Latex Mattress Options

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hello,

I’ve read through everything I could on this site including the Mattress Shopping Tutorial, and I still need some help trying to decide on a latex mattress. I can’t find specific reviews on most of the mattresses, which just adds to the confusion. I’d appreciate any advice/input if you have it.

~ What specs would you recommend for a person of average height/weight who sleeps on both back and side (although mostly back if comfortable) and prefers a firmer mattress (less back aches). What should the ILD’s be for a 10" mattress (for both 2 layered and 3 layered)?
~ Is blended Dunlop latex (85% natural, 15% synthetic) comparable to blended Talalay (30% natural, 70% synthetic)?
~ What’s the lowest ILD I should go if I got a 100% natural Talalay mattress? I understand they can be “softer” than the Dunlop.
~ Do you have any opinions/reviews of the following companies/mattresses?

These are the all-latex mattresses I’m looking at:

  1. Bella Sera customizable (online)
    100% organic Dunlop
    3 layers (3 in each)

  2. Pure Bliss 10"
    Blended Talalay (30/70)
    6" Support 40 ILD; 4" Comfort layer (ILD?)

  3. Urban Organics Eco Sensation 10"
    100% natural Talalay
    6" 36 ILD; 2" 28 ILD’ 2" 24ILD

  4. Ikea Morgongava 8"
    85% natural; 15% synthetic
    All one layer. ILD?

THANK YOU in advance for any help you can give!

2

Hi tigerlily,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :).

There are a few links from the mattress shopping tutorial that you may have missed but I know there are a lot and it’s easy to do so I’ll make a few comments and link the ones that are relevant in my reply here.

There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here and I would be VERY cautious about using mattress reviews as a meaningful part of mattress research or a mattress purchase because they won’t tell you anything about whether a mattress is a suitable match for you in terms of PPP or not (a mattress that is a good match for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on) and in almost all cases they won’t tell you anything about the quality or durability of the mattress or the materials inside it (see post #13 here about mattress reviews).

[quote]~ What specs would you recommend for a person of average height/weight who sleeps on both back and side (although mostly back if comfortable) and prefers a firmer mattress (less back aches). What should the ILD’s be for a 10" mattress (for both 2 layered and 3 layered)?
~ Is blended Dunlop latex (85% natural, 15% synthetic) comparable to blended Talalay (30% natural, 70% synthetic)?
~ What’s the lowest ILD I should go if I got a 100% natural Talalay mattress? I understand they can be “softer” than the Dunlop.[/quote]

I’m happy to help with “how” to choose but unfortunately nobody else can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able recommend a specific mattress or tell you which specific mattress is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP based on specs or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

The two ways to choose which mattress is the most suitable match for you in terms of PPP are either your own careful and objective testing (using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) or if you are purchasing online and can’t test a mattress in person then with a more detailed conversation on the phone with a knowledgeable and experienced online manufacturer or retailer that can use the information you provide them to give you some guidance and can help “talk you through” the options they have that have the best chance of success based on the “averages” of their customers that are similar to you.

All of the options you are looking at use good quality materials (all of them are latex from top to bottom) and there are no weak links in any of them although they use different types and blends of latex, have very different designs, different price ranges, and have different options that they provide both before and after a purchase. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.

[quote]1) Bella Sera customizable (online)
100% organic Dunlop
3 layers (3 in each)[/quote]

The tutorial post also includes this link to a list of the members of this site that sell mattresses online and many of these sell latex mattresses that use different types of latex (including some that sell organic Dunlop latex) and that have a wide range of different designs, features, prices, and exchange and return options that would also be well worth considering and some of these have a very similar component design as the Bella Sera customizable (three 3" layers that can be customized for firmness and split side to side with a cotton cover quilted with wool). I would also make sure that you check the return or exchange options for any online purchase and include it as one of the factors in the “value” of your purchase.

[quote]2) Pure Bliss 10"
Blended Talalay (30/70)
6" Support 40 ILD; 4" Comfort layer (ILD?)[/quote]

This sounds like the PLB Nature which uses 10" of Blended Talalay latex. You can see the ILD of the layers here but they aren’t important to know because with a local purchase your body and good testing will tell you all you need to know about whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP and knowing the ILD specs won’t give you any additional information that will make any meaningful difference.

[quote]3) Urban Organics Eco Sensation 10"
100% natural Talalay
6" 36 ILD; 2" 28 ILD’ 2" 24ILD[/quote]

This uses 100% natural Talalay in all the layers as far as I know.

[quote]4) Ikea Morgongava 8"
85% natural; 15% synthetic
All one layer. ILD?[/quote]

This also uses good quality latex although it’s not 100% natural like your other Dunlop options and it only has a single layer of latex that can’t be customized either before or after a purchase rather than multiple layers that can so I would make sure you have tested this very carefully for PPP and make sure you are confident that it’s a good match for you in terms of PPP and that you are also comfortable with IKEA’s exchange options because it can’t be returned and if it’s not a good match for you then there would be very limited options for you to exchange it for another similar mattress because this is the only mattress they carry that uses all latex that is “mostly natural”.

You are looking at some good finalists that are all choices between “good and good” (although if you are looking at online options there are some others that may be worth considering as well) and when you are down to final choices where you are confident that they are all a good match for you in terms of PPP (or there are good return or exchange options if you aren’t) then your final choice (see post #2 here) will really be a mattress of “best judgement” and all the objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix

3

Thank you very much for all this helpful information! I have definitely come to right place for answers. :slight_smile:

I have a remaining question about the difference between Dunlop and Talalay. I know that they are different processes and Talalay uses a newer technology than Dunlop, but what are the true differences in terms of durability, resiliency, softness, comfort, and price? Most everyone is selling all Talalay latex as opposed to only a couple retailers who offer a Dunlop/Talalay mix. Is Talalay just marketed better or is it a “better” latex? Does the choice to offer Talalay simply come down to which supplier the retailer is doing business with?
I can’t seem to find an answer I’m satisfied with and every retailer has their own opinion as to why Talalay/Dunlop is better (based on which one they’re selling).

Thanks for any help!
Jeannine

4

Hi tigerlilly, hopefully this helps a bit. talalay tends to be springier/bouncier than dunlop. far as i know, neither is better than the other. they’re made from the same latex (outside of synthetic/blends vs natural) but in different ways. the dunlop is like a latex batter poured into a mold and cured (vulcanized to a heated solid). the heavier particles settle some so a 6" solid core tends to be denser in the lower half and less dense in the upper portions. talalay, the latex ‘batter’ is mixed with air to ‘fluff’ it up some and in a 6" core is pretty evenly textured throughout.

from personal experience (for what it’s worth), both can be cushy with dunlop being a bit more firm and more of a ‘deadened’ feel. not quite like memory foam, but less bounce back than talalay. talalay tends to be a bit more expensive due to the extra processing that isn’t present during the manufacture of dunlop. extra steps, machinery etc add to the cost. the choice is a personal preference in terms of feel, whichever feels better to you. on the same idea as eggs, fried vs scrambled. which is better is a matter of taste but both contain eggs - just prepared slightly different.

i think talalay comes in slightly softer densities than dunlop typically does so to find the very ‘softest’ may require talalay but only in the extreme ild’s (14-15ild). i’m pretty sure in the lower densities (18-20 and under) 100% natural talalay starts to compromise a little on durability vs standard 70/30 blended talalay. the biggest difference between dunlop/talalay isn’t what the salesman tells you, it’s how it feels to you. looking back at the eggs, if nutrition and fat content etc were equal it would be hard pressed for a chef to tell you what type of cooked egg is better - fried, poached, scrambled - what truly matters is what tastes (or in this case feels) best to you. it’s down to preference rather than ‘proof’.

best of luck to you.

5

Hi tigerlilly,

Outside of brass’ great comments (thanks brass :)) … there is a little more about the different types and blends of latex in post #2 here and post #6 here and there is more about the differences in how they “feel” in post #7 here. For the most part, the choice between different types of latex will be more a matter of preference and/or budget than about which one is “better or worse”.

Phoenix

6

Thank you, Brass and Phoenix. My problem is that I’ve only been able to test Talalay mattresses because Dunlop ones are not available. I’m getting ready to buy a Dunlop/Talalay combo online (6" Dunlop support core and 3" Talalay comfort layer) and I’m worried it will feel different than what I’ve tested in person. Is my concern substantiated? Also, would an ILD of 22 for 100% natural Talalay comfort layer be compromising durability? Do you recommend a blend for that reason?

I still don’t know why almost every seller I’ve looked at (online and in person) are only selling Talalay latex mattresses. Anyone know the answer??

Thanks again!

7

Hi tigerlilly,

There is more about the different ways that one mattress can “match” another one in post #9 here but any differences between two mattresses in the type of materials or in the other specs or components (layer thickness, layer firmness, the type of cover and quilting etc) can change how a mattress feels and performs yes.

There is more about how blended Talalay and 100% natural Talalay compare in post #2 here. I would keep in mind that all latex is a durable material relative to other types of foam so it wouldn’t “compromise” durability but if the Talalay is made by Latex International then in the lower ILD’s the 100% natural would be somewhat less durable than their blend. Softer materials are also less durable than firmer layers with any type of material but of course this is part of the tradeoffs that are part of any mattress purchase because most people need some softer layers in their mattress to provide good pressure relief. The choice between different types of latex would be a personal preference.

There are many online and local manufacturers (depending on the area) that sell either one or both so you may just have been looking at the ones that sell Talalay and somehow missed the ones that sell Dunlop.

Phoenix

8

Hi tigerlilly, i think it would depend on how sensitive you are personally to difference in feel. i’m guessing a talalay comfort/upper layer (the 3" closest to you) over 6" of dunlop would feel somewhere in between all talalay and all dunlop. from personal testing of both, latex is really hard to describe and limited because it’s only in the scope of what i personally can feel vs what you may feel. one of the pure latex bliss models i tried had a latex enhanced foundation, so there was an additional 3-4" latex i believe below an 11" thick all talalay mattress. even beneath 11" of latex it changed the feel some depending on the movement (ie, turning over, sitting on the edge - anything that increased pressure deeper in the mattress). so different materials even in the lower portions would change the feel - to what degree and what degree to you personally i have no idea.

i’m not sure where you’re located but you might try the savvy rest site here . at the upper right is a place to enter your zip code and try to find a nearby dealer. not because i’m pushing savvy, organic or anything else but from what i’ve seen most of their offerings or display models tend to be dunlop. (they do offer talalay). the reason being they’re a fairly big brand, likely to have a dealer near you (hopefully) and may give you a chance to find a latex bed with dunlop you can test out personally. if you let Phoenix know where you’re located he has a really thorough list of options for most areas and may give you more choices. the savvy idea was just off the top of my head. glad to help if i can.