latex mattress where I am (Nova Scotia). If I spend much longer researching this industry maybe I should just open my own showroom. :stuck_out_tongue:

Shouldnā€™t weight matter here? There must be some weight of person below which 6 inches is enough. ā€¦and again, it seems like 6-inch mattresses used to be common. (and again, I like the idea of adding 2 inches later if we find we need it.) I do appreciate the advice, though, and getting 8 inches at one time could be simpler.

[quote]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 ā€œGlobal Organic Latex Standardā€ 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.[/quote]
This is the kind of detail I canā€™t believe I have to dig into and wrap my head around just to not get burned. Thank you for the info. I still donā€™t understand how to check this for any seller, though. I do think I remember seeing that the Naturelle website mentions its certificates are available, but I donā€™t know how you found them.
Honestly, I find the certification paper trail thing to be difficult to follow. I wish I could just order a mattress, tear off a tiny piece of the latex while itā€™s still in the box on my doorstep and do chemical testing on it right then and there to actually see proof of it being natural (my meaning: all rubber tree) or not, and send it right back and ring the alarm bells (here, and anywhere else it makes sense to) if it isnā€™t!

Please try a little harder to see it from my perspective. Since Naturelle looked like the best option, I went in search of feedback on the company, and I did find some worrying comments here but I found positive comments too. Hereā€™s the important part: I then looked into one of the companies recommended on this site and again I found a mix of positive and negative feedbackā€¦on the BBB website, on yelp, etc. I have to say that detecting a ā€˜long-standing trustworthy reputationā€™ is not as easy as you make it out to be. I could imagine this site providing better feedback than some others, given its focus on mattresses, but itā€™s hard to discount the positive or negative about any company. Iā€™m trying here. I do appreciate your advice of course. Is there a specific model you would recommend? Again I ask (paraphrased based on what you said about the word ā€œnaturalā€): What is the most cost-effective way to buy a latex mattress, with latex made only from rubber tree sap, in eastern Canada?

58

Hi WhyIsMattressShoppingSoDifficult,

It must exist, but how do you know what youā€™re buying without a third party certification?

As far as I know, only GOLS test for synthetic latex
Under the GOLS content standard all latex rubber must:

1-Contain at least 95% organic rubber content
2- Not contain any synthetic latex

In addition to the purity and performance standards GOLS standards also includes many other important health and social guidelines. Some of the other important parameters included in the certification include:

VOC and harmful substance testing
forest stewardship practises
waste and pollution management
water management regulations
renewable energy requirements
living wage guidelines for workers
child labour is prohibited

Maybe contact https://www.naturelleorganicbeds.ca as they seem to have a warehouse in Nova Scotia as per their website (bottom of homepage).

Like I said before: there are no regulatory agencies that oversee the organic latex mattress market in Canada, so you must exercise due diligence when shopping. Itā€™s simple, trustworthy retailers / manufacturers will post their organic certification on their website for you to inspect. All the retailers we suggested in our previous post, do list their certifications online, here is the Dormio certifications as an example

In the USA The Federal trade commission does oversee false advertising and charged 3 companies (1 Canadian) from advertising mattresses as free from VOCā€™s

Look for GOLS certification retailers (make sure you view the actual up to date certificate), and do some comparative shopping with the retailers we suggested in our previous post.

Good luck in your search

59

Thanks for this. It is actually extremely helpful to finally lay eyes on a certificate. I think I saw on Naturelleā€™s website that their certificates are available on request, but now I see it can be easier. I have also been looking at buying from Bio-Beds Plus, by the way, and I could not find anything about their certificate (especially for their in-house ā€˜Casuarinaā€™ natural (100%, I think it said) latex mattress).

Looking at the Dormio certificates still leaves questions, though. If I am trying to be vigilant here (not accusing that specific seller of course):

  1. How can I make sense of certificates that list some party I donā€™t know instead of the actual place selling the mattresses? (The Dormio certificates name some entity other than Dormio.) How do I know that is their supplier, and even if I did know that, how could I know if the mattress or mattress materials I would get would be one from that specific one and not a different, non-GOLS supplier?
  2. IHow can I be sure that a give certificate is legitimate? (Iā€™m sure I could doctor one in MS Paint in about 5 minutes.)

On that second point, the obvious answer to me is that a person should be able to go to the organization that doles out the GOLS certifications, and get from it a trustable list of certificate holders. Sadly on the website I found I could not find any such list or even way to inquire about a single seller.

So, even if I trust GOLS certification, I donā€™t know how to verify one for a given seller.

Also, specifically about Dormio,

  1. I notice that they have a certificate for their organic latex (GOLS), but the also have a certificate for their non-organic 100% natural latex mattresses. It seems like whate you said earlier is that GOLS is the only certification that matters when it comes to latex (even with respect to it just being 100% natural). Is that the case here or is there some value in Dormioā€™s non-organic natural latex certificate?

Thanks again.

60

Actually, in addition to my general mattress-shopping questions above, I am also specifically interested in a mattress sold my MFC: The Maoli.

The website seems to refer to the latex in it as natural, 100% natural, and organic in various places. I am guessing that if ā€˜organicā€™ appears at all it must be that, but I just wanted to make sure it is that. Actually, I did just find elsewhere on the site that the Maoli is GOLS-certified, so I guess that answers that (though as per my post above, I am not exactly sure what to make of the fact that the certificate is for ā€œSignature Foam Privateā€ and not ā€œMemory Foam Comfortā€.

The other question I had was the ā€˜whyā€™ on tencel fabric being used in the mattress cover. I see that itā€™s not GOTS-certified, but that in itself might not be a problem. I just havenā€™t heard much about the material. Why tencel? Thanks.

61

Hi WhyIsMattressShoppingSoDifficult,

Pardon my delay in this response, I see MFC has done a great job at answering most of your questions already.
Regarding certifications, I understand it can be difficult to differentiate between false and truth, especially in this industry.
The buyer should gain a trust in the chosen retailer, also being a Trusted Member on this forum means that there is full confidence in our knowledge.
Transparency is important, as long as your given all the right tools and information, you should be able to make an informed decision :slight_smile:
Your last question regarding Organic vs Natural certifications, both are valid and free of chemicals. The main difference is in the earth that the trees are grown. GOLS certification is both costly and strict but to my knowledge is not greatly better then 100% Naturally Certified latex. Depending on budget and organic lifestyle, the choice really is up to you.
I hope this answers your question.

62

Hi WhyIsMattressShoppingSoDifficult,

The latex inside the Maoli natural latex mattress is certified Organic by GOLS. The certificates are issued to the actual producers of the rubber as they have to be inspected to make sure they conform to all the strict requirements set by the third party certification.

Under the GOLS content standard all latex rubber must:

contain at least 95% organic latex content
not contain any synthetic latex

In addition to the purity and performance standards GOLS standards also includes many other important health and social guidelines. Some of the other important parameters included in the certification include:
VOC and harmful substance testing
forest stewardship practises
waste and pollution management
water management regulations
renewable energy requirements
living wage guidelines for workers
child labour is prohibited

[quote]The other question I had was the ā€˜whyā€™ on tencel fabric being used in the mattress cover. I see that itā€™s not GOTS-certified, but that in itself might not be a problem. I just havenā€™t heard much about the material. Why tencel? Thanks.
[/quote]

GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard

Tencel cannot be certified organic as it does not contain 70% organically grown fibres. It is used in our Maoli mattress to offer a lower price point mattress made with pure organic rubber and a non organic Tencel cover. The Maoli is made with both organic rubber and a non organic Tencel cover. Since the cover is not organic, we cannot call it an organic mattress, but is referred to as our natural mattress, since all the components come from safe, non toxic materials.

What is Tencel?

Tencel fibre is the brand name for lyocell fibres manufactured by the house of Lenzing. Tencel is a type of rayon cellulose fibre extracted from the wood pulp of sustainably grown Eucalyptus trees. Unlike other forms of Rayon, Tencel is manufactured in a closed loop cycle that recycles nearly 100% of all the organic compounds used during the manufacturing process. The patented system has earned them numerous accolades including the EUā€™s European Award for the Environment. Tencel is an ideal fiber for latex mattresses due to itā€™s sustainability, strength and moisture absorbing properties.

Certifications:
Third party Tencel certifications include:
Oeko-Tex Standard 100(Confidence in textiles ā€“ tested for harmful substances)
USDA BioPreferred (certified 100% bio-based)
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
European Eco-Label (environmentally friendly)
Din Certo (compostable)
Vincotte (compostable)
US BPI (compostable)
EcoCert (product life cycle)

Advantages of Tencel:

Ecological Friendly
Accounting for the entire life cycle, Tencel is one of the most environmentally friendly fibres in the world. Derived from the wood pulp of sustainably grown Eucalyptus trees, the closed loop manufacturing process recycles nearly 100% of organic solvents used in the manufacturing process.

High Tensile Strength
Whether dry or damp, Tencel fibres retain their strength. These durable fibres can withstand decades of use making them an idea compliment to latex.

Moisture Absorbent
Tencel fibres absorb moisture into their unique cell structure until it can be evaporated away.

Soft to the Touch
The surface of Tencel is smoother than silk. Tencel is commonly used in face masks for the cosmetic industry due to its silky-smooth surface and absorbent properties.

Hygienic
The condition that allow bacteria to grow are greatly reduced due to the moisture absorbing properties of Tencel.

All the best!

63

Hi, I recycle an old topic about certifications, I hope thats ok.

Iā€™m glad I found your forum because I was about to buy a dormio mattress and asked the [email protected] the following question:
" is it possible to see a photo of the new product tag with the materials listed for a specific product and the gols certification tag?"

Dormio seems to refuse to show me the photos of those tags and instead ask me to consult their certification online. I donā€™t understand why they behave as such, do you guys have any idea or experience buying from Dormio ?

Another question, do you have an idea why their online certifications are almost all expired ? Can it influence the quality of the new mattress produce ?

Thanks a lot.

64

Hi Dage,

Many retailers donā€™t like to send photos of the actual tags as they can be copied and used by a deceitful competitor. If you want to see that actual tags and you live close by to one of their retail location
you can go and inspect them there.

Dormio is a respectful organic latex manufacturer and is a recommended Trusted Member
of this website.

Thatā€™s normal. The GOLS certification is valid for 1 year and the renewal process can take up to 6 months. Most manufacturers carry a 6 month (or more) inventory
of organic dunlop latex, so even if the certificate is expired online, the latex they have on hand was bought when it was valid.

All the best!

65

Hi MFC, I have several questions about your latex mattresses and mattresses in general.

  1. I see that you are also selling memory foam mattresses, and memory foam is known for itā€™s off-gassing. Do you store your latex in the same warehouse as your memory foam? How do you make sure the smells from memory foam do not penetrate latex?
  2. Is your wool mattress cover stretchy?
  3. Are mattress flammability laws here in Canada the same as in US? Does a mattress need to pass an open flame test here as well (or any other tests)?
  4. What do you use in your tencel covers to achieve flame-resistance?
    Thank you!
66

Hi skyisred,

We can no longer get memory foam due to supply chain issues. But when we could, we did not store it in the same warehouse. Since the demand for memory foam has decrease in the last years, we would simply order it from the foam plant as the orders came in, made the mattress and then shipped it out.

No, itā€™s not, because we have to quilt the cover with virgin wool.

Yes they do have to pass an open flame test set up by Health Canada. Wool is used in our organic dunlop latex mattresses as the flame retardant

Tencel is woven with polyester, which is inherently flame-resistant because of the structure of the fabric, and the way it is woven, so it doesnā€™t need to be treated with chemicals.

Did I answer all your questions?
Please let me know if you need any further information.

All the Best!
Mario

67

Thank you so much, Mario! You are always so very helpful!