What's So Special About a Talalay Latex Mattress?

I had a fun little call a couple of weeks ago from a sweet little 80-something young lady… She was frustrated but determined to find a Latex mattress just like the one she had that was finally losing its resiliency - after 30+ years! She lamented about how Sleep Aire, the local Seattle company that had originally made her mattress so many years ago was no longer in business; and she was sad about having to replace a mattress that she had been so comfortable on for so long.

She continued to tell me about how she had been to a few mattress stores around town already looking at Latex mattresses; and the reason she was frustrated was because she was being told about so many different kinds of Latex mattress options, but none of them sounded like her beloved old mattress.

She went on about how “there’s this kind of Latex and that kind of Latex”, and then “you can get layers of this or that”; and she ended the beginning portion of her call with, “I don’t know what kind of Latex is in my mattress now, how do I know what kind I have so I can get the same kind?”

I told her that we know exactly what kind of Latex mattress she has, and YES we still make them the same way they were being made decades ago! It can only be one kind of Latex mattress that holds its shape for 30+ years and that’s TALALAY! That’s why we sell it here at Seattle Mattress, and it's just one of the reasons why we do. If you want to know more about why we sell SOLID TALALAY LATEX MATTRESSES, click here to read up about the Talalay Latex we use in our mattresses.

I'm happy to report that this couple came into our store, determined that - yes - our Latex mattress was indeed the same kind of Latex mattress as their original mattress, and they did purchase one. This couple was looking for the familiar "feel" of their old mattress with the same kind of longevity. But the really cool thing about this story is that this lady and her husband have been sleeping on an all-natural, healthy, non-offgassing, correctly supportive, comfortable sleep surface for 30+ years – before it ever became cool to go green!

No, this is not an unusual story, we have seen Talalay Latex mattresses last as long as 40ish years - talk about a reduction in landfill mass if you are only replacing a mattress once every 20-40 years; AND it is made of a naturally biodegradable product that won't harm humans or the environment as it is decomposing.

Talalay Latex mattresses are long-lasting, non-toxic and COMFORTABLE - This is the difference a Seattle Mattress SOLID Natural Talalay Latex mattress can make. Many people think that Latex mattresses are a new thing that has just popped up since the green movement started, but they are not. They are a tried and true, time-honored, traditional mattress for us here at Seattle Mattress, and well-worth the visit to our showroom.

WHAT IS the DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DUNLOP LATEX and TALALAY LATEX?

The main difference between Talalay-processed Latex and Dunlop-processed Latex is what happens in the mold just prior to the initial curing stage. In the Talalay process, air is extracted to perfectly distribute the foamed liquid inside the mold and to create a consistent, round, open-cell structure. The mattress core is flash frozen to lock the cell structure in place and to prevent the particles from settling.

In the Dunlop process, the molds are filled to the rim, air is not extracted, and there is no freezing stage. Therefore, the Latex cell structure is less “airy". Gravity takes over and the rubber particles settle - creating a denser product that is more firm on the bottom and softer on top than Talalay Latex.

Because of the vacuum/freezing process of Talalay Latex, which gives the Latex a more uniform, supple consistency - in our opinion, it is the best Latex process for manufacturing the most consistent-feeling sleep surface - especially for double-sided mattresses like we make here at Seattle Mattress.

The Dunlop process creates a more dense "higher rubber content" Latex, but the cell structure is not as consistent. In experiments with compressed Dunlop Latex vs. Talalay Latex, Talalay performs and bounces back much better after being compressed - especially over time. And Dunlop is more affected by continuous pressure - which means that the pressure of a body sleeping on Dunlop regularly can affect it more than Talalay. Because Dunlop is more dense, it loses its ability to "bounce back" over time - which is why you often see Dunlop Latex mattresses come with a 10-year warranty instead of a 20-year warranty.

Immediately after the manufacturing process is complete, both Talalay Latex & Dunlop Latex are tested... Talalay averages at a 4%-8% loss recovery rate while Dunlop averages 14%-30% loss recovery rate. Talalay is also the strongest option at a 5.90 Tensile rating (amount of strength it takes to pull apart a piece of Latex), while Dunlop can average anywhere from 3.40 to 4.60. Elongation testing reveals that Talalay will stretch a whopping 287% over Dunlop's 161% to 220%.

Also, because of the inconsistency of Dunlop during drying (firmer on the bottom, softer on top), it is also far more likely to develop air pockets and/or lumps where firmness/softness variations meet within the piece of Latex.

The bottom line is... We choose to use pure, natural Talalay Latex exclusively in our mattresses, simply because if you're going to invest in a good Latex mattress, you might as well make sure it is made of "the best stuff" that you know will provide you with the consistent, long-term, reliable benefits that you're paying for.

Some people are a little turned off by the initial cost of a solid natural Talalay Latex mattress. Even at our low factory-direct pricing, a Queen set starts at $1649 and a King set starts at $1999. And while it is true that they are sometimes (but not always) more money at the time of purchase than a traditional Innerspring mattress; they are also often considerably less-expensive in the long run when you figure in "how long it will last" over time - and on top of that benefit, the additional advantage of having a mattress that will hold it's relative shape for at least 20 years without the formation of significant body impressions or "dips & valleys". You spend 1/3 of your life sleeping, how much would a mattress like that be worth to you?

While you're out doing research and shopping around for Latex mattresses, please be extra-careful of cheaper Latex mattresses layered with other "regular" polyfoams and "soyfoams". Believe it or not, if you're not paying attention, you can spend ALOT more money for a mattress layered with a couple of inches of Latex rather than a solid one that REALLY WILL last.