Well I’ll try to stay on target with this post. We recently purchased a latex mattress online. We’ve slept on it for nearly a week…and it hasn’t been a great experience. It hasn’t been a bad one either. It just seems that for what we paid, it feels like we’re sleeping on an air mattress. It’s bouncy. And the latex is kind of flaking off in some areas of the slabs. The company came highly recommended on your site. And I really don’t want to cause any bad press for them because the salesman has been super helpful before and now during our “uncertainty” about the mattress. He said he doesn’t want an ounce of us to be unhappy with the mattress which is good to know. Because we are leaning towards returning it for 2 main reasons: 1) We paid nearly $1600 for a 8" Dunlop Queen (2" top layer soft, 3" middle layers medium, 3" bottom layers firm). This price includes the boxspring. And a cover. And 2 pillows came with it. So it’s a decent price/value. But just doesn’t seem kinda flimsy and cheap 2) I’m starting to doubt that we even want latex despite the reasons we wanted it in the first place (natural, low odor, healthier all around). This is because per the experience we are having with “this” latex, we don’t like “bouncy”. I think we’d rather try a natural memory foam since it actually absorbs energy vs. bounces it back into the body? Maybe we just have a case of “not so great” latex on our hands. We just can’t afford to keep swapping out latex mattresses with an online company. Too much hassle, money, and time all around.
Latex is made of rubber and it’s naturally bouncy, springy, and resilient. This is the way it is. Did you not test latex before you purchased a latex mattress to see if and make sure you liked the way it feels and performs?
This is normal, especially if the latex has been cut from the original core.
Well it’s certainly not flimsy (latex is the most durable of all the foams) and it’s certainly not cheap (latex is also the most costly of all the foams). You’re right though that the price is very good value and you still have many options available to you. Of course it’s up to you whether you wish to pursue them but flexibility of design is part of the value of the design you chose along of course with the willingness of the manufacturer to work with you.
Again … there is no way around the fact that latex is the most resilient foam there is. It may be worthwhile though considering either a memory foam topper or replacing the top layer with memory foam. I would also keep in mind though that there is no such thing as a “natural memory foam”. Memory foam is made mostly from petrochemicals although in some cases a small percentage of one of the two main chemicals (the polyols) has been replaced with a substitute that has been synthesized from plant oils. If you see claims about “natural memory foam” it’s about marketing … not fact. There is also some slow response lates available that may be worth considering which has similarities to memory foam.
Each person has their own preferences that are unique to them but you have options besides just swapping layers. As I mentioned I would work with the manufacturer until it becomes clear that latex or a combination of latex and memory foam is not for you in which case you have the protection of the refund policy. I also have no objection if you mention the manufacturer because your preferences or comfort choices or even how you feel about latex are not part of the quality or value of their mattresses or an indicator about how anyone else may feel. They are just your preferences which each of us have. Part of their service is also about doing their best to make you happy to the degree that is possible with the design of the mattress and the options you have available to you
One step at a time though is usually the best approach.
I just wanted to chime in here b/c I am having a similar experience (see my post titled “help: half way toward building a mattress”). I only have a 6" Talalay core at this point, and bought it intending to build a full mattress around it. I tested a few latex mattresses in stores and liked the way that they felt and was trying to replicate that feel. But, wow, this Talalay core is very, very ‘bouncy’. If my wife rolls over, the whole bed jiggles and I wake up. Anyway, I didn’t mean to hijack your thread with my problems. But I just wanted to comment that I have had the same problem (and thanks to the wonderful support on this forum, am getting advice on how to address it)
I don’t think it is related, actually. But it does raise the general issue of verification. It would be nice if the raw materials were labeled somehow, or came with documentation. I guess an expert can reliably distinguish between Dunlop and Talalay, and between blended and all natural rubber just by look and feel (Phoenex, is this true?), but as a regular consumer, I have no way of verifying. Also, its not like with can measure IDL’s at home!
Outside of the law tag which lists the materials by weight and generically … you won’t generally find this.
Yes … someone who worked with both every day and used them in their mattresses would have little difficulty telling Dunlop and Talalay apart. It would be more difficult to tell Blended Talalay and All natural Talalay apart because they use the same molds but they would generally have no problem with this either because they are marked differently in their shipments and also have a different density. This is why it’s important to deal with reputable and knowledgeable suppliers no matter what materials are in your mattress. Consumers with little experience with different materials would have much more difficulty telling any of them apart than a manufacturer.