Latex is a milky-white liquid sap derived from the rubber tree, Hevea Brasiliensis. It’s a natural substance with no artificial fillers or chemicals. You may be wondering: just how does this milky-white liquid sap get made into a comfortable relaxing latex mattress? Let’s dive in.
How Is Latex Harvested from the Rubber Tree?
Just beneath the bark of the rubber tree, which commonly thrives in the rainforest areas of South America and South Asia, lies latex. It’s used in a variety of products from rubber gloves and catheters to balloons, tennis shoes, and tires. And, yes, it’s used in latex mattresses too.
After a rubber tree reaches its maturity of about five years of age, the tree is ready to have its latex extracted. To begin, tappers cut and remove thin strips of bark to initiate the process of tapping the rubber tree. This disrupts the plant’s ducts, allowing the milky-whit latex to flow down the grooves the tapper cut into collection cups.
How Is a Latex Mattress Made?
There are basically a couple of ways latex mattresses are made. They're either handcrafted using the Dunlop method or using the Talalay method. Both methods provide their own distinct benefits, and you'll learn more about each here.
The Dunlop Method
The Dunlop method starts by removing sap or latex from the Hevea brasiliensis rubber tree. Then the sap is whipped into a foam or frothy mixture, and poured into a mold once the froth's consistency is right. It's then covered, and the foam baked.
In the Dunlop method, during the baking process, the mixture's sediment sinks in the mold to the bottom, creating a denser and firmer underside than what you'd find with a Talalay mattress.
Because mattresses crafted through the Dunlop method come out firmer than mattresses crafted through the Talalay method, many couples want to add a top Talalay latex comfort layer to their mattress to experience a little more:
- Pressure point relief
- Fibromyalgia pain relief
- Back pain relief
- Simply account for their personal taste
The Talalay Method
The Talalay method starts in a similar manner as the Dunlop method. The natural latex that comes from the sap of the rubber tree is whipped into a frothy foam, and like the Dunlop method, poured into the mold.
But, the mold is covered and sealed in the Talalay method, a vacuum removes the air from the mold, creating an even latex distribution inside the mold. Then the latex particles are frozen at below zero degrees Fahrenheit, so they can't settle on the bottom like they do with the Dunlop method. CO2 is added to gel up the rubber, making the fluffed latex solid and permanent. It’s then baked to eliminate the stickiness from the finished rubber. It’s then rinsed, and dried at a warm temperature.
While both methods have some similarities, it's the differences between them both that make them stand apart. Both allow you to adjust the softness and firmness according to your preference, if they're not glued, and both offer an outstanding sleep experience.
How a Latex For Less Mattress is Made
The Latex for Less mattress uses 100% natural latex. It contains no:
- Additives
- Synthetic latex substitutes
- Chemicals
The Latex for Less mattress is a pure, sustainable botanical product that comes from the Hevea brasiliensis tree from latex plantations in Sri Lanka. Every Latex for Less latex mattress is handmade to order in our mattress factory in Southern California.
The all-natural latex from Latex For Less's natural latex mattress is sourced from a single grower, meaning the latex you receive remains the same for all batches. This type of consistency allows Latex For Less to accurately calibrate our latex, so there's the perfect amount of support and sink to provide deep, refreshing sleep.
All-natural latex is a very comfortable, supportive and eco-friendly material.
It offers a cloud-like, buoyant sensation that provides you with the best sleep experience.
Choices of Latex For Less Natural Latex Mattresses
9-inch
This mattress comes with:
- 100% natural wool (½ in)
- 6” of natural Dunlop latex 85 density firm
- 2” of natural Talalay latex N2 density medium
- A GOTS certified organic cotton cover
7-inch
Benefits of a Latex For Less Mattress
- Contains the Softness of Talalay and Firm Support of Dunlop Latex
With the 9” Latex for Less mattress, you get a denser 6 inches of Dunlop latex supportive and firm base, in addition to 2 inches of Talalay latex that provides you with an extra cozy layer. With the Talalay latex layer, you still get the slower-response sensation of memory foam, but with no use of petroleum-based industrial chemicals.
- It’s Flippable
Flip the Latex For Less mattress, and enjoy either a firm side, or a medium side.
- It Offers Two Firmness Options
With Latex For Less's latex mattresses 2-in-1 design, you receive both a firm side and a medium side, which makes it an ideal mattress for anyone. Flip the mattress to your preferred side, and experience a quality night's sleep every night.
- The Medium layer of natural latex provides you with 100% natural Talalay latex, outstanding responsiveness, and a little more give.
- The Firm layer of natural latex provides you with 100% natural Dunlop latex and firmer support while it still molds to your body for unimaginable comfort.
- It Has a 100% Natural Wool Fire Barrier
The mattress's wool fire barrier doesn't just meet, but exceeds all the safety standards, without toxic chemicals, helping you stay cool while you're sleeping.
- It Is All-Natural
All natural latex mattresses contain naturally antimicrobial and hypoallergenic materials, and have a springiness and pressure-relieving properties that neither memory foam or synthetic latex can match.
By sourcing the natural OEKO-TEX Certified latex directly, and ensuring all products are handcrafted in-house, Latex For Less skips the middlemen in the natural latex mattress-making process to offer you the superior comfort of natural latex at a price you can afford and appreciate.
- It Has an Incredibly Soft Organic Cotton Cover
Latex For Less only uses the finest stretched (not woven), certified organic cotton to offer you the most welcoming, softest sleeping surface ever.
- It Comes With Free Shipping, and a 120 Night Sleep Trial
Here at Latex for Less, we want to make it easy for you to experience the benefits of our single-origin natural latex mattress. Not only picking up the shipping for you, but also providing a 120-night sleep trial to see for yourself just how good your sleep can be on a Latex for Less mattress.
