There seems to be a lot of confusion about whether to buy latex or to buy memory foam. There isn’t a simple answer to which is better because both are high quality materials to build a bed out of, but in today’s blog we have some great information that can help you decide between the two.
The Dunlop Process of making an all-latex bed was introduced first and was started by the Englander Corporation here in the USA .  It really is a tried and true method of building a mattress and can easily last 15 to 30 years. With over 70 years in the market place a strong track record has been established and it is a rare instance  to hear stories about latex mattresses breaking down or getting body impressions.
 

So how long does Memory Foam mattresses last?

Notice how the foam conforms to something as unique as a hand

Good memory foam mattresses  made with high quality visco elastic foam and solid core or base foam can last up to 15 years sometimes can be less costly than latex. It was developed in the 1970’s. Experiments took place in Sweden during the 1980’s to develop and perfect it as a mattress. In January of 1992 it was marketed in in the United States by Tempur Pedic. This type of foam acquired its name because it did what it said; it had a memory and bounced back into shape. Although all foam gets old and wear out eventually we are impressed with the good brands, its like this stuff is on steroids compared to other foams.

Is there a problem that can be expected of Memory Foam?

The problems that are often associated with cheap memory foam mattresses does not define them all. The ones that fail are often low density cheap knock offs of Tempurpedic who claim to be the same and more but use low quality base foams to support the lower grade memory foam collapsing and causing a body impression. The top layer of memory foam is usually 3 lb to 5.5 lb density. It is rare to see these fail but they can soften with age. The base foams usually range from 1.2lb to a little over 2 lb.

Is Latex any better?

Sap Used To Make Natural Latex Rubber

Just asking that simple question yes. Latex rubber is not foam at all and it to is defined by its name latex “rubber”. From a health standpoint natural latex is better because it will not support mold or mildew growth. When used with organic cotton and wool latex rubber mattresses can be a very healthy mattress alternative. Memory foam is a petroleum based product which often gases off .

Fire retardant chemicals are usually required to meet Federal Law 16 CFR Part 1633 a nearly 3 year old law that mandated making mattresses safer. Many memory foams require special fire retarding chemicals to be added to their foams or they are treated in the cover itself. All Natural Organic Latex mattresses can be naturally fire retardant when they utilize things like organic wool allowing them to not use chemicals. Natural latex rubber is often washed eliminating the proteins people are usually allergic too. Check with your salesman about this step.

Comfort is a matter of personal taste. Dunlop Latex tends to be a little firmer than memory foam with slightly more counter pleasure like a coil spring. Most memory foam is heat responsive and softens from body heat allowing it to mold or form itself to your body reducing pressure points significantly. However some not all Memory Foam will trap heat do your research. Not buying breathable memory foam? Latex will then do a better job of dissipating this heat.
Memory Foam can be harder to turn over  in resisting movements to another position in this respect latex is better. If you have circulation or hip and shoulder issues our choice is Memory Foam.

Redirection or misdirection, were you aware that the mattress industry and the government is now protecting us from ourselves? You may want to research for yourself. There is a new mattress safety law and whether you smoke or not isn’t the issue. The issue in question is, are we any safer in our beds than we were before the new mattress law went in to affect?

Reasons for the mattress law

Approximately 300 deaths a year and over a thousand injuries.

What they did to make us safer

The CPSC has required that all mattress prototypes must pass 3 timed burn tests.  The heat is measured in BTU’s. If the heat exceeds the mandated levels they all fail and expensive research & development of a mattress that can pass mandated testing then continues. Mountains of traceable paperwork must follow a mattresses manufacturing process which is time consuming and expensive.

Who was against the mattress law?

Virtually every mattress manufacturer was against it in the beginning according to industry insiders. The rumor was that “Brand Name Mattress Companies were too” until they realized the expenses involved to comply. It was said this would be a way that they could eliminate small manufacturers of mattresses who could not afford to comply while reducing competition. I’d love to here more from people inside the industry who know more than I do on this matter.

How do mattress manufacturers pass the tests?

This has been fairly secretive by mattress manufacturers who are required by law to disclose mattress contents on the “Do Not Remove Under Penalty of Law Label”. Strangely they are not required to disclose how they made the bed “safer” for you and your family. Is it because the CPSC was blinded by their lofty ambitions to make mattresses “safer” for a few of us that they overlooked the masses of people that would have been otherwise unaffected had they just left well enough alone?

Did mattress quality suffer since the fire law was implemented?

Just read the forums, websites, and blogs and one would have to think so. The truth is that it is easier and cheaper to make a one sided mattress that complies with the law than a two sided mattress. One sided mattresses can not be flipped over. I challenge you to go see how many new 2 sided mattresses you find in your local store.

What should mattress buyers do now?

Mattress buyers have some choices if they are informed.
You can have your mattress made without the fire retardants if you can get a doctor prescription. Does this mean people with allergies, asthma, and chemical sensitivities are getting the message?  As of the time of this post STL Beds has received NO prescriptions since July 1 2007 the day the mattress law changed.

A person can buy the new “safer mattresses” and hope that the chemical content levels that are so rarely disclosed by mattress mfgs. are actually safe. To my knowledge there was no long term study to determine if we were safe from both nightly chemical absorption through the skin or inhalation. Don’t we spend 1/3 of our lives in bed?

Option 3 is to look at mattresses that pass the laws naturally with no chemicals. This was the route STL Beds has chosen to add a third option. We are not here to tell people that we have all the facts. We are just here to say that there are a lot more questions than mattress retailers, manufacturers and the CPSC seem to have answers for.

Being part of a family business has really taken its toll on my sleep. Obviously I own a great mattress so I think it’s safe to say my mattress was not my problem. You may find this ironic but I don’t sleep so well, but please don’t tell anyone. The truth is I’m a light sleeper and add into the equation two dogs (Hrudey & Callie), noises (every little thing), and the disturbances that can happen within a mattress from my wife or myself repositioning throughout the night and I’d had enough. Kathy and I fixed our problem, but before I tell you how, did you fixed yours?

What kind of mattresses won’t disturb the other person?

Simmons Beautyrest makes one of the best mattresses I have ever seen to stop the disturbances from one person to the other. The springs in this mattress are not connected to each other. It’s that simple. Push on one spring it doesn’t affect the other. No wonder they advertise it with a bowling ball and pins.

The Sleep Number Bed from Select Comfort is another. Sure it’s a fancy adjustable airbed but each person can set the bed to the firmness they like. That is plain cool & the simple reason you can do that is because there are two mattresses. Having two mattresses in the same bed stops disturbance. Hey that’s half of what it takes to get a good night of sleep.

More mattresses that stop nightly interruptions in sleep

Thought about buying a waterbed? Wait don’t stop reading! I’ll let you in on a well known secret, my wife and I own a softside waterbed, their not just for the hippies anymore. Having two mattresses, two temperature controls for custom firmness and climate control in a mattress with fewer disturbances than regular mattresses and boxspring… I sell beds and can’t think of a bed that can do more than this one.

The Tempurpedic bed and other memory foam mattresses may stop motion transfer better than any mattress built today. These guys pedal their mattresses with someone walking around on the thing while a glass of red wine sits on the other side. If that doesn’t send the message of what do not disturb means in a mattress then I don’t know what will. I actually owned the 8 inch version called the ” Classic”. I admit it. I really can’t say that I’ve ever slept on a mattress set that moves less.

Hospital Beds or Adjustable Beds. Dual adjustments, dual massage, top it with the mattress of your choice. Just don’t know how it could get much better than this.

The solution to your mattress disturbance problem

Realize that a mattress is not a cure all for not sleeping, but there are things we can do to help improve the quality of the sleep we are getting. Do like I did, consider state of the art mattresses that stop annoying interruptions that we unintentionally all cause. Think about how a beds comfort is enhanced by not being to hot or cold. Think about what is possible if you were to own a mattress that each sides firmness can be customized. Whatever you choose it is important to know that there are solutions to such problems. I’m not sure how much this helps but many of us are out here trying to improve our sleep even the owner of a mattress store.

People are often surprised at our answer when they ask if we have any full size headboards? The answer is more often than not, no. The days of twin, full, queen, and king size headboards have been reduced by one full sku. This lowers the number of sku’s the manufacturer has to produce and minimizes inventory saving money for everyone.

Not so many years ago most beds were made in every size mentioned including full. Headboards made strictly in the full size have become a rare breed and are usually limited to cheaply constructed low cost beds.

Another big reason is economics. Almost all the import products coming from Asia are made in Queen size. The legs of queen size headboards can be easily be modified with special adaptor plates. There is an inset for metal frames that uses either a bolt up or hook type attachments. The specially modified queen/full combination beds can be used with headboard only or beds with a headboard and footboard like 4 poster beds.

Are full size mattresses still popular?

They go by many names 4/6, double, standard, or full size and they all measure a measly 54’’ X 75’’. Today people purchase their beds for comfort that is where some of the problems lie because a full size bed does not offer enough comfortable sleeping surface for two people making them less popular. Today’s adults are getting bigger and not only that they demand the luxury of more space. The great thing is for just a little bit more money anyone can step up to a queen or even king size bed. Lets face it, not only are people getting bigger, but the bedrooms are too. All one needs to do is look at the average size of houses that were built up to the 1970’s.

Twenty-Five years ago we were lucky to sell a king size bed or two a month, today king is becoming the size of choice. Of the full size beds we have sold many most are for small children and teens in small bedrooms or to go on grandmas antique full size bed that ended up in your guest bedroom.

Today if you have a choice and the room is of decent size consider at the minimum queen size. Not only will you be more comfortable and your feet won’t hang off the end of the bed but also you will have an infinite selection of headboard, furniture, and bed linens to choose from.

I wish I had a dime for every time someone asked us for a brochure on one of the many mattresses and or bedroom furniture pieces or sets we sell. Times are changing and handing out brochures on such items are quickly becoming a thing of the past. We are not against furniture and mattress brochures. We understand some people do not want or have the Internet.

Often I’m criticized and teased by my wife Kathy and close friend and sister in-law Kim for living on the computer. Both have pointed out on many occasions that they work on a computer all day and the last thing they want to do when they get home is to be on computer. Such conversations often take place while her husband Bob and I are surfing the web and pecking away on the laptop.

Where to find the information

Like most people I don’t think Kathy or Kim choose the limited information found in a handout brochure to the vast world of information found shopping via Google Search. Often the first thing Kathy says to me each day is “good morning computer” a sign of how much I am on it. Personally I’m in awe and captivated with the amount of information I can gather about people, places, and things. As a salesman I have heard the lines and really don’t need a sale pitch. Just give me the truth with complete information, and the most bang for my buck. Brochures seem to come across as sales pitchy to me very often light on substance and very heavy on feel good fluff information.

I can’t tell you how many times I went to the St. Louis Home and Garden Show or Boat and Sport Show spoke with a salesperson and took their booklet or brochure only to throw it into a bag that would later end up thrown away weeks later when my enthusiasm has faded. The thing is the products I was interested in usually had manufacturer or retail websites that included the same information, actually in most cases a lot more information. Not only that but I could do a search to see how other people like the item or if there is something better or comparable available for less money. They don’t tell you that in a brochure.

Customers can shop our competition too?

I am concerned about the environment and I believe most everyone else is as well. I love trees but I don’t hug them and I save paper when I can. Because of my passion to not waste today when I am asked the question for a brochure on a bed or bedroom set, I commonly tell them no. Instead I ask them if they have access to the website. If they tell me no, we simply go to computer and print the information off that they are requesting. For those having access to the Internet the STL Beds website offers hundreds of pages with very specific and very detailed about the items they are interested in. In addition to that they can visit manufacturers’ websites, forums, chat rooms, and review sites where people just like them give their opinions good, bad, or other. They can even research all in one place competitors and competing products.