Hi, don’t know if this is the right area or if this should be in the experts question section, but does anyone have any experience or knowledge on this Harmony 100% Natural Talalay Latex Mattress sold by The Foam Shop in Vancouver and the lower mainland BC? Links here and here.
Do they use a good quality latex? It seems to be the only talalay mattress in town (all the others are dunlop I think). However a sales associate told me that after about 13 years it will start to deteriorate and turn into sand. Is that normal for talalay latex and so would dunlop be better? Or is it more a function of the quality of latex in the mattress.
Because this did feel a lot comfier to me than the dunlop mattresses i’ve tried (eg. North Shore Linens and inbed Organics). Side note: it had the exact same organic cotton cover as the dunlop mattresses at North Shore Linens for some reason.
From your first link, the Harmony mattress, “the Talalay (100% natural) latex core of our Harmony mattresses”.
No one sells 100% natural Dunlop or Talalay latex foam mattresses. Read this thread: Chemicals used in the Dunlop latex foam process and this article: https://savvyrest.com/blog/myth-100-natural-latex/
Ask the sales associate where he/she read that after ~13 years a talalay latex mattress will start to deteriorate and turn to sand. I own a 12 year old all talalay latex foam mattress and it’s looks and feels as good as the day it was purchased.
I also own an all Dunlop latex foam mattress and would not hesitate to purchase another Dunlop latex foam mattress if needed.
When you tried out the Talalay and the Dunlop foam mattresses were they both in the same firmness range?
As for the quality of their talalay latex foam, in North America there is only one source for talalay latex foam, Talalay Global
Dunlop latex foam is manufactured by several companies. Who makes Dunlop latex foam
There’s also Talalay made in the Netherlands that is available in the US. Turning to “sand” happens with either poorly washed latex that still contains soap, or where the manufacturer has used a silicate fill (clay, feldspar, etc), or both of these things, as they both are cost saving. Exposure to excessive moisture and especially UV will toast up the latex as well.
I see from your website European Sleep that you source your talalay latex foam from Radium. Is it cheaper to have it shipped to CA then purchasing it from Talalay Global in CT? Just curious, don’t answer if for business reasons you can not.
Kinda no way around it, especially if want to maintain the level of quality and service that we strive for. The only way to “absorb” it is to either cheapen the product or cut costs in other areas (we are always trying to be more efficient). Not to make this a political rant, but there is no way any small business (we are one location) can weather a 10-25% increase in material costs when they have finally recovered (or not) from multiple years of high inflation, criminal gouging on freight, and massive insurance increases… lol It is an absolute attack on small businesses. For us, there is no US alternative to our fabric or innersprings (especially the springs), without a massive quality drop (or at the very least a complete redesign). We would love to buy smaller quantities from more local suppliers, but they just don’t exist (I did not say that the Dutch Talalay is better ;)).
The associate said from experience (I think from customer feedback). She said it’s biodegradable so it happens. Maybe it sounds like it has silicate fill as EuropeanSleep mentioned, which I assume is a bad thing? I’ll call to confirm if they know.
Yes all the dunlop including this talalay harmony was tried in all firmness ranges. I felt like soft dunlop had too much sinking in the hips but my shoulders didn’t sink when on my back (even with soft topper on firm/med base). And medium and firm dunlop felt too firm creating pressure on my hips. Do you know if dunlop has a break in period where it softens after a few weeks?
Meanwhile this medium talalay felt really even with the sinking of shoulders and hips. But I’m even more weary about this after you mentioned this 100% natural claim and then the deterioration. And thanks for all the info.
Thanks, I assume silicate fill is a bad thing? My room does get quite humid and hot, would latex in general be a bad idea then? I was mainly interested in latex cause I read it doesn’t soften based on temperature.
I’m also open to high density PU foam mattresses but read foam tends to soften in hot temperatures. The memory foam upper layers in my hybrid mattress has been getting way too soft in hot temperatures, but it’s fine and firm in cold temps.
Ok. In general, all foams (latex, gel, poly, memory, etc…) lose firmness faster in more humid conditions. Just make sure they are able to breathe, and you should be ok. I wouldn’t worry too much about fillers, unless the price is too good to be true. Both Talalay manufacturers (US and The Netherlands–I can’t speak to Chinese Tal), have good washing procedures, and good quality control. The whole “turn to sand” thing is not likely to be an issue. Most latex foam products should carry multiple certs, relative to the material safety, and you should be able to request this info from any seller. Also, latex is not biodegradable, as the material had been stabilized. I would concentrate more on the feel of the material. Oh, and all foams have a bit of break in. Poly more than Dunlop, Dunlop more than Talalay. “Most mattress break in” is the cover and the internal friction of the layers.
