My understanding is if something is organic it means that there are no substances added to them, i.e. they are 100% that item. So an Organic Latex Mattress would be 100% latex with no other substances mixed in. Natural is another beast as there are lots of natural things you could add into latex which would still mean you can call it natural, even though it wouldnât be 100% latex. I want something that is unadulterated. While you say you have the certifications GOLS and OkeoTex I donât see that mentioned in your descriptions of your mattresses. You have to look under certifications to find it. Is there a reason for this? Iâd think youâd want to use those certifications as selling points. It raised questions for me. Unfortunately, Iâve had too many experiences with mattress companies that misrepresent their products (not that you are) and so I am very wary of anything that looks like a discrepancy.
Hello Greyling
Thank you so very much for your inquiry!
Although our mattresses are comprised of both natural and organic components, we at SleepEZ do not certify our mattresses. This allows us to continue to offer low factory-direct pricing by eliminating the required cost incursions that would be necessary to certify our mattresses. All certifications that we have listed on our âCertificationsâ page are provided to us by our suppliers.
We offer Talalay latex from the only two manufacturers of Talalay in the world: Talalay Global and Radium Foam. Both companies produce the 100% natural Talalay latex that we offer. Natural Talalay is free of V.O.C.s (volatile organic compounds) that you can find in other non-latex foams, and is comprised of approximately 98% natural latex derived from rubber trees. Natural Talalay latex is used as components within certified mattresses in the industry, which is the same Natural Talalay we at SleepEZ offer.
Should you have more questions, or would like to discuss further, please donât hesitate to call our office anytime! We hope to hear from you soon! Thanks again, and good luck with your mattress search!
SleepEZ
480-966-8731
I want a product that is 100% latex with no additives (other than the few needed for vulcanization). It sounds like your latex is a blend. Am I right in thinking this?
Greyling
Thanks again for your inquiries. There are four types of latex foam in the world, made in two manufacturing processes: 100% Natural Dunlop, GOLS Certified Dunlop, Blended Talalay and Natural Talalay. We offer three of the four; Natural Talalay, Natural Dunlop and GOLS Dunlop (we do not carry or offer Blended Talalay). If you are looking to purchase the most natural latex on the market, regardless of the company you purchase from, you will want to choose the GOLS Dunlop. You cannot get any more natural than this latex, no matter where you decide to purchase in the world. Most major factories and retailers that offer all-latex mattresses will carry at least one, if not all four types I listed above (As stated previously, SleepEZ does not certify any components).
If you would like to discuss by phone as well, please feel free to do so at 480-966-8731. Thanks again, and have a great afternoon!
SleepEZ
480-966-8731
Thank you! That makes it clear. The reason you donât certify isâŚ?
Sleep EZ answered that question directly in their earlier post: âAlthough our mattresses are comprised of both natural and organic components, we at SleepEZ do not certify our mattresses. This allows us to continue to offer low factory-direct pricing by eliminating the required cost incursions that would be necessary to certify our mattresses. All certifications that we have listed on our âCertificationsâ page are provided to us by our suppliers.â
- Bill
I guess I didnât understand your answer. When you say certifications are provided to you by your suppliers do you mean that the product you use to make your mattresses, etc. is certified because the supplier says it is? So you donât certify the materials in your product, but the suppliers certify the materials you are using in your product and those are the only materials you use. Sorry if Iâm having a hard time understanding this.
Hello again Greyling.
To answer our question, our suppliers, who supply latex to most mattress stores, retailers and factory direct outlets in the country will forward their latex certifications to companies such as SleepEZ. For example, our supplier of GOLS Dunlop provides this certification so that we can show/post them on our website.
I hope this answers your questions concerning Latex Retailers and Factory Direct companies such us SleepEZ who show certifications their manufacturers provide them.
Thanks again, and please donât hesitate to call as well! Have a terrific day!
480-966-8731
Greyling,
I came across one of the posts you made with questions about our company and started looking at some of your other posts. You are asking very good questions!
The idea that any latex foam is 100% latex is false. Latex foam is an amazing material but we shouldnât make it into something that it is not.
The most pure latex foam is composed of 95% natural latex. Latex foam is vulcanized rubber. Vulcanized rubber is made by combining latex with sulphur. Heat, zinc oxide and other accelerators facilitate the reaction that cross links the latex particles with sulphur. Anti-oxidants are used to prevent the deflation of the foam. Formulations can vary but typically this will leave you with 95% natural latex. The remaining composition is mostly sulfur and zinc oxide but also has the other components. The manufacturing process and organic vs natural is not really an issue at play here. The thing that would typically bring down the latex percentage is fillers, which take up space but take away from the inherent properties and performance of the foam.
Sometimes we say 100% natural latex foam. What we mean by this is that the latex content of the foam is natural latex and no synthetic latex is used. We try to qualify this statement by saying âno synthetic latexâ after saying 100% natural latex but we have tried to reduce this language in recent years so that we do not confuse people.
The natural latex used in GOLS Organic latex foam comes from organically grown rubber trees. There is no difference in the manufacturing or composition. While the GOLS certification requires that the foam is 95% organic latex, any pure natural latex should already meet this requirement. The GOLS certification supports organic agriculture, which is a very important thing and why we became certified. It does not, however, convey any special health benefits or composition differences. Once again, organic latex is a great thing but it shouldnât be made into something that it is not.
There is a premium for organic latex, but the cost of the certification itself is pretty low should not be burdensome to anyone who is importing latex foam. The cost resulting from the premium is much more of a cost than the cost of certification. I would be very skeptical of any certification that is not in a companies own name. This is especially true of a chain-of-custody certification like GOLS. The whole point of chain of custody certifications is that the latex can be tracked throughout the supply chain. Just because a factory is GOLS certified does not mean that everything that they produce is GOLS certified. It is only GOLS certified if they use organic latex to make the foam and get a transaction certificate when it is sold. Most factories who are certified under GOLS make a very small amount of GOLS certified foam.
If the end seller is not certified, the latex foam that they are selling is not being tracked by any certifying body. I suppose that you could take a company at their word that they are buying from a certified factory and are receiving a transaction certificate but I canât think of a good reason that they would not simply become GOLS certified themselves in that case.
Iâm sorry to jump on the SleepEZ forum section and apologize if that goes against Mattress Underground etiquette. I just saw some good questions being asked and wanted to answer them.
Karl