Pros and Cons of a Natural Latex Mattress

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Who here is a fan of pros and cons lists? They can come in handy when you are trying to make all sorts of decisions. Such as weighing the pros and cons of a natural latex mattress to help decide if it’s what you want to invest in!

Because mattresses are no small investment! They are a more expensive purchase and if you choose poorly, you will be stuck waking up sore every morning. Trust me, I know… that’s how our first mattress purchase went!

Now I’m the daughter of a once mattress manufacturing family. I grew up seeing mattresses made and my family only buys “certain mattresses”. That said, they were always spring mattresses.

Those foam mattresses were a huge “no” in my family plus they always seemed so flimsy and cheap. So it was really no surprise that I hadn’t really looked into latex mattresses. I really didn’t even know natural latex mattresses existed till recently!

Before we get into the pros and cons of a natural latex mattress, let’s first set things straight. We will be talking about NATURAL latex mattresses. This is important because there are synthetic latex mattresses out there and there are partially synthetic latex mattress as well.

Natural vs Synthetic Latex

Natural Latex
If a mattress is made from natural latex then that latex is made from the white sap from rubber trees. Pretty simple and definitely natural.

Synthetic Latex
If a mattress is made form synthetic latex (or is partially synthetic latex) then that latex is made out of chemicals. We here at The Pistachio Project generally prefer to stay away from things made with chemicals.

It is important to know that some mattress companies can be sneaky and label their mattresses natural latex even if it has synthetic latex mixed in. You will want to check to make sure your mattress is 100% natural latex.

Pros and Cons of a Natural Latex Mattress

Pros of a Natural Latex Mattress

No Regular Flipping or Rotating
Natural latex mattresses do not need to be flipped or rotated (at least on a regular basis). I suppose you might need to every few years or so but that’s nothing compared to what spring mattresses say you should do!

Less Pain
Latex mattresses relieve pressure points and help reduce pain. The mattress follows the contours of your body and supports it as oppose to a spring mattress that pretty much stays its shape and your body just has to deal with it.

No New Product Smell
This is where the difference between 100% natural latex and synthetic (or synthetic blend) latex comes into play. 100% natural latex mattresses do not need the chemicals that synthetic latex mattresses need. You know that nasty, new product smell? It doesn’t exist with 100% natural latex mattresses (at least not from this one).

Little or No Off-Gassing
A 100% natural latex mattress will not need to use as many glues, adhesives, and chemicals in general unlike other mattress types. All of these chemicals end up off-gassing and releasing toxins into the air for years and years.

Years, that you spend with your face right up against those chemicals. You don’t want to spend 1/3 of your life breathing in all those health harming chemicals.

No Flame Retardants
Did you know that 100% natural latex mattresses are naturally fire resistant? Most mattresses rely on chemicals to help them pass fire retardant laws but a 100% natural latex mattress can do it pretty much on their own.

Depending on the brand of natural latex mattress you buy, it will either use fewer and safer chemicals or will more likely use natural barriers such as wool to pass the federal fire retardant laws.

Naturally Antibacterial, Anti-Fungal, and More
Natural latex is naturally antibacterial, anti-fungal and helps resist mold and mildew. Great news because you don’t want to be sleeping with any of those!

No Waking Up Bedmates
You know that classic mattress scene where they are jumping on the bed with a glass of wine? Natural latex mattresses are like that!

Now I am not about to go jump on my bed and risk spilling wine all over it but I have noticed that when a bedmate rolls over, gets on the bed, tosses and turns… I don’t notice it. This is because of the natural latex’s motion isolation properties. You don’t feel the affects of someone moving on the opposite side of the bed and that means even better sleep!

Eco-Friendly
Did you know that the process for producing latex involves harvesting the rubber tree’s sap but that it can be harvested while allowing the tree to still grow?

No trees need to be chopped down. Natural latex is also biodegradable which means it won’t be sitting in the landfill for centuries like other mattresses.

Great Durability
Natural Latex Mattresses have amazing durability and will last you a long time. No need to worry about replacing your mattress for a good long while.

Cons of a Natural Latex Mattress

Difficult to Move
We learned this the hard way. When unwrapping a latex mattress, you should unwrap it on your bed frame. We made the mistake of unwrapping in the living room and it made the 20 odd steps to our bedroom seem like a cross country trip!

Latex mattresses are floppy. There is no structure to them and thus they are very hard to get ahold of and move. They are also heavy or perhaps it’s just that they are floppy so it makes the heaviness more noticeable because let’s face it a spring mattress isn’t light either!

When you move homes, it’s recommend to roll up your mattress and secure with rope so that you (and a few able friends) can move it a bit more easily.

Firmness
Now this is really a pro and a con. Latex mattress are reported to be a bit on the firm side. For example, we got this mattress in medium firmness and it feels more like the “very firm” spring mattresses of my past. However, the natural latex firmness is great if you want a firm mattress.

Something also to remember is that latex mattresses appear more firm for a bit and then either they get broken in or you get used to them… I still haven’t figured out which but I can attest that my firm mattress is now much softer.

Cost
Ok first off, I think it’s important to compare apples to apples. If you compare a natural latex bed with any old spring mattress, the latex will definitely cost more.

However, if you compare a natural latex bed with a natural spring mattress (as in a spring mattress with less chemicals, little or no flame retardants, etc) than I think you will find that the cost is about the same or in my case the natural latex was quite a bit cheaper!

Latex Allergy
This one should be obvious but I’ll put it out there. If you are allergic to latex then naturally a latex mattress is just not for you unfortunately.

Did the pros and cons of a natural latex mattress help you?

Ready to invest in a 100% natural latex mattress?

I recently received a 100% natural latex mattress from Sleep on Latex and I love it! It has all of the pros listed above!

No synthetic latex or fillers
This mattress is 100% natural latex. No fake stuff here!

No fire retardants!
Sleep on Latex uses a barrier of organic cotton and wool which is naturally fire resistant and keeps you cool while sleeping.

Affordable!
This was important to me as I have a tight budget. Sleep on Latex prices start at $649 for a twin.

Oeko-Tex and Eco-Institut Certified Latex.
Two of the most strict and rigid certifications when it comes to all things organic and eco-friendly!

No Assembly Required
Apparently some latex mattresses require you do essentially stuff your own mattress! Thankfully Sleep on Latex does the work for you.

Free Shipping and Returns
You are already paying for the mattress so why would you want to pay for shipping? Shipping is included with this great brand! And if you need to return your mattress for whatever reason, returns are free too!

Click here to get your own Sleep on Latex mattress!





FTC DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Sleep on Latex who provided me with a 100% natural latex mattress to review, In order for me to support my blogging and social media activities, I may receive monetary compensation for my endorsement, recommendation, reviews and/or link to any products or services from this article. However, I only recommend products or services I feel are up to my standards. The Pistachio Project’s a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. All information on The Pistachio Project is meant for educational and informational purposes only. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and/or information are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. Readers are advised to do their own research and make decisions in partnership with their health care provider. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition or are taking any medication, please consult your physician.