5 things you might not know about latex mattresses
Waking up feeling worse than when you went to bed? It shouldn’t be the way! Ideally, you want to wake up each morning feeling well rested, refreshed and alert. There are tons of tips out there about creating the perfect environment for sleep, including a dark room, no mobile phones or LED screens, a temperature of around 18 degrees – but don’t underestimate what part a good mattress plays… Considering how much time you spend on your mattress, it pays to get a good one. If you haven’t tried a latex mattress, maybe you should - here are five things you might not know about them…
1 Latex mattresses are organic The latex in our mattresses is made from the sap of the rubber tree, a carefully managed and renewable organic resource. It’s then enclosed in New Zealand wool before being wrapped in a bamboo cover – all organic, of course. At no point are any of these materials sprayed in chemicals. Not to gross you out, but most other mattresses are made from synthetic materials derived from petrochemicals. Most contain polyester, polyurethane foam or other synthetic materials and often contain solvents, powerful glues or formaldehyde, potentially harbouring nasties such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
5 Latex boasts some amazing natural properties It’s odour-free, fire-resistant and non-toxic. Latex is also magic if you suffer from breathing problems, hayfever or dust mite allergies because it’s naturally dust-resistant; too dense for those pesky dust mites to live in. Latex is also anti- a lot of things – but in a good way: anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal… but definitely not anti-sleep.
3 It’s got your back The density of latex makes it therapeutically supportive – ask the ACC case workers who keep recommending us to those with back problems. Natural latex mattresses keep your spine aligned all night and the foam contours to your curves, meaning you get the perfect mix of support and uplift.
4 A latex mattress will last you for years And years and years. More than 20 years, in fact. Because latex does so well with holding its elasticity and density, it doesn’t sag or fall out of shape. And because there are no springs or coils in a latex mattress, there’s nothing to break.
5 You can stop doing the seasonal flip Latex mattresses don’t require turning. Latex is ‘all point elastic’, which is a fancy way of saying it distributes weight evenly – this means you won’t make an indentation in the mattress over a period of time. (It also means partner disturbance is reduced.) Because of the lack of indentation and because pure latex is not affected by temperature, there’s no need to flip your mattress every few months. Latex mattress enthusiast Ralph Behrens owns Natural Beds. Based in West Auckland’s Oratia, Natural Beds create all their latex mattresses by hand and deliver New Zealand-wide.