Mattress Forum

Here is some good info on Latex.... Do beware of anyone saying its all natural or 100%. From what I can decipher, there is no such thing.

This essay is on several of the latex bed seller's web pages and is informative.

The Truth About Latex
We have spoken with many people representing many companies about latex–how it’s processed, what’s added to it, how it’s shipped, how it’s tested, what all the numbers mean–and we know how confusing it can be. It’s partly because we are thousands of miles from rubber farms and partly because companies pitch whatever they sell as the best and everything else as inferior.

Let’s start with what everyone seems to agree on:

Rubber trees grow only within about 10 degrees of the equator, and they grow best on hilly slopes.

The trees are sliced at an angle, and a small amount of serum is collected daily.

The trees can be sliced about 180 days per year. During the rainy season and in the summer trees cannot be cut. The trees are cut about feet in length, and the serum runs for about an hour. The tree heals in about an hour and the serum stops flowing.

Latex was originally harvested in Brazil, but for a variety of reasons the only rubber trees in Brazil these days are wild and not cultivated. Almost all latex nowadays comes from the far east.

When the serum is harvested, it is about 1/3 dry latex content. In other words, it is mostly water.

The latex in the pure state needs to be processed. (The processing is not like maple syrup. Maple syrup is boiled down from watery sap to a thicker, sweeter syrup, then filtered.)

All but one company we have asked has told us that a small proportion of ammonia is added to the serum so that it does not coagulate. (One company told us that their factory is next to the farm so they process it right there. Because latex is grown in the countryside and because it coagulates so fast, it’s hard to imagine a factory in a 3rd world country next to a farm. So we have concluded that everyone adds ammonia at first.) Ammonia is a naturally occurring product and is washed out later in processing.

From here the latex needs to be expanded and concentrated. This is done by adding ingredients and whipping or frothing or centrifuging the material.

Latex has in it natural proteins that some people are allergic to. Everyone says that their process, whatever it is, washes out the proteins, and this is verified by testing.

How the expansion and concentration happen, what ingredients are added, and working conditions on the farm–these are all things we are still investigating:

What’s added? We’ve heard lots of things–sulphur, soap, anti-oxidants, food grade anti-oxidants, gelling agents, and "other" chemicals.

Fair Trade? Everyone says that their plantation is family owned, that there are no child workers, and that all the workers receive a fair wage. This is difficult to verify.

Dunlop Process vs. Talalay Process? Talalay is a process used when frothing the latex. The process involves vacuuming the latex while it is being frothed, then freezing it to stabilize the material. This process is more expensive than the Dunlop process and it makes sense that it produces a more consistent product as some of the weaker air bubbles in the latex are removed. In the Talalay process chemicals are usually added, but not always. It is possible to make natural Talalay, synthetic Talalay, natural Dunlop, and synthetic Dunlop. This is where it gets confusing.

What’s better? All Dunlop process companies claim that their product is purer and superior to Talalay process companies, and all Talalay process companies claim that their product is more consistent and therefore superior to Dunlop process companies…and they all have reasons to back it up.

What other variables are there? Some companies add "fillers" such as clay to make the latex go further. (If you find a queen size natural latex mattress selling for $1200 or less, there are fillers.) Some companies use "perimeter support." That means they use cheaper materials, usually chemical, around the outside of the latex. This does allow you to sit more easily on the side of the bed. It also reduces the sleeping surface by up to 20%.

What if I want 100% pure, natural latex? You are probably going to find at best 98% or 99% natural latex or salespeople stretching the truth.

What’s left in the 1% or 2% that’s not latex? Of course everyone says it’s harmless which it probably is. However, because it’s the same thing that memory foam guys and synthetic guys say, we are still investigating and getting test results and spec sheets. We feel that testing the end product is what matters most, not how it’s processed.

How will the 1.5% other materials affect me? What is left is likely to be sulfur and other natural stabilizing compounds; their effect should be negligible for almost everyone. Moreover, we think that latex is the best sleep surface because of its pressure relieving quality, and improved sleep outweighs any possible negative effect of a tiny bit of non-rubber material.

How does it affect the life of the mattress? Whether it’s Dunlop or Talalay, natural latex or synthetic, and you like the feel of it, your mattress is going to last a long time. Latex mattresses made in the 1950s lasted 30 years and longer. Latex is extremely durable. If you are happy with your mattress for 10 - 15 years or longer, you’ve made a great purchase. Longer warranties like 20 or 30 years are more about marketing than reality. How long it lasts depends on a number of factors–how it’s made, of course, but also about how it’s used, who is using it, etc.

Sometimes we don't realize how profoundly synthetic substances have affected our lives until we touch something natural. After living with so many products made of materials that are far removed from nature, made with chemical formulas or processes that ensure each one is exactly like the next, it can feel almost bewildering to touch something organic, simple, and uncomplicated.

But it also can speak to us at a deeper level. Maybe to the child in us that grabbed a handful of grass or touched an animal, before we learned avoiding dirt was the first priority.

Is natural latex "dirty"? Not at all. Our latex is washed multiple times, and is very clean. It's also free of toxic chemicals. But because it's natural, it's going to have some unique characteristics. Each piece will not look exactly like the next, and you might also see:

Some variations in color. It's not pure white like homogenized milk.

Very slight variations in the feel, in one part or another.

Occasional dents, or small shallow tears in the surface.

Sometimes, a brown spot or two, where it's grabbed residue from the baking pins.

Every latex company has its standards for what they will ship to us. We have even stricter standards for what we will ship to our customers. Nonetheless, there will be minor imperfections in natural latex. Some people may feel anxious about this. The best reassurance we can offer is a gentle reminder: natural things have variations--and variations aren't defects. After all, nature doesn't produce plastic or vinyl or polyester, even though these can look "perfect". We hope that in reading through this site, you will come to understand our confidence in natural latex.

In natural Dunlop latex, variations usually have to do with consistency and minor color changes in the material. In natural Talalay, imperfections more often are small tears or "voids"-which are basically baked-in air bubbles.

Here's how we ensure that every layer we sell meets Savvy Rest quality standards. We inspect every piece these ways:

We measure it in both directions because the layers don't always come in perfect rectangles. We cut or trim any sheet that is off-sized.

We hand-test the length of the sheet to be sure that there is consistency in feel from side to side and head to foot.

We check for any major discolorations.

We examine the entire surface to be sure that any tears or voids are so small that they will not affect the durability of the mattress.

We smell it to be sure there is no strong or unusual odor. (Latex does have a light natural plant scent. It's made from plant juice! But with a quilted casing, mattress pad and sheet over it, it's undetectable to most people.)