Dunlop vs. Talalay
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I know that dunlop and talalay are two different processes for producing latex mattresses (and other latex products). My question involves firmness. I've read that talalay feels airier and not quite as supportive as dunlop. My specific question is if you have two different mattresses, one made from the dunlop process and the other from the talalay process and they are both the same ILD, does dunlop feel or present as more supportive than talalay? I hope I'm making sense. Thank you, Jay |
Re: Dunlop vs. Talalay
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enlighten wrote: I know that dunlop and talalay are two different processes for producing<BR>latex mattresses (and other latex products). My question involves firmness.<BR>I've read that talalay feels airier and not quite as supportive as dunlop. My <BR>specific question is if you have two different mattresses, one made from the<BR>dunlop process and the other from the talalay process and they are both the same ILD,<BR>does dunlop feel or present as more supportive than talalay? I hope I'm making sense.<BR><BR>Thank you,<BR><BR>Jay Dunlop is for sure a 'firmer' feel and the same ILD of a talalay and a dunlop mattress will feel different. People prefer both about the same amount. My advice - go find some to lay on and feel the difference. If you are in a major metro area - someone has it to see - your job is to find it. Side sleeper would probably be better with talalay and a stomach sleeper might prefer the dunlop but your mileage may vary. Bill |
Re: Dunlop vs. Talalay
| you make perfect sense, and yes it does |
Re: Dunlop vs. Talalay
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Jay you have my answer in the other thread. They say Dunlop feels firmer because it is denser than Talalay due to the manufacturing process. I will repeat the analogy that I just posted in the other thread here, as it seems to be a good one. Dunlop is like pound cake and Talalay is like angel food cake. Probably as good at analogy is I can think of. From squeezing the samples that I have received (a rather poor way to test a mattress don't you think?) the Dunlop definitely feels firmer. This is even though it is marked with the same firmness designation as the sample of Talalay. To me Talalay feels more "springy" and Dunlop feels more dense. It would certainly be nice to have two beds, one all Dunlop, and the second one all Talalay. Then you could sleep, on alternate nights, on both of them for a period of a week and then you would know how "YOU" liked the different products.  |
Re: Dunlop vs. Talalay
| I think all the above descriptions are right. Talalay is springier, bouncier, and Dunlop is just firmer, without much bounce or spring to it, more like a piece of rubber. |
Re: Dunlop vs. Talalay
| Does anyone know? Are those thick rubber cushions you see sometimes under people's work stations, Dunlop latex? Some of those feel so amazing, and I wonder if they're not Dunlop? |
Re: Dunlop vs. Talalay
| Talalay is a process and Dunlop is a process. The difference in the 2 is the one step that Talalay does in freezing theirs to make it consistent. Freezing the foam makes its cells stay in the area it is meant to be. For instance. If you take a snow globe and shake it, now with all the particals in the space evenly it is instantly frozen whih makes for a more consistent and better product. As the particals settle and clump up in the bottom of the globe they are very inconsistent which is the Dunlop process. If you look at a piece of the 2 side by side you can see the difference in the cell structure. Usually the Dunlop is much more dense at the bottom of the piece and Talalay is evenly dispersed through out the piece. Talalay is the GOLD STANDARD of foams. It is the only type made and processed in the US. Sealy owns the SAPSA factory which makes the Dunlop process so in turn they will always say theirs is better. |
Re: Dunlop vs. Talalay
| I tried a Dunlap Topper and a Talalay topper and I just preferred the feel of the Talalay Latex topper better for a good night's sleep. |
Re: Dunlop vs. Talalay
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I have read and read on this subject. It always turns out that the author of the piece you're reading is usually for the product he is selling. It would be wonderful if we could all go to a show room that had several all Talalay mattress of 100% natural botanically grown latex, and several mattress of 100% natural botanically grown latex developed by the Dunlop process. And let me hasten to add, in various firmness levels. Very few people have an opportunity to do this. In the end what happens is, you purchased one or the other and you either like it or you don't. Therefore you need to purchase from somebody who will take the mattress back, and we'll give you your money back, less return shipping. Not too many of the companies are willing to do this. I just purchased and all natural 100% botanically grown latex mattress developed by the Talalay process from FloBeds. They have a policy of taking the mattress back within 90 days and refunding your money less return shipping. Habitat also has a "give your money back" policy and they extend the period for six months. I believe Sleep EZ has a some what similar policy. In the end it always comes down to one thing, "If you're happy you're happy, if you're not you're not." Sometimes we just have to roll the dice and take our chances. |
Re: Dunlop vs. Talalay
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Thank you all for your great responses. Eagle, your spot on and wonderfully thoughtful, as usual. Bill, as to your comment about being able to find a place to try out the various latex options, it's easier said than done. There are two foam stores in the Boston area, one sells only polyfoam and the other sells both latex and polyfoam but they don't have mattresses in the store to try out. They have samples of the foam that you can feel between your hands but there is nothing to lie down on. You pick the foam from their "hand samples" and then they send out the order to a local factory who assemble the mattress. Any other ideas are welcome. I think I might just have to do what eagle is suggesting and bite the bullet and go with one of the companies that has a flexible return policy. Thank you. Jay |
Re: Dunlop vs. Talalay
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enlighten wrote: Thank you all for your great responses. Eagle, your spot on and wonderfully thoughtful, as usual. Bill, as to your comment about being able to find a place to try out the various latex options, it's easier said than done. There are two foam stores in the Boston area, one sells only polyfoam and the other sells both latex and polyfoam but they don't have mattresses in the store to try out. They have samples of the foam that you can feel between your hands but there is nothing to lie down on. You pick the foam from their "hand samples" and then they send out the order to a local factory who assemble the mattress. Any other ideas are welcome. I think I might just have to do what eagle is suggesting and bite the bullet and go with one of the companies that has a flexible return policy. Thank you. Jay Jay: Savvy Rest, unlike so many online stores, uses dealers. I went to one out of state and was less than satisfied. But there are all kinds of dealers. If one is close to you, you might give them a call and see how many beds they have that you could try out. Savvy Rest sells both Dunlop and Talalay. And you don't have to buy from them, just test out the mattress. Savvy Rest does not have a return policy, only a exchange policy for 90 days and their shipping charges are rather high. However, I feel that they are a good company with a good product, as per the posts on this forum. In any event here is a link to their website showing the various dealers around the country. Possibly one of them is not that great a distance from you. http://www.savvyrest.com/order/find-a-dealer Feeling samples of latex or any other kind of foam between your hands is next to useless, in my opinion. In fact it can even be quite deceptive. For instance. The samples of Talalay that I received from two different suppliers felt very soft compared to Dunlop. So much so that I was convinced I needed Dunlop in my mattress to have a firm enough mattress to sleep on. After a great deal of, "this and that" and you name it, I finally bought from FloBeds an all Talalay mattress. The experience of laying on this compared to trying to make a determination by feeling 3 inch sample blocks of foam, is greater than "night and day" you really need to lay on a mattress to make any kind of a determination. And even then it's not going to be the same as sleeping on one for several nights. But it beats the heck out of just reading and feeling samples. If you want more details on this you can read my thread "Just bought a FloBeds" Good Luck! This message was modified Oct 1, 2009 by eagle2
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