Bed mattresses made up of materials like memory foam and gel foam draw heavily from chemicals to create the experience of the bed molding to your body’s shape. Memory foam reacts chemically to your body’s temperature and creates that experience of support and comfort. However, if you’re like other consumers, you may want a mattress you can lay down on and not fear for the types of chemicals you’re inhaling or coming into contact with. Natural latex mattresses offer the same experience as memory foam but utilize an organic ingredient. Three models within the market are the Essentia Tatami Queen, Lifekind Trio and the Astrabeds SerenityBed. Natural latex is created from the sap of rubber trees specifically planted and maintained for latex and rubber production. These trees are tapped to create a regular and sustainable resource akin to maple syrup harvesting. The end result is a type of mattress support that doesn’t require the use of dangerous and toxic chemicals to create a long-lasting and always-springy bed.
Many different types of mattresses exist, and latex is among the least common of these types. The unique manufacturing process, in addition to the high price tags, makes such beds difficult to happen upon in most mattress stores. These beds aren’t as widely available as memory foam due to their rigorous manufacturing process. However, the difference of materials ultimately lends toward the mattress’ strengths and makes comparing it against regular memory foam mattresses an even more sensible process. One of the main appealing factors of the organic latex mattress over memory foam is the absence of chemical off-gassing. When you first purchase a memory foam mattress, you’ll likely notice a very strong chemical odor that reportedly fades with time, a by-product of chemical off-gassing. Latex mattresses, on the other hand, are often made without toxic chemicals or hazardous additives and thus don’t smell. In addition, due to their organic nature, the mattresses are also hypoallergenic and mold resistant, maintain their springiness after years of use and remain among the most durable mattresses on the market.
When picking a latex mattress, the design of the mattress is typically the same for any bed. Each layer is designed with holes throughout to encourage air circulation, heat reduction and moisture removal. However, the more comfortable and desirable mattresses are typically those with three or more layers of latex foam. This allows you to create varying levels of foam density for higher levels of comfort and support. While latex by itself is a natural and healthy alternative to memory foam, creating a 100-percent natural latex bed is incredibly expensive. To offset the cost of latex, many bed manufacturers create material blends that leverage the organic nature of latex with low-cost alternatives like synthetic latex, blends of natural and synthetic, and blends of natural and botanical latex. While a fully-organic latex bed may be the epitome of natural, healthy and earth-friendly mattresses, many latex beds will blend materials to create an alternative to all-natural. The best materials found in latex mattresses are that of Dunlop and Talalay latex.
The Dunlop process entails whipping rubber sap into a froth, pouring it into a mold, and then baking it. The natural materials found in rubber often settle to the bottom, resulting in latex layers being heavier on the bottom. The Talalay process adds two steps to Dunlop. After the latex is poured into a mold, the material is put in a vacuum chamber and flash-frozen before baking. The result is a latex more consistent in structure and more expensive. Of all the types of bed mattresses available to you, latex beds are reputed as the most long lasting of all mattresses. Due to the durable and breathable nature of latex, the mattress is better able to circulate air, retain spring and remain comfortable for a minimum of 10 years on average. Warranties help in protect you against product failures that might decrease the lifespan of your bed to anything shorter than that. The warranty of the mattress you choose should be sufficient to protect those first 10 years of use. The all-natural latex mattress simulates the same experience as memory foam, contouring to your body and helping reduce back pressure.
These mattresses respond instantly to your body’s position, allowing you to easily change positions in the night. The result is a good night’s rest and a longer-lasting mattress. In the world of mattresses, latex mattresses have been gaining in popularity throughout the years, especially among sleepers who find themselves dissatisfied with traditional innerspring or memory foam mattresses. Latex mattresses are known for their comfort, breathability, bounce, and responsiveness…they are also considered a more healthy option due to the availability (and relative inexpensive cost) of natural and blended latex, making it a popular choice for the environmentally-friendly sleeper. This latex mattress review will help you navigate the world of latex and in the end, be a smarter (and better rested) shopper! Just looking for the list of our favorite latex mattresses? Click here to skip on down to the best latex beds. Benefits of Latex Foam Authentic latex foam is made from a white liquid that is extracted from the Hevea-Brasilenis tree…commonly referred to as the rubber tree.
The liquid is extracted through a tapping method similar to extracting maple. The latex is harvested, excess water is removed through a thickening process, and then shipped to companies who manufacture the latex. When used in mattresses, raw latex is mixed with air before coagulation to result in a springy latex foam. The addition of latex into foam mattresses adds a degree of bounce that is unique to latex. See below for the response time of a latex mattress: Below is another short gif showing the response time of a memory foam mattress. Note the differences between latex and memory foam. Memory foam tends to respond much slower. Traditional foam or memory foam mattresses are known for their pressure relief and body-contouring. This pronounced contour may mean a slower mattress response time for an active sleeper. Another benefit of latex foam is its natural material composition. The properties of latex can minimize offensive odors and off-gassing, making it a good choice for sleepers sensitive to strong smells.
Natural vs. Synthetic Latex All latex mattresses are made up of natural latex, synthetic latex, or a blend of the two. So what’s the big difference? Natural latex is as natural as it sounds. It is the most pure kind of latex and uses only the raw latex harvested from the rubber tree. This latex is supportive, yet has great bounce, which males for a more responsive mattress. A synthetic latex is made by blending a man-made rubber polymer with natural tree sap. The primary benefit of 100% natural latex is the relatively minimal odor and healthier material construction. If you’re looking for a mattress that is as healthy as it can be going with a certified organic natural latex will be the best choice for you. In terms of feel, performance, and longevity, natural, synthetic, and blended latex are all very similar. Synthetic and blended latex usually has a more notable smell (at least for the first several days). The primary benefit of synthetic and blended latex is simply the price.
True organic natural latex is very expensive, prohibitively so for most sleepers. Expect to spend $2-$4K on a 100% natural latex mattress. Similar performing mattresses made with synthetic or blended latex can be found for closer to the $1,000 range. Types of Latex Foam Between natural and synthetic latex, there are two main types of latex foam that can be made – Dunlop or Talalay. These two latex processes result in foams with about the same satisfaction ratings, but with different characteristics. Dunlop latex has been around for longer, but Talalay has been gaining in popularity over the years. Dunlop Latex – latex is poured into a mold until it is full, resulting in one complete piece of latex. This process allows material to settle along the bottom, usually creating a firmer feel on one side of the latex. Dunlop latex is extremely durable, while still maintaining the comfort and bounce that people love about latex. The only negative side of Dunlop can be the consistency issues due to the settling of material during the pouring process.
Talalay Latex – only a small amount of latex is poured into a mold and then air is extracted. This creates a consistent open-cell structure in the foam. The latex is then flash frozen and divided into multiple sections of latex that are glued together to create the final form. The result is a foam with great bounce, cooling, response, and consistency. New to the market is latex manufactured using the continuous process. This method creates a foam similar to Talalay, but does so using a conveyor instead of a traditional mold to form the foam. This eliminates the seams, while still creating a mattress that is more consistent than Dunlop latex. Latex vs. Memory Foam Another common head-to-head match-up is between latex and memory foam. These two materials are strong competitors in the world of online mattress shopping, but they provide very different feels. The latex mattress will have the added bounce, elasticity, and responsiveness that is beneficial to an active sleeper.
Some sleepers claim that the added bounce makes for enhanced amorous activities…but you can decide that one for yourself! Memory foams provide deeper compression, pressure relief, and a slower response time. For sleepers who struggle with back pain or are overweight, the slower response time means more body-contouring, which can be a life-saver if that kind of support is a top priority. GUIDE: How to choose a mattress What’s the Best Latex Mattress for you? Latex mattresses are well-loved and growing in popularity every day. It may cost you more initially, but if bounce, response, balanced contour, and breathability are important to you, then a latex mattress just might be the right choice. For our top-rated latex mattress reviews, check out the following: 10" natural Talalay latex$1,899 3" Talalay latex + 6" APRICO Organic latex$1,799 2" natural Dunlop latex + 6" natural Dunlop latex$1,099 2" Wool + 3" natural Dunlop latex + 7" 5-zone pocketed coils$1,599