Swimming in info - please help. ECO-mattress hunting...or not?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
21

Yeah. I’m realizing that. I have only been to 3 stores. The first two didn’t have any latex :-/ I have a couple places to check next weekend that will hopefully have more options on the floor to test out. Myorganicbedroom is a bit far but they have savvy rest so hopefully that will provide some more reference points. I’m doing this with a 1yr old in tow so I’m juggling a bit. My husband thinks we should’ve just bought the first mattress we felt so he hasn’t been much help.

I appreciate all the information everyone has been providing. Hopefully I will have a better idea by the end of next weekend.

22

Hi Lnr103,

I had some catching up to do in this thread!

They are listed on the CertiPur site here* :slight_smile:

ADMIN NOTE: *Removed 404 link|Archived Footprint: certipur.us/pages/for-consumers/find-products/

As dn mentioned … latex is a very resilient and “springy” material so this would be part of all latex mattresses to different degrees (depending on the type and firmness of the latex and the design of the mattress and the cover/quilting) but outside of the resiliency there is no “standard” feel with a latex mattress because like all mattresses there is a wide range of different designs that use different types of latex and firmness levels that will each have a different “feel”. Your budget would be within the range of some “all latex” mattresses but it would depend on the thickness, the manufacturer, and the specifics of the design and type of latex. It would also be well in the range of latex hybrids that have latex in the comfort layer and then an innerspring or polyfoam support layer.

This would be OK in a two sided mattress but I would be very cautious with 1.5 lb polyfoam in the comfort layers of a one sided mattress in amounts more than “about an inch or so”. 36 would probably be the ILD of a support layer which is not a “quality” spec but a “firmness” spec.

This would depend on how important your sheets are and how well they would fit your new mattress (which I don’t know) but the suitability of a mattress has much less to do with its thickness and much more with what is inside it and the specific design. You could always bring in a set of your sheets and “make the bed” in the showroom to see how they worked (in a mattress store nobody would probably blink an eye :)).

It’s probably blended Taalay but I would always make sure you find out the specifics about any mattress you are considering. You can’t really tell the difference between blended and 100% natural Talalay by appearance and they both “feel” very similar as well (although 100% natural is more costly). The fire barrier is most likely an inherent rayon/silica fire barrier (see post #2 here) which is non chemical and I would consider to be very safe.

Many sites that either sell or are a hidden link to retailers or manufacturers that sell the type of latex they recommend will often “recommend” one type of latex or another … often based only on opinion that is “presented” as being more authoritative than it is. You can read a little more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here. There is no answer to “how much” latex you can buy for a specific amount because a mattress is very different from buying latex by the inch and it will also vary greatly between manufacturers. The members here that sell latex mattresses online are listed in post #21 here and there is a wide range of different designs, options, and price ranges there but in addition to being good sources for latex mattresses they can be a very useful “value reference” as well. While latex can be just as pressure relieving as memory foam, it has a more “on the mattress” feel to it while memory foam has a more “in the mattress” feel. Post #2 here has more about the difference between them. There are some types of latex which are “slow response” versions (such as Talalay GL slow response) which have some of the “feel” of memory foam. If there is a Pure Latex Bliss dealer near you (you can just enter your zip here) they may carry some mattresses that use it.

If they carry both Talalay and Dunlop they would be a great place to get a very good sense of different types of latex and layer combinations.

dn’s comments are well worth taking to heart as someone who has both purchased a great mattress and is still “experimenting” :slight_smile:

Phoenix

23

Visited a really nice Savvy Rest retailer this afternoon. They just opened about 10mos ago. It’s an organic furniture and design shop in center city Philadelphia, called Cella Luxuria (12th and Chestnut). The owner was a mattresses dealer prior to opening this very large shop so he knows a thing or two about mattresses but not a ton. They only have Savvy Rest on their floor and clearly they’re biased. Great place to get some info and check out a good latex mattress though. I was so relieved to find out that I DO in fact like a latex mattress. No, it’s nothing like the comfort of sleeping IN your mattress as with a memory foam gel but it’s comfortable, seems to work with my body and gives me peace of mind knowing there’s no chemical flame retardants, no glues and made from rubber trees versus petroleum. That being said though…how the hell am I going to afford one?? :-/

My budget is 2200 which needs to include the foundation and at the bare minimum, 10" of mattress (my sheets always seem to require 12+inches) :-/ :frowning: :frowning: we’d love the pillow top mattress, not just for comfort (since we actually tend to steer clear of the softness of pillow tops…I just like the added height for my sheets to fill out)

Despite our initial love of “extra firm” memory foam. The mattress my husband and I were drawn to was a medium Dunlop base with a medium talalay middle and soft talalay upper. With a low profile 5" foundation they told us it would cost 4200 plus tax. That’s only 10" of mattress and 5" of box spring. Is this a decent price? Can’t I find anything with a similar feel for 2200? I loved their wool/cotton blend cover too. So nice.

Does anyone know of a latex mattress with similar specs and similar feel for less money?

24

Hi Lnr103,

Thanks for letting me know about Cella Luxuria. They and Greendesign (also in Philadelphia) are both listed on the Savvy Rest site and I’ve added both of them to the Philadelphia list.

[quote]That being said though…how the hell am I going to afford one?? :-/

My budget is 2200 which needs to include the foundation and at the bare minimum, 10" of mattress (my sheets always seem to require 12+inches) :-/ :frowning: :frowning: we’d love the pillow top mattress, not just for comfort (since we actually tend to steer clear of the softness of pillow tops…I just like the added height for my sheets to fill out)

Despite our initial love of “extra firm” memory foam. The mattress my husband and I were drawn to was a medium Dunlop base with a medium talalay middle and soft talalay upper. With a low profile 5" foundation they told us it would cost 4200 plus tax. That’s only 10" of mattress and 5" of box spring. Is this a decent price? Can’t I find anything with a similar feel for 2200? I loved their wool/cotton blend cover too. So nice.

Does anyone know of a latex mattress with similar specs and similar feel for less money? [/quote]

If there are no options in your area that are in your budget range then it may be worth considering the optional step in the tutorial post which is an online purchase of a latex mattress. You could use your local testing along with more detailed conversations with the retailer or manufacturer as a reference point for your firmness choices. Post #21 here has a list of the members here that sell latex mattresses online and there are a number that use similar materials or even design as the Savvy Rest, that are either inside or a little above your budget range, and would meet your criteria although it may be worth considering blended Talalay which is less costly than 100% natural Talalay and would reduce your cost to make it easier to stay inside your budget.

Phoenix

25

Thank you

I’m going to check out the sites on the link you provided tomorrow. Based on the descriptions I’ve narrowed it down to flobeds, rockymountain, sleepez and brooklynbedding.

I went to a place called Dwelling Furniture on Main Street in the Manyunk section of Philadelphia today to test out a Pure Latex Bliss. The poor girl trying to sell them didn’t know much about mattresses or what she was selling. My questions flustered her and I ended up feeling bad for asking. It’s a furniture store that just happens to have a few mattresses. She didn’t know Dunlop vs talalay. Didnt know anything about FR. Never heard of Nutrition and wasn’t sure which bed was which. Kinda stinks but based on my own comparisons from reading on the PLB website I liked the feel of their 100% natural talalay option over the Nature or Beautiful model. I’m not sure which 100% natural pure latex bliss mattress I laid on. I only know it was one of the 100% natural ones based on the wool cover. :-/ That being said, I still preferred the savvy rest. The all talalay mattresses I’ve experienced thus far are too floppy and smooshy for me. I think I require a Dunlop base, preferably with a medium core and soft talalay on top.

Does anyone know the specs for savvy rests latex layers to try and create something similar? It that even possible? I was also reading how quilting is less often preferred over knit covers for latex. I really loved the feel of savvy rests quilted wool/cotton cover. It felt like it held the mattress together in a more durable way that the PLB and it didn’t seem so thick that I’d have to worry about it compressing. I could be very wrong on that though. Thoughts?

Ps: The girl at the PLB shop kept saying that talalay is the “purest” form of latex. I thought Dunlop was more natural and talalay was more processed and viewed by many and more luxurious but is it really more pure??

26

Hi lnr103,

The PLB all natural mattresses are certainly high quality mattresses but they may be in a more premium price range compared to other manufacturers that use the same type of latex in their mattresses and unfortunately your experience with the salesperson is far too common in the industry. It’s good to see that you are doing the kind of testing that can give you a good sense of which type of latex you prefer.

You can read the approximate ILD range in post #2 here although they may have changed slightly since they started using Radium Talalay. An “exact” match may not be possible without duplicating the exact ILD which they don’t provide (and which may vary in the case of Dunlop anyway which isn’t made to exact ILD’s) but a close approximation would be possible yes with a mattress that also had the same type and blend of latex in the same thickness layers and the same firmness range and a similar wool quilted cover.

This is really a matter of personal preference and you will find that like you many people prefer a wool quilted cover and some who prefer sleeping on a stretch knit cover where they are closer to the latex. You can read a little more about wool quilting in post #6 here.

Both Dunlop and Talalay have 100% natural versions and blended versions. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here. You won’t be able to find out the exact formulation of either 100% natural Talalay or Dunlop in terms of what percentage of each is actual latex and what percentage is other substances used to make the latex because the formulation is proprietary to the manufacturer but both of them use only natural rubber and no SBR so I don’t think you could really call one more “pure” than the other and both of them would be Oeko-Tex certified for harmful substances and VOC’s so I also wouldn’t consider one to be “safer” than the other.

Phoenix

27

Holy Cow!! this is my 28th post! :dry:

A Savvy Rest representative on their website gave me these specs via email. Thought it would be helpful to share the info he provided.

[i]"Pasted below are the ILD ranges for our Dunlop. We don’t have ILD ranges for our Talalay, they just come in soft, medium, or firm.

ILD Ranges:

Soft Dunlop: 22-30

Medium Dunlop: 31-39
Firm Dunlop: 40 and above

You can read about our latex suppliers here: What's Different About Savvy Rest?. All latex comes from outside of the USA, as it comes from the rubber tree which only grows within 700 miles of the equator.

There is no brand name for the latex we use.

Currently our mattresses only come with the quilted encasement. We have a new topper that’s supposed to be out by the end of this month in which the casing will be knitted.

We do not have the option of adding race-tracking.

Per your other email, combining a Talalay topper with the Earthspring is certainly an option, though if it’s going to be a queen size (we do not make the Earthspring in King size) and include a foundation it will end up being well over $2,200."
[/i]

I also spoke to a rep from flobeds.com who has been very helpful and informative… Yet I’m still left with more questions.

They only sell Talalay so mimicking the Savvy Rest Serenity we really like is kinda out of the question. They have a Deluxe 12 inch mattress that has three 3" layers plus a 2" convolute (egg crate) and 1" of wool cover. Their XFirm Talalay is 36 ILD. Their convolute starts as a 28 ILD (medium-firm) which when convoluted feels more like a 14 ILD

They do not sell Dunlop but if after trying their mattress, we don’t like it they can replace a layer with Dunlop for us and just charge shipping (if within the first 100 days). Charge would be the same as for the talalay.

Initially they suggested a base layer of XFirm with Firm on top of that and then Medium all topped by their supersoft 2" convolute:

^^^^^^^^^ convolute
======= medium
======= firm
======= xfirm

Then they suggested my husband get firm over ultra firm and for me I should get soft over medium. I find that interesting since we both tend to love the same mattresses. Then they suggested medium over firm for my husband and medium over soft for me. I’m concerned that if I’m able to muster up the money to buy this mattress that I could likely make a very wrong choice on the layers since there’s no way to try it out and the suggestions are all over the place

Also their top layer is a super soft convolute/eggcrate. My only experience with eggcrates was with cheap polyfoam in college and mine was quickly given away. Felt terrible. Even worse than skinny springy dorm room mattresses. :-/ We’ve never liked pillow tops either. Do people really like a convoluted comfort layer? I understand the benefit if you’re elderly, malnourished, just had an operation or are very ill but for a healthy couple in their 30s? What’s your opinion? He did say that if after trying the convoluted I dont like it that they could replace it with a solid 2" layer.

Cost:
$3,299 includes a Deluxe 12" mattress with an Organic Cotton European Strecth-knit quilted to Organic Wool cover surrounding 100% Natural Talalay Latex

Does not include the foundation

Sigh… I’m in so far over my head.

I’m beginning to think its simply not possible to buy even a semi natural good quality king for under 2200. We might need to go back to the drawing board. I’m going too check out your link to savvy rest specs. Hopefully I can pull all this info together and regroup.

28

Hi Lnr103,

Welcome to wanting mattress perfection :wink: I’m now building my second bed (I can see it now, I’ll change which bed I sleep in depending on which feel I prefer that night), having bought so many materials to try experimenting with different feels, firmnesses, and layerings on my first bed I have most of the second already and think I should do something useful with them.

Nevertheless, to stay in around the $2k mark for an all latex king mattress, you’re probably not going to be able to go with a brand such as Savvy Rest or FloBeds. You can probably do it via websites such as SleepEZ.com or mattresses.net, maybe local retailers, although there are others too and those are really just the first 2 I know off the top of my head - I believe Phoenix posted about them.

When I’ve bought bare latex or been quoted, I find I’ve had to pay around $100 per 1" of latex in twinxl size, and twinxl is precisely one half a king size. I live in Canada, so it’s a bit more expensive. Therefore, I’d expect around $200 or less per inch of latex on a king (either organic dunlop or blended talalay).

For a 9" mattress, that’s around $1800 in latex. A quality organic stretch knit cotton cover is probably 300-400… A more elaborate cover with wool probably twice that (or more). 9" is a fairly popular depth. Some people prefer the simple stretch knit cotton (in fact I’m ordering a second one of these for a second bed, which is $165 for a twinxl so king would usually be double that).

Your original question that I heard was, could you get a king latex mattress for $2200, and based on prices I’ve paid I know can be done… More easily in the USA. But, I don’t think you can get all of a brand name latex, 12" thick all latex, with a wool case, and a base/foundation.

29

Ha. So it can be done! :wink:

I can see myself literally trying to build my own mattress here soon as well! Kinda sounds like fun, if you have the materials. I’m becoming OCD in this mattress hunt. Had I simply purchased a mattress the first day i walked into the store I probably wouldn’t have been too disappointed or spent nearly this much money but now Ive invested the time and know too much about the chemicals i want to avoid and i suppose i do want this so called “mattress perfection”. Im hooked!

Appreciate your feedback sincerely. :slight_smile:

I’m definitely learning a great deal.

30

….just not with a foundation, wool cover etc

31

Hi Lnr103,

They can add up quickly when you’re having fun :slight_smile:

Yes people like it (it’s included in most of their mattresses). You can read a little more about their convoluted layer in post #2 here (in reply to question #4) and in post #12 here but it’s one of the unique parts of their mattresses. It would be softer than the 28 ILD talalay that it’s made from because of the convoluting and it’s nothing like cheap polyfoam convoluted foam.

I should also mention that SleepEz has a similar three by 3" layer or four x 3" layer mattress that gives you the option to choose either blended or 100% natural Talalay or 100% natural Dunlop in each layer in a range of firmness levels and has a quilted cover so they are a very similar design and have similar (or more) options than Savvy Rest.

Even a latex mattress that uses 3" of the same type and ILD of latex on top and then has a 6" layer of 100% natural Dunlop in a similar firmness range and has a wool quilted cover would be somewhat similar to the Savvy Rest so you have some good options available to you in a lower budget range than the Savvy Rest you are looking at.

For reference … The attachment shows the Radium Talalay firmness levels (showing minimum, target, and maximum ILD for both their blended “W” series and their 100% natural “N” series Talalay) but I don’t know which of these Savvy Rest offers.

NOTE: These specs are now updated as of April 7th, 2014 and the blended Talalay are now the “S” series which has replaced the “W” series.

Phoenix

32

Quick question:
Are these specs for all radium talalay or are they specific to sleepEZ or savvy rest?

33

Quick question:
Are these specs for all radium talalay or are they specific to sleepEZ or savvy rest?

I’ve written to SleepEZ. Hopefully they will have some options for me.

Also, what do people think an innercoil mattress with say 1-2 layers of 3-4" talalay? First off does it exist. secondly, think it would still feel very much like an innercoil mattress or does the latex upper help buffer sound/movement and still add that somewhat contoured feel? I’m wondering if I can find a oeko tex latex/innercoil combination mattress that’s more within my budget that I’d be happy with. I really can’t spend more than the 2200. I’m already overextending. I’m hopeful with SleepEZ and a few other sites I’ve contacted so we shall see!

34

Hi Lnr103,

  1. Yes hybrid latex top + inner coil support (and also latex top + polyfoam support) mattresses exist.

  2. As a guess only, probably the best place to find a latex+innercoil mattress would be local retailers. The ones I know are all via my own local retailers or thecleanbedroom (which are all fairly premium priced).

  3. No idea how you’d perceive feel… You’d need to test one. I find latex+inner sping mattresses harder to find, personally.

  4. Talalay latex in North America is almost exclusively sourced from Latex International or Radium. The specs for the latex are common across all companies that use it. That said, as you found with Savvy Rest, many don’t/won’t disclose specific ild’s to prevent people from easily duplicating their mattresses. since ild is not a measure of quality or durability it’s not really important to determine it to evaluate the quality or durability of a mattress.

35

Hi Lnr103,

They came directly from Radium in Holland. Not all manufacturers will carry all the ILD’s.

Different people will have different preferences for the style of mattresses they like but an innerspring (often pocket coil) / latex hybrid is the favorite style of some of the most knowledgeable people I know in the industry who could choose any type of mattress they wished so there are certainly people who like it. It has the “feel” of latex in the comfort layers (which is a big part of what you feel on a mattress) but some of the familiarity and “feel” of a pocket coil underneath it.

In the list of online members linked in the tutorial post, Dreamfoam has an entry level pocket coil with a mix of latex and polyfoam in the comfort layers and BayBed & Mattress has a component pocket coil / latex component mattress where you can choose both the specifics of the pocket coil and the layers of latex on top of it and which comes in a zip cover so the components and layers can be exchanged. As dn mentioned there may also be some innerspring/latex hybrid options available locally as well. All the latex you are likely to encounter is likely to be Oeko-Tex certified whether it’s Dunlop or Talalay, blended or 100% natural.

Phoenix

36

I’ve made a summary of my current latex options. I’m planning to research latex innercoil combos as well this weekend. Hopefully I can find one to test in my area. But as for now at least I have an option or two within budget. Spindle Mattress has been really informative and helpful and also offered the best deal. I’m curious what other’s experiences have been with them and if their product is up to par. BrooklynBeds is fairly close behind them but you get a lot less latex for your money.

Options:

Spindle Mattress:

(Prices include shipping and wool cover. Foundation is additional $380)

Natural+Synthetic Blend Latex with Wool Cover (cover not washable)
10" $1499
13" $1749 + 380 = $2129
*If additionally discounted 5% for member = $2023

Natural Latex with Wool Cover (cover not washable)
10" $1649
13" $1999 + 380 = $2379
*If additionally discounted 5% for member = $2260

  1. Are your materials oeko-tex certified?
    Yes, both latexes are certified to Oeko-Tex 100.
  2. Is the cotton/wool blend fire resistant cover washable?
    No. In order for the wool to be washable, you need to chemically treat it.

Recommend the Natural + Synthetic Blend Latex with Wool Cover as closest comparison the the feel of the Savvy Rest Serenity

They do not use flame retardants or glues.
365 Comfort Exchange and 25 Year Limited Warranty.

BrooklynBeds:
10" $2449 (includes mattress, cotton/wool casing and foundation)
Dunlop base (ILD 36-44)
Medium Talalay (ILD 25-29)
100% Natural Latex, no chemicals, no fillers - Oeko Tex 100 certified
Includes foundation and wool/organic cotton cover

“Essence” in the deepest model offered in a natural latex model.
No FR
2 layer, 10" depth with
medium Dunlop latex support layer
and a choice of soft medium or firm Talalay latex comfort layer:

soft (20-24ILD)
medium (25-29ILD)
firm (30-34ILD).

All of our latex is Oeko Tex Certified
100% natural wool and organic cotton as a natural fire retardant.
Only available in a 2 layer
Dunlop range approximately 36-44ILD
“I would suggest the medium level Talalay latex of 25-29ILD this I believe would provide the best support along with comfort and pressure point relief available to best suit your needs.”

Arizona Premium Mattress Co. - MindSpring

12" E.King A.U.P. mattress - $2449 (includes foundation, bamboo/wool casing and $185 for shipping)

6"core is 32-33 ILD Medium or Firm 36-38
3" topper is N-4 30-34 ILD.
3"topper is N-2 20-24 ild

Both 100% Talalay from Radium Latex
Core is 100% Dunlop latex from Latex Green Ltd.

Bamboo custom mattress cover with zipper and no glue.

FloBeds:

$3299
12inch total depth - (11" latex plus 1" wool)
Deluxe 12 inch mattress that has three 3" all Talalay layers plus a 2" convolute (egg crate).
Convolute - 28 ILD (medium-firm) which when convoluted feels more like a 14 ILD
XFirm Talalay is 36 ILD
Organic Cotton European Strecth-knit quilted to Organic Wool cover surrounding 100% Natural Talalay Latex.

I think if you had a base layer of XFirm with Firm on top of that and then Medium all topped by our supersoft 2" convolute.
^^^^^^^^^ convolute
======= medium
======= firm
======= xfirm

Or

For your husband I would go with the Medium over Firm
^^^^^^^^^ convolute
======= Medium
======= Firm

For you I would go with the Medium over Soft
^^^^^^^^^ convolute
======= Medium
======= Soft

*You both will be able to change the firmness by rearranging the layers.

Option to exchange convolute for solid Talalay
Option to exchange Talalay base for Dunlop base
“We ask you to try our bed as designed with the convoluted latex layer on top. If you find that you wish you had a solid 2” layer, we will exchange it within the first 100 nights at no charge."

37

Hi Lnr103,

A forum search on Spindle (you can just click this) will bring up some feedback about them. Spindle is relatively new but Neal has some “deep roots” in the industry and I think highly of both him and their mattresses. The quality of their product is certainly “up to par”. They use either synthetic (with a small percentage of natural latex) or 100% natural continuous pour Dunlop made by MountainTop Foam which are both very good quality and durable materials (Note: Spindle is now only using 100% natural continuous pour Dunlop in their mattresses).

You are certainly looking at some great final choices and it would be difficult to make a “mistake” :slight_smile:

Phoenix

38

Hi Lnr103,

See it is possible :slight_smile: nice work!

39

Thanks dn and Phoenix.

I don’t know how I missed that spindle is 100% Dunlop. When they said they could replicate the savvy I guess I assumed talalay would be involved. I wonder if that’s why he’s suggesting the natural and synthetic blend. Perhaps it has a more similar feel to the talalay than 100% Dunlop.

I did a forum search on spindle as suggested. Seems people are initially pretty happy with them and everyone is right, they do have wonderful customer service thus far and have answers to all my questions. I’m curious how people’s satisfaction holds up after several nights of sleeping on their mattress. I have to say I thought it WAS too good to be true and now I’m concerned that I won’t like the feel of all Dunlop and synthetic scares me. I’m not sure I’m prepared to spend 2k on synthetics. A small percentage of synthetic is one thing but a mostly synthetic mattress… i just don’t know. I pushed my budget of 1400 to 2200 only because I became obsessed in finding a safe healthy all natural mattress. I wonder if its worth it. Then I go and add an expensive natural wool cover to a synthetic fiber. Seems kinda silly doesn’t it?

After reading reviews I would like to give Neal my business over brooklynbedding but is Brooklyn bedding’s “Essence” perhaps a better value because of the talalay layers? I’m still trying to mimic the feel of savvy rest’s medium Dunlop base (ILD 31-44), medium talalay core (N4 medium 30-34) and soft talalay top (N2 soft 20-24)

I know me and after investing all this time and $$ I’m worried that when the actual mattress is delivered I’m going to have very high expectations. :-/

40

Hi Lnr103,

The “feel” of a mattress is very subjective and relative to each person but continuous pour Dunlop is somewhat “in between” molded Dunlop and Talalay and can also be made in softer layers than you will usually find in Dunlop. Dunlop is a method of manufacturing not an actual raw material so any latex layer that uses the Dunlop method of production would be 100% Dunlop although it may use 100% natural rubber, 100% synthetic rubber, or a blend of the two. Of course using the same type of materials in the same layer thicknesses and firmness levels and the same type of cover would have higher odds of “matching” another mattress that used the same materials.

Natural materials and “safe” materials are two different issues. The “safety” of a material depends on the raw materials that are used to make it and whether any of them are harmful or produce VOC’s that are harmful although it’s true that in natural materials have higher odds of being “safer”. Polyethylene and densified polyester are two examples of synthetic materials that have very little VOC’s and are completely safe and latex that is synthetic or natural have both been tested for “safety” to the same standards and testing protocol for harmful substances and VOC’s. I think that the biggest difference between natural and synthetic latex or a blend is in the properties and performance of each type of latex and which one someone may prefer and “natural” or “organic” is more a matter of personal preference or choices made for other personal reasons than it is about “safety”.

The same holds true about a wool cover. The biggest benefit of wool is it’s properties, durability, and performance and it would be a great material to use in any cover for someone that preferred it regardless of what type of materials were inside the mattress so using a wool cover on any mattress doesn’t seem “silly” to me at all for those who want the temperature regulating benefits and the “feel and performance” of using a wool quilted cover.

The value of any mattress purchase depends on which one is the best match for all the criteria of your personal value equation that are most important to you … especially in terms of PPP. No matter what the “commodity value” of a mattress may be in terms of price per inch of material if you don’t sleep well on it then it would have little value to you. I would also consider that “matching” one mattress to another rather than matching each mattress you are considering to a common set of criteria can be very difficult and challenging because even small differences in materials, design, or the cover can make a difference in how one mattress “feels” compared to another (see post #9 here). I would keep in mind that if a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP and all the other criteria that are important to you in a mattress purchase and you have good options available after a purchase then you may end up with a “better” and more suitable mattress than the Savvy Rest that you never would have considered if you were limiting your choices only to mattresses that subjectively “feel like” a Savvy Rest.

I would also keep in mind that Savvy Rest uses Radium Talalay and that the firmness ratings you are mentioning (N2 and N4) are from when they were using Latex International.

Phoenix