Latex Mattresses too hard, NeoLuxe Mattress Non Toxic?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hello, I am in Australia.

  • I am 5’2" and weigh 41kg (weight loss due to giving birth and now breastfeeding).
    I would have loved an all natural mattress but the healthy latex mattresses I tried were all too hard for me.
  • I am buying a new bed since our 20 year old traditional spring mattress is also now no good - I wake up with sore hips from it.
  • I tried zenbeds.com.au/ Their latex mattresses are either 3 layer (soft firm soft) or 5 layers, but I found they were all too hard.
  • I then tried the softest Hypnos latex mattress here: www.bedsndreams.com.au/hypnos-bed-mattress-range.html - but it too was too hard (very disappointing).
  • I then tried the Neoluxe mattress at the same store: www.neoluxe.com.au/products.html and found it reasonably soft and comfortable. But I’m concerned about the materials.
  • Can someone advise on whether the materials are safe/non toxic? Since I have an 8 month old baby who I am breastfeeding who sleeps in our room - I don’t want him to breathe in VOCs etc. given the bed uses various foams.
  • The layers in the bed are listed as:
  1. Silverline Surface Fabric
    SilverLine genuine silver fibre yarn to guarantee a natural antibacterial function of freshness and hygiene as well as anti-static properties.
  2. Breathable Luxury Quilt Layer
    Combination of Hypersoft Foam and Quiltec comfort technology for luxury breathability.
  3. Italian Silver form Comfort
    Italian made high performance comfort foam infused with genuine silver particles for antimicrobial health.
  4. HD Progressive Comfort Technology
    Multi-Layer premium HD comfort foams provide a smooth transition in feel offering a perfectly balanced sleep.
  5. 12 Zone Sleep System
    Unique dual coil system provides targeted support for the ultimate tailored sleeping experience.
  6. Complete edge to edge Support
    With it’s ultra-durable construction, EdgeBoost robust wall encasement provides a 100% sleeping surface.
  • Alternatively, can you suggest a latex mattress model or solution (in Australia) that will be softer than the ones I have tried?
  • Please note I originally purchased and later returned the healthiest ikea mattress and placed a pure latex topper on top - but the ensemble turned out to be extremely hard and painful for me so I also sold the topper.
    -I would be so grateful for your help. Many Thanks,
    S
2

I’m just a fellow consumer, but it would seem the latex in the Zenbed is dunlop. You might get a softer feel from a talalay bed. I also wonder if a stretchier cover is in order…the cover is what makes my latex mattress feel firmer than it is.

My little sister has the Ikea mattress I think you’re referencing and I was surprised at how firm the ILDs are for it.

I don’t know what options are in Australia, but finding a component bed manufacturer with lighter ild talalay might help!

The health stuff is so hard to say, and some people draw the line much more extremely than others. For me, natural latex and as few other ingredients in the mattress is possible hit the right spot from feeling that 99% of the bed was good to go, but I don’t worry about say, a plastic zipper or the fact that all talalay has to have a little filler added to it. It is certainly healthier than all the other furniture in my house!

3

Thanks so much! I’ll look for Talalay then…

4

Hi sb2018,

Thanks for the post.

Regarding the neoluxe mattress, they use a high-quality polyurethane foam imported from Italy, and other layers of polyurethane foam as noted by these descriptions:

They do not provide any specifications regarding density and ILD (firmness) on any of their foam descriptions so it’s hard to be sure about the long term durability with no transparency. Regarding the toxicity of the foam, they do mention that the “SilverForm” foam is Oeko-Tex and CertiPur certified. For the HD layers, and the quilt foam no certification is mentioned. Of course, this does not mean they are harmful per se, there simply is not enough information on the website to help clarify this. You may want to ask them more specific questions regarding the other layers of foam.

Here is more information regarding polyurethane foam comfort layers in this article. Additionally Oeko-Tex has information about their testing and certification here. There is also more information about certifications here post #2.

Regarding Talalay mattresses in AUS, the one company I know uses Talalay latex is AH Beard. Their Natures Rest product is described at this link. You may be able to use the store locator on the AH Beard site to see what retailers are carrying this brand. Good luck and please ask if you have other questions.

Thanks,
Sensei

5

Dear Sensei,

Thanks so much for your helpful reply!
Can I ask, did you assume all the foams other than the silver form comfort are polyurethane foam?
The reason I would have preferred natural materials is I thought foam was toxic and releases VOCs into your bedroom - does an Oeko-Tex certification mean a foam is somehow less- or non-toxic?

Now, I did find that Nature’s Rest Mattress at two places in my city, but I have some concerns.
First what do you think of gel latex? Is that some toxic material I should avoid?
Also, I don’t know whether to listen to reviews, but here are some very bad ones for this mattress - that it sinks and sags very soon after purchase: A.H. Beard Nature's Rest reviews | ProductReview.com.au.
Did you recommend this mattress because it sounds softer than the latex mattresses I’ve tried at Zen Mattresses and Beds N Dreams?

Cheers,

S

6

On that note (reviews), the neoluxe vantage also received terrible reviews and similar ones, lack of support, dipping etc. Admittedly the reviews are few, just a handful in total: Neo Luxe Vantage reviews | ProductReview.com.au

7

Hi sb2018,

Thanks for getting back to me. I k ow this is a big deal when you are expecting From a broad perspective, there are really on two types of foam in the mattress business. Polyurethane foam and latex foam. Memory foam, polyfoam, high resiliency foam (HR), high-density (HD) foam are all common industry names of polyurethane foam. For Latex its about 100% natural latex and blended latex, which is a blend natural and synthetic latex. The TMU links are linked bit further in this post.

Generally speaking, almost every mattress description of specifications if the manufacturer brand does not clearly state It’s a latex foam, or talk about some coils, or innerspring, then it’s chance it’s always going to be some formal polyurethane foam. Also, I just want to be clear, the Silver Foam Comfort foam is also a polyurethane foam. I am certianly not saying these foams are toxic.

Regarding toxicity and one’s children, and pregnancy, this is a highly personal choice, so we at TMU don’t say something is “toxic” for babies, we focus on the material quality and the transperancy of the compoanies manufacturing and selling the mattresses. Here is a post Phoenix wrote about cosumers and what is safe for children.

Here are the links about latex foam - support cores and comfort layers.

Polyurethane foam - Support cores and comfort layers.ou can see and CertiPur on their website. Frist page tells you this:

CertiPUR-US certified foams are:
âś“ Made without ozone depleters
✓ Made without PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP (“Tris”) flame retardants
âś“ Made without mercury, lead, and other heavy metals
âś“ Made without formaldehyde
âś“ Made without phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission
âś“ Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million)

Here is the Oeko-Tex site

Regarding AH Beard, I am aware they purchased Talalay in the past and still today and one of our consumer members and expert members mentioned Talalay. I have no information how they compare to Zenbed or Hypnos.

Review sites are a whole other story!! I don’t trust many mattress review sites, and same about negative reviews…I like this NYTimes article about negative reviews.

I know this sounds like a ton more information, but I hope we can help make this decision for your family and especially the new baby. Congrats!!! Good luck and message back if you have other questions.

Thanks,
Sensei

8

Thanks so much Sensei for your thoughtful and detailed response. CertiPUR sounds fantastic.

The AH Beard Nature’s Rest Mattress is described thus:

  • Gel-infused Talalay latex conforms to body shape to guarantee maximum spinal support and bodily comfort
  • Two layers of performa-foam support offer extra cushioning for blissfully soft plush feel, while fabric stretch knit quilt provides breathability
  • Environmentally-friendly and sustainable
    Are these non-toxic do you think? I have no idea what Gel Talalay means or performa-foam (I googled the latter and found nothing)

I also wrote to Neoluxe/vantage to ask about the 2 unknown foam layers but they never wrote back to me, so I’m not sure about that mattress.

Latex Mattresses Australia phoned me saying they have a mattress option that is slightly softer because it has a layer of polyester padding on top of the soft latex layer, so I am planning to try that out - although I’m doubtful something so insignificant could make much difference in softness.

Thanks Again!

9

Hi sb2018,

Your welcome, and thank you for your kind response. Let me try to answer some of these questions. The Talalay latex that is “gel infused” is made by Talalay Global in Connecticut, USA. It is not toxic by any means and is a blended latex, which is a synthetic latex (SBR) and natural latex. The gel that is “infused” is more a marketing story, it kind of has cooling benefits but the Talalay latex remains the same as a high-quality comfort layer non-toxic, oeko tex certified. This post talks about the different kinds of gel in foam, to give you some background on gel.

As far as the “Two layers of performa-foam” these are most likely polyurethane foam. I do not know any details on these, but I do know that AH Beards reputation around the world is stellar, and I am very confident they are using high quality certified non-toxic products. But of course, I do not have the exact facts from there factory, so one would have to ask them.

Good luck with the Latex Mattress Australia, and don’t hesitate to ask if you have any other questions. Thank you so much for posting your questions.

Thanks,
Sensei

10

Dear Sensei,
I went to Domaine who stock AH Beard to try out the Nature’s Comfort mattress https://www.domayne.com.au/nature-s-rest-vitality-mattress-plush.html but it turns out they have discontinued the mattress.

I then tried the AH Beard made King Koil “Buckingham” mattress https://www.domayne.com.au/king-koil-royal-luxury-buckingham-plush-mattress-queen.html made with Talalay latex, springs and wool on top - it seemed pretty good in terms of softness and I love the materials. But the bed is $5400 in Queen size which seems over the top expensive (especially if the bed doesn’t work out - they only allow exchanges and since this bed is on sale(!) all the King Koil range would cost double if I tried to exchange the bed later).

I then tried the King Koil “Amalfi” mattress https://www.domayne.com.au/king-koil-amalfi-plush-king-mattress.html which was the most comfortable in terms of softness (very pillowy). But I want to ask you about the toxicity of the materials: it has 2 thin layers of latex above and below and in between the latex 2 layers of memory foam - plus wool on top.

What do you think of the memory foam/foam layers? Would they have bad VOC emissions? The guy in the store said even the Buckingham has foam - on the sides of the mattress, and that ALL their mattresses had the same “Joyce” foam. What do you think?

Domaine is exactly the big type of chain bed store this site warns you about. Also the sales guy who apparently used to work for AH Beard and made beds for them claims that the “Sale” of the King Koil beds ends Monday(!)

Cheers,

11

Hey sb2018,

Thanks for the post. Of course, the sale always ends Monday!!!.

Regarding the Amalfi mattress, I see about the memory foam in between the talalay latex. A little unusual, but I do see the reasons why some mfgrs. use the memory in conjunction with Talalay it does make a very nice feel. When I look at the AHBeard/Kingkoil site, it does state that their EVofoams are GECA certified, http://www.geca.eco/, which is similar to Certipur, but also has some other social considerations. This fact, plus AHBeards reputation leade me to believe they use only low VOC’s not toxic products.

I am familiar with Domayne, in the bedding world, they are a well known AUS retailer. I hear you about the buckingham…that is high, and on sale/exchange issue is a factor. I am sure it felt beautiful. Also, remember as listed on our shopping guidelines, I will put the quote here for #5

You are right in the middle of the process, but don’t feel pressure, I totally understand about the large retailer issue, but the right mattress is out there, and you will find it soon.

I look forward to hearing an updated and any other questions you may have.

Thanks again,
Sensei

12

Dear Sensei,
Sorry for the long absence - I kind of gave up on the process as it looked so expensive and I never found my dream mattress. Since writing, Domaine has reduced the King Coil Amalfi Queen from $3250 to $2880 which is not bad https://www.fortywinks.com.au/products/beds-mattresses/chiro-deluxe-ultra-plush---qb-mattress. I wasn’t 100% happy about the foam content, although I might give in and get this one in the end. There is a cheaper option, no doubt this one doesn’t have that thin layer of latex in it: Forty Winks King Coil Chiro Deluxe https://www.fortywinks.com.au/products/beds-mattresses/chiro-deluxe-ultra-plush---qb-mattress. What do you think of that one? Noting I haven’t tried it out.
It seems like the Amalfi only costs as much as it does owing to a very thin sheet of latex in it - the rest is coils and foam - so it’s not the “natural” mattress I’d hoped for (but as you know the pure latex ones I tried were too firm for me unfortunately). Do you have any new ideas for me?
Since I last talked to you I actually went to see a great physio who confirmed that my hip pain is the result of having had a baby and the muscles stretching in that area due to relaxin, a chemical for aiding childbirth. He says it will all come good eventually but I still really want a comfortable bed to ease the pain. I’ve just been really unmotivated due to the high price and seeming lack of soft beds that are all natural. Let me know what you think.
Cheers!

13

Hi sb2018,

Welcome back. Nice to hear your update. You had the baby!!! Congratulations!! Boy? Girl?

Relaxin…. ok I had to look that up and it just never ceases to amaze me what our bodies and in this case women’s bodies do during these periods of bringing a new life into the world. Of course, this coupled with lack of sleep, can perpetuate all of the other normal health issues related with post pregnancy.

It’s actually frustrating to me that you/one has such a difficult time finding good latex mattresses.

That’s good about the reduced price for the Amalfi. Looking at the Chiro, of course there are no detailed specs. I can’t really tell of there are any weak links as far as durability guidelines go.

I understand your point about the foam content. On the plus side as I probably pointed out. AH Beard is a well known reputable manufacturer in the AUS market so I am not worried about them using poly foam from sub standard manufacturers.

Regardless of the lack of latex, I would certainly try the mattress and see how it feels for you. It can only help you learn about what works and also what doesn’t work.

Oh BTW when I read the Domayne Amalfi link again I see one can get a “Bonus Sheridan bathrobe” …which is nice but kind of funny.

You would need to ask specifically about the layers of the Chiro but as I read the Amalfi the cost / feature that stands out is the latex and memory foam and wool. This is a nice combination and many people do like latex over memory together.

Key Features Amalfi

The combination of gel-infused latex and memory foam provides body conforming comfort giving a plush pressure relieving feel.
With temperature regulating wool layers, the Amalfi Plush naturally regulates temperature while Tencel® wicks away any moisture.
Micro Comfort Coils minimise partner disturbance giving you a more restful night’s sleep.

One idea I have is combining one of the “too firm” latex mattresses with a 2 or 3 inch talalay latex topper. Many of the latex specialist companies in the USA have latex toppers used on top of mattress and consumers can adjust or change the topper to adjust firmness.

I will look around the forum and update your post with AUS latex toppers if I can find any. I just wanted to get back to you and will send more info later today or tomorrow.

Thanks
Sensei