Not to hijack this thread, but I know others like me search this forum intensely to understand the products. So, I’d like to comment. Prices vary widely for many reasons. Volume purchasing is one, as Ken said. With latex there’s usually a dramatic cost difference between synthetic/blended vs natural/organic. Talalay is sometimes more expensive than Dunlop.
In simple terms: If it costs more to produce it a certain way or due to using certain types of ingredients, it is likely to retail for a higher price.
A consumer who cares about the use of eco-conscious production processes which protect natural resources & ensure fairness to developing nations may demand 3rd party certifications. They should understand it is rigorous, time-consuming & expensive for manufacturers to produce latex this way, therefore the cost to the end-user is higher. SOME claim this natural/organic product is healthier.
On the other hand, SOME sources claim synthetic lab-created latex may have a shorter life-span, may be more toxic (ie. To water supply, to humans), may be less consistent in densities. Regardless of whether any of this is true or not, if synthetic ingredients cost less & there are less rigorous production standards, the manufacturer spends less, so he can sell to consumers at a lower price than someone going through the added time & expense of producing certified Organic. I’m not an expert & can’t say which is “best”.
I don’t think there is any intent to mislead the buyer here, however, to be extremely clear, it is NOT possible for 100% of the Talalay foam to be natural latex. It’s not even possible for it to be 100% latex for that matter.
But not “100% natural” doesn’t mean it’s not an extremely impressive product & process. If you read about Radium, they are rigorous in their standards from cradle-to-cradle. They start with pure, natural liquid latex from the tree, not synthetic “lab created”.
Regardless, in the Talalay process, in order to transform the liquid into foam, a percentage of other ingredients ARE added. It may be a combo of soap, sulfur, gelling agents, etc. That’s why you may have heard there’s no such thing as “all natural” or “100% natural” Talalay". It can be confusing.
At the end of the day, we each must decide what our budget is & where we as individuals want to put those dollars. Maybe you prefer organic or Talalay. If those features matters to you, it MAY cost more. If not, no point spending extra. But, do be informed about what exactly you are getting!
I am grateful to the experts and moderators in this forum who advocate transparency in an industry that too often does not want an informed consumer.
These are only my opinions. I hope this is helpful.