Talalay Latex Mattress

What is the big deal about a talalay latex mattress? A lot quite frankly.

Naturally made latex is made from rubber trees and can be created  in one of two ways; the Talalay method or what is known as the Dunlop method.  Talalay is  the name attributed to the brothers who invented the method over 50 years ago to manufacture latex foam. This was accomplished by  liquid latex and turning it into a solid latex foam.

The Talalay method produces the finest latex available. Here are the steps that comprise the Talaylay latex mattress production. (source: flobeds.com)

1. The liquid latex rubber is machine whipped into a foam and put into a specially designed mold.
2. The mold is metal with finger like rods that protrude from its base on both the top and bottom.
3. The lid of the mold is shut and a vacuum seal begins to remove all air bubbles and air pockets from the liquid latex.  This vacuum also disperses the latex evenly through the mold.
4. Carbon Dioxide is injected into the rods, “freezing” the foamed rubber and locking in its solid state.
5. Next the rods are heated which cause the latex to yield a solid consistency without lopsided firmness or air pockets.
6. Impact test results indicate an amazingly low loss of 2-8%.
7. Latex International is the only North American supplier of latex. Besides Latex International, there are two other producers of Talalay latex in the world. One in England, and one in The Netherlands.
8. The best quality Talalay mattress products contain no fillers or extenders. Only the components needed to convert the material from a liquid to a solid that lasts are added: soap, ammonia, zinc oxide and sulfur. The ammonia evaporates and the soap and zinc oxide are washed out. The sulfur is needed to cure the product so that it bounces back after you sleep on it.

A true talalay latex mattress is not combined with any petroleum based foam products and is 100% natural latex.  Because of this, it is a bit more expensive.  However the expense is more than worth it.    Because they are 100% natural, they are naturally reisistant to dust mites and anti microbial.  They are also hypo-allergenic and good for those suffering from normal sleeping patterns on man-made petroleum based mattresses.

Also, a natural latex mattress made from the talalay process will last literally for dozens of years with no breakdown, sagging, or wear and tear.  The rubber latex is virtually indestructible if treated in a normal use environment.   Plus, it is not “hot” like you might expect a rubber mattress to be.  In fact because of the process used to create these mattresses, the beauty is that these latex foam pads “breathe” providing year round comfort.