Hi mattbrc30, and welcome to The Mattress Underground 
My wife and I are huge fans of latex mattresses having owned a Dunlopillo Connoisseur latex mattress for 20+ years. We have never found a more comfortable mattres: one of the best things about returning home from being away overnight anywhere has always been our fantastic latex mattress! We are now looking to buy a second latex mattress. However the department store (John Lewis) we bought our original Dunlopillo from seemed to be hinting that the quality of Dunlopillo latex mattresses has really slipped over the intervening years since we bought our one. I have no idea if this is true or not?
Any mattress you choose will be unique to those sleeping on it based on your Stats(height, BMI, sleeping position(s), and any underlying health conditions) Unfortunately due the the upheaval and turn over of businesses over the last few years we are unable to provide geographic listings of mattress manufacturers or retailers. But you can search the forum here though some of this information may be out of date. If you havenât, I suggest you read the Mattress Shopping Tutorial as well as the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know and the Mattress Durability Guidelines, as these resources can help you wade through the marketing and advertising to find value and quality.
Can anyone kindly recommend a high quality UK (or maybe European) latex mattress manufacturer/seller please? We dont want to buy an expensive âlatex mattressâ and then later find out when the performance of it begins to degrade that in fact the latex had been heavily mixed with fillers for instance. There is one obvious UK candidate company called Latex Sense (formerly YanisMattresses) which advertises that its mattresses are GOTS and GOLS certified (although both certifications on their website expired in 2019 and 2017 respectively)
The best way to find a good mattress that matches your specific needs is to try various types and firmnesses in the shops to get an idea of what your current levels and support needs are. I took a look at the current Dunlopillo mattresses, and they appear to be well made; Any âfillersâ used in their latex are curing agents and the latex is antimicrobial in nature.
This is the composition breakdown made available by one of TMU experts @MFC
In the case of our Organic Dunlop latex here is the breakdown of the ingredients that compose it (note that all the ingredients are found in nature, so that the product can be certified organic)
1-Organic Latex Rubber 90-95%
2-Zinc Oxide 2-3%
3-Fatty Acid Soaps 1-2%
4-Sulfur 1-2%
5-Sodium 1-2%
You can look at the search here with comments about Dunlopillo that subscribers made over the years. The latex cores used in the Dunlopillo mattresses are produced by Latexco- one of the worldâs largest latex foam manufacturer (they recently ceased their operations in the US and are operating in Europe) Dunlopillo is owned by Steinhoff, an international holding with operations in Europe, USA, Africa, Australia and Asia. And their products are manufactured and assembled in Wellington, Somerset.
I would check that the mattress does not have specialized latex such as their copper or gel latex. Adding gels and filler particles, could react with the rubber molecules and reduce the layer longevity regardless of the health benefits advertised. Sometimes retailers or manufacturers omit to update their certifications on their website. I am not sure if this is the case here but I do not see any reason for them to provide some misleading information. To be 100% sure Iâd call them and ask if they have up to date certifications for the latex in their products. Some of them would even email their customers the material certifications.
Generally, when a mattress is listed as 100% latex or 100% organic, as the latex mattresses at Latex Sense are, you can be confident that thatâs what you are getting. Latex Sense has a number of Dunlop and Talalay latex mattresses which use latex which is the most durable material of all types of foam. Both companies are reputable and transparent about the materials in their mattresses.
Knowing that all materials in these mattresses are of good quality, so the questions are: what type of latex? Talalay is considered âbouncierâ than latex (think difference between angel food cake and pound cake); what thickness? what comfort level? Do you want a hybrid with an innerspring layer or solid latex? What type of base? Once you have answered these questions for yourself, youâll be ready to make a âshort listâ of candidates and try them out. Dunlopillo and Latex Sense beds look well-built and with good materials.
Possibly some of our other UK and European forum members can chime in with any experiences they have had shopping for mattresses recently.
~ Basilio