I would like some opinions on a White Dove Nature’s Legacy latex mattress i am considering from a local Akron, Oh retailer.
The model was labeled Aspen, and had the following specs on the sales tag: 4" Ultra HD SOY based core, 2.8" 32 ILD Dunlop, and a
4" 36 ILD Talalay layer which I assume is on top. The bamboo cover is stitched. It has a 20/10 warranty.
It felt very comfortable, firm like we like. The salesman said it is all latex, no filler and very popular with very few returns.
price for king was $2100 with a foundation.
The other consideration is the Serta Vantage or Applause firm hybrid.
[quote]I would like some opinions on a White Dove Nature’s Legacy latex mattress i am considering from a local Akron, Oh retailer.
The model was labeled Aspen, and had the following specs on the sales tag: 4" Ultra HD SOY based core, 2.8" 32 ILD Dunlop, and a
4" 36 ILD Talalay layer which I assume is on top. The bamboo cover is stitched. It has a 20/10 warranty.[/quote]
You can see the specs you need to assess a mattress in this article and I would want to know the density of the base layer, the blend of the Dunlop, and the blend of the Talalay.
Having said that … and assuming that the Dunlop is 100% natural, the Talalay is blended Talalay, and the base layer is 1.8 lbs or higher (you can see some specs of a different version of a Nature’s Legacy mattress here) … then all the materials would be good quality and there would be no weak links in the mattress.
If the specs you listed are correct then this is a latex/polyfoam hybrid and isn’t all latex. There is 6.8" of latex and then the base layer is polyfoam.
The “value” of a mattress purchase depends on what else is available to you and how it compares to other mattresses and “finalists” you are considering based on the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. I would also make comparisons on a mattress only to mattress only basis because including a foundation in the comparison makes it more difficult to compare the mattresses. Having said that … I would say that the price is probably a fair price.
Hopefully you’ve read the tutorial post and this article which is linked there which suggests avoiding the major brands. If you are seriously considering either of these then you would need to find out the specifics of all the layers inside them to make sure there are no weak links.
As an example you can see the layers for the Applause here which includes 2.5" of low quality/density polyfoam in the comfort layers which along with the pillo-fill would be a weak link in this mattress. While they don’t specify the density of the polyfoam (which would be enough for me to avoid the mattress) … it’s typically in the 1.3 lb density range which would be much lower than I would consider in the comfort layers of a mattress.
If you can’t find out the information you need to make an informed choice about a mattress, I would avoid it completely. The risk of the premature loss of comfort and support from the softening and breakdown of the materials in the comfort layers (which isn’t covered by a warranty) would be much too high.
It sounds like it is of good quality. I am waiting on a reply from white dove as to the type of latex (natural vs blended).
The foam core is really not an issue I believe, since it is the base so to speak.
I am a bit worried about the edge durability/sagging and sleep area, as there is no foam support border like in a “traditional” mattress.
It definitely seems like a better long term value compared to the Serta.
If the latex is synthetic or 50:50, does that mean that there is filler? I had read that there filler is abrasive and can lead to a quick breakdown of the latex.
With 6.8" of latex in the top layers … the polyfoam base layer wouldn’t be a durability issue although it will affect how it feels and performs compared to an all latex mattress (see post #2 here).
This wouldn’t be an issue for most people with a latex mattress that uses firm support layers. You can see some comments about edge support for latex mattresses in post #3 here. You will also be able to test this when you test the mattress for PPP.
A 50/50 blend means that half of the rubber in the formula is natural and the other half is synthetic rubber. Synthetic rubber isn’t a “filler”. If a latex core (regardless of the type or the blend of the latex) uses too much filler it can affect the durability of the latex but in this isn’t an issue with the better latex manufacturers.
the store manager gave the following additional information:
The bottom five inches of the mattress is a soy-based foam product, and its only purpose is to give the mattress the height or profile the consumer is used to. The latex that is on top of that is a combination of natural and synthetic latex. They used to use entirely natural latex but found through research that there was literally no benefit, immediate or long-term. The synthetic latex is nearly the same cost as natural latex, but as the demand has grown it has become more and more difficult to replenish and sustain the natural raw material, so it was an eco-friendly decision for many of the latex suppliers to shift partially to synthetic products. It is not, however, “loaded” latex, meaning a latex product impregnated with a filler intended to stretch the yield. The latex is rated at 5 pound density (5 pounds per cubic foot.)
Overall given that there are so few Latex mattresses available to actually tryout. The specs seem good and a reasonably good quality construction.
The specs don’t include all the information that I would want to know (such as the type and blend of the latex and the density of the polyfoam) and I would confirm that the mattress is 11" thick so that you know there are no missing layers in the description but if the top 6.8" of the mattress is latex then there wouldn’t be any obvious weak links in the design.
If you’ve confirmed that the mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP and it’s also the best choice between your finalists based on the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you, then I would say that it would make a good choice … and assuming you pull the trigger … congratulations on your new mattress
If you do end up buying it I’m looking forward to your feedback when you’ve had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Delivered yesterday, First night impression is that the bed is significantly firmer than the floor model. Here’s hoping that it softens a bit for a better contour while side sleeping.
Also, a bit of off gassing (expected) although that may be from the Dream Guard mattress protector, (air fluffed) prior to install.
Will wait a few weeks before deciding on a polyfill pad
Did you happen to have the chance to find out the additional information about the mattress? If you did it would be great to post it on the forum so that others that are considering it can have the information available.
Either way … congratulations once again on your new mattress
As you probably know … a new mattress will generally feel firmer than a floor model until it breaks in and there will also be an adjustment period for any new sleeping surface. This would generally be in the range of about 30 - 90 days or so.
Thanks again for your comments and questions along the way and I’m looking forward to any updates you have the chance to share once you’ve slept on it for a few weeks.
