The Truth About Latex

We have spoken with many people representing many companies about latex--how it’s processed, what’s added to it, how it’s shipped, how it’s tested, what all the numbers mean—and we know how confusing it can be. It’s partly because we are thousands of miles from rubber farms and partly because companies pitch whatever they sell as the best and everything else as inferior.

Let’s start with what everyone seems to agree on:

1. Rubber trees grow only within about 10 degrees of the equator, and they grow best on hilly slopes.
2. The trees are sliced at an angle, and a small amount of serum is collected daily.
3. The trees can be sliced about 180 days per year. During the rainy season and in the summer trees cannot be cut. The trees are cut about 3 feet in length, and the serum runs for about an hour. The tree heals in about an hour and the serum stops flowing. 
4. Latex was originally harvested in Brazil, but for a variety of reasons the only rubber trees in Brazil these days are wild and not cultivated. Almost all latex nowadays comes from the far east.
5. When the serum is harvested, it is about 1/3 dry latex content. In other words, it is mostly water.
6. The latex in the pure state needs to be processed. (The processing is not like maple syrup.  Maple syrup is boiled down from watery sap to a thicker, sweeter syrup, then filtered.)
7. All but one company we have asked has told us that a small proportion of ammonia is added to the serum so that it does not coagulate.  (One company told us that their factory is next to the farm so they process it right there.  Because latex is grown in the countryside and because it coagulates so fast, it’s hard to imagine a factory in a 3rd world country next to a farm. So we have concluded that everyone adds ammonia at first.) Ammonia is a naturally occurring product and is washed out later in processing.
8. From here the latex needs to be expanded and concentrated. This is done by adding ingredients and whipping or frothing or centrifuging the material.
9. Latex has in it natural proteins that some people are allergic to. Everyone says that their process, whatever it is, washes out the proteins, and this is verified by testing.

How the expansion and concentration happen, what ingredients are added, and working conditions on the farm—these are all things we are still investigating:

1. What’s added?  We’ve heard lots of things—sulphur, soap, anti-oxidants, food grade anti-oxidants, gelling agents, and “other” chemicals.
2. Fair Trade?  Everyone says that their plantation is family owned, that there are no child workers, and that all the workers receive a fair wage. This is difficult to verify.
3. Dunlop Process vs. Talalay Process? Talalay is a process used when frothing the latex. The process involves vacuuming the latex while it is being frothed, then freezing it to stabilize the material. This process is more expensive than the Dunlop process and it makes sense that it produces a more consistent product as some of the weaker air bubbles in the latex are removed. In the Talalay process chemicals are usually added, but not always. It is possible to make natural Talalay, synthetic Talalay, natural Dunlop, and synthetic Dunlop.  This is where it gets confusing.
4. What’s better? All Dunlop process companies claim that their product is purer and superior to Talalay process companies, and all Talalay process companies claim that their product is more consistent and therefore superior to Dunlop process companies…and they all have reasons to back it up.
5. What other variables are there? Some companies add “fillers” such as clay to make the latex go further. (If you find a queen size natural latex mattress selling for $1200 or less, there are fillers.) Some companies use “perimeter support.”  That means they use cheaper materials, usually chemical, around the outside of the latex. This does allow you to sit more easily on the side of the bed.  It also reduces the sleeping surface by up to 20%.
6. What if I want 100% pure, natural latex?  You are probably going to find at best 98% or 99% natural latex or salespeople stretching the truth. 
7. What’s left in the 1% or 2% that’s not latex? Of course everyone says it’s harmless which it probably is. However, because it’s the same thing that memory foam guys and synthetic guys say, we are still investigating and getting test results and spec sheets. We feel that testing the end product is what matters most, not how it’s processed.
8. How will the 1.5% other materials affect me? What is left is likely to be sulfur and other natural stabilizing compounds; their effect should be negligible for almost everyone. Moreover, we think that latex is the best sleep surface because of its pressure relieving quality, and improved sleep outweighs any possible negative  effect of a tiny bit of non-rubber material.
9. How does it affect the life of the mattress?  Whether it’s Dunlop or Talalay, natural latex or synthetic, and you like the feel of it, your mattress is going to last a long time. Latex mattresses made in the 1950s lasted 30 years and longer.  Latex is extremely durable. If you are happy with your mattress for 10 - 15 years or longer, you’ve made a great purchase. Longer warranties like 20 or 30 years are more about marketing than reality. How long it lasts depends on a number of factors—how it’s made, of course, but also about how it’s used, who is using it, etc.

Want to read WHAT goes into our latex?

Dunlop Proces Eco Report

Natural Talalay Guarantee