Does anyone know what mattress manufactures use Vita Talalay for the latex in their construction? I’m looking for a mattress that uses wool to meet flammability standards and uses no polyurethane foam or chemical flame retardants or chemicals applied to the fabrics or coat the wool fibers…
I was just looking at this yesterday, Latex Mattress | Buy Natural Latex Mattress at FloBeds . Looks like FloBeds uses 100% Talalay latex (I’m assuming Talalay latex and Vita Talalay latex are the same?), and organic wool and cotton cover.
I’m sure there are many more manufacturers that the experts on this forum could suggest.
[quote=“sleepyamy” post=87519]I was just looking at this yesterday, Latex Mattress | Buy Natural Latex Mattress at FloBeds . Looks like FloBeds uses 100% Talalay latex (I’m assuming Talalay latex and Vita Talalay latex are the same?), and organic wool and cotton cover.
I’m sure there are many more manufacturers that the experts on this forum could suggest.[/quote]
Thank you. Vita Talalay is a brand of Talalay, but it doesn’t appear that they specify the brand. I am also looking for a hybrid, although full latex isn’t necessarily out of the question.
If you are looking for talalay latex there are only 2 manufacturers of talalay latex foam in the world right now. One is Radium in the Netherlands and the other is Talalay Global in the US. Vita Talalay is just the brand name for Radium’s talalay latex, there’s nothing special about it otherwise. In fact right now Radium is having difficulty with getting their latex into the US due to Covid supply chain disruptions so you might want to be other to either one as a possibility since they are both good quality these days (years ago that was not always the case). I heard that Talalay Global is now setting up a distribution center in Arizona so they can service the west coast better so that’s going to help alot with supply too.
Hey empusa,
Thanks for your question 
.
[quote]Does anyone know what mattress manufactures use Vita Talalay for the latex in their construction?
[/quote]
These trusted members offer both Talalay Global and Radium Foam/ Vita Talalay latex as components:
You may enjoy Phoenix’s post response to "Radium Foam Vs. Latex International"a helpful comparison of the two Talalay latex producers.
From a review of their sites, Sleep EZ states in their FAQs that they use wool as a natural fire barrier, and while I see that Arizona Premium offers replacement mattress coversfeaturing wool in their construction, no similar statement is mentioned. Hope this helps with your research and let us know if you find other manufacturers using Radium Talalay latex.
Thanks,
Sensei
I’m looking for Vita Talalay, because of the testing and washing that they do and the Oeko-tex 100 Class 1 certification.
[quote=“Sensei” post=87523]
I see that Arizona Premium offers replacement mattress coversfeaturing wool in their construction, no similar statement is mentioned.
Sensei[/quote]
Thank you Sensei, I ruled out those mattress covers, as they use Bamboo material. I’m looking for a GOTS cotton and a very clean wool (e.g. no chemical treatment). Often wool is treated to improve the workability.
I would love to try the European Sleep Works. That said, the shipping is an issue.
I also would be interested in a tufted mattress, rather that one that uses adhesives, as I can not tolerate any solvents at all. I would have to thoroughly vet the adhesive used, and then there’s a trust issue. There can be a difference between what is advertised and what is actually used in the mattress.
Flexus Comfort said as of 4/2020 they are sourcing from Radium (see here)
From a few posts on this forum, it appears that Sleep EZ, Flobeds, and Arizona Premium Mattress have sourced Talalay from both Radium and Talalay Global in the past, so they might be good candidates.
Savvy Rest says that they use Radium’s Vita Talalay in their mattresses (see here)
It looks like a lot of mattress retailers aren’t exclusive to Vita Talalay or Talalay Global and switch back and forth based on various factors.
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 !
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 
!
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 .
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 …
Thanks,
Sensei
[quote=“Sensei” post=87770]Hey whitk227, Thanks for your question .
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 …
Thanks,
Sensei[/quote]
Thank you, Sensei! This definitely eases my mind!!!
Karen
[quote=“whitk227” post=87809][quote=“Sensei” post=87770]Hey whitk227, Thanks for your question .
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 …
Thanks,
Sensei[/quote]
Thank you, Sensei! This definitely eases my mind!!!
Karen[/quote]
Just to clarify, I really am Karen, not “a Karen” lol