Latex Questions and Recommendations

[phoenix]

Hi Walruse,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

I’m sorry your Novaform mattress didn’t work out well for you, but unfortunately it isn’t unexpected. You can see some of my comments about the Novaform Serafina mattress here. I would avoid any mattress that used more than “about an inch or so” of lower quality and less durable materials and the Serafina uses 3" of 3 lb memory foam which is a lower quality material that would be a potential weak link in the mattress. It’s certainly not a mattress that I would consider. (By the way, I deleted the link to the video you inserted, as it is the type of “review” site/video I advise against people considering when looking at mattresses).

To what degree does latex soften and how fast?

That’s a question that overall is too general and beyond what I could reply here in this reply, as there are many factors involved in foam durability. Overall, latex tends to be the most durable foam and tends to maintain its support factor longer than other types of comfort materials, but there are of course variations depending upon the type of latex used, the density/ILD and the use it experiences. If you’d like to learn a bit more about some of the factors that impact foam durability, you might be interested in reading this post here.

The Novaform Mattress did start out firm enough I guess, however obviously has unacceptably and quickly softened. Novaform will state that their mattresses don’t need rotating or flipping, however this is logically untrue. There is similar marketing phrases used for latex mattresses, and would appreciate a realistic expectation.

Comparing low density memory foam to latex in terms of durability and performance wouldn’t be helpful to you, as the memory foam is an entirely different material and much less durable than a comparable piece in softness of latex. It is true that some manufacturers offer that you don’t need to rotate their mattresses, but I’ll still recommend that frequent rotations can even out the wear and extend the life of any mattress, regardless of construction.

Would buying a firmness level above the preferred tested firmness offset any possible latex softening, if it is a realistic consideration?

All latex will tend to be a durable material, and firmer latex “can” last longer than a more plush comparable piece of latex, but all of the layers of a mattress work together to impact durability and as I mentioned previously there are many factors involved in durability. Finding a comfort you prefer and then selecting something that you don’t necessarily prefer would not be what I’d recommend as a manner of shopping for a latex mattress, unless what you think you prefer doesn’t allow for proper alignment/durability (some people tend to select a configuration that isn’t supportive enough or uses too much plush material) as you’d likely get a good comfort life out of an all-latex mattress using materials that you liked or ones that were “slightly” firmer.

[quote]Related question to the above:
Just because a latex or memory foam layer doesn’t show an indention doesn’t mean it hasn’t softened to the point of being unusable. I mention this because I came across this video, and would like a related opinion on it.[/quote]

You are correct that foams can lose some of their “support factor” but not show a body impression. You’ll usually decide to replace a mattress before the usable life of the materials have “worn out”, as the comfort will generally reach a point that you don’t prefer long before these foams have “expired”. The video you link (and I’ve linked to before as well), is simply an extreme sample of foam that was left compressed for a very long length of time (certainly not normal) and would not be something you’d extrapolate into determining the comfort life of a latex mattress in normal use.

[quote]I have read here many times on this topic, and depending on where you look (elsewhere) you will get different absolute answers.
Some stating blended latex is significantly less durable than nearly pure (98 % +) latex, and manufacturers of talalay listing impressive facts about the increased performance of talalay over Dunlop.[/quote]

I can’t speak to what you’ve read elsewhere, but I would consider both types of latex to be durable materials, and you may wish to do a bit more reading between the types and blends of latex here and here.

I have read on here about the differences which I think summates to talalay is firmer than Dunlop in the first 25% and Dunlop is firmer in the latter (compression modulus I think)

While you’re statement is a bit of an oversimplification, you may have read through this post. Dunlop does tend to “firm up faster” as weight is applied than Talalay.

[quote]What is the difference in weight from a piece of Dunlop vs talalay?
Let’s say a 3 inch thick twin size piece of one versus the other? I understand the manufacturing differences but I am curious of what the actual weight difference is. I wonder if it is significant and if the reduced material difference is enough to offset the manufacturing differences?[/quote]

It would depend upon the density of the material, which has an almost direct correlation to the ILD. If you are curious about a piece of Dunlop and a piece of Talalay at the same ILD, the Dunlop will tend to be heavier. And I’m not sure what you mean by wondering if the “material difference is enough to offset the manufacturing differences”.

I am surprised some retailers like SleepEZ offer both at the same cost.

I don’t know why you would be surprised. Pricing depends upon many factors, including the type of Dunlop and Talalay being compared. Blended Talalay and natural Dunlop can be similar in price, depending upon the source. I think it’s nice when a consumer can have multiple options at a similar price point.

Sleep EZ’s firmness recommendations are also gone from their website so I am a little lost here. I tested latex mattresses in person for equivalency as best I could, and my results did not coincide with their online recommendations when they were still on their website. Also my preference did not coincide with over the phone advice in which I was told I would wear out the top layer in x years. I cannot remember exactly what he said as he gave a range but it was about 5 years. I guess firmer layers last a little longer than softer ones.

The firmness configurator isn’t on their site as of the latest site revamp, and I don’t know if it will return. SleepEZ would prefer that you have a detailed phone conversation with them before placing an order (as I recommend), as it’s a better way to get more specific advice as to what configuration they feel might work best for you based upon their experience.

You’re not providing any specifics regarding your preferences and phone conversations, so I can only surmise that you stated that you prefer something that is very soft (and even perhaps looking for something for a higher BMI) and maybe you were told that such a very plush configuration wouldn’t be recommended or as durable as you might desire. But that’s the best I can surmise with the limited information you provided.

Phoenix