Thanks so much for the input. We bought a latex crib mattress from you and have loved it. He has slept like a dream on it and I don’t have to worry about toxins or allergies. Now it’s time to size up! Thankful for your website! -A.
Author: Deborah Brenton
Custom Cotton Mattress Pad
Posted on — Leave a commentIt arrived safe and sound and I have already washed and dried it and it is on my bed. 🙂
Compliments to you and your team because the workmanship is excellent! Thanks so much. I love buying good quality stuff that is well made. B.S.
Natural Upholstery vs. Conventional Upholstery Supplies
Posted on — Leave a commentYou have a beautiful frame of a chair or couch that really needs some cushion, and you want to use chemical-free, eco-friendly supplies, but where do you start? Here is a list of substitutions from the standard petroleum based products.
Dacron Batting –> Wool Batting
Foundation Material –> Cotton Batting
Decking Fabric (to cover the springs) –> Organic Sateen Fabric
Poly Foam –> Organic Latex
Ticking Fabric (to cover the wool so that it doesn’t migrate through the decorative fabric) –> Organic Twill Fabric
Thin Foam –> Wool Felt
That’s it. It is really that simple. For a DIY project, purchase your custom cut latex here and contact us to sew you an inner case of our organic fabrics and an outer case of your decorative fabric.
Similarities between Natural Latex and conventional foam
- Five firmnesses available, use softer for the back cushions and firmer for the base
- Firmer means denser which means more durable
- Batting or a down jacket still can be wrapped around to add plumpness to cushion
- If using on top of springs, use a ticking fabric between the springs and the latex so as to not tear it
Unique Tricks to Natural Latex
- Cut only with a blade, not a hot wire
- Over time (15 years+), instead of softening, latex will harden as it dries out and eventually crumbles
What Sets Organic Latex apart from conventional poly foam
- No flame retardants
- Chemical-Free: The end product has only 5 ingredients with latex comprising of 96% of the finished product.
- Long Life: 20 -30 year lifespan
- Vegan: Tree Based not petroleum Based
- Compostable: Just give it time
- Sustainable: The Hevea brasiliensis trees are grown for 30 years before they stop producing enough latex and are harvested for their wood.
- Hypoallergenic
- Antimicrobial: In a closed testing environment, growing bacteria introduced to the latex were not able to survive.
- Dust Mite Resistant: It is simply inhabitable.
- Excellent Airflow: Compared to memory foam and all poly foams, latex allows more air movement and thus does not retain heat.
Own an Upholstery Business? Contact us for wholesale rates.
Baby Mattresses
Posted on — 1 CommentSince we have cut quite a few pieces of latex over the years for infant bassinets, playpens, crib mattresses, etc., I thought I would share a few tips we have learned along the way. If you have feedback on your particular brand’s frame and how our products work with it, let me know and I’ll add it to this post.
Keep in mind that we cut and sew to your dimensions. We can cut latex, sew puddle pads, sheets, tickings, receiving blankets, you name it. Contact us for a quote or see the latex calculator here.
TIP 1: Cut the latex 1″ larger and sew the ticking 1/2″-1″ larger.
Latex is very flexible. That translates to when we cut it to the exact inside dimensions of your crib, you may find that the ticking or even sheet will pull it a little bit smaller than we cut it. While the mattress will still be completely usable, of course, not having that extra 1/2″ of nothing between the side wall.
The softer the latex is, the more flexible it is. So even a 3″ soft will be constrained by the sheets and ticking.
Tip 2: Latex can be cut down to .5″ in a Hard D90 firmness only.
Again, latex is very flexible and the softer layers are too floppy to cut thinner. To note, the thinner the latex is, the softer it feels, so if you are wanting a firm, thin surface for your infant, a hard is a great way to achieve that feel.
Tip 3: Most parents want firm mattresses for their infants.
If your child is able to roll over, I encourage you to consider all the firmnesses we offer, from Soft to Hard as options. A 3″ soft adds significant comfort to those hard pack n’ play mattresses, but is not firm. Keep in mind that little bodies sink through only a little and a soft feels super squishy to us and only a little squishy to them.
Brands
- Snoo Mattress: Cut hard latex to .75″.
- Guava Lotus travel crib: The crib sides are much more flexible than a regular pack n play, so add an extra .5-1 inch on all sides of the latex pad for it to not have gaps between the mattress and the mesh walls.
Pillow Fill Comparison
Posted on — Leave a commentHave you been wondering what each of our natural pillow fills feels like? Whether they are used for bed pillows, couch pillows, pregnancy pillows, body pillows, support pillows, the feel will change based on how much you stuff your pillow. That is the beauty of zippers, they make everything customizable.
Full | Underfilled | |
Shredded Latex** | Bouncy | Floppy |
Kapok* | Firm | Fluffy |
Woolly Bolas | Soft | Clumpy |
Wool Batting* | Puffy | Thin |
Millet Hulls | Contouring | Heavy |
Create your own feel by mixing fill or by combining fills in our double pocket pillow case.
Bed sized pillow kits available here. Custom sized pillow cases available, just ask.
* Fill will compress over time, expect to add more fill once a year to restore it to its original loft
**Fill is certified GOTS organic.
Wool Puddle Pad vs. Waterproof Jersey Puddle Pad
Posted on — Leave a commentWe sell two mattress protectors, a wool puddle pad and a waterproof jersey puddle pad. Both are certified organic. While both puddle pads work well against messes, they work differently and both have their pros and cons.
WOOL PUDDLE PAD
The wool puddle pad works because the wool fibers are so tightly felted together. Their physical mass as well as their ability to absorb the mess without leaving odors behind make the wool fibers quite unique. Some large spills may get through, but they will be few and far between. The absorption of the fibers is actually a neat trick, because not only does the wool dry quickly since the fibers are hollow and excellent at airflow, the wool also keeps the spill from spreading down the side of your mattress and everywhere else.
Another plus of the wool puddle pad is that it breaks the temperature regulating abilities of wool, one step closer to your body by being directly under your sheets.
The downside of the wool puddle pad is that over a few years, the fibers do start to pull away from each other in areas of high use and the pad will stretch. Of course, a stretching pad at first is nice, because then it covers the side of the mattress as well as the top. Since the fibers are felted and not woven, if washed, they need to be handwashed gently. Instructions are in the product.
WATERPROOF JERSEY PUDDLE PAD
The waterproof jersey puddle pad works through its laminate layer. While it is slightly air permeable, liquids cannot pass through it. The water will bead up and run off. It is very easy to clean, as you can machine wash it. Since the fabric shrinks in the wash, we have prewashed it for you so that it will still fit your mattress after your washing.
The downside of the waterproof jersey pad is its unnatural component of the polyurethane layer. While it is a certified GOTS organic polyurethane, to the natural purists out there, the laminate layer is not natural at all.
I am so happy to have found you!
Posted on — Leave a commentHi Deborah,
I just wanted to send you a note to tell you how happy I am with the way the topponcino (bassinet mattress!) turned out! I am soooo happy with the finished product, and so excited to have my grandchild sleep on it. It is exactly what we wanted, and everything is perfectly done.
Thank you so much for the help you gave me in putting together something that fits our needs so precisely, and for accommodating my “rush” request. It is evident that you not only produce quality products, but you are a person who genuinely cares about others.
As I said in my very first email to you–and I mean it even more now–I am so happy to have found you! I would feel confident recommending you to anyone with the highest standards! (And I definitely will!)
I look forward to purchasing from you again.
With much appreciation, – L.M.
Help me Build my Cart
Posted on — 1 CommentQUESTION:
Could you help me build my cart? I would like REALLY firm interior, with only slightly softer on top…then the layers…..of whatever……..a padding etc? or PURE SUPER FIRM in ALL the interior, then the LAYERS of whatever padding on top??
with whichever casing……you suggest? perhaps the twill that you use in the video?? or the quilted?? HARD to figure it al out,….ha.ha
COULD YOU SUGGEST A BUILD FOR ME?……..so I can put them all in the cart?
and pillows…………I guess firm and one soft just to be on safe side
inner, outer cases…..all that is confusing
COULD YOU SUGGEST THE BUILD ITEMS TO PUT IN A CART, IF YOU WERE DOING THIS BUILD?
I’M TRYING TO DO THIS, BEING ELECTRICALLY SENSITIVE (gasping at the internet) AND STARING AT THOUSANDS IN A CART…..NOT MAKING GOOD PROGRESS…HA.HA IF YOU COULD WHIP OUT A BUILD, I’D LOVE IT!!!!!!
ANSWER:
A firm mattress is easily accomplished with either with extra firm or hard latex or wool flake/wool batting like this post and this picture.
A wool puddle pad would be a bit stiff to double as a blanket but it would be a good mattress protector. We do have a lovely wool blanket made from our small farm wool. Naturally our wool topper provides great comfort on top of a mattress and can take a mattress from very firm to firm support with pressure point relief.
Wool pillows and millet hull pillows are both great at being firm. New wool batting starts off soft, but does end up firm as it compresses over a few months. A soft wool pillow simply has less wool than a firm one. It could just easily be called a flat pillow or lighter pillow and the firm one could be a lofty or heavyweight. Either way, you can remove any batting you want from either pillow if it is too big. It is not necessary to use two pillow cases, like our kits offer, but it is convenient to not have to remove your fill from the inner case while you wash the outer case.
While you do get the best value for the 3″ and 6″ layers, you can pick a custom depth here.
Latex Warranty Photo Instructions
Posted on — Leave a commentBody impressions can be caused by a failing piece of latex or by improper use. Multiple soft or medium layers used in a bed where someone sits all day for work as well as for sleep will bow predictably. If you are using your bed as a couch, expect the top layers to wear out. Couches are usually made of firm, extra firm and hard pieces of latex, so if your bed is soft or medium, the latex is not up for the job of supporting a sitter. You will get body impressions. Those sorts of impressions are not a warranty claim.
However if your latex layers are bowing from normal use, we can process a warranty claim for you. Sometimes bowing is caused by the bed frame or foundation and not by the sleeper. Even slat beds that flex too much or have slats that are too far apart have caused a mattress to seem like it’s failing.
Please send us pictures of the failing layers so we can verify your claim. To take pictures properly you’ll need a broom stick (just unscrew it from the head) or substitute, a camera, tape measure, and a clean bed sheet.
- On your foundation or level ground, where you have space the size of your mattress (living room, bedroom, kitchen or even garage) lay down a clean sheet.
- Unzip your mattress ticking.
- Remove one layer of foam and place it on the sheet.
- Next push the edge of the sheet close to the edge of the foam
- Place a broom stick across any visible depression. If the broom stick has a handle, be sure to hang the handle over the edge so it doesn’t exaggerate depressions.
- Take a picture measuring the gaps between the broom stick and the foam but at the same time show parts of the ground to show you are shooting the layer on a flat surface and not your bed frame.
- Do the same to each latex slab.
- Email the pictures of any depressions. We are looking to see if there are depressions along where your body rests exceed ½ in one layer or 1” in all three layers.
Wool Toppers Q & A
Posted on — Leave a commentA customer asked: “I’m looking for wool with the following specs to meet flammability standards. Can you tell me if the wool in the wool topper meets these standards?
Consider
One of the most important criteria when selecting wool for a wool topper is its micron count. Too high a count or too coarse a fiber and you have stiff rug wool that is pokey inside the fabric. Too low a count and you have thin, slippery fibers that are fine enough for clothing. Also some breeds of sheep have very straight wool with no crimp in it. You want some crimp in the wool so the wool stays lofty.
Specification 1
High quality organic wool that comes from the back or high on the side of the animal (to minimize contact with the debris the live animal runs across in pasture), and come from a sheep fed an organic diet.
Answer 1
No, we do not separate the wool on the different parts of the sheep’s body. The machines take care of most of the vegetation so it is rare to see any. No, this year’s sheep are not necessarily fed an organic diet. Sheep are grazers and so are pastured all day with green growing grasses that are not harmed with chemicals. These sheep are milk producers and make some amazing cheeses. See Green Dirt Farm‘s page for more info. See also our post on natural vs. organic wool.
Specification 2
The natural lanolin and keratin in the wool must remain intact. This means washing must be minimized, and chemical washing (which can strip lanolin, especially), is right out.
Answer 2
To keep all of the lanolin means to keep all of the dirt and grime. To remove all of the lanolin means the wool must be sacrificed in order to harvest the lanolin. Naturally, the wool is washed. The only substance used in its processing is a surfactant, which breaks the surface tension of the water, allowing the oily lanolin to float away in the washing water. Unlike conventional wool, our wool processing contains none of the following chemicals:
- NO bleach
- NO acid bath
- NO bonding
- NO resin
- NO carbonization
- NO superwashing
Specification 3
High natural lanolin content combined with careful processing that makes wool an effective FR barrier.
Answer 3
Wool is also an effective fire barrier when it is dense and matted. Reducing oxygen that a fire needs is part of its job too.
Specification 4
Wool that is carded or garneted and then “densified” by needle punching or quilting minimizes the air between the fibers while retaining comfortable loft.
Answer 4
No, the wool in the topper is not felted or needle punched, our wool puddle pad is though. That would make a firm mat and not a lofty topper. It is also not quilted or it would be a ticking, not a topper. It is tufted. All batting is either garneted or carded, that is the process of laying fiber on top of each other to create a fluffy sheet.
Specification 5
Wool in a thickness of about 1.8 oz. per square foot, properly prepared, makes a highly trustworthy FR option.
Answer 5
True enough, that is the industry standard because it does pass the burn test. Wool also passes the burn test due to its high combustion point, 600 degrees, almost triple that of cotton’s burn point. If you want a fire barrier, you should be looking at our Quilted Ticking, then the wool wraps entirely around the mattress instead of just on top like a topper.
Beautiful sewing and fabric!
Posted on — Leave a commentI received my order and thank you! The cases fit so perfectly! Wasn’t sure the body pillow case would fit my larger scrap piece of latex but it’s perfect! Beautiful sewing and fabric!! – B. W.
Quality Products
Posted on — Leave a commentThese organic cotton face masks are by far the best I’ve purchased. All the others have cheap elastic ties that don’t work. This mask is PERFECT!
I’m so glad I found your business ! – T. S.
Life is so much better!
Posted on — Leave a commentHi Deborah. Just a little note to tell you I am SOOOO happy with the new mattress and so thankful for you and all you do for me. You’ve made my life so much better! God bless you and your family and keep you all well in his hands of love! – P. D.
My back will thank me!
Posted on — Leave a commentThe soft latex layer is very soft and I like it a lot! I’m very relieved actually not to have to sleep on just the board with my old futon mattress again tonight! I think my back will thank me, haha. Thank you for the wonderful latex layer! It’s wonderful even without another layer or the ticking vs my futon on the box spring 🙂 – F. B.
I absolutely love it.
Posted on — Leave a commentI have to tell you I have been sleeping on the bed I bought from you since Fall 2018 and I absolutely love it. I can’t conceive in going back to a traditional mattress! – A.T.
Free Tutorials
Posted on — Leave a commentFirst of all, we are all healthy and well here, so we are still running shop.
Second of all, thank you to all of you for your well wishes during this time of making history. You guys are so thoughtful and genuine. We wish you all much health and chances to relax into a new pace and and space to enjoy those near and close to you.
Most importantly, I’ve been pondering how DIY Natural Bedding can lighten the load of the season and offer something of value and I think I have an answer! I would like to share our creativity and let you make it yours!
I don’t know about you but I find that creativity doesn’t necessarily mean coming up with a brand new idea. For me, it may mean combining ideas or items into something personal. And these days with time to productively fill, we need to find ways to keep our hands busy, our bodies grounded and our hearts engaged. What better way than to work with natural components, creating something useful for your bed?!
I offer you all of our tutorials for FREE through May 15. This means that all the kits that provide the tutorial as your sewing instructions are discounted as well. They can all be found in their own section of DIY Tutorials and Kits or you can click on the links below.
All of the tutorials are downloadable PDFs with pictures, dimensions and step by step instructions.
All of the Kits include the tutorial plus supplies to make the item with.
Supplies without tutorials are available in the DIY Supplies section of the shop.
TUTORIALS | KITS |
Wool Topper | Wool Topper |
Millet Hull Weighted Blanket | Millet Hull Weighted Blanket |
Knit Ticking | Knit Ticking |
Expandable Knit Ticking | Expandable Knit Ticking |
If you create a project with our supplies and post to social media, please tag us! We would love to see your creation!
Very Comfortable
Posted on — Leave a commentI think it’s time to report the good news! The 3rd slab of medium latex has done the trick for my achy body. I, of course, put the firm on the bottom in the new ticking, and then both the medium (in the middle) and the soft latex, topped with wool batting (on the top) in the first 7” ticking I purchased. I am so happy to report that I am now finally very comfortable. Thank you for all your patience and help!!! – K. L.
LOVE the weighted blanket
Posted on — Leave a commentI LOVE the weighted blanket! The weight and fine texture of the millet hulls is so soothing and lovely. I love the channeled design as well. I bought some extra millet hulls so I could bulk it up a bit — I’ll let you know how that goes. I like the cardboard tube trick for filling the channels. – R.N.
Put your bedding questions to rest with these expert tips
Posted on — Leave a commentDo you agree?
“Knowing what is in your mattress and almost more importantly, what isn’t in your mattress, makes your sleep all the more restful. Being able to completely customize your mattress, inside and outside, means comfort tailored for you. “
Thanks Redfin for featuring us in your article along side other bedding suppliers.
Beautiful fabric and quality workmanship
Posted on — Leave a commentI received my wool comforter yesterday and it is already on my newly made bed. Beautiful fabric and quality workmanship. I’m hoping I sleep well in the organic cotton nest. – S.
Good rest
Posted on — Leave a commentGreetings, Deborah. I just want to thank you for all your help getting me some good rest. I love my bed now and really like the beautiful quilted cover. You’re the best! I hope you and your beautiful family are having a wonderful summer! God sure did bless you! Stay cool 😉
Great blessings, P
DIY Mattress: Common Combinations
Posted on — 2 CommentsWhile DIY combinations for your mattress are almost limitless, there are a few configurations of our products that are commonly combined. The pillows are deliberately matched with each combo to match the softness or firmness of the mattress. Here are some of common combinations:
FOR ADULTS:
(Soft Combo – generally for adults under 250 lbs.)
- 3” Soft Organic Latex Slab
- 3” Medium Organic Latex Slab
- 3” Firm Organic Latex Slab
- 9” Quilted Ticking
- Shredded Latex Pillow Kit
(Average Combo – generally for adults under 180 lbs.)
(Firm Combo – the most natural option, compares to an Extra Firm option without the topper, Firm with the topper)
(Extra Extra Firm Option – for those who like sleeping on the floor but want some cushion)
FOR CHILDREN:
(Starter Option that saves on the budget now and leaves room to grow later)
New Relationship with The Mattress Underground
Posted on — Leave a commentAlmost eight years ago I started DIY Natural Bedding. We started off from scratch, no loans, no building, one 6″ slab of latex, and big ideas, so small that a Craigslist listing and the members of our Minneapolis Weston A. Price chapter accounted for the entire 22 sales made that year. Somewhere that year, while working night and night on the website, I put the business on Facebook. Imagine my surprise when Onno (RIP) from The Mattress Underground called me, alerted me to his forum and affirmed my path into conscious and quality bedding supplies.
Throughout the years I have visited The Mattress Underground’s forum many times; sometimes to help answer questions and put in a good word for wool and latex, sometimes to get questions about other supplier’s products answered. All the times I visit, I am reminded of our shared goals: to provide education, to provide answers, to help, to show transparency, and to work with quality materials. I have found their interactions to be very positive and engaging and share a similar approach. You know I value a personal mattress shopping experience when I open up a room in my home to welcome you to and our Minneapolis showroom does the same. When you call or email, I have trained my crew to ask questions, to try to help you see options that might fit your goals, to provide extra information when it would be helpful, even you didn’t know to ask for it. Giving you a personal, positive and engaging research experience is important to me. Do let me know if you ever need more answers than we have given and we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction.
Because of these shared goals, I have decided to partner officially with The Mattress Underground. That means little to your experience on our site or really on their site if you bounce over there to broaden your search. It does mean a benefit for you though, but you’d have to check out our profile there to find out that benefit. 🙂
Here is what The Mattress Underground says about DIY Natural Bedding:
“Thank you once again for your interest in becoming The Mattress Underground’s (TMU) trusted member, and particularly for your time, warmness, and for addressing all our questions. I have enjoyed our conversation, your honesty and what you stand for. We believe that DIY Natural Bedding (DIYNB) and TMU share similar values, ideals, and goals and we are very pleased and excited to welcome DIYNB in TMU community as one of TMU’s Trusted Members.
“Over an extended period we have reviewed and assessed the products that DIY Natural Bedding (DIYNB) provides and manufactures in terms of value/quality, and craftsmanship, we have determined that they meet the quality and durability guidelines here. We also believe that the information available on your website is accurate and factual and designed to help consumers make an informed purchasing decision, and that DIYNB provides excellent customer support.
A warm welcome to The Mattress Underground!”
Quality is not compromised
Posted on — Leave a commentThank you All Things Functional and Practical for your website review. I am glad you enjoy the wool comforter.
Here is a snippet from their review:
“The price of a wool comforter is steep but it is a worthwhile investment. After researching around, the price of the premade comforters offered from this site is extremely competitive. Meaning, it was one of the lower priced comforters. Being that is it on the “low” side, the quality is not compromised. I find that this comforter is very well made and I am very happy with it. The only thing I wish could do was try out both the tropical and regular weight to really know which one would be the best fit for the area I live in for the 2 extreme seasons, summer and winter.”
Read the full review at All Things Functional and Practical.
Extremely Crafty Women
Posted on — Leave a commentThank you, Susie, for your mention on your blog. If I ever need a gluten-free, dairy-free, ancient grains baked good in the Twin Cities, I’m coming to you! Your knowledge of how to work with such foods and skills of presentation are through the roof.
Here is a snippet from her post:
“One thing I have noticed are videos and blogs that share information on how to make your own mattress. Very cool. I am all about doing things yourself and being self reliant. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have the skills to do it. I am sad to admit that I never learned how to use a sewing machine. Buttons and hand sewn hems I can do. Zippers and ticking are out of my reach. Fortunately I am surrounded by extremely crafty women, one of whom founded her own DIY Natural Bedding company. It’s pure genius. There are two showrooms where customers can see the materials, you order online, and everything comes directly to your home where you put the pieces together. You can opt to do some of the sewing yourself and save some cash, or you can get it all sewn and ready to go. For our kiddos we are opting for expandable ticking which will allow us to increase the amount of latex and wool as they increase in weight.”
Read the full article at her website: Yoga Pants and Bonbons.
Double Sided Dog Bed
Posted on — Leave a commentIs your dog this comfortable?
Per a customer’s request, we made a dual sided dog bed, one side filled with shredded latex and the other with kapok. While each side is plump, we made sure to fill it just under firm to give the dog some room to sink in peacefully. This size is perfect for a small dog, but we have made them as large as crib size for the larger dogs.
Our waterproof jersey would make a great fabric as well; this one is made from our twill. Since both kapok and shredded latex are washable as long as dried thoroughly, this dog bed will stay nice and bright.
Your descriptions are dead on!
Posted on — Leave a commentComfy Couch Cushions
Posted on — Leave a commentWe knocked the couch project out this morning. It was so easy!
What a huge difference! (See before picture). The cushions are so comfy and the wool batting was fun to play with and form.
I actually ended up shredding up the extra fall off from the cushion cuts last night and made a little pillow to fit into my new pillow case! It was fun and therapeutic 🙂 I might have a new calling! – N.G.
How full do you want your pillow?
Posted on — Leave a commentWhile all our pillow cases have zippers so that you can adjust the fill amount, sometimes it is hard to know what feel you like when you lie on a pillow that is too tall or too flat for your liking. Because pillows make all the difference in knowing what firmness of mattress is comfortable, our showrooms now have two firmness of each pillow for you to try out. Of course you can add and remove fill still, but to be honest, that gets a little messy, so we did it for you.
Both pillows pictured feel very different underfilled or over filled. An under filled a kapok pillow feels like a feather pillow, fluffy and very pliable; an underfilled shredded latex also has been liked to a feather pillow because the fill is pliable, but instead of soft fluff, imagine a slight bounce. With both shredded latex and kapok an over filled pillow holds it shape well and can be firm, though again, the bounce of latex is unmistakable and the firmness of well-packed kapok becomes prominent.
Wishing you all the perfect pillow.
On Memory Foam, Latex and Spring Mattresses
Posted on — Leave a commentMEMORY FOAM vs. LATEX
While all foams have some similarities, there are notable differences in feel and performance of memory foam vs. latex. To start, let’s put out two terms: slow response and fast response. Memory foam is called a slow response foam. To define slow response, let’s add in another term: creep. Creep means that the foam slowly conforms to heat applied, anywhere between 80 degrees to 120 degrees F. It also slowly reforms to its flat shape as it cools. Memory foam has creep, thus it is a slow response foam. Latex, on the other hand, is a fast response foam. Any pressure put on it will create compression; once the pressure is removed, the latex rebounds to its original shape as soon as the pressure is removed. Latex’s movement is very simple; its motion is quickly and directly in response to pressure.
Because memory foam can take a little while to cool down, the valleys made by sleepers take a while to return to a flat position, since warm memory foam is not flat foam. This has some sleepers resenting the valleys that they have to crawl out of to change sleeping positions. Latex does not develop valleys; instead it has a small bounce to it, that fast rebound that returns it to shape. This bounce is most noticed in the firmer layers as their density gives more pushback against the supporting slats. The spongy cradling effect of the softer layers are noted for their cushy feel and absorbent abilities of pressure points. In short, latex’s bounce is characteristic of its fast response and memory foam’s creep is characteristic of its slow response.
Since memory foam’s creep is responsible for retaining heat, memory foam sleeps hot. Latex, while still a solid piece of foam not a bladder full of cold air like a spring mattress, does not retain heat, thus does not sleep hot.
FOAM vs. SPRING
Comparing one foam to another presents some obvious similarities; they have multiple firmnesses to choose from, they feel spongy, they are solid, they are heavy. Comparing a spring mattress to a foam mattress presents more of a striking difference. Equate the feel of a spring mattress to the support you would feel on a hammock; equate the feel of a foam mattress to sleeping on a giant sponge. To expound, a latex mattress can mold itself around you the way a stress ball molds around your fingers as you grip it. A spring mattress can not be molded, though it can stretch like a trampoline. Latex makes deep pressure point relief possible. In a foam, the latex will dip underneath you in exactly the points that the most pressure is applied. One a spring mattress, a point of pressure will cause the entire surface to slope toward that point.
It is possible however to get the best of both feels, the spring mattress feel and the latex mattress feel, by picking the appropriate ticking or zippered encasement. Combine the bounce and pressure absorption of the latex with the stiffness and thickness of the Quilted Ticking. The ticking will imitate the taut fabrics on conventional coil mattresses and will be able to cushion your entire body rather than specific points. The stiffer ticking forces a more even weight distribution of the sleeper creating some slope and some sinking in, similar to a spring bending underneath your weight. The quilted ticking will also moderate some of the squishiness of the soft latex layers, diffusing that enveloping feeling that some of the softer layers give off as they cradle you. If you want to be raise above the latex instead of being surrounded by it, besides choosing firm layers of latex, consider the tautness the quilted ticking provides.
Woolly Bolas vs. Kapok
Posted on — Leave a commentOur two lightest and fluffiest pillow fills, side by side. But which do you choose? Kapok (on the right) is a plant fiber and woolly bolas (on the left) is an animal product. Kapok carries the most fluffing ability, comparable to a feather pillow if you understuff the kapok. Its light, airy fiber will certainly be a float away fiber but does lose its loft as it is slept on. The bolas are the more cloud like fill. If fluffed every night, they maintain a springy feel that doesn’t deflate as slept on. Both fibers overstuff well, kapok producing a solid, firm pillow and bolas, a springy, firm feel.