I’ve checked out and tried a few full latex mattresses around me and found a PLB Peace with matching PLB 3" topper combination that felt great. I feel it’s a pretty good deal since the combo price is less than the advertised Sleep EZ 9000 price alone, but after some research on here found it has a “synthetic dunlop” core. Is this enough reason to shy away from this mattress? I’m confident that it’s the comfort and support I want, but am worried that due to its construction it is not going to have the durability I would like it to. Any thoughts?
If you are saying that because it is dunlop that it is not good then you do not need to be concerned. It is likely a blend of rubber tree and synthetics. There are no harmful chemicals in synthetic any more than in your car seats, furniture or the chair that you are likely sitting in right now. Plus you say that it is the core that you are concerned about. I doubt that the core is latex because of the weight. The core is likely a 1.5 - 2.0 foam which has to be make from some type of oil. (Usually soybean oil). I would not get too wrapped up in what it is made from as much as the support and feel. The characterics of latex will still be there.
Hi AZMike,
Synthetic latex (similar to what is used in the Sealy or Stearns & Foster mattresses that use “Smart Latex”) is still a relatively good quality material but it wouldn’t have the elasticity, durability, or performance of natural Dunlop latex. It is still a relatively high quality material however. I wouldn’t tend to use it in the comfort layers where the better performance of Talalay or natural Dunlop would be more important but it should be fine in terms of durability (just like a latex hybrid which uses latex on top and high quality polyfoam in the support layers can be very durable because the “weak link” is usually in the comfort layers).
I wouldn’t compare it to an all latex mattress in terms of price or performance which would be an apples to oranges comparison but like a polyfoam hybrid it can be a good option for a lower budget in a “price appropriate” mattress that takes into account it’s lower cost and quality compared to better versions of latex.
Phoenix
Thanks for the thoughts.
I’m not really concerned about chemicals or content. The mattress is no longer listed on PLB’s website but I got my info from this mattressunderground post:
PLB - Peace
LatexBLISS uses 450-480 Gram Weight fabric
LatexBLISS Milliken?s Paladin Fire Resistant Barrier
1" Natural Talalay Latex 28 ILD
6" Dunlop Core Synthetic Latex
1" Support Stabilization Base @50 ILD Firm Talalay latex
8" Mattress Height
9" Steel Foundation
17" Overall Mattress & Foundation
20 Years Limited Warranty 10/10
I’m mostly just wanting a bed that is going to last 5-10 years. By “last” i mean as little softening as possible. I was fine with it until I read the latex portion of this website that says…
“Both natural latex and blended latex are very high quality materials, however purely SBR (synthetic) latex does not have the same high quality and should be avoided. While it may still outperform many other foams, compared to the widely available blended and natural latex, it does not measure up.”
So, is the core going to behave more like polyfoam or latex?
I guess I’m just trying to decide if its worth an extra $800ish to get the performance of real latex core in a similar comfort mattress. I really don’t want to spend the money, but will if I have to.
Hi AZMike,
The comments about “avoiding” it are in the context of people who are choosing between different types of latex and molded synthetic latex cores are at the bottom of the pile in terms of latex performance, qualities, durability, and price. This would especially hold true in the comfort layers of a mattress which are the weak link of most mattresses. If I wanted to reduce my budget though … then synthetic latex or a good quality polyfoam would both be appropriate and the durability of the mattress in both cases would depend more on what was over the support layers (whether in the comfort layers or in a topper) than it would on the material in the support layer itself which is not generally the “weak link” of a mattress.
So if the mattress was comparable to similar latex hybrid options (whether latex over polyfoam, innersprings, or other support materials other than latex) in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) … then it could certainly be a durable choice and last you as long as you hope it will and could be good “value” in the price range you are looking at.
Whether a mattress that had a higher quality support core would be better for you would depend on your own personal value equation and on whether the benefits of a better quality latex would outweigh the extra cost … especially the benefits you could feel.
So the durability of the support layers wouldn’t be nearly as big an issue for me as the durability of the latex above it either in the mattress itself (which has an inch of Talalay over the synthetic Dunlop) or in the topper that you are using over it. The support core will probably tend to last longer than the topper which is more subject to repeated compression and you would have the advantage of the topper being replaceable without having to replace the entire mattress.
In terms of performance (as opposed to durability) … it is generally less elastic than latex with a higher natural rubber content and will behave more “in between” good quality polyfoam and higher quality latex in terms of performance and characteristics (and this will also depend on the specs of the synthetic latex itself and the specific type of latex and/or polyfoam you are comparing it to because there is a wide variety of both that can each perform very differently). Whether it is worth the extra money would be based on your own personal preferences and how much of a difference you can actually feel between two different mattresses that were similar in the comfort layers but different in the support layers and which parts of your “value equation” are most important to you.
There is no black and white “better worse” answer here except your own preferences, how much of a difference you can feel between two different mattresses, and the tradeoffs involved in your choices between the benefits of better quality materials and budget. I personally would tend to go with the best quality materials that you can feel the difference between them, have benefits that are important to you (that may not be readily apparent in a showroom), and that you can comfortably afford.
Phoenix