I've been reading all of the recent posts discussing Dunlop vs. Talalay but I still don't have a handle on how different they (especially all-natural latex) actually FEEL from one another. I'm looking for a 2 inch latex topper and definitely don't want something "bouncy" or "jiggly". I like the feel of medium soft PU foam, but it doesn't last very long. Do any of these types of latex come closer to that feel (not too springy, not too "pudding-y" like memory foam). Does 100% natural latex (either Talalay or Dunlop) have less spring-back than the blended types? It seems that some of you have checked out all types of latex and can perhaps enlighten me on this.

From what was posted here. Dunlop process seems to be more like "poundcake" and Talalay process is more like "spongecake". Thud vs. Boing.
I'm going to my mattress shop and try laying on a Dunlop again. I did back when I bought my mattress, but didn't pay much attention back then. I do know it had that "thud" feel. I'm curious to see if he'll sell Dunlop in thinner layers (2" or 3"). He had a thicker core on the floor.

I read a description of both processes on FoamSweetHome that explained it well. They said that for those who want firmer, Dunlop is the way to go. More resilience, go with Talalay. Wish I had known this when I bought mine.



kimmcgov wrote:

If you're looking for something that feels like soft PU, I would try a couple of inexpensive 1" talalay toppers. They pop up occasionally for around $50- $60 apiece online. At 2", I doubt you'll feel any difference between your several options. A local shop had high end dunlop and 100% natural Talatech 9" mattresses side by side, and I didn't feel too much difference (that was a year ago).

In my experience, 100% natural talalay feels much more jiggly than blended talalay.

Dunlop feels a lot like a high quality thick cotton futon when it's new. The feel has been described as "dead" compared to coils or Talalay. It feels dense and thick and heavy compared to Talalay - less rubbery, less refined. It doesn't push back like Talalay. My husband's back tightened up on the Talalay we tried locally but he loves the Dunlop. The Dunlop is sturdy and easy to handle.

I've handled samples of the Natural Talalay and it seems a lot more fragile than the blended Talalay. It is even lighter and airier than the blended. I would think it would be even springier and less durable than either the Dunlop or the blended Talalay. I definitely wouldn't use it as a topper.

I'm not sure whether or not you'd like a Dunlop topper. I'm not sure how thick the latex has to be to get the benefits. My daughter's six inch piece of 32 ILD Dunlop with a simple cotton cover, cotton mattress pad and sheet feels pretty much the same as our three layer mattress with fancy cover. I'm not sure you need more than a six inch mattress but you might be better off with a topper of three inches than two inches. It probably depends on what you have under it too.

Don't forget to cover any latex you buy with a cover of some kind - more than a sheet. Exposure to light will make it break down very quickly.

kimmcgov wrote:
Dunlop is nothing like memory foam. You don't sink in and stay there like quick sand. (Sorry to memory foam fans. I've never liked that feeling when I've tried it in the stores.)

From FoamOrder.com's web page:

" Most in-store customers prefer the Natural Sense to Talalay in a side-by-side comparison (and this is not a "sales pitch")."

That quote is from this page:
http://www.foamorder.com/mattress_pads.html

FoamOrder.com sells blended and natural Talalay, Dunlop (that they call Natural Sense latex), PU foam and memory foam. They might be good people to ask about the differences.They also have bargains in the Clearance section.

http://www.foamorder.com/

Latex of any kind won't feel like PU foam (and nothing like memory foam), but I think you will like Dunlop better than Talalay. If you've read my posts elsewhere you know I had a blended Dunlop mattress for 20 years. I loved it and was really surprised and disappointed that Talalay didn't live up to my expectations. I wouldn't exactly say that Dunlop has a "dead" feel. It's still latex, still rubber and still has resiliency to it, but it is much more passive--less pushy than Talalay and not at all jiggly, so in some respects it would be closer to PU foam than Talalay would. Dunlop is denser than Talalay and will support the body evenly and comfortably at softer ILDs. This is certainly not true of Talalay. Best of all, it feels the same after a few hours as it does when you get into bed. No sinking feeling. No tensing of the back muscles.

Since you are only looking for a 2" topper the overall feel of your bed will depend more on the actual mattress underneath than the latex on top, so many of the considerations here may not be as important as they would if you were buying a latex mattress.

If you like medium soft PU foam try something close to 28 ILD, unless your mattress is extremely firm. Then you might want to go a little softer.

Although I haven't noticed any difference in feel between blended and natural latex, I prefer blended. I think it is more stable and consistent. Natural latex is like wine in that it is basically tree sap and can differ in quality from year to year. I've also run across complaints in the old forum about natural latex hammocking--probably for that reason. But again this might be minimal in a topper. Just be sure you get a copy of the warranty.

Thanks for all of these really informative responses. I do see a few 100% natural latex toppers out there (presumably Dunlop if they don't specify Talalay) and I'm wondering if I need to worry about where they are made. I emailed a few places to find out where the latex came from. Sleepwarehouse said their latex is produced in Malaysia. FoamOrder said their latex came from both the US and Asia, but when pressed for more specific details, they told me they didn't give out that information (!?). Northern Naturals have a topper that comes from Sri Lanka.

A zoned surface makes a lot of sense, but if start out with a just a basic layer, I can at least figure out which part of my body that firmness works for, then cut and paste something firmer or softer in if I need to.

For a topper, a super low ILD (super soft) Talalay is probably your best bet.
As a mattress I hated Talalay, it "pushes back" against my back and my back hated it.
Dunlop does not push back and I plan to buy some to try it over my Sealy springs.

However, a super soft Talalay does not push back as much and even I can tolerate it in a low ILD.
So I would say go for either type of Talalay as a topper (2" or less).

jimsocal wrote:
So, how low was that?

I have about 3 of those soft talalay latex toppers from Overstock.com. I found them to be a bit too soft for my back, unfortunately. I put one on my 15 year old daughter's rock-hard bed under a fiber bed. She really likes the feel.


jimsocal wrote:

"I have about 3 of those soft talalay latex toppers from Overstock.com. I found them to be a bit too soft for my back, unfortunately."

I have those same toppers as part of my "cut and paste" supply. They are soft, but if you mate the convolutions are much firmer (relatively speaking). In my present zoning experiments, I had to fold them so convolutions mostly "unmated" to get it soft enough (relative to hip region).

NOTE: My wife, not bothered by back pain, has been incredibly skeptical about my entire zoning project (especially the month I spent sleeping on the living room floor last year with slabs of folded latex) but this morning commented that mattress is now unbelievably comfortable. Either she really likes it, finally gets it, or wants me to stop making major messes.

mccldwll wrote:

Well, let's hope she likes it! :) AND, gets it. I would be interested in some photos of all your experiments!

BeddyBye wrote:
I think those convoluted Overstock toppers were 20 ILD. I tend to think that convoluted foam feels softer overall than a solid sheet mainly because the peaks and valleys make it thinner in some places than others and when it compresses under your body there is just more empty space, hence a softer feel.

"I think those convoluted Overstock toppers were 20 ILD. I tend to think that convoluted foam feels softer overall than a solid sheet mainly because the peaks and valleys make it thinner in some places than others and when it compresses under your body there is just more empty space, hence a softer feel."

Well...........remember what ILD refers to (weight required to compress test material/section 25%). The overstock latex may have tested at 20 ILD originally, but the convoluting process cuts the ILD of each piece roughly in half (While this is based on info at memoryfoam.com site roughly a year ago when they were closing out some 14 ILD convoluted latex that was tested at 28 ILD before convoluting, my experiments with those Overstock toppers would support that).

I was sent two samples of latex from SavvyRest and I'm not sure if one is Dunlop and the other Talalay. I notice the larger "block" is denser and firmer with these larger holes on top. They have kind of a "dimple effect", whereas the other, smaller "block" has holes, but the top is flat...no dimpling. Reminds me more of a lower ILD talalay topper I have.

So, do you think the heavier piece IS from the Dunlop process?

BeddyBye wrote:
It could be. Dunlop is visually apparent by its larger pinholes. The softer the latex the bigger these holes will be. With Talalay the pinholes are the same size no matter what the ILD.

It seems my firmer ILD talalay has smaller holes. Not by much, but just a WEE bit tinier.

cloud9 wrote: