Hi AdamGG,
There are many mattresses that are described as “latex” mattresses that only contain some percentage of latex and contain other types of materials (such as polyfoam) in addition to the latex as well. If you look at the law tag on the mattress it will tell you the percentage of each of the different materials in the mattress by weight. This way you can at least get a rough idea of the content of different materials in the mattress.
What the law tag won’t tell you is the specifics of all the layers inside the mattress which I would certainly want to know before making any purchase.
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here 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 suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
While nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own personal preferences) because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
If you can find out all the specifics of all the layers inside the mattress that are described in the article about the “mattress specifications you need to know” and post them on the forum I’d be happy to let you know if there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress that could be a reason for concern relative to the durability and useful life of the mattress.
A good retailer that is transparent about the materials and components in their mattress should be able to easily provide you with all the information you need about all the materials and components in a mattress to make an informed choice but if for any reason the retailer you are dealing with is either unwilling or unable to provide you with all the information you need to to confirm there are no lower quality/density materials or weak links in any mattress you are considering then I would avoid the mattress completely because the risk of premature foam softening and/or breakdown that can lead to the loss of comfort and/or support and the need to replace the mattress much too quickly would be too high.
Phoenix