Mattress Forum

"Talalay Latex Mattress Problems" - If you believe a lot of the online hype, without reading carefully through some of the more realistic latex mattress reviews, Talalay is in all ways superior to Dunlop. Since that's the case, many half-informed mattress shoppers assume, "if it's all 100 % natural Talalay latex, it must be the best on the market! Before you pull out your credit card, there are a few things you should know about Talalay latex."

Specifically, I found the following points conflicting:

1. Firmness  "...Latex is produced by pouring a uniform thickness of latex into a mold, closing the cover, and using suction to raise the height of the latex layer to 6 inches. A shallower layer of latex before suction will wind up containing more air and less latex. Such a foam is very soft, but will be less supportive. A thicker layer of latex before suction will contain more latex and less air, creating a firmer mattress with a buoyant resilience."

My concern: Not major, but its slightly annoying that my money will buy less latex with the Talalay process (blended or natural).

2. "Durability  "The extra aeration and molding in Talalay production can yield a product that is less durable than Dunlop, making for a shorter lifespan. The open cell structure inherent to latex foam, combined with the volume of air inherent to Talalay latex, tends to create a less stable product. Over time, mattresses with such an open structure can bend or sag, creating further pressure on the internal structure and hastening further breakdown. A mattress that's made entirely of Talalay-produced latex may thus not last as long as a Dunlop mattress. Even hybrid mattresses made with a Talalay sleeping surface and a Dunlop core tend to have more longevity than pure Talalay latex."

My concern: "Over time"' "bend or sag", "hastening further breakdown". "Talalay-produced latex... not last as long as Dunlop"?  Is this true?

3.  Cons -- Talalay Latex Mattresses Can Be "More likely than Dunlop latex to be impersonated by synthetic "latex beds" with unknown and unnatural chemical components."

My concern: I'm already nervous about receiving knock-off Talalay instead of the real stuff.

4. The Bottom Line:  "Overall, botanical Talalay latex is an excellent step forward in latex foam mattress production. Still, an all-Talalay mattress is almost always overkill and a potentially poor investment. Talalay does best as an element in a latex foam mattress with a Dunlop core, or even in hybrid beds with non-latex components. Alone, Talalay can fall in on itself, stressing the inner structure and losing its loft and buoyancy over time."

My concern:  Is my purchase of 4-layers of 3" Talalay (blended or 100% natural) a "wise or poor investment", especially since "Talalay can fall in on itself, stressing the inner structure and losing its loft and buoyancy over time."?  How much time are we talking here?

Is the above correct?  Should I be concerned?