Montreal latex foam clarification needed..or help!

[phoenix]

Hi Flana,

What I should have mentioned (and I apologize bad mattress = bad sleep= fatigue) is that
the poly foam which seems to come from the same place from most of these distributors i.e Belgium’s
Eupen is what I find confusing. Open cells - less odor- breathable in that water doesn’t
sit on the mattress but sinks in like any other breathable material.

Almost all the “foam” you will find in any mattress is open cell polyurethane and closed cell foam isn’t typically used in mattresses. It’s really just a matter of degree and “how open” they are.

None of the places seem to be greenwashing, moreover
they are trying to assure the customers that it is a less smelly, VOC emanating foam.

The only way to validate this would be based on the actual certifications they have or on testing results.

My main concern right now is putting a child on foam. As I mentioned the current most probable consideration,
given how expensive latex is, is that we would put a base of 4 or 6 inches of 2 lbs + viscose foam
From foam supplier Eupen where they get their foam from) and then 2 inches of latex. Natural and
mixed latex have been offered to me at several of these different suppliers. Only Talalay was suggested.

These are all personal choices that each person needs to make about the types of materials they are comfortable using in their mattress. I would keep in mind that “viscose” foam is memory foam.

My main confusion about the latex is that some of them are saying pure latex doesn’t exist, others
are saying it’s not worth it and then another has said it is possible. Many of the salespeople
or owners have said why not just put a child on foam rather than kick in the latex…

This would depend on what they mean by “pure latex”. If they are talking about mattresses that only use latex and no other types of foam in the mattress then they certainly do exist. If they are talking about latex that is only made from rubber (either natural or synthetic) and don’t use any other substances to manufacture the latex then they are correct and there will always be a small amount of other substances used to foam and manufacture the latex (see post #8 here). The reason that people would use latex vs polyfoam is because they prefer it but if you are comfortable with polyfoam then in higher densities it can certainly be a high quality and durable material. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.

So who is right?

There is no right or wrong here and you won’t find any consensus on these types of choices … only different preferences and different opinions. What’s important is to decide which type of material you prefer regardless of what anyone else (including a mattress manufacturer) may prefer. Their preferences or opinions may be very different from your own or from other manufacturers (see post #8 here).

I was wondering if you had any opinions on the distributors themselves so I could get a grasp on
who to deal with insofar as transparency. We’ve already been duped buying an Essentia
(now caved in) crib mattress…

I would assess the quality/durability of a mattress based on the type and density of the foams inside it regardless of the manufacturer that makes the mattress or the foam (see this article).

Phoenix