Hi paaschjc,
Yes … tha Natura range is very good quality but as you mentioned I believe they are significantly overpriced and not great value. In their defense … they do use thicker layers of wool in their quilting which is an expensive material but this has some drawbacks as well compared to using wool in thinner layers which don’t affect the feel of the latex as much and then adding a wool mattress protector of a thicker mattress pad which can be replaced when the wool compresses. Even with the wool … they are still way more than I would consider as being good value because besides the quality (which is available in many places) there is nothing particularly unique about them.
This is of course always a concern with an online purchase but the risk is offset with the ability to either re-arrange or exchange the layers. If you are satisfied that you like the feel of latex and you have an approximate sense of the type of layering you like, then this can be a very good choice. Bear in mind that the large majority of people are very happy with their layering choices recommended by Shawn or based on local testing and believe they have ended up with a mattress that is much superior to what they could have otherwise bought either in terms of comfort or value. There are a minority of people though who do have some difficulty either because they haven’t really tested anything equivalent to a latex mattress with their configuration or have a much narrower range of “tolerance” and need a mattress that is more “fine tuned” to their exact needs and sometimes this can lead to difficulties in getting it “exactly” right. These are a small minority though … although they are more visible because of their ongoing efforts to “get it right”.
Blended talalay is a combination of synthetic and natural rubber which is made into a foam while the 100% natural uses only natural rubber in its manufacture. The blended is considered to be more durable … particularly in the lower ILD’s which uses less material … but the all natural is attractive to those who are willing to pay a higher price for a natural material. The natural is also denser and so would have a higher sag factor and be slightly more supportive but slightly less pressure relieving. It would also be more elastic because natural rubber is more elastic than synthetic. It would also be a little more variable across the sleeping surface because of the greater difficulty in making talalay latex foam using only natural materials. Latex International who makes both has a 10 year warranty on the natural and a 20 year warranty on the blended talalay to give you an idea of which they believe is more durable. Most people choose the blended because of it’s lower cost and very comparable feel (most people couldn’t tell the difference) but both make excellent choices. In Dunlop which is made differently … the natural rubber makes a much better product than a blend.
Post #2 here goes into more detail.
If I was in your shoes … I would definitely consider giving Restopedic a call and have a talk with them with an eye to paying them a visit. They can custom build a mattress, have latex options you can test locally, and have very good value.
Phoenix