Don’t feel bad if you don’t know what a latex mattress is. It isn’t a crime or a sin not to know, but you may be a lot better off knowing so here is an introduction for you. Latex mattresses have been around since the early 1900′s. For whatever reason they didn’t catch on very well in those early days, probably because of the cost and rarity of latex as well as the unfamiliarity with latex being used for mattresses. The standard type of bed was (and still is in many respects) the innerspring mattress.

Society and their tastes for different types of mattresses have evolved over the years. There have been various types of foam mattresses, including cheap foam but also memory foam, and there have also been water beds and innovations such as that. Latex mattresses have actually been quite popular in Europe for a great many years, and like so many other things here in the U.S., we may be behind but we eventually catch on to things.

So What is a Latex Mattress, Anyway?

Here’s a basic description of what the latex mattress is: it’s a mattress that is made from the latex “syrup” that is tapped from the Para rubber tree. Just think about it — having a latex foam mattress is having a rubber bed, but not a hard rubber. Rubber foam is what you rest on instead. Latex is used for so many different applications, but among the best is the mattress because you can formulate it to be just the right mix of comfort and support.

The Two Types of Latex Mattresses

There are two types of latex mattresses, the Talalay latex mattress and the Dunlop latex mattress. They are the very same type of latex, it is just the method by which they are formed and the mold that generates them. The process with Talalay is more involved (has more steps), thus it is a little bit more expensive. Talalay mattresses mix the latex particles evenly and then flash freezes them into place. This makes for a softer mattress. Dunlop, on the other hand, allows the heavier latex particles sink to the bottom of the mold, and it makes a denser, firmer mattress overall.

Most people when they choose their latex mattress, they opt for a mixture of both Talalay and Dunlop. They get a Dunlop core to give them plenty of support, and they get a Talalay upper layer for the softness against their body. Latex mattresses are among the best sleep surfaces you can ever invest in.