So following your guidelines (thank you soooo much) My wife and I visited 3 manufacturers (Again thanks for your lists), 2 local and 1 regional. We narrowed down our choices down to 2 kinds of mattresses, maybe 4, we’re not sure.
1st option is a queen firm 6 or 8" 100% natural talalay rubber reversible with cotton cover and thin foam padding over the latex (less than 1"). The 6" is 1700$ and the 8" is 2000$ This is by the regional manufacturer. They own many stores around the province but manufacture all their mattresses. 20 year warranty of which only 5 years are actually 100% covered.
2nd option is a queen firm 6 or 8" Dunlop latex reversible with removable/zip cover made out of bamboo textile. the 6" is 1600$ and the 8" is 1900$ This is from a local in town manufacturer. They buy their rubber but they “assemble” the materials locally. They assure me that they have 20 year 100% warranty, “no prorated scams” is what they told me. I’m almost thinking this is too good to be true … but the man told me these latex mattresses were the most durable and he had no problem honoring the warranty.
Now my questions
Considering we are satisfied with our PPP 6" of both the talalay and dunlop mattresses, should we consider the 8" at all? I am 220lb and my wife 180lbs. I admit I’ve been somewhat brainwashed by the thicker is better mentality so inside I feel 8" would be better but maybe the 6" is plenty enough and not worth our extra 300$ going for 2 extra inches of latex. What are your thoughts?
And what about the talalay (all natural) and dunlop debate. We find both confortable, but I would like better resiliency and better durability (firmness maintenance) which rubber would offer this on the long term?
I’m am seriously leaning towards the Dunlop because it’s cheaper and the warranty feels better all around but I also want to be sure I get a second opinion from someone knowledgeable and neutral to the actual decision.
Many thanks for all the information that can be found on your site, I wish I had this 5 and 3 years ago
This would depend entirely if any of the benefits of a thicker mattress are meaningful or apparent to you. There is no intrinsic reason to buy a thicker mattress if the benefits aren’t apparent to you. Post #14 here talks about some of the potential benefits of thicker mattresses and layers (assuming the materials are the same).
In some cases as well … thinner mattresses are set up on an “active” boxspring which could make a significant contribution to the feel and performance of your “sleeping system” so I would make sure that you are comparing apples to apples (mattresses that are on a firm non flexing foundation). If you test a mattress on a flexing foundation … then this should be part of the purchase so what you sleep on at home will be the same as what you tested.
Most of what you will hear in the industry is biased towards what a particular manufacturer sells (which of course is usually presented as being “better”). You can read more about the different types of latex and how they compare in various ways including durability post #2 here and in post #6 here along with post #6 here.
Overall … while Talalay and Dunlop are different in how they feel and perform … I would treat them as close equivalents in terms of durability (assuming all the other durability factors of the mattresses are the same because softer foams are also less durable than firmer foams) and blended Talalay and 100% natural Dunlop are usually fairly comparable in terms of price so the choice between them would be mainly about preference based on the differences between them rather than about “better or worse”.
You’re very welcome … I’m glad it could help you make the “best” choice for your criteria, preferences and circumstances
