100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
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Hi, I am considering buying a latex mattress from Flobeds I have been trying foam beds, but no thinking it is better to go with a latex bed I can customize. My main first decision is whether to go with the 100% natural vs. blended latex. On a brief phone conversation, they seem to indicated no real performance differences. Almost like they were pushing the blend over the 100% natural. However, I would like other opinions if possible. The blended is cheaper, lighter and slightly thinner. All pluses for me. In concept, all natural sounds better. However, if no performance differences I would probably go with the blend. What are the real performance differences? Your expert advise is appreciated! Any thoughts on differences between Flobeds and Sleepez would be appreciated as well. |
Re: 100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
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Delilah, This from Latex International's website: "What is the difference between 100% natural and blended latex? By definition, latex is a rubber particle suspended in water. There are 2 types of latex; natural rubber latex and styrene butadiene rubber or man made latex. All latex is either a blend of the two or 100% natural latex. All mattress components and pillows from Latex International are 100% latex. Latex International uses a proprietary blend of natural and man made latex to provide the optimal balance of comfort and durability. Natural rubber latex is for durability. Natural inhibits tearing as it can be stretched like a rubber band. Man made latex helps in creating a product that is resistant to sagging or taking body impressions as it can be compressed over and over and will continue to provide the same feel experienced on the retail floor for years to come. Blended latex is more durable than 100% natural latex sleep products and are less likely to take a body impression over time." I think it's a personal decision. Some people may prefer 100% natural latex because they like the idea of a 100% natural product, with no synthetic chemicals. Latex International seems to feel, from what they write on their website, that blended Talalay is a better product because it will be more durable. Most people seem to feel (based on what I've read) is that there is no discernable difference between how 100% natural and blended Talalay feels to sleep on. I had the chance to try both a blended Talalay mattress and a 100% natural Talalay mattress side by side in the same store, and I could feel no difference. Keep in mind that even if you are going with a 100% natural product, there is nothing eco-friendly about the way latex rubber is produced. If the purity of 100% plant product is not important to you, then go with blended - it's less expensive and LI says it's more durable. If the idea of a 100% natural product holds a strong appeal to you, then go with the 100% natural. I don't think you can go wrong either way. The one thing I would say, is, whether you buy 100% natural or blended Talalay, make sure your latex comes from Latex International (which it would be if you bought a Flobeds). There is another thread on this forum with a visual comparison of LI Talalay latex and a cheaper latex, and that stuff just looks gross. Latex International makes both 100% Talalay and blended Talalay. Also, some people mention allergic reactions to latex. From what I've read, this reaction is more often than not a reaction to the chemicals used in the production of the latex. Latex International puts its latex through a five stage washing process to eliminate the chemicals used in production. This message was modified Oct 9, 2009 by KimberlyH
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Re: 100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
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I would love to find a totally neutral party who had no ax to grind, one way or the other, and had true scientific credentials, and would do a thorough and complete test of both blended and natural botanically grown latex. It would not surprise me in the least to learned that some type of blended product could very well be a superior product to 100% botanically grown natural latex. The thing that troubles me about 100% botanically grown natural latex is how many different niche market retailers are cashing in on this business of 100% natural. The claims that are made just do not hold water for me. One reason being that I have lived my entire lifetime around synthetic foam. Think about it for a minute. Almost all of our furniture, the seats in our cars and so many other items are made from petrochemical derived foam. As far as I know I have never suffered any ill effects from it. There is no question that in the petrochemical derived foam area there are all types of different quality foams.I am setting in an office chair that I purchased from Office Depot several years ago. It is a rather good quality chair. But the foam in the seating area has broken completely down. I am currently setting on a pillow to have any cushioning at all. On the other hand the seats in my 1992 Honda Accord have held up marvelously well.I am quite sure that all of this foam that I am referring to in these two seats is chemically derived foam. So it all just depends. This message was modified Oct 9, 2009 by eagle2
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Re: 100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
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Thanks all. Sleepez has a pretty good review of latex on their website. In their summary, they believe that blended is the best value in terms of of comfort, consistency, and durablility. They also say Talay blended and Talay natural feel the same. They imply that natural might last longer, but not enough longer to overcome the cost differential.<BR><BR>I am not sure if they have an axe to grind, since they sell all of the different type from what I can tell. It is possible that they have different profit margins on the different products, which might give them a bias. I have no reason to believe that though.<BR><BR>I think I am going to go with the blended, since I cannot find any evidence that all natural performs better. I am trying to keep the cost down, and I don't tend to have allergies and sensitivites. However, I won't know for sure until I try it. At least Flobeds has a good return policy.<BR> This message was modified Oct 9, 2009 by delilah
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Re: 100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
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delilah wrote: Thanks all. Sleepez has a pretty good review of latex on their website. In their summary, they believe that blended is the best value in terms of of comfort, consistency, and durablility. They also say Talay blended and Talay natural feel the same. They imply that natural might last longer, but not enough longer to overcome the cost differential.<BR><BR>I am not sure if they have an axe to grind, since they sell all of the different type from what I can tell. It is possible that they have different profit margins on the different products, which might give them a bias. I have no reason to believe that though.<BR><BR>I think I am going to go with the blended, since I cannot find any evidence that all natural performs better. I am trying to keep the cost down, and I don't tend to have allergies and sensitivites. However, I won't know for sure until I try it. At least Flobeds has a good return policy.<BR> delilah: I believe you are probably making a wise choice. I took the time to call SleepEZ today and talked to Shawn (SP) and it's obvious that he feels that blended is the better product for the money. He even feels that it will last longer than 100% natural. I guess at this point in time it is probably a good thing to say, I have yet to find anything, anywhere, that condemns the blended product. So if I were having to purchase again today, I might very well buy it myself, and save some money. Good luck with your purchase. |
Re: 100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
delilah: Good news for you! I just visited FloBeds site and they are running a discount on the blended Talalay mattresses. Go to their website and check it out. |
Re: 100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
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Thanks eagle2. I was aware of the sale, which was one of the reasons I was leaning towards the blend. In fact, I put in an order today for the vzone, after waking up with a sore neck and headache. I like the fact that I can customize the hip and shoulder areas, which is where I have the biggest issues (I am a side sleeper). I think this customization model is a great concept. I wish I would have discovered it earlier. Plus, it sounds relatively easy to ship (vs. a "normal" mattress). The other mattress business models seem problematic to me, but I guess one can always stumble upon something that works for them. However, as they say, the proof will be in the pudding. So, we'll see how I like it in actual use. It should arrive in about 1 week. So, I will post some feedback after I have a chance to try it. |
Re: 100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
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Good for you delilah! I believe you will find that David and Dewey Turner are excellent people to do business with.One thing is for sure, if you don't like something you can exchange it. And worst comes to worst, you can always get your money back within the 90 day period. These are the reasons that I'm doing business with them. I know I'm paying a couple of hundred dollars more than over someone like SleepEZ. Although Sean at SleepEZ seems to be a very excellent and helpful person, you're not dealing with the owner of the company, at least as far as I know. The other factor is that they just do not have the liberal exchange and return policy that FloBeds has. This was the deciding factor for me. They do have one nice feature, if it is of interest to the individual, they sell Dunlop as well as blended Talalay and 100% botanically grown Talalay. I just went to the Habitat website again and listened to their video about the difference between blended and 100 percent natural botanically grown latex. They most assuredly go for the hundred percent botanically grown and want nothing to do with the blended. The reason being, I haven't a clue. it's particularly interesting since Latex International makes both a blended and a 100% botanically grown latex. In any event, I think you will be quite happy with your purchase. |
Re: 100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
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Eagle2: I gave the order to Dewey, who seemed like a pretty helpful and knowledgable guy. Have you experienced any issues with the layers shifting/sliding apart? That happens with my memory foam on top of a spring mattress. I assume that the friction of the latex foam, and the cover should hold them together pretty well. But, I did not really ask about that potential issue. |
Re: 100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
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delilah wrote: Eagle2: I gave the order to Dewey, who seemed like a pretty helpful and knowledgable guy. Have you experienced any issues with the layers shifting/sliding apart? That happens with my memory foam on top of a spring mattress. I assume that the friction of the latex foam, and the cover should hold them together pretty well. But, I did not really ask about that potential issue. No, I have not experienced any shifting of the layers. I talked to them about this and Dewey explain to me that they made the cover intentionally slightly smaller than the dimensions of the cores, specifically to address this potentiality. Besides, latex rubber, blended or no, is very clingy. If you put two pieces of latex together and try to drag them you will have one heck of a time. You will find this out when you go to put your bed together. You have to use a kind of flipping waving action to move this stuff at all. It really wants to grab ahold of whatever latex is close to it. Be very careful in the way you handle latex. Taking a handful of it and pulling on it can tear it. I have been trying to think of some good verbal illustration to refer to how to handle latex. The best I can come up with is the way you might handle a very large baby that you didn't want to injure, but were having a difficult time moving. You don't want to try to drag it around. It will certainly be best if you have another person who can assist you. Will your husband be available? I would highly recommend it. A full California King size piece of 3 inch thick latex can weigh approximately 50 pounds. So even a half piece weighs about 25lb's. And it is a very floppy stuff!  . It is kind of like trying to handle a dead body or a drunk. It is very uncooperative material! Oh yes. You may have to tuck the latex into the corners of the cover, at one point or the other. In this regard latex is quite cooperative....thank goodness! Also, I have not noticed any crack between the two sides of my California King bed. For one thing the top layer, that is two pieces glued together, is a convoluted 2" piece of soft Talalay. This is true no matter which of their beds you buy. All of them include this 2 inch soft convoluted Talalay top piece covering the entire surface of your bed. So far my bed is sleeping quite well. I did notice a slight discomfort in my hip area late in the sleeping process last night as I had been spending a lot of time on the side with the new soft piece. I simply rolled over to the firmer side and notice no other discomfort. Now let me emphasize that the discomfort was extremely mild and may have been a figment of my imagination or just the way I was laying. But I will certainly give it a thorough work out to determine if I want to keep this soft piece of latex. Yes Dewey is quite knowledgeable and helpful. I have only dealt with him one time, on my most recent contact to request the 2 exchange sample cores. I have principally dealt with his father David. Since David and I are much closer in age we do share a perspective of experiences. But I feel quite sure that either one of them will do a good job of assisting you with any problems that you may have. Whatever you do, give yourself at least two weeks before making any exchanges. Unless of course you find yourself very uncomfortable. In that case contact them and get their advice on how to get to a more comfortable position with your bed. This message was modified Oct 9, 2009 by eagle2
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Re: 100% natural vs. blend latex at Flobeds
| I own both LI blended talalay and LI 100% natural talalay. In my opinion, they are very similar products. I think the blended is slightly more consistent. In the future, when I throw away my foam by mail latex, I am going to replace it with LI blended. Actions speak louder than words...... |