Latex Bedding Buying Guide

Welcome to our Latex Bedding Buying Guide. First and foremost, I do think that Latex is a terrific product. It is very dense (typically 4 lb/cubic foot density) and a quality mattress core of latex will last virtually forever as shown by the warranties given by most companies. Latex mattress cores (this is the industry term for the piece of latex used to make the mattress and they tend to be 5" or 6" thick) are always made with holes in them (called pincore holes) - these holes soften the latex and make it comfortable. The larger the holes, the softer the latex core will feel. Most latex mattresses just have one size of holes through the whole mattress so the mattress has a uniform feel throughout. Some cores, though, are made with different sections of latex with different sized holes. This allows the bed to have different zones - softer under the shoulders and feet and firmer under the hips. Finally, many latex beds layer other materials (whether softer latex or memory foam, etc) on top of the latex core to give the bed a softer or more yielding feel. Latex mattresses have a nice bouncy feel and they are very supportive. I think that latex makes a great core and is a big improvement over inner springs and denser and more substantial than foam cores.


What is latex, though? Originally it was just natural rubber that was made of the sap of actual rubber trees. And latex is still made this way today. But during WWII, scientists also learned how to create synthetic latex. I don't claim to understand the chemistry behind all this, but manufacturers tell me that synthetic latex has the same properties as natural.

Today, most latex mattresses tend to be either made of synthetic latex or more typically a combination of synthetic and natural latex. The manufacturers of these combination latex mattresses that I talked with claim that a combination makes the whole latex core more resilient. Of course, the all-natural latex manufacturers said this was rubbish - that an all natural product is just as resilient and is actually made of natural rubber (as opposed to petrochemical synthetic latex). To a degree I think that it is just a matter of costs - synthetic latex may be cheaper and so more cost effective to use in a mattress. Are there advantages to going natural latex over the synthetic? Either kind seems to give a similar feel and similar support, but be warned - you may pay more for the natural latex mattress and also find that finding an all-natural latex mattress is difficult.

This raises the second way latex mattresses can be different - the manner in which the cores are made. There are two ways they are manufactured: 1) The original method, called the Dunlop method, involves first whipping the latex liquid with air to make a foam, then pouring the latex liquid into a mold and heating it till it vulcanizes, and 2) the Talalay method, which is a bit more involved. In the Talalay method, the latex foam a vacuum is placed on the mold and other processes are involved that some claim produces foam that has a more consistent cell structure. The foam, in either process, once made is then washed a number of times to get rid or excess soaps and proteins that can make the foam degrade early and also reduces the rubbery smell of latex. So on top of the basic two choices of which kind of latex you want to have (natural or synthetic) you also get the choice of how the latex is made (Dunlop method or Talalay). Which is best? From my experience at the shows, it depended on whom you talked with. Talalay producers sold the product as being a less dense feeling, airier product due to the way the latex is made under pressure and that it had a more uniform cell structure. My take: I think they are both good products, but I tended toward the Talalay just based on the feel. So after looking at all the flavors, I tended toward Talalay latex. It is less expensive than natural latex and gives a similar feel.

Would you want to put a topper on your latex mattress? I'm often asked this, and my standard answer is that it depends. Latex is a great product, and many people may find the mattress alone very comfortable. But latex just doesn't have the pressure relief or conforming qualities of memory foam, so many people may still want to add a topper layer of 2" or so of memory foam to really finish off the feel of the latex mattress. The best way to find the perfect latex mattress is to find one that already uses latex and memory foam together.

There are important things to keep in mind when buying Latex-bedding products:
1. People with latex allergies do not normally react to latex bedding as they have less latex in them than latex gloves. Most companies use something like Bioguard to make their mattress hypoallergenic.
2. Latex bedding does not have to cost you an arm and a leg, look around as most latex bedding is available for much less than those available at local retailers.
3. Mattresses made of latex are extremely heavy! Most are shipped through freight companies. Make sure you have someone available to help you carry the bed through your home, so you don’t hurt yourself!
4. The best way to enjoy latex bedding is when it is combined with memory foam. A deluxe latex and memory foam mattress is about as luxurious as bedding can get.

Thank you for reading our latex-buying guide. Look around our store for great prices on Latex Bedding.

Thanks,
Ross from Memory Foam Furniture