I have been looking for small local companies and I found one but after reading their info I am more confused than ever. What do you make of this statement:
Exploring ILD’s
ILD’s refer to a standard firmness test for latex. Our Dunlop processed latex is classified as follows:
Soft: 17-25
Medium: 26-30
Firm: 31-35
Extra Firm: 36-42
Hard: 43-48
ILD is short for Indentation Load Deflection. The test takes a metal disc and compresses a piece of latex 25%. The number of pounds it takes to compress the latex becomes the piece’s ILD. Most simply put, the higher the number, the firmer the foam. Also, the higher the number, the more latex the piece has compared to air. The more latex ,the longer the life of the foam. In other words, a hard piece of latex will outlast a soft piece of latex.
You may have heard that the Talalay processed latex boasts being softer than Dunlop. A quick look at the ILD’s reveals their sneaky advertising. Latex International (the bigger of the two companies that produce Talalay processed latex) posted their ILD’s as follows:
Super Plush: 14
Plush: 19
Soft: 24
Medium: 28
Firm: 32
Extra Firm: 36
Super Firm: 40-44
Is it softer? Quite simply, they produce a foam that uses less latex than our Dunlop process latex. A firm is a firm but they have split the soft category up into three categories. No problem with extra soft pieces, except that the less latex a foam has, the shorter its life. Their Plush and Super Plush latex takes about 5 years to form a body impression, despite its 15 year warranty. But our latex dips down to 17 ILD, you say. Well, yes it does. But in reality I have never sold a piece of latex that soft. The soft pieces we get in are 20 or higher, which is what I prefer. I heard that 21 is the magic number for no body impressions, so I guess you can confirm and hold us to that warranty if need be.
Is there a “better” latex?