Latex Used by Mattress Manufacturers

After reading your subsequent posts, I have an additional thought. If you are having difficulty finding a mattress that meets all of your requirements, you may consider DIY.

You should be able to source the Vita Talalay Latex slabs from one of the suppliers mentioned above.

DIY Natural Bedding and Foam Order both sell organic cotton zipped covers. Both have several options in this space, including organic cotton covers quilted with wool, and organic cotton covers without any quilting.In the later case, you could add some wool batting yourself (DIY Natural Bedding sells that, too).

If you put the mattress together yourself, you’d know exactly what was (and wasn’t) in it.The DIY route has its own pros/cons though, and while completely doable, an adventurous outlook and a willingness to persevere through some trial and error is often needed.

Just a word of caution, it seems like Covid has really wreaked havoc on the supply chain so if someone really wants a particular brand of talalay you really need to call and ask the manufacturer what they are currently using and what they have available. I called Flobeds yesterday about some deisgn questions (they are super helpful BTW) and we got to discussing the latex quality and characteristics. When I asked which talalay they used they said they are exclusively using Talalay Global right now because Radium was having issues servicing everyone’s orders and they aren’t accepting new customers right now either. Even with Talalay Global they said it’s very hard to get the higher ILD (40+) layers because manufacturers are working through their backlog due to Covid shutdowns. I was told those layers won’t be shipping until August of this year so it’s something to be aware of anyway. It’s not something to panic over but it certainly appears these disruptions will take some time to work through the system until all the products are fully restocked again.

[quote=“Mattrebuild” post=87532][quote=“ebs” post=87528]Flexus Comfort said as of 4/2020 they are sourcing from Radium (see here)

Just a word of caution, it seems like Covid has really wreaked havoc on the supply chain so if someone really wants a particular brand of talalay you really need to call and ask the manufacturer what they are currently using and what they have available. [/quote]

Thank you Mattrebuild. Case and point, I opened my friends Avocado topper to find that it had a Talalay insert, when Avocado advertises GOLS Dunlop. Apparently, they are having supply chain issues, as well. I also understand that they are using synthetic fire barriers, batting, and adhesives… so much for their transparency. This can be an issue for some that have reactions to certain materials and really makes me wary of buying a closed mattress.

I’m learning so much about latex, thanks to this post!

I was looking at Vita Talalay’s website, and saw that they showed the mattress manufacturers that they work with near the bottom of their homepage, https://www.vitatalalay.com/ .

I also saw quite a long list of certifications on Vita Talalay’s website, such as C2C, Eco-institut, Oeko-tex, etc. (1961, the company has applied its Talalay- Vita Talalay), while on Talalay Global’s website, I only saw a mention of Oeko-tex certification (Home | Talalay). I haven’t looked into the various certifications in details yet, but wondering if the additional certifications make Vita Talalay’s products superior/safer than Talalay Global?

[quote=“sleepyamy” post=87603]I’m learning so much about latex, thanks to this post!
I was looking at Vita Talalay’s website, and saw that they showed the mattress manufacturers that they work with near the bottom of their homepage, https://www.vitatalalay.com/ .
?[/quote]

Thanks, I didn’t notice that. GOLS Dunlop would be good too, so long as it has the other certifications for emissions too.

Hey sleepyamy,

Good to see you again on TMU and thanks for your question :slight_smile: !

Good question, Amy, and the short answer is No to either more superior or safer. Vita Talalay promotes a “natural” story with their branding, and the certifications they use support that position. Generally speaking, Oeko-Tex, Eco-institut, Greenguard Gold and CertiPUR-US are testing standards for safety, and GOLS, GOTS, and USDA organic are certifications for organic farming methods and/or sustainable production methods, as well as avoiding the use of harmful chemicals in agricultural practices. Cradle2Cradle meets some of the criteria of both safety and sustainability. If the concerns are more about safety, testing standards such as Oeko-Tex and Eco-Institut are the most important certifications for testing the materials that are used in mattresses. All the latex you are likely to encounter (synthetic, natural, or blended) has been tested for harmful substances and VOC’s and certified as “safe” by one of these certifications. Talalay Global’s Talalay latex is Oeko-Tex certified, Class 1, you may read more about what that means here. You may also enjoy this Phoenix post response regarding product certifications, it offers a detailed explanation of what each one is and the uses the certification serves. Hope this helps :wink: !

Thanks,
Sensei

Thank you, Sensei! I never realized how much there was to learn about what goes into a mattress before!

[quote=“empusa”]

I just received my Avocado Green Hybrid mattress and separate topper in February 2021. This is really disturbing to read, especially since this was an expensive purchase made specifically because I wanted a non-toxic product. How would I know if I received a mattress with synthetic components? Or if my topper isn’t GOLS Dunlop?

Hey whitk227, Thanks for your question :slight_smile: .

Before we address your concerns, there is a separate comment that needs some clarification.

@empusa, are you certain that your friend’s Avocado topper had a Talalay insert? Can you please describe what in its appearance suggests that it is Talalay latex? What is your source for the other claims of their “using synthetic fire barriers, batting, and adhesives”? Avocado Green processes its own Dunlop latex and with Talalay latex production being more expensive and having longer lead times, it seems highly unlikely that a latex they don’t carry would be inside one of their toppers. Perhaps this scenario isn’t entirely impossible; however, the concern here is that without a clearer understanding of your findings, the statements promote speculation of whether there was in fact an unreported substitution in your friend’s case.

Whitk227, it is highly unlikely that this is the case. Avocado Green is a subsidiary of Brentwood Home, both of which share a long history of using natural, recycled, and sustainable materials in their mattresses. They source their GOLS certified latex directly from India and manufacture Dunlop latex to GOLS supply chain specifications. The consumer law labels each mattress has attached must list the contents of the mattress, so a review of that may put your mind at ease. Hope this helps :wink: …

Thanks,
Sensei

[quote=“Sensei” post=87770]Hey whitk227, Thanks for your question :slight_smile: .

Before we address your concerns, there is a separate comment that needs some clarification.

@empusa, are you certain that your friend’s Avocado topper had a Talalay insert? Can you please describe what in its appearance suggests that it is Talalay latex? What is your source for the other claims of their “using synthetic fire barriers, batting, and adhesives”? Avocado Green processes its own Dunlop latex and with Talalay latex production being more expensive and having longer lead times, it seems highly unlikely that a latex they don’t carry would be inside one of their toppers. Perhaps this scenario isn’t entirely impossible; however, the concern here is that without a clearer understanding of your findings, the statements promote speculation of whether there was in fact an unreported substitution in your friend’s case.

Whitk227, it is highly unlikely that this is the case. Avocado Green is a subsidiary of Brentwood Home, both of which share a long history of using natural, recycled, and sustainable materials in their mattresses. They source their GOLS certified latex directly from India and manufacture Dunlop latex to GOLS supply chain specifications. The consumer law labels each mattress has attached must list the contents of the mattress, so a review of that may put your mind at ease. Hope this helps :wink: …

Thanks,
Sensei[/quote]

Thank you, Sensei! This definitely eases my mind!!! :slight_smile:
Karen

[quote=“whitk227” post=87809][quote=“Sensei” post=87770]Hey whitk227, Thanks for your question :slight_smile: .

Before we address your concerns, there is a separate comment that needs some clarification.

@empusa, are you certain that your friend’s Avocado topper had a Talalay insert? Can you please describe what in its appearance suggests that it is Talalay latex? What is your source for the other claims of their “using synthetic fire barriers, batting, and adhesives”? Avocado Green processes its own Dunlop latex and with Talalay latex production being more expensive and having longer lead times, it seems highly unlikely that a latex they don’t carry would be inside one of their toppers. Perhaps this scenario isn’t entirely impossible; however, the concern here is that without a clearer understanding of your findings, the statements promote speculation of whether there was in fact an unreported substitution in your friend’s case.

Whitk227, it is highly unlikely that this is the case. Avocado Green is a subsidiary of Brentwood Home, both of which share a long history of using natural, recycled, and sustainable materials in their mattresses. They source their GOLS certified latex directly from India and manufacture Dunlop latex to GOLS supply chain specifications. The consumer law labels each mattress has attached must list the contents of the mattress, so a review of that may put your mind at ease. Hope this helps :wink: …

Thanks,
Sensei[/quote]

Thank you, Sensei! This definitely eases my mind!!! :slight_smile:
Karen[/quote]

Just to clarify, I really am Karen, not “a Karen” lol

I’d still like to hear from @empusa about how his friend’s Avocado topper allegedly had Talalay latex.

Me, too.

Hey Karen/ not “a Karen”,

Thanks for the lols, much appreciated in these crazy times! It’s a shame that one bad apple had to take a perfectly beautiful, classic name and turn it sideways with use of an entitled demeanor. Sounds like you’re a good sport and hopefully this too shall soon pass… :wink:

Sensei

I don’t believe that the latex that Avocado substituted is for the GOLS is necessarily bad. In the topper that it had Talalay Global imprinted on the side if I remember correctly. The Talalay that they substituted is likely more expensive than the Dunlop that they normally use, but some people prefer the feel of Dunlop and it wasn’t as advertised. The Leggett and Platt coil system uses adhesive to adhere a synthetic layer to the top of the coil system; I don’t believe the material is unsafe. They do use some undisclosed synthetic, non-woven, non-stretch fabrics in the construction that I think contribute to the hardness of the mattress, but I don’t think this means that the mattress is unsafe.

I was unknowingly exposed to TDI in a workplace renovation for a prolonged period of time. (TDI is a very dangerous chemical that is used to manufacture polyurethane foams.) It caused me to become very ill, and ultimately I had a very severe reaction. TDI is a known sensitizer; consequently, I"m left with severe reaction to solvents, e.g VOCs.

The Avocado mattress doesn’t trigger any reaction.

However, I like the breathability and moisture control of wool, but the hidden, non-stretch, synthetic layers that they use defeat the purpose of the wool and stretch knit cover.

Yes, I’m certain; you insult me. It was imprinted on the side of the latex. Avocado/Brentwood Home was evasive, when I inquired. Ultimately, they acknowledged the substitution, but claimed that it was an error. I was told by another manufacturer that Avocado was understandably having some supply chain issues, during the COVID lockdowns, and was trying to find a source of latex. So, I didn’t buy that excuse for a minute.

Sensei, You know absolutely nothing of this issue, and you insult me. They did in fact substitute Talalay for the Dunlop; they finally acknowledged it; and I saw it with my own eyes. YOU’RE WRONG, and I don’t appreciate that you weigh in without understanding the facts.

It had Talalay imprinted on the side of the latex, “Talalay Global” if I remember correctly. Avocado was evasive, when I inquired. Finally Avocado acknowledged that they had substituted the Talalay for Dunlop, but insisted that it was a error. However, another manufacturer told me that Avocado was understandably having supply chain issues and was trying to source latex, so I don’t believe that the Talalay was used in error.

I’ve seen two videos of the Avocado mattress cut open that shows some synthetics materials used. The Legget and Platt does, in fact, adhere a synthetic layer to the top of the coil.

Actually, I’m less trusting of GOLS latex, as I understand that there are no emission standards and there is an allowable amount of other materials. I would trust 100% natural latex with OEKO-TEX 100 Class 1 and/or GOLS with OEKO-TEX 100 Class 1 certification.

It might be helpful to have photos if possible since this tends to clear up any of the speculation one way or another. Covid has done some really crazy stuff to supply chains so what we used to take for granted now has to be verified alot more since businesses are making decisions they need to survive rather than worry too much about marketing issues (can’t say I blame them). I know in the past I too had cut open a mattress and was commenting on the materials found inside. I commented that one of the layers was latex but someone else with alot more experience commented that it was impossible. I just left it because I know it was definitely latex but not worth arguing over. The reason I didn’t bother is because ultimately it’s not about being right. This site is about community and helping each other solve our mattress woes. Anyway if you do have photos of the labels/layers I’m sure many of us would be interested in seeing what you found.