Hello. First of all, thanks so much for this wonderful resource. I hope I am posting properly; I can’t seem to find any categories in my view of the site.
We have had Tempurpedic for 16 years and they need replacement. We started out looking for memory foam…until we found latex. Wow!!
We have so far visited two local stores: one is a small family-owned showroom that has an online presence, the other a factory showroom. The former showed a multi-layer mattress (core with topper) with a bamboo cover quilted to wool that is removable. The latter showed two mattresses, both with the same cover. The first mattress was multi-layer, the other was a single thick layer of latex which, I believe, was the same material that made up the core in the multi-layer. The cover was organic cotton quilted to a layer of Dacron and approximately 1 inch of “super soft foam”. The cover was not removable but could be replaced at the factory if needed.
At the family-owned showroom, we both liked the mattress with the Talalay core and medium firmness Talalay topper, with the bamboo cover. At the factory showroom, my husband liked the firm mattress. In my opinion, I believe the cover contributed to softening the feel. I am concerned about the cover and whether it will break down over time, leaving him dissatisfied with the mattress.
I am wondering if someone could provide some feedback on the covers that we have seen. There was a big price difference between the stores, the factory showroom being less. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Without having each cover in front of me, all I can provide will be some general comments, which I hope will be helpful.
Covers quilted to wool can tend to be a bit more substantial and can firm up a bit over time, but this would depend upon the amount of wool, the tightness of the quilt, and the actual makeup of the fabric quilted to the wool. Many latex manufacturers use wool in their mattress encasement to assist with passing federal flammability regulations, in conjunction with the feel that wool offers.
Other manufacturers do offer a quilt panel more like what is found in “traditional” innerspring mattresses, being quilted to polyfoam and perhaps some dacron fiber. The case is made that some people don’t prefer the feel of sleeping directly upon latex, and quilting to the polyfoam and fiber offers a bit of a barrier and tempers a bit the buoyant feel of latex. The durability of this quilt panel depends upon the density of the polyfoam used, the amount of dacron used, the cover material being used, and the tightness of the quilt pattern. Even a lower density soft polyfoam quilted tightly can last a long time in a quilt panel.
As far as contributing to the overall feel of a mattress, all layers, including the encasement, will have an impact upon the overall comfort of a mattress.
When comparing these different all-latex mattresses, you’ll want to acquire information about each layer of latex, including the type of latex (Dunlop or Talalay) the blend (natural, blended or synthetic), any certifications (including GOLS – organic), and either the ILD or the density (more common with Dunlop), along with the thickness of each layer. This will allow you to make more objective comparisons between two or three different items as far as materials being used.
If you have more specific questions once you obtain more complete information about the products you are considering, please feel free to post back and I’ll do my best to be assistive.
