Mattress report: Liteterie Provincial Latex 100% Natural Talalay

[phoenix]

Hi astralmind,

Thanks for taking the time to share your Montreal experiences … I appreciate it

We ended up choosing a single block latex queen mattress with a very thin box-spring. I was almost disappointed at the simplicity of our purchase (1400$ for a slab of latex isn’t really exciting as opposed to those 6 layers fancy marketing mattresses) but it was extremely comfortable, firm and according to Jean, supported us the best (straight back, no slump). So no comfort layer so to speak which again, seemed a bit odd but both my wife and I preferred the feel and Jean was pretty clear that it seemed like our best option even though it was their cheapest latex based mattress. We also picked up 2 of their memory foam pillows at a rather steep 100$…they were wonderful. At that price (really 1400$ ship and tax in), it is almost a bargain when compared even to other ‘artisanal’ local manufacturer. I have not doubt Matelas Personnel and Matelas Selection are outstanding options, after all they scored high on our list but their exact same - identical - offering was almost twice as much!

Sometimes the simplest choice can also turn out to be the best choice … and a single core of latex on a box spring (that has some give and can add more of a “bottomless feel” to a thinner latex mattress vs a solid non flexing foundation) is certainly a combination that works well for many people.

Most importantly … congratulations on your new mattress

Edit: A detail that bugged me a bit, when I asked about the thickness, 7 inches vs 10 vs… Jean was clear in telling me that it was purely a marketing gimmick. His opinion was the same when it came to ‘reversible’ mattresses, totally useless for a latex monoblock … which makes you wonder why they make such a big fuss about it elsewhere…

It’s not unusual at all that different manufacturers have different opinions about things based on their experiences and that are sometimes influenced by the mattresses they sell as well. I would agree with them though “to a point” that thickness by itself is just a side effect of the design and internal layering of a mattress and is only one of many factors and specs that will affect how a mattress feels and performs so using thickness by itself as a guideline isn’t particularly practical or meaningful (see post #2 here). If your testing or personal sleeping experience indicates that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP then it’s “thick enough” although if you have a box spring (with springs) under your mattress vs a foundation (that has no flex at all) then the box spring would be a more active part of your sleeping system that would add some give and softness and depth of support under your mattress and can result in a combination that doesn’t need a separate comfort layer for many people.

I would also agree that a two sided mattress will have “less benefit” with a single monoblock layer of latex that is all the same firmness vs a mattress that has softer comfort layers on each side of a firmer support core although I wouldn’t agree that it would have no benefit at all.

I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix