How to choose the best latex mattress

Latex mattresses are starting to gain traction in the bed industry. Not too many people are familiar with the makeup of latex mattresses but they should because these comfy beds have plenty going its way. To start, latex mattresses are made from all-natural materials, specifically out of sap from rubber trees. A lot of mattresses, like memory foam, are made out of chemicals and aren’t really good for the environment. Plus, nobody wants to dive into bed and question why their mattress smells like paint. It’s not a fun way to doze off. 

Comparable to memory foam, latex mattresses offer some of the great memory foam benefits without hurting beautiful Mother Earth. 

As with memory foam, latex mattresses are great to relieve pressure on muscles and joints and latex mattresses are also good at contouring the sleeper’s body. Keeping your spine property aligned is very important while you’re sleeping and it has positive effects on your day-to-day functionality and your overall health. Latex mattresses give off more of a bouncy feel than memory foams and it tends to be a lot more responsive. If you push down on latex mattresses, the bed will give off a little more breathing space and spring back to its normal form. 

Since latex mattresses are eco-friendly and plant-based, it’s a smart choice for people who want to reduce their carbon footprint and for sleepers who might be sensitive to chemical materials. Of all the styles of mattresses, latex beds are known to be very durable and usually last quite a bit longer than both memory foam and innerspring beds.

If you’re thinking about choosing a latex mattress going forward, here are a few important things to keep in mind.

Latex mattress’ makeup

Even if you haven’t heard of latex mattresses, you’ve more than likely heard of the material latex. It is used to predominantly make single-use gloves, bandages, and of course, condoms. Latex foam mattresses are made from slightly the same ingredient - the pure sap from rubber trees. 

In order to make latex foam that’s used in mattresses, the milk-like sap is processed into a couple of ways.

Dunlop latex, which tends to be a bit heavier, and talalay latex, which is a bit softer and lighter. Both dunlop and talalay latexes are varied in order to make different styles of latex mattresses. 

Some forms of latex isn’t made from the rubber tree sap. There’s such thing as synthetic latex. The synthetic latex is a lot cheaper but it’s not as durable or economical for the earth as its natural counterparts.

When choosing latex mattresses, you might be best to stay away from the synthetic option and choose ones that are made up more from dunlop and talalay. You can’t go wrong with naturally-made substances. You’ll sleep better too, almost as if instinctively your body knows you’re sleeping closer to substances from the earth. 

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Choosing the right mattress

Once you know what’s inside latex mattresses, there’s a few things to consider while you make your all-important mattress choice.

You’re going to need to make a decision on the firmness of your latex mattress. Some sleepers like softness when they're sleeping and some like hard. There’s no right answer or right answer, it’s completely subjective and will always vary per sleeper. If you’re sleeping with a partner, you’re going to need to make a decision or look for latex mattresses that are half-half. Consider that in such a competitive market, there’s a type of mattress for actually everyone. 

Another thing you’re going to want to choose is the breathability and temperature of mattresses. Latex mattresses are typically pretty neutral. Comparatively, memory foam mattresses sleep very hot and innersprings are pretty cool. Latex beds are right in the middle which allows for good airflow.

Latex mattresses are made from a mold that is dust-mite resistant. You might now want to hear this right now but all mattresses have dust-mites. Luckily, latex mattresses are less irritating to people with those types of allergies. Obviously, people who have latex allergies should stay away from these types of mattress, no matter how comfortable they are. 

All mattresses give of a type of chemical, rubbery smell when they’re new. Usually, these “off-gas” smells start to disappear after a few days. Since latex mattresses use more of a green-friendly compound, latex mattresses don’t give off that much of a chemical smell and when it does, it really doesn’t last as long. 

In the end

The bottom line is that latex mattresses come with a bunch of benefits and not too many disadvantages. Beside being very comfortable, latex mattresses are known to be more durable and can last two to five years longer than its competitors. When you’re choosing the mattress, be sure it comes with warranties so you can swap it out if it’s not comfortable. While latex mattresses are prone to be a bit more expensive, you can’t deny that it’s very comfy and it uses natural materials. Sleeping well and being eco-friendly is a really nice mix. 

Always be sure to do your due diligence before purchasing a mattress. Use a mix between the retail websites and shops and user comments. Retail stores will do a great job at luring you in but user comments are where the unbiased opinions are. If you do enough research online, you’ll be able to get pros and cons from like-minded sleepers and nothing is better than thousands of people reviewing a product for you for free. Once research is done, you get to enter the most fun phase - testing them out. Visit a good amount of mattress stores and use your newfound knowledge to impress the salesperson and try out as many latex mattresses as you can before you find the perfect one. You’ve earned it.