When I had my retail store in 2000 - 2002, I had to explain to every customer what latex foam was – yes, it can be natural, yes, it comes from a tree, no there isn’t an allergy risk, yes, it will last longer than most mattress materials. These days, everyone is an “expert” on latex and we tackle a new list of questions and issues. Over the years, I’ve heard many crazy tales about latex. Manufacturers claiming proprietary “powdered” latex, customers indoctrinated in Talalay or Dunlop, latex “memory foam” products. It’s hard for those of us in the industry to keep up, let alone consumers. Here a just a few common questions, we hear over and over. In order to tackle these questions for consumers, it raises a few new ones for the manufacturer: In this blog series, I will start to unravel the many unanswered questions and tackle the tall tales about latex rubber starting with a little background on the revolutionary commodity, then the health concerns that so often enter the equation, and finally the environmental impacts of increasing demand.
This story begins in the early 19th Century, when the vulcanization process - making rubber or similar polymers into a more durable material using sulphur - was invented to stabilize the rubber by using sulphur. Although rubber has been used for centuries, dating all the way back to the Maya & Aztecs for their rubber balls, it wasn’t until vulcanization techniques were employed that it made it’s industrial debut. This discovery led to increased uses for rubber and as a result, plantations were planted in the most tropical regions of the world. Rubber plantations were replacing rainforests at an alarming rate. natives were forced to work in the plantations, tapping trees and collecting this new found “liquid gold”. While the rubber tree was native to Brazil(hence the name Hevea Brasiliensis) it was quickly transported to other tropical climates, most notably Southeast Asia, Southern India, and Southern China. Rubber is arguably one of the 3 most important raw materials to humankind in the world.
Without natural latex, we would not be able to fly in airplanes, drive cars, make shoes, or have the myriad medical supplies our hospitals rely on today. The list of products using rubber components is more extensive than most can imagine, including mattresses and pillows. So why exactly does this matter? Well, it’s important to understand where we’ve been to know where we’re going. Rubber has become such an important raw material in a relatively short time and technologies are constantly evolving. When I started my business over a decade ago, we had only two options for latex foam: Dunlop or Talalay processed foam. We now have more high-tech versions of Dunlop with the new addition of “continuous poured” Dunlop latex foam and the Talalay process gaining attention as the quality choice in latex foam. To further our choices, we have an organic standard designed specifically for latex. To help you as a consumer wade through the jargon, here is a primer on these new choices.
Dunlop and Continuous Pour Dunlop vs. Talalay Dunlop Latex is the oldest method for molding latex into foam - invented in 1929. There are many facilities that make Dunlop latex, typically in the country of origin. Think about making a cake. First you have your wet ingredients (latex & soap) and then the dry ingredients (vulcanizing accelerators), which are mixed together. These are whipped up into a froth in a centrifuge and then poured into a giant pan. This pan has pins sticking up throughout that heat up to make an evenly cooked core (these pins create the holes in the latex). Then a lid is put over the pan, it’s pressurized and baked. Finally it’s rinsed and dried and ready to ship. Dunlop accounts for the vast majority of the all natural latex foam. In the Continuous Pour Dunlop facilities, this all happens on a conveyor belt with moving pans being filled and baked continuously. Continuous Pour uses infrared technology for even baking. This process can also forgo the pins and pour thinner latex sheets to create rolls for quilt-backing and toppers.* There are a couple of facilities in the United States and the majority of this latex is a synthetic latex blend, however natural latex is now being made as recently as last year with increased demand.
Talalay is the most high tech process and was developed in the 1940’s adding a few key steps to the Dunlop method. There are only a small number of plants worldwide that produce Talalay Latex - one being in Connecticut and the rest overseas. There are 2 key differences between Talalay and Dunlop. 1. The process employs a vacuum to evenly distribute the latex solids in the mold. 2. It flash freezes the mixture, suspending the particles throughout. This method gives an airy, soft feel to the latex and minimizes the settling of solids to the bottom. The majority of Talalay is synthetic rubber and/or a blend of natural and synthetic, however Natural Talalay is available. Talalay latex is more costly than Dunlop and is usually relegated to the top comfort layers rather than support layers given it’s softer, springy feel. * One often misrepresented fact about latex is the holes make it breathable. Latex is actually an open cell material that naturally breathes. The holes can change the feel of the foam - firmer or softer with bigger and smaller holes.
3" Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper by Lucid® Add the plush, temperature-regulated feel of gel memory foam to any mattress with this 3-inch mattress topper. A thick layer of specially-formulated memory foam is soft, airy and responsive. It is infused with gel material that helps to prevent overheating and has a ventilated design that improves breathability for superior comfort. Special Memory Foam Formula Gel Infused to Control Temperature Memory foam is praised for its supportive comfort and ability to mitigate pressure points. It cradles body curves and responds to weight for comfort that is customized to each specific body type. The memory foam in this 3-inch thick mattress topper is specially formulated to be extremely soft, airy and responsive. Plush memory foam has been infused with heat-capturing gel material for temperature control. Millions of tiny gel beads capture body heat and distribute it to maintain a comfortable temperature. A ventilated design improves the breathability of memory foam by increasing air flow.
Evenly-sized and -spaced holes throughout the mattress topper improve the sleep climate to keep you comfortable through the night. Cal King 84 x 72 Full 75 x 53 Full Xl 80 x 53 King 80 x 76 Queen 80 x 60 Twin 75 x 38 Twin Xl 80 x 38 100% gel polyurethane foam 3" gel-infused memory foam By: Ty Barton on Nov 14,2016 Like Sleeping on a Cloud! It's like sleeping on a cloud! I love to lay down on my mattress and feel myself sink into it as it conforms to my body. It is the most comfortable thing I have ever slept on! It supports my body perfectly and quickly adjusts as I move around throughout the night. Also, despite it being summer, it is cool to sleep on and doesn't generate any extra heat. I was given this product to try and review, and I don't think I will ever be able to go back to a normal mattress now. Reply to this review By: Gavin on Nov 11,2016 A wonderful cloud that will help you sleep like a baby The mattress protector comes wrapped in thick plastic, and conveniently includes an opening tool which made unpacking quite easy.
After letting it air out on the back deck, I tried it out for the first time and fell in LOVE. I never realized on the amazing sleep that I was missing without it until the next morning. My previous memory foam mattress was quite stiff in comparison to this cloud. The three inches of foam give just the right amount of stability and firmness needed for a comfortable sleep. Even though I got this mattress topper for free, I would pay full price for it now that I know the change it has made in my sleep. By: Kate Dalley on Nov 10,2016 We Lent This To Our Elderly Parents Because They Loved It So Much I have always wanted one of these. I kept seeing these at Costco- but this is SO much more plush and I love it. It's really thick and once we got it on our King bed, my husband and I both just sunk down into it and I think both of us let a sigh at the same time. It supports you but I noticed my shoulders do not hurt if I sleep on my side. We both love it. Who needs a new mattress when you get this nice of a topper.
The price is awesome. It's so comfortable, my sons kept sneaking in my room to lay on my bed, so I am buying theirs next. My in-laws tried and loved it so much we lent it to them. They said it's the most comfortable thing they have ever slept one. So we will order another for ourselves. We can't take it away from them now. By: Lacy on Nov 08,2016 This is a great mattress topper! It is so comfortable and inviting! Unfortunately, I already had a topper on my bed, so I had to put this on the guest bed and I don't get to lay on it every night. It is quite soft but without losing support. All of my guests so far have had great things to say about it. It doesn't make you hot at night and fits great on the bed! By: Rachel C on Nov 04,2016 Softest memory foam I’ve ever felt! We have an older spring mattress and have tried to make it softer with other memory foam toppers with no success. Some of the other ones we tried were too stiff or slept too warm. I have felt a lot of memory foam and this beautiful thing is the softest memory foam I’ve ever felt!
It doesn’t sleep hot either which is so nice. It seems like the consistency of the foam is airier than other memory foams I’ve seen. We were skeptical to try another memory foam topper, but we would highly recommend! By: Brett Reynolds on Nov 03,2016 This review is for the LUCID 3-inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper Queen sized. You know that feeling when you lay down on and just sigh "aaahhhhhhh" and suddenly you wake up 3 hours later and realize that you just took a nice long nap on accident? That is what you get with this mattress topper. It didn't take long to realize that this was a 5 start mattress topper. Pretty much as soon as I laid down on my bed while my shoes were still on I realized I was in a heavenly foamy blissful state of happiness that only certain fine things in life can provide. This was my rating of the Lucid 3-inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper: 1. The packaging was good quality. The plastic around the topper was tough and durable.
I know that they took great care of the topper before it arrived at my house. 2. The topper was the perfect size for my queen sized bed. 3. The mattress topper is made out of high-quality Gel Memory Foam. The Memory foam is soft and molds perfectly around your body which removes uncomfortable pressure that you can feel while laying on a regular mattress without a topper. 4. It is very springy and will immediately mold back into its original shape in just seconds after you get up. After about 3 seconds you wouldn't even know that anyone had been laying on it. 5. The Gel Memory Foam keeps you comfortably cool so that you don't get too hot during the night. By: Jen Holyoak on Nov 03,2016 A Little Foam Slab of Heavenly Bliss 5 well deserved stars. I was given this memory foam topper for free to review and I jumped on that because the memory foam topper I have had on my bed for the last 4 years is sooo HOT and is too big for my bed. OH my heavens I would have paid full price and then some for this little foam slab of heaven.