thank you! striclty fermaldehyde (or very harmful chemicals) speaking do you think theres a smaller amount in a latex bed as majestics?(inoovative sleep soultions tells me they carry the same brand too so im trusting based on your link its a credible place). because at sleep country they said if the latex bed costs 2000 or less then it cant be pure latex as their 4000 one(too pricey though) so i hope the majestic/innovative latex is still a better bed than spring+memory foam at sleep country. oh wow so even the pricier sleep country beds are made cheaply? i did hear of one sinking…
Hi debating.
There really isn’t any way for me to know for certain without seeing the specifics of any lab testing results on either the materials in the mattress or the complete mattress which generally aren’t available.
The only reliable way to assess the “safety” of a material in more general terms is based on any certifications they have for harmful substances and VOC’s and while for most people a CertiPUR certification (for memory foam or polyfoam) would be “safe enough” … it’s also possible that even with a certification some people may have a specific sensitivity to certain materials that for most people would be fine (some people with MCS or multiple chemical sensitivities for example may react to materials that the large majority of people would be fine with).
In very general terms and based only on anecdotal and “non scientific” information and “reports” you will find that of the three main foam materials memory foam will have the highest incidence of people that have complaints about “symptoms” they they experience followed by polyfoam followed by latex. There are also many people that are more concerned about sensitivities and “chemicals” in a mattress that tend to choose mattresses that contain more natural or even organic materials just to err on the side of caution.
I wouldn’t put much credence in the information that you are given at most larger chain stores.
Again … there is more information about the 3 most important parts of “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
If you are defining “better” in terms of the quality and durability of a mattress then the only way to make these types of comparisons between specific mattresses is based on comparing the specifics of the materials inside them but the major brands in general tend to use lower quality and less durable materials that would be a weak link in their mattress.
The only “all latex” mattress at Sleep Country that would be “somewhat” comparable to one of the Renelle all latex mattresses would be the NaturaOrganics Eco Balance.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: sleepcountry.ca/products/tabid/131/products/459/mattresses/natura-naturaorganics-eco-balance/language/en-us/default.aspx
Phoenix
thanks! youd written somehwere you think highly of majestic though so have you found their latex beds are mostly pure nad not largely synthetic mixes? they say they are an organic store with pure latex. i know you said not to necessarily trust a large chain store but a competitor said that for 2000 it cant be pure because of the cost of latex nowadays. and even if its synthetic mixed in, is that still generally less toxic than memory foam topped beds?
Hi debating,
I do think highly of Majestic but I don’t know which of their mattresses your question is referring to. The 6" and 8" Restore mattresses and the Unison mattresses that they list on their website here are “all latex” mattresses that use certified organic Dunlop latex and don’t contain any synthetic latex or any other synthetic foam materials (only 100% natural Dunlop latex can be certified organic).
They are clearly wrong.
I think that I’ve answered this in my previous replies. All the latex you are likely to encounter (either Dunlop or Talalay that is made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will have a reliable certification such as Oeko-Tex, Eco-Institut, or Greenguard Gold (see post #2 here) and based on actual testing I would consider any type or blend of latex to be a very “safe” material in terms of harmful substances and VOC’s but the only way to make specific comparisons about VOC’s between any specific materials or mattresses would be based on seeing the lab testing results.
Phoenix
thanks a ton, i think ive made my decision for tomorrow, innovative sleep solutions which i found in your link says they have the same brand latex beds as majestic but can give a better deal so i hope its just as trustworthy as majestic? the bed i have in mind is called tower, its by renell natures embrace organic100%(they said its more like 97% pure and then the binding agents of course). its a ten inch one for less than 2000 with boxing week. seems great, i hope the company innovative sleep is trsutworthy cuz im ready to buy it
Hi debating,
It would depend on whether you are comparing exactly the same mattress (most manufacturers make a range of different mattresses).
Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design relative to your weight range and if there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your local testing or mattresses you have slept well on, your more detailed conversations about each of them, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, your preferences for different types of materials or types and blends of latex, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix
thanks! i just called he said its by renell natures embrace just like at majestic so as long as its a trustworthy company then i know the model (Tower) i want. i just trust it based on the link because ive called a place before that was selling latex at suspiciously low prices and had some bad reviews of getting a different bed,not pure like what theyd seen
Hi Debating,
Nature’s Embrace is the name of a lineup of mattresses not an individual mattress so you would need to make sure that the specific mattresses you are comparing are the same in both stores.
I don’t see a “Tower” model on the Nature’s Embrace site.
Phoenix
sorry last question i see on the majestic site they offer MEmory Biofoam coolgel and viscoform…would this be still under the category of memory foam with bigger traces of fermaldahyde etc than latex or just miniscule? also i noticed the natures embrace is not what id tried actually since it looks different and smooth and not wool cover…does the wool soften the bed?
its the coolgel 7300 certipure https://www.majesticfuton.com/3320.php just dont know if the biofoam and gel part takes away the bigger incidence of fermaldehyde and heavy chems compared to latex
Hi debating,
Once again … the only way to know the level of formaldehyde or any specific VOC’s in any material or mattress is based on seeing the lab testing results. All you can know for certain is whether it is under the testing limits for the certification that it has.
The coolgel is a memory foam that has gel added to the memory foam. There is more information about gel memory foams in post #2 here.
Again … Nature’s Embrace is the name of a whole lineup of mattresses … not a specific mattress.
You can read more about the effects of wool quilting in post #6 here. The only reliable way to know whether one mattress feels softer or firmer to you than another one will be based on your own careful testing or personal experience because it would also depend on all the other layers and components in the mattress other than the wool quilted cover and how they all interact together when you lie on it.
Phoenix
Hi I wondered how to find out about dormeos lack of worst chemicals since its European foam (supposedly this should indicate its got a higher standard but the guy doesnt know of any tests to prove…should i trust it? he said fermaldehyde etc is only from China…the dormeo is heaven on my shoulder and supposedly they had one bad batch of foam but will be durable now…i hope the warranty with sleep country canada will be ok if the memory foam coil and lumbar support sags…
http://www.trydormeo.com/ they also have a model on the american site to try risk free but i dont know if i can trust it wont be problematic
Hi debating,
Once again … the only way to know the level of formaldehyde or any specific VOC’s in any material or mattress is based on seeing the lab testing results. All you can know for certain is whether it is under the testing limits for any certification that it has.
The most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is how well it matches your unique needs and preferences in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). No matter what the quality or price of a mattress or how long it will last … if it’s not a good match for you and you don’t sleep well on the mattress it would have little value to you.
Outside of PPP … the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the type and quality of all the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label so I would always make sure that you are able to find out the information listed here so you can compare the materials and components in a mattress to the quality/durability guidelines here so you can confirm that there are no lower quality materials or obvious weak links in a mattress that would compromise the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
A warranty is important to guard against manufacturing defects in the materials or components inside a mattress that can happen on rare occasions but I would also keep in mind that mattress warranties only cover manufacturing defects and they don’t cover the gradual (or more rapid in the case of lower quality comfort layers) loss of comfort and support that comes from foam softening that is the main reason that most people will need to replace their mattress. In other words warranties have little to do with the durability or useful life of a mattress or how long it may be until you need to buy a new mattress. If there is an actual defect in the materials it will usually show up early in the life of the mattress but knowing the quality and durability of the materials in your mattress is always a much more reliable way to assess the durability and useful life of a mattress than the length of a warranty. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.
There is also more about the Dormeo Octaspring mattresses in this topic and in this topic and a forum search on Dormeo and on Octaspring will bring up more comments and feedback about them as well.
Phoenix
thank you but how can i find out about reliable testing in europe (i dont know their equivalent of certipure and dormeo can do same as essentia and say its had its own good testing
Hi debating,
They would need to tell you about any testing that has been done on their mattresses.
Essentia has some information about their VOC emissions here.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix have you ever tried a wool bed?i heard it has more give than latex but never seen one to try if it’s supportive and wouldn’t it clump or become uneven (my dad said cotton ones did in his childhood but maybe it’s the make). I like latex and want to go natural but latex and springs are too firm on my shoulder unless I get it too soft. I considered shepherds dream online
Hi debating,
No … I’ve never slept on a wool mattress.
My general comments about wool toppers in post #8 here and the other posts it links to would apply to wool mattresses as well.
Phoenix
Hi I will try out obasan in victoria at goodplanet by sleeptek…its a big investment and the idea is its customized so it can be softer on the shoulder and firmer on the back and its moving compartments that they seal in a tight case. could this cause any problem? they said you dont feel any gap or drastic difference in texture… any thoughts? basically as a back and side sleeper who needs pressure relief it sounds nice…although i wonder if the back part is firm wont that be too firm on the hip on the side and still produce the smae dilemma? gona go there and try sopon. i basically love the feel of dormeo but want to avoid the chemicals (heard it offgasses for years even under a cover) and anything but a too soft latex bed is too hard on my hips and shoulder… also have you heard of Plasma beds at Sleep mart? also from memory foam and they said they have the equivalent of certipure (hope its credible) . they said the dormeo being of “springs” from memory foam can collapse inwards over time. btw Obasan said they wash the protein to reduce developing allergy risk as ive heard latex is a big one…dono if organic beds under a cover count though.
alternatively i could get a queen split or two singles to have different sides for back and side (i dont turn at night but if my back hurts to sleep and with my fatigue i spend a longer time in bed)…but they said at majestic they dont know how this model would perform (gap/groove and also if they cut it would it possibly be wobbly and off on one side etc? because im still not sure if the pricier customized bed can really help back and side since it may be either too firm on the hip or too soft on the back