I’m looking at getting a mattress and trying to learn and navigate what’s out there. I’ve read various articles including the “local guys” but thought I’d take this step as well. There is a Stearns & Foster “Taurus” mattress seemed very comfortable and solid compared to others I’ve tried. It claims to be made of Smart Latex to control sleeping temperature and resist body impressions. I saw on here that it is a mix of Dunlop, and wondering if this would be an issue long-term for durability/etc if it’s “good” but not great (and of lower and cheaper) quality?
I found a link online about a sister Augusta model with comments here about issues with the top foam and body impressions, but it appears the material is very different (being composed of memory foam instead of smart latex).
The entire Taurus mattress appears to be made of their Smart Latex throughout, from the top to the bottom without any memory foam nor springs. I’d like to know how good this design is, and specifically if it’s a durable design that really will resist body impressions? I’ve received some good sounding answers from the salesperson, but wanted to get some independent advice/thoughts for peace of mind (that I’m not just being taken along their Imagination World).
Overall, I’d like to know if this so-called Taurus mattress with smart latex manufactured/blended material can be considered as a long-lasting, durable alternative?
I really don’t know too much about smart latex as even from these forums there seems to be different types. Searching online doesn’t yield many details except some warnings. Is this material safe? It’s scary what this site suggests, but then again, people make anything sound bad these days! http://mountainairorganicbeds.com/Big__S__Brands_reviews.html
If I can provide more info/insight… let me know. It’s crazy what’s out there, so thanks in advance to any help!
Just in case you haven’t read it yet the first place to start your mattress research is the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and avoid the worst ones such as the Stearns and Foster you are looking at.
In terms of quality and durability, a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of all the materials and components inside it. Smart Latex is a mostly synthetic Dunlop blend made with a continuous pour process but is still a good quality material relative to other types of foam. The weak link of a mattress though would generally be in the comfort layers above the support core and in most cases Stearns & Foster includes lower quality polyfoam in the upper layers of their mattresses which would be subject to more rapid foam softening and breakdown and would generally be the weak link of a mattress. Foam softening and the compression and breakdown of the comfort layers leads to the loss of comfort and support that isn’t covered by a warranty which only covers defects in the mattress. To assess a mattress and identify any weak links or make meaningful comparisons between mattresses you need to know the type and thickness of every layer or components in the mattress, the type and density of any polyfoam or memory foam, and the type and blend of any latex in the mattress.
The Smart Latex itself would be a durable and “safe” material but assessing the durability of the mattress or identifying any weak links in the mattress would require knowing the specifics of what was in it and you aren’t likely to be able to find this out. Based on the design and construction of most Stearns & Foster “latex” mattresses though that use significant amounts of polyfoam in the comfort layers this would be a “risky” purchase in terms of durability and would also be questionable value compared to other latex mattresses that didn’t have the same weak links or use more costly versions of latex.
I would strongly encourage you to avoid it or any mattress where you aren’t able to find out all the specifics about the quality of all the materials and layers that are inside it.
Thanks Phoenix. I did go through that tutorial earlier, but perhaps as many new buyers start out, feel like they’re in a unique situation (when we’re not). In some ways I suppose I parallel myself to buying electronics - buying from big box stores usually doesn’t get you the best value compared to the little guys who can interact directly with you and their supplier. Unfortunately, I also know that these little guys overprice some electronics as well and are a little more unpredictable with their policies/etc which is what I’m scared of here.
I feel comfortable that I’m starting to get on the right track, since my concern is weighted towards the upper layers! According to a rep (not part of the store) - the upper layers of the mattress are “smart latex” and not any sort of foam for that pillow/euro-top like their other mattresses. If this was the case, could it be considered less risky for durability? I suppose I’m trying to figure out what this “smart latex” is all about.
I think I may have found 1 smaller mattress store (chain?) locally that is 45 minutes away that seems genuine and helpful (unlike some of the “big box stores” which I’ll have to visit perhaps on the weekend. I found descriptions of retailers as part of your tutorial but no local guidance otherwise. I’ve visited some smaller mattress stores, and can’t say I’ve had good experiences learning from other comments I’ve found online and also talking with the sales reps. The adventure continues!
This is one of the reasons I suggest making sure that you know every layer and component in the mattress … no matter where you purchase it … because then you are in a good position to make meaningful comparisons between mattresses whether the retailer is a little guy or a big guy
You need the specific layer by layer specs … not just the word of a salesperson (especially at a mass market retailer like the Brick) who may not even know what is in the mattress (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had conversations with salespeople who were very wrong or misinformed about what was in a mattress they sold). If you look at the law tag it will tell you if there is any polyfoam in the mattress although this will only tell you the percentage by weight and not the order or thickness of the layering and it will understate the amount of polyfoam based on thickness because it’s lighter than latex or memory foam.
Smart latex is just a tradename for a mostly synthetic Dunlop latex made with a continuous pour process and manufactured by Mountaintop foam which makes the Dunlop latex for Sealy and Stearns & Foster mattresses. It uses inserts in the latex which create firmer and softer areas which is why they call it “smart”. While it’s still a good quality and durable material … it’s basically just synthetic Dunlop latex which is the lowest cost version of latex. A forum search on “smart latex” (you can just click this) will bring up many more references to it in connection to Stearns & Foster and Sealy mattresses.
