Last one for the night!

Is it really necessary (or strongly advised/worthwhile) to use some sort of waterproof mattress cover on your latex mattress-- over the regular mattress cover? It really loses some of the feel of the latex, but I feel like I should use one if it's needed. If it's not, I'd rather not!

 

Thanks all!

The only reason I use one is to ensure my warranty on the mattress remains valid.  If something gets through a Protect A Bed cover, at least you are covered by that warranty as well.  Other than that, I would not use one if the mattress was out of warranty for any reason.

If you purchase a mattress with a return policy you cannot return mattresses with stains.  I don't know how easy it is to stain latex.  I also don't know how quickly sweat or bodily fluids help degrade latex.  According to one of the sections in the Buying Guide, humans lose 0.5 liters of fluid every night.  It has to go somewhere.  Having used plenty of pairs of latex gloves and seen sweat marks, I'm guessing that keeping the latex clean and dry is a good idea.  You can purchase "puddle pads" or "moisture barriers" that are sufficiently thin that they should not alter the feel of the mattress to a great extent.  If you purchase DIY latex and a very thin cotton cover, extra protection may be in order.  Many of the online mattresses claim to have 1" of cotton/quilted wool built in to the cover.  So the mattress may last longer if you treat it to a nice moisture barrier.