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Hello all, Having recently visited a Dunlopillo store in Greece and tried out a few different latex mattresses, I settled on a “Fine Ivory” Talalay latex mattress which I liked for its combination of good support for the back and comfort for my aching hips and shoulders. I was told that the mattress contained only 70% natural latex but I could get a 99% natural latex mattress with a comparable degree of softness on special order for a couple of hundred Euros more, which I bought. Unfortunately, when the mattress arrived a few weeks later, I was dismayed to find that it was much, much firmer than the one I had tried in the store. In fact, the mattress was almost too hard to sleep on without feeling uncomfortable. On closer inspection, I discovered that the mattress (single, 21cm high) was made up of two layers of latex glued together; the one layer is softer to pressure (and indeed the mattress is slightly softer when I sleep on that side) but the texture is quite porous and more irregular in appearance. The other layer is smoother and creamier in appearance but it is VERY firm and the mattress feels firmer than I can tolerate when lying on that side. My first thought was that maybe I had received a Dunlop mattress instead of a Talalay one because I experienced a strong pushback from the mattress which hadn’t been the case in the store. I complained to the store owner who came to inspect the mattress together with a company rep. The rep was adamant that it was definitely Talalay and that there was nothing wrong with the mattress. He acknowledged that one side was firmer than the other but explained the disparity by saying that maybe the firmer side was from the bottom of the mold in which the latex had been cast. He also said that the mattress was a 100% natural product, with no chemical additives, and as such of necessity firmer than the 70% natural/30% synthetic variety. Yet, they are both described as medium by Dunlopillo (even though the one I tried in-store was really quite soft). He also insisted this was the best quality mattress Dunlopillo have. A week later, however, I received a call from the store manager who said I would be offered an exchange. I’m of course glad that I now have the option of getting the mattress exchanged, however I’m not at all sure the replacement mattress is actually going to be an improvement over the one I currently have. My confidence in this company has been shaken due to the inconsistency between what I was promised and what I finally received. Another thing that worries me is that the rep insisted the natural mattress was only available in one firmness; if I eventually receive a softer one, how do I know it’s natural (for which I’ve paid a premium) and not a natural/synthetic mix? I post two pictures of the mattress – I’d be very grateful if any of you could have a look and let me know what you think.
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Two items of note: Dunlop is a process whereby the latex batter (and EVERY latex has some fillers in order to provide consistency and in order to process the material) is mixed, placed in the mold to set (it settles) and bakes (the process where it turns from batter to foam) it almost always has some variations in firmness levels because it is settling during the baking process. The best analogy is a sandy beach and the sandy area in the first 50 feet of surf (going out into the surf), the sand is settling every time a wave leaves and leaves various mounds or hills/valleys under the water. The firmer layers of dunlop process are near the bottom and a single layer sliced at two inches thick couild be firm at one end and soft at the other. Talaly process is different. It whips up the batter, places it in the mold and introduces a vaccuum to make the batter expand; the batter is then immediately frozen in this position and then baked/processed. this process virtually eliminates the variations of firmness/softness as described in the Dunlop process. No matter what process they use, it is always glued (or something similar and hopefully non-toxic) and should feel the way it feels in the store. It sounds like you know this stuff already (I just wanted to make sure), so I would encourage you to have the store bring in the mattress you want to their store so you can try it there. If it doesn't work, they can keep it and you should ask for your money back or ask for the 70/30 blend you really like and the difference paid back to you. If your concern is the 70/30 vs the 100%, be aware that the blend refers to the amount of synthetic latex vs. natural latex (again, they all use fillers to make it consistent). Think of Gold here: 24k gold vs 14k gold has to do with the amount of fillers used to make the gold stronger/harder and therefore last longer in its designed shape. The 24k costs more, is softer and has a tendency to flatten on the palm side of your finger. The 14k is stronger and less expensive giving you the better of both worlds (unless money is not the option and replacement happens with no concern for the cost) I find that the blend of natural and synthetic latex is best by far for durability, consistency, comfort and price and they have all of the benefits of 100% latex (because it is... it just blends natural LATEX with synthetic LATEX-- which is the same basic chemical composition whether from a tree or recreated in a lab). Ultimately, YOUR COMFORT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR... so if they want your money... have them let you try it in the store before getting it into your home. I hope this will help clarify some of your situation!
Sleep Well "perchancetodream"! |
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Thanks for this, GuyMakesSense.
My concern is that the mattress was supposed to be a Talalay, not a Dunlop one. The rep insisted that Dunlopillo only ever uses Talalay latex in all its mattresses, which contradicts his explanation for the different firmnesses of the latex layers. Your account also also confirms my suspicion that there is an contradiction in what he said: on the one hand he claims that this is definitely a Talalay mattress; on the other hand, the explanation he gives does not seem to tally with the fact that, in contrast to Dunlop, the Talalay process creates a uniform product. So either he doesn't know his stuff or he's lying. I chose natural over the synthetic mix for health reasons. Maybe I'm being overcautious but, having suffered from chronic fatigue for a number of years, I'd like to to avoid exposure to chemicals as much as possible. I'll try to arrange to see the mattress in the store first but I don't know how easy it will be as, being a special order, the mattress comes directly from the factory and they don't display it in any of their stores. |
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"Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now." The whole thing is starting to sound like a Monty python sketch. Let's see, the owner and a factory rep from the DUNLOPillo store (Hello?) come out and swear the premium mattress they just sold you is Talalay process and not Dunlop? My understanding is the talalay process injects liquid natural latex into a mold that is frozen, carbon dioxide gas added, then heated to cure the rubber. Dunlop process foam uses a centrifuge, does not freeze the mold and is generally denser. In the Dunlopilllo brochure it says "The process begins with careful blending to produce a mixture that is the basis of Dunlopillo latex. The next stage is pouring the latex in a mould, adding a gas and then heating it to 115°C to cure and set the mixture by vulcanisation." Mixed, poured and heated, it sounds like Dunlop to me. Under 'About Us' it states "Dunlopillo latex was invented by a Dunlop scientist, Mr EA Murphy in January 1929. Murphy was one of a group of research scientists working for Dunlop at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham." Search for 'Talalay' on the Dunlopillo site and you get '0' results. I also think you may be overestimating the health benefits of 100% natural latex. The synthetic blends are made from benign materials and may actually make for a more durable, consistent product. Why not try the one you liked the feel of? This message was modified Nov 21, 2011 by SleepLikeADog
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@'sleeplike a dog" - Well said! I believe that we have cornered oursleves with too much uselssinfo regarding thingslike 100% natural anything. Once converted into a foam, therubber sap is much less biodegradeable and so the focus should be comfort and durability... the synthetic/natural belnd provides both. |
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sleeplikeadog, The following is from the Dunlopillo Greece site: http://www.dunlopillo.gr/products-list.php?lang=en&cat-id=17 It says clearly: "Multiple layers of natural talalay Latex's different densities provide whole body support and offer exceptional comfort and relaxation". And here's the link to the "100% natural talalay latex" mattress (though it's merely an entry on the catalogue and gives no information about the product whatsoever, unfortunately!) http://www.dunlopillo.gr/products-list.php?lang=en&cat-id=31 Finally, here's a section from the company history, which may (or may not) hold the key to the mystery: http://www.dunlopillo.gr/company.php?lang=en&id=14 2007: So Latex International has an exclusive partnership with Thalpos which owns the rights to the Dunlopillo brand for the Greek market. In June 2011, so quite recently, Latex International opened a new plant in Malaysia, which is said to be the only big production facility manufacturing both types of latex, Talalay and Dunlop. When I last spoke to him on the phone, the store owner (who is merely an authorised supplier of Dunlopillo products) speculated that someone in a warehouse might have got the wrong latex cores! Hmmm, I think I'll give the store owner a call tomorrow and see if he can deliver the mattress I ordered, and ask him for assurances that it will be of similar softness to the one I tried at the store. If not, I will ask for a natural/synthetic blend and request a refund of the premium I paid for the natural.
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