Hi rmerrick,
Post #2 here has more details and my thoughts about the specific comparison between 100% natural and blended talalay.
As you can see … in the lower ILD’s (less than mid 20’s or so) I would give the durability edge to blended talalay although both are good quality materials.
Interestingly enough … latex International specifically says that their 100% natural will be less durable than the blend while in my conversations with Radium in Holland about this specific subject they told me that they believe that their 100% natural is equally as durable as the blend even in lower ILD’s because their 100% natural has a smaller cell size than the blend which would give it more durability even though natural rubber will soften a little more than the blended rubber.
Feedback from manufacturers based on their experience though indicates that for the most part they don’t trust the durability of 100% natural Talalay latex as much as the blend in lower ILD’s. Regardless of the type of Talalay though … Lower ILD’s (in all materials) will be less durable than firmer versions of the same material. It’s also important to put this in the context of comparing different types of latex with each other because most latex (regardless of type or blend) will be more durable than most other types of foam materials.
Phoenix