Hi eeks,
I’m not sure where you read this but it’s certainly not accurate and SleepEZ doesn’t sell used or returned layers in their new mattresses and never has. Good manufacturers don’t re-use their layers in new mattresses and would use other ways to deal with exchanges which can range from disposal, donation, selling them to other manufacturers who sell “seconds”, or through liquidation outlets. No reliable manufacturer would risk a reputation that has been built up over the course of many years by selling used layers as new. I would be very careful what you believe and just because it’s “on the internet” somewhere certainly doesn’t mean that it has any truth.
Latex is very “sticky” and doesn’t tend to shift inside a mattress with a suitable tight fitting cover so there would be little risk of layers shifting but if for some reason they do then with a zip cover it’s a simple matter to unzip the cover and “wave” them back into position again. There is more about the pros and cons of a finished mattress with glued layers and a component mattress with a zip cover and loose layers in post #2 here and the posts it links to.
The only reliable way to to assess the “safety” of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs so that you have some assurance than the VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification (see post #2 here for more information about some of the more reliable “safety” certifications). If the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable “safety” certification then for most people they would certainly be “safe enough” … regardless of the type of material or the name of the manufacturer on the label.
I would also keep in mind that every mattress in the industry contains some type of “chemicals” and that even pure water is a chemical. The real issue that I would focus on is safety which depends on the specific chemicals and the amount of each chemical (safety is dosage related) and the only way to identify any safety issues would be based on the lab testing and certifications for the materials and components in the mattress or the mattress as whole.
The polyfoam in the BME is CertiPUR-US certified and all the latex you are likely to encounter (either Dunlop or Talalay that is made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will have a reliable certification such as Oeko-Tex, Eco-Institut, or Greenguard Gold so based on actual testing I would consider their mattress to be “safe enough”. Any initial odor (which is normal for most foam materials including latex) would dissipate relatively quickly. While the smell of a material isn’t related to safety … they also have a 120 day trial and refund policy so you can decide for yourself whether any initial odor is acceptable to you without any risk.
Like most of the members of this site … BME has some of the best customer service in the industry so I’m not sure where your comments here are coming from.
BB did have some issues with a small number of their mattresses not expanding back to their full size quite some time ago but that was related to the gluing and compression process itself and only applied to a very small percentage of their mattress that were made over a short period of time (usually in king size). It has long since been resolved and the few customers that received one would have been able to exchange their mattress for a new one.
The choice between different types and blends of latex is also more of a preference and budget choice rather than a “better/worse” choice and any type or blend of latex is a durable material relative to other types of foam materials. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and more about how Dunlop compares to Talalay in general in post #7 here but the best way to know which type or blend of latex you tend to prefer will be based on your own testing and/or your own personal experience.
I have seen a few complaints about the smell of some of the Ikea mattresses but it’s unclear if the smell is coming from the latex or the wool in their mattresses (see post #2 here).
There are some comments about the fire retardant methods that Ikea uses in their various mattresses in post #2 here but I don’t know if this is still current so you would need to contact them to find out if there is any more recent information and ask about the details in the specific mattresses you are interested in.
While it may be more information than you are looking for … there is a lot more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” and that can help you decide on the type of materials and components you are most comfortable having in your mattress or on the certifications that may be important to you. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.
I can’t speak to whether any mattress will be a good “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (which is the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase) because there are too many unknowns and variables involved to be able to predict this for any specific person … you can see some comments about the quality and durability of the materials in the Myrbacka and in the Matrand in post #2 here and in post #2 here. Forum searches on Myrbacka and on Matrand (you can just click the links) will bring up more comments and feedback about both of them as well. Neither one of them have any lower quality materials or weak links that would be a cause for concern in terms of the durability or useful life of the mattress although I would give the advantage in terms of durability to the Myrbacka.
Phoenix