Comments on: Top 10 problems with All Natural Latex Mattresses http://www.stlbeds.com/articles/2008/03/27/top-10-problems-with-all-natural-latex-mattresses/ Tips, Techniques and Articles that Lead to a Better Night's Sleep Sat, 06 Mar 2010 09:46:13 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Doug http://www.stlbeds.com/articles/2008/03/27/top-10-problems-with-all-natural-latex-mattresses/comment-page-1/#comment-518 Doug Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:47:04 +0000 http://www.stlbeds.com/articles/2008/03/27/top-10-problems-with-all-natural-latex-mattresses/#comment-518 Joyce thanks for your great response and some very good points were made I might add. I would like to point out however that we ought to be very careful what we ask for, inviting the government regulate what is and is not organic. The last time they got involved in regulating mattresses, we ended up with the out of this world piece of legislation you mentioned in your post: (FR1633 federal flame retardant law). Without a doubt it advanced the mattress green movement moving it the front burner. The industry is still very young and of course by no means perfect. They are working diligently to develop some industry standards defining green, organic, all natural etc. Here is a blog I wrote recently on the topic. <a href="http://www.stlbeds.com/articles/2009/04/02/green-mattresses-standards-coming-what-are-they?/" rel="nofollow">Green Mattresses Standards Coming What Are They?</a> BASICS OF POLYURETHANE FOAM AND THE USE OF COMBUSTION MODIFYING ADDITIVES http://www.pfa.org/EFC9_Handout.html While some all natural latex rubber like yours very well may have little to no have odor, others can be quite strong like car tires, rubber bands, or balloons. All natural latex with such odors, according to all the information I have learned about them thus far seem to incorporate more fillers and a higher chemical composition. Hopefully someone with a better knowledge than myself might comment and set the record straight. Ticking and bed sheets definetly will not stop odor, after all the are designed to breathe. Just look at all the complaints on memory foam mattresses. Joyce thanks for your great response and some very good points were made I might add. I would like to point out however that we ought to be very careful what we ask for, inviting the government regulate what is and is not organic. The last time they got involved in regulating mattresses, we ended up with the out of this world piece of legislation you mentioned in your post: (FR1633 federal flame retardant law). Without a doubt it advanced the mattress green movement moving it the front burner. The industry is still very young and of course by no means perfect. They are working diligently to develop some industry standards defining green, organic, all natural etc.
Here is a blog I wrote recently on the topic. Green Mattresses Standards Coming What Are They?

BASICS OF POLYURETHANE FOAM
AND THE USE OF COMBUSTION MODIFYING ADDITIVES
http://www.pfa.org/EFC9_Handout.html

While some all natural latex rubber like yours very well may have little to no have odor, others can be quite strong like car tires, rubber bands, or balloons. All natural latex with such odors, according to all the information I have learned about them thus far seem to incorporate more fillers and a higher chemical composition. Hopefully someone with a better knowledge than myself might comment and set the record straight.

Ticking and bed sheets definetly will not stop odor, after all the are designed to breathe. Just look at all the complaints on memory foam mattresses.

]]> By: Joyce Robertson http://www.stlbeds.com/articles/2008/03/27/top-10-problems-with-all-natural-latex-mattresses/comment-page-1/#comment-517 Joyce Robertson Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:09:17 +0000 http://www.stlbeds.com/articles/2008/03/27/top-10-problems-with-all-natural-latex-mattresses/#comment-517 The genuine latex beds Sealy, Sterns & Foster, Simmons, Serta, Ikea produce are synthentic blended latex. Unfortunatly the government allows mattress manufactures claim their mattresses are 100% genuine latex, natural latex if it has less than 20% synthentics added. These beds manufactured by the big "S" brands still have a lot of other synthetic foams (by various made up names)in the comfort levels. They quilt to polyester batting, which also shows body impressions. The crumbling and drying out is probably due to they synthetic blend in the mattress. They still have to pour flame retardant chemicals into it to pass the FR1633 federal flame retardant law. Because it is a synthetic blend with other synthetics in the mattress. It is a proven fact synthetic materials are highly flammable because they are synthetic materials. The odor you might smell is the bonding agent used in all natural latex, is ammonia or sulfer. I doubt anyone would smell it with the ticking and sheets on it. I have 3 latex beds in my home and I don't smell anything & I have severe lung sensitivites. At least they are not petro-chemicals and formaldehyde which is in all the other beds. Really great post, I enjoyed it...Joyce The genuine latex beds Sealy, Sterns & Foster, Simmons, Serta, Ikea produce are synthentic blended latex.

Unfortunatly the government allows mattress manufactures claim their mattresses are 100% genuine latex, natural latex if it has less than 20% synthentics added.

These beds manufactured by the big “S” brands still have a lot of other synthetic foams (by various made up names)in the comfort levels. They quilt to polyester batting, which also shows body impressions. The crumbling and drying out is probably due to they synthetic blend in the mattress.

They still have to pour flame retardant chemicals into it to pass the FR1633 federal flame retardant law. Because it is a synthetic blend with other synthetics in the mattress. It is a proven fact synthetic materials are highly flammable because they are synthetic materials.

The odor you might smell is the bonding agent used in all natural latex, is ammonia or sulfer. I doubt anyone would smell it with the ticking and sheets on it. I have 3 latex beds in my home and I don’t smell anything & I have severe lung sensitivites. At least they are not petro-chemicals and formaldehyde which is in all the other beds.

Really great post, I enjoyed it…Joyce

]]> By: Ralph B. http://www.stlbeds.com/articles/2008/03/27/top-10-problems-with-all-natural-latex-mattresses/comment-page-1/#comment-169 Ralph B. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:25:07 +0000 http://www.stlbeds.com/articles/2008/03/27/top-10-problems-with-all-natural-latex-mattresses/#comment-169 These comments are consistent with the results of the research I have done. I discovered latex mattresses by accident during a mattress search. And, I had a preconceived prejudice against them. The first time my wife laid on one in a store to test it she was sold. Then we did our research talking to a lot of people in the business, a personal friend who had one (Sealy), and Internet data. We are convinced they are the best available foundation and have found the prices to be competitive with other quality mattress construction. Along the way we picked up a story about a major chain discontinuing the product line after a problem was noted about the material "drying out" and "crumbling". So, I diligently chased the information. I found a furniture sales manager at a major chain (important, he has been in the buiness a long time) who said today that about 10 years ago they did have a problem with the product as I described above. He said they pulled it back (the manufacturer) reformulated the manufacturing process, and he has had no complaints/issues with their current product line. Oh, and my friend? He has had his a while. He says it is heaven. These comments are consistent with the results of the research I have done. I discovered latex mattresses by accident during a mattress search. And, I had a preconceived prejudice against them. The first time my wife laid on one in a store to test it she was sold. Then we did our research talking to a lot of people in the business, a personal friend who had one (Sealy), and Internet data. We are convinced they are the best available foundation and have found the prices to be competitive with other quality mattress construction. Along the way we picked up a story about a major chain discontinuing the product line after a problem was noted about the material “drying out” and “crumbling”. So, I diligently chased the information. I found a furniture sales manager at a major chain (important, he has been in the buiness a long time) who said today that about 10 years ago they did have a problem with the product as I described above. He said they pulled it back (the manufacturer) reformulated the manufacturing process, and he has had no complaints/issues with their current product line.

Oh, and my friend? He has had his a while. He says it is heaven.

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