Hi Chinchilla,
[quote]So, I have several questions related to all this:
Has anyone else ever experienced/reported a negative reaction to a natural latex mattress or to any odors/off-gassing?[/quote]
Yes … you certainly aren’t alone although it’s certainly not common or the norm. While the smell wouldn’t be harmful to the large majority of people (all the latex you are likely to encounter has been independently tested through Oeko-Tex or Eco-Institut for harmful substances or VOC’s) … some people are more sensitive than any testing or may have sensitivities or even allergies to latex or the the substances used to manufacturer it (see post #2 here) or even to the smell itself (see post #2 here) and in these rare cases they would need to rely on samples and/or their own personal experiences to determine if a particular type of latex is suitable for them.
Like many other manufacturers … Savvy Rest uses different types of latex. Their Dunlop is organic (see post #2 here) and their Talalay is 100% natural (which means that all the rubber in the core is natural rubber not synthetic rubber) but all foamed latex cores also use smaller quantities of other chemicals or substances (such as foaming agents, accelerators, curing agents, gelling agents, and others) to make the latex so the actual natural latex content of the final product may only be in the range of 90% - 95% rubber.
There is really no way to answer this on an individual basis and this would be more of a medical question than a mattress question that only your doctor or medical professional can answer. If for example you have been medically tested for a latex allergy or sensitivity and have discovered that you have an actual type I latex allergy (which is rare) then even small amounts of natural latex could trigger your allergy and produce some serious symptoms and I would avoid exposure to natural latex completely in every area of your environment and experience. If you have a latex sensitivity or a type IV allergy then this would normally be to the chemicals in the latex and not the latex itself and would be a contact allergy in which case a latex mattress would normally be OK because there is no contact with the latex.
While innersprings would likely be fine … I would keep in mind that an innerspring is just a support layer and there would almost always be some type of foam in the comfort layers of an innerspring mattress (either memory foam, polyfoam, or latex foam). Some mattresses may also use only innersprings and natural fibers (such as cotton and wool) which would likely be fine.
All of these types of issues can be very complex and it can be frustrating to find out all the information you need to make meaningful and “safe” choices when there is so much misinformation on both sides of the issue. When researching the many issues that are connected to safety on an individual basis is more necessary than it would be for most people … then post #2 here and the many posts and sources of information that it links to would be a good place to start and can help you answer the question of “how safe is safe enough for me?” when the answers that would apply to most other people may not apply to you.
Phoenix