Examining The Latex Mattress

When you think of a latex mattress, you might assume you're getting something completely natural. After all, latex is made from the sap of rubber trees, so if you're looking at latex foam mattresses you may think they're all natural and organic. But this is not in fact the case. Latex has also been synthesized using petrochemicals, so as you go shopping, you could end up with something that's not an organic mattress at all. This means you'll have to pay attention and do some research.

There are two processes used to create latex mattresses. With the Standard method, the liquid (whether it's the rubber sap or the petrochemical substance) is whipped into a froth, which creates the millions of air bubbles that are responsible for the special properties of a foam mattress. Then the liquid is poured into a mold, which is sealed and heated until it cures into its finished mattress form. In the Talalay method, the mold contains countless tiny pinprick spikes that make extra little channels for air to move through. This method creates a latex foam mattress that's somewhat more resilient and buoyant.

Natural latex apparently works fine with either the Standard or the Talalay method of creating a latex mattress. So the question then is why anyone would need to use the synthetic version of the material at all. One of the reasons is that natural latex isn't always as comfortable as the kind made from petrochemicals. Thus you find so many foam mattresses made entirely with synthetic latex.

The end result of all this is that before you buy a latex mattress, do some research, as it is an absolute must. If natural latex is infused with natural oils, then it can be as comfortable as an all-synthetic mattress or even a memory foam bed. But even if the mattress has a "green" label, it might still contain some petrochemicals. So you need to watch for all of these things as you head out mattress shopping. Do some searching and find out about both the manufacturers and their products, and discover the process and the materials they used. If you buy a foam bed, you want to know what you're getting before you take it home.

Beth Kaminski is the co-author of Curing Your Anxiety And Panic Attacks which detailed cure panic attack cures as well as tips on the various anxiety disorder medications available at anxietydisordercure.com.