hi.

i'm in the process of looking for a latex mattress for the futon frame i'm going to be buying shortly.  my studio is small so i plan to get a futon which i'm going to fold and unfold into and from a sofa/bed every day. 

i've never owned a latex mattress before, so i'm wondering what you experienced folks on this forum would recommend:

getting one 6" dunlop core or two 3" cores?  also, from those of you who own dunlop mattresses, do you think the mattress will be easy enough to fold into a couch every day in the first place? 

btw, i'm a fairly light and lean guy at around 5'7" and 130 lbs., so if you also have some recommendations for what you think may be good ILDs for me that would also be greatly appreciated.  i tend to like a softer mattress, but that is also supportive (i sleep in every position.  side, stomach, back - just depends on the night)

i've read through a lot of posts on this forum and you folks seem extremely knowledgeable.  a latex rookie like myself would greatly appreciate as much advice from you guys as possible.  thanks!  =)

Lynn2006 wrote:
Lynn, Yes your set-up makes perfect sense. Too bad I did not find this forum until after we had spent our money. We are sleeping really well though at the moment (with the Brylane topper over everything).

It's amazing that you would be able to tell the difference between 1 inch and 3/4 inches of latex. You are like the princess and the pea :-)

Thank you Kim for agreeing with me that my set-up of my latex cores makes perfect sense and for lettign me know you also like the Brylane Topper and are comfortable now which is what matters.  My back has always been a little sensitive due to my small amount of Scoliosis I have but now it is very sensitive since the car accident and it is amazing how a 1/4" of extra padding can feel so different.  I just like the quality of the Brylane Topper and after cutting it to fit my Queen bed, it is a perfect fit while the less thick Overstock Topper was falling apart and a little short for the bed.

I have to reiterate--there is a BIG difference between the way Dunlop feels and the way Talalay feels. I can't stress enough how important it is to try each type of latex out before you make a choice if at all possible. Don't assume that trying out a Talalay mattress will provide an accurate idea of what a Dunlop mattress will feel like or vice versa, because it won't.

As you can see there are two latex camps here--those who prefer Talalay, like Lynn, and those who prefer Dunlop like me. It's all subjective. I think good quality Talalay is a very consistent material and it's certainly "prettier." But it has certain quirks and characteristics I found impossible to sleep on. On the other hand, having slept on Dunlop for many years, I know for a fact that it provides very good support at soft ILDs, something that can't be said for Talalay.

Which latex will suit you best? Well, if you like a springy extremely resilient foam that pushes back against your body you will probably prefer Talalay. Dunlop is more passive and probably takes less getting used to. It's more like lying on a very comfy couch.

Kim wondered how latex would take to folding up on a daily basis. Actually it should do quite well. Latex mattresses are recommended for use with those adjustable beds so it should be fine on a futon frame. But keep it inside of a cover. Latex is fragile in an unprotected state. Talalay, perhaps more so than Dunlop because of all the air whipped into the latex. Dunlop is denser and a little more sturdy. You want to keep it protected from UV light. Latex is biodegradable. Protected it will last a good 20 years or more. Unprotected, as little as 3.

So yeah, I'm biased, but I think that since you are basically sleeping on a futon, not an actual bed, Dunlop is still the right way to go. You will need less of it to build a comfortable mattress. Talalay really requires three 3" cores and possibly a thinner topper to get it right. With Dunlop you could do it with a mere 6 inches--something to consider when you are folding it into a couch every day. Latex is heavy! Since you like a soft bed, go with a soft and a medium core. You can always add a 1" soft Talalay topper, but I really don't think you'll need to.

Good luck, and let us know what you ended up with--where you bought your foam and how you like it.

Cloud9, I never slept on a Dunlap latex mattress and it sounds from your description, very comfortable. I just prefer Talalay latex toppers since that is all I have experience with and I did not like the Dunlap topper. Thanks for always sharing your knowledge and experiences.

Lynn, I wondered what the ILD was on the Dunlop topper. It might have been too firm to accomplish what you wanted. My feeling is that if you can sleep comfortably on Talalay why not? My problem with it was that when it was firm enough to be supportive it made me ache all over. Soft enough to be comfortable (for the first two hours) and I got no support. Plus, I just didn't like the pushy feeling. I seemed to be jiggling all over the mattress unable to settle securely and comfortably into it.  For me Dunlop latex just has that "aahhhh" factor.

Cloud9, the only way Talalay Latex is comfortable for me is with a 44 ILD on the bottom and no less than a 39 ILD under a soft topper that is no more than 1". But this set up seams to be the best for me right now.  I am sure I would be comfortable with either a Dunlap Latex Core on the bottom or a Talalay Latex core on the bottom of the mattress if it is at least a 44 ILD.  The Dunlap topper was too thick at 1.5" and not soft enough for me and made me ache all over.  I really love the way soft Talalay Latex feels underneath me. My bed is not jiggly since I have the set up to be very firm which I like and need.  After all, if it wasn't for the dust closer to the floor and how uncomfortable it is to get up on and off the floor, I would have just continued to sleep with my Overstock 1" topper on my carpeted bedroom floor since it was so comfortable for me.  I am glad you found what works for you.  I may have not had a soft enough topper that was too thick not knowing I could not handle more than a 1" topper.

Lynn, I think I would actually have liked the feeling of the soft Talalay(20 ILD) core over a 38 and 44-- if there had been less of it. 3" was too much and it undermined the support of the firm layers beneath. Half of that, possibly even just 1" would have been much better, but I know what you're talking about. I do like that 1" Brylane Talalay topper, which is probably more like a 26-28 ILD, but only with the 1" Overstock visco topper over it. That combination comes close to approximating the feeling of my old Dunlop mattress. The latex provides resilience and the visco provides the soft cradling quality I like. And no jiggles!

cloud9,

just wanted to tell you again that your opinions and advice were much appreciated when i was looking to buy my latex!  and just to give you an update, i've finally received most of the pieces to my bed (the major pieces at least).

i got a 4" medium firm (26 ifd i believe) in 100% natural dunlop and i just got my 2" 100% natural talalay topper 2 days ago (22 ifd).  it feels nice so far (granted i've been sleeping on an inflatable air mattress for the past month so anything would feel nice to me at this point), but the latex is actually a bit firmer than i expected (even the talalay topper).  i guess i was expecting it to be really, really soft.  but fortunately, as a few people have wisely helped me remember, is that i can always make my bed softer, but i can't make it firmer - so i have no regrets so far and do not expect to. 

and the folding of the futon is working out alright.  it folded pretty easily with just the 4" piece, but once i added the extra 2" it takes a little more effort to fold - but it all still stays nicely folded in place.

and just fyi regarding the other parts of my bed:  i also ordered a 100% natural organic futon mattress cover, a buckwheat pillow, a kapok pillow, and a 100% organic cotton sateen fitted sheet.  so my bed is pretty much as natural and eco/health friendly as can be!  haha.  (although i haven't gotten the kapok pillow and sateen sheet yet)

anyway, thanks again everyone for all your help and input!  it was all very much appreciated!  ^.^

Brownbrian, we all are happy for you that we were of help and you now have a Dunlap/Talalay Latex combination bed.  Please keep us updated. 

Brownbrian, glad my advice was helpful. Your mattress sounds so comfy. You really do like a soft bed if you find the 22/26 combination a bit on the firm side! I'm guestimating that the Dunlop mattress I slept on was probably a 26 and it always seemed really soft to me. Some vendors still sell super soft 16 ILD Talalay, but  most of them have stopped carrying it because it has a tendency to compress after awhile--just in case you're tempted to go even softer on top. I think you'll find that the latex will soften up a bit in time, and once you get used to the new sleep surface it will probably seem perfect to you. Here's to many years of great sleep!