Has anyone here heard of Vytex? What are your thoughts on it? Any idea how it will differ from the current dunlop and talalay that is available now? Durability?
Gold Bond is supposed to be introducing a mattress using this. The process uses aluminum hydroxide to remove many of the proteins that tend to cause allergic reactions. This is done while still in the liquid stage. Not sure whether they are using Dunlop or Talalay in the Gold Bond bed.
Thank you for the quick reply. That is what I understood, too, but didn’t know the method used to remove the proteins. I wonder how well it removes them compared to the traditional washing. Jeff, have you felt any of Vytex latex? I just received a topper made from this and it is much more “grainy” and “crumbly” (to use very scientific terms) than the other latex I’ve handled. I wonder how well it will hold up over time.
Hi Bazinga,
Vytex is a “drop in” additive that can be used as part of the formulation of latex products and is primarily meant to reduce or “virtually eliminate” the amount of latex proteins that can be a cause of latex allergies. There is a good general description of it on the Centrotrade site here which distributes it and there is also a much more detailed and technical discussion about it on the Vytex site here.
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It has been used primarily as part of the formulation of dipped latex products which are the most common source of latex allergies (such as condoms, balloons, and medical equipment) and although latex allergies are rare with foamed latex because of how the latex foam is manufactured and because there is usually no contact with the latex in a mattress … it is also now being licensed and is available in Dunlop latex formulations that are being made by manufacturers such as KA Prevulcanized latex to supply the South Asia area and Pica de Hule Natural in Guatemala (see here) to supply Dunlop latex foam to Latin America and North America (which is the product you will find in the US).
It would certainly be of interest for those who have true latex allergies to some of the proteins found in natural rubber and wish to sleep on latex. The manufacturers that are using it are making 100% natural Dunlop latex which would be closely comparable to other manufacturers that make the same type and blend of latex (without the Vytex) in terms of quality, performance, and durability.
Phoenix
I didn’t get a chance to visit the Gold Bond booth at market, so I’m sorry that I can’t comment on the feel. Phoenix has much more complete information on the product than I do.
Hi Bazinga,
I had a chance to talk with Tom Eisenberg this morning about the Vytex natural latex (he just came back from a trip to Guatemala) and I thought I would share some of the information he shared with me to this topic as well.
I have known Tom since his days as a vice president at Latex International / Talalay Global and he is now the president of Nature’s Home Solutions which has the exclusive rights to distribute Vytex natural latex foam to the US market.
Pica de Hule currently has the license to produce the raw material in the Latin America and North America region and the foamed latex itself is being made by Islatex. Both Pica de Hule and Islatex are part of Grupo Agroindustrial Occidente.
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The Vytex natural rubber has removed the non latex proteins from the latex which not only greatly reduces the chances of any latex allergies but it also means that the latex doesn’t need any colorants to make it whiter or added ingredients to mask any smell.
In addition to using Vytex latex, Islatex also uses RF frequencies to cure their latex rather than heat which results in a faster curing time and a product that is more consistent from top to bottom of the core.
For those where eco friendly manufacturing is also important they are also carbon neutral and actually sell carbon credits.
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As Jeff mentioned Gold Bond is the first to use their latex in their mattresses and Jeffco Fibers is also a distributor as well.
I have talked with a few people that have seen and felt samples of their latex and the feedback has all been positive so far.
Phoenix
Any thoughts on the Gold Bond double sided latex mattress? It is called “Platinum” I think being able to flip the mattress could help the valley problems in the future. I attached the info/ad from gold bond. I believe it uses the vytex latex which I am trying to confirm and why I added this post here. Thanks for any comments.
Hi gldman,
While I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new) so I always suggest making sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
Having said that … the Platinum uses high quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress that would compromise durability.
Latex is a very durable material relative to other types of foam and isn’t likely to develop premature soft spots or “valleys” even in a one sided mattress … but even with latex a two sided mattress will be more durable than a similar mattress that uses the same comfort layers on one side only. There is more about the pros and cons of a two sided mattress in post #3 here.
You can also see some general comments about Gold Bond in post #4 here.
They don’t mention whether they are using Vytex latex in the description you linked or provide specific information about the type and blend of the latex so you would need to call them and find out for certain but either way if you are confident that it’s a good match for you in terms of PPP and it compares well to your other finalists based on all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you then it would certainly be well worth considering.
Phoenix