Hi Myglasseye,
[quote]
Why is there no organic Talalay Latex?[/quote]
I think you’re asking why there is no talalay latex with a GOLS certification. I’ve spoken with a few latex producers about this exact topic, and they stated that why they didn’t see an issue with producing a talalay that met GOLS certification, there simply isn’t currently the demand for such a product to justify the extreme amount of expense for the separate manufacturing facility and process to produce such a product. For example, Vita Talalay by Radium has a 100% NR talalay latex that meets the Cradle To Cradle Gold Standard (it’s also Oeko-Tex 100, class 1), which they would argue is more stringent than a GOLS certification would be for the same talalay latex.
While it may be more information than you are looking for … there is a lot more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” and that can help you decide on the type of materials and components you are most comfortable having in your mattress or on the certifications that may be important to you. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.
Most people that are looking for an “organic” mattress are usually concerned more with “safety” than whether the materials have an actual organic certification. There is more information about the three different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and some of the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and there are some comments in post #42 here that can help you decide whether an organic certification is important to you for environmental, social, or personal reasons or whether a “safety” certification is enough.
If you’re specifically looking to find retailers carrying only 100% NR talalay, you’d be looking at ones using the components from Talalay Global in their 100% NR line, or the aforementioned 100%NR Vita Talalay. Online companies like SleepEZ that you mentioned can be very knowledgeable about requests like this and offer you the best advice on how to create your desired feel. But realize that ILDs are small ranges and even the same ILD from one brand to another can feel different.
If you are attracted to the idea of designing and building your own DIY mattress out of separate components and a separate cover then the first place I would start is by reading option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) so that you have more realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process. While it can certainly be a rewarding project … the best approach to a DIY mattress is a “spirit of adventure” where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not happen).
I’ll be interested if you can find out about the Nature’s Spa, and what you end up deciding upon.
Phoenix
