Hi all! I’m new here. I think I’m going to order a customizable latex mattress online (from one of your experts on the forum), but I figure I should at least try latex in a store to see whether I actually like it. Can anyone recommend a good storefront mattress shop in Montreal that would have latex mattresses on display? I’m in the Plateau, near Mont-Royal and St. Laurent. I’m also open to buying one locally, if I find a great price.
Hi Montrealer,
Matelas Bonheur (retailer across Quebec) sell the GrennSleep line. They are made in Belgium with high quality organic dunlop latex and wool quilted organic cotton covers. You can go and try them there and buy one from them if you like or you can note the latex layers of the one you like and shop online for comparables.
Best of luck to you, and feel free to ask more questions if need be!
Mario~
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Thank you! The Bonheur is maybe a bit out of my range, pricewise. I did get a chance today to visit Futon d’Or, who have a few variants of latex mattress. Oddly, the one I thought most comfortable was the most futon-like: it’s 6" of Dunlop latex (ILD 34-38), topped with eucalyptus fibre and a tufted wool quilt cover. Very firm, but less jello-like than their simple all-latex mattress. And much less soft than their more expensive model, which is basically the same but with a 2" Dunlop topper (ILD 23-27), also wrapped in eucalyptus fibre. I didn’t like either of the other two. Which leads me to believe that I’m attracted to a latex core, and less of the latex feel on the surface. (They had the same mattress as the one I like, but with a poly core instead of latex, and it was a lot less comfortable.)
This is the one I’m pretty much sold on: “Comfort Natural Mattress”. Does it seem like a quality product?
(I don’t know whether it’s against policy to link to a store’s site here. I assure you: I’m not a shill for this place.)
It’s a different concept from the latex mattresses I’ve been reading about, but it could be that what I’m really looking for is a premium futon. I’ve loved futons in the past. I guess one question I have: is this going to strike me down the road as way too firm? It felt great for the ten minutes or so I lay on it. I’ve been reading the forum here, and that seems like a pretty dense ILD.
Good morning Montrealer!
Does it seem like a quality product?
The only questions I have, is the 6" firm dunlop latex core certified organic by GOLS?
Is the cotton cover also certified GOTS organic?
is this going to strike me down the road as way too firm?
Unfortunately only you can answer that question. Here are some questions that can help you choose.
1- Do you sleep mostly on your side, back, stomach or are you a combination sleeper?
2- How much do you weight?
3- Do you sleep alone or with a partner?
Best of luck to you, and feel free to ask more questions if need be
Mario~
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Thanks again for responding.
The salesman was honest: he said it was just too much of a pain to go through the process of having things certified as “organic.” So they’ve settled for “natural.” From their website: “ We use high-quality natural Dunlop latex. Although our latex is not certified organic, it is natural and not a synthetic blend. We believe this type of latex is the best in terms of quality at a reasonable price.”
I’m note sure, but I believe that’s the distinction between GOL/GOTS and non-GOL/GOTS? Although… I thought I saw a GOLS sign in the store? I’ll have to ask.
Me? I’m 175 lbs, a side sleeper, and (for the moment) I sleep alone.
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Good Morning Montrealer,
Thanks for the follow up! As a side sleeper, you mostly need pressure relief on your hips and shoulders. A 6" firm latex core will provide some, but it’s not the best. The futon is quilted with some eucalyptus fibre to help cushion the tender points, but as in all futon mattresses, it will compress and firm up over time. The good news is that you can always add a topper down the line if the futon becomes too firm for you.
As for the GOLS certification the salesman said:
he said it was just too much of a pain to go through the process of having things certified as “organic.” This is false, if the latex is Organic, they can use the manufacturers GOLS certification to prove that it’s organic and does not contain any synthetic rubber (more on this subject here: styrene - butadiene and VOC’s and your health )
They only way to prove that it does not contain any synthetic rubber is with the GOLS certification as they do not allow the use of it in their organic certification.
I hope this helps you choose the right futon for your sleeping style and health requirements and please keep us posted with what you decided to buy in the end.
All the best
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Thank you once again! Very helpful. Seems I’ve found a local mattress maker that does ensure GOLS and GOTS, and they have a few combinations I’d be interested in. The one that makes the most sense to me, from reading here, is their 10" semi-firm mattress, with 6” Talalay latex 36ILD core base, a 2” Talalay latex 28 ILD transitional layer, and a 2” Talalay Latex 19ILD comfort layer. This comes in at about $2700 Canadian (since they currently have a 10% off sale).
They also have a 9" version of the same mattress with a 1" comfort layer, for $2230, which strikes me as a real bargain.
The question is whether 1" would be sufficient. I do prefer a somewhat firmer mattress in general; would this be a thick enough comfort layer for a side sleeper at 170 to 175 lbs?
All have the same cover: a GOTS certified organic cotton layer on top of a natural wool layer.
Oh, and they make the following pocket-coil/latex mattress, which I find it hard to evaluate. Maybe good?
Good morning Montrealer,
It’s wonderful that you’re exploring options to find your ideal mattress. Talalay latex is known for its high quality and offers a softer feel compared to Dunlop latex. It is commonly used as a comfort layer due to its plushness. On the other hand, Dunlop latex is often chosen for its durability and is better suited as a core or support layer. It’s worth noting that while Talalay latex is highly regarded, it is not GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) certified, more on this here if you want to go down this rabbit hole.
As for their prices they seem fair, but If you shop in the TMU Trusted Members you may be able to find better prices along with GOLS certified latex if that is important to you.
Their Talalay coil mattress has only 1" of Talalay latex. The rest of the mattress is made of some memory foam and HR foam that does off-gas. Is this what you are looking for?
Best of luck to you, and feel free to ask more questions as you go through the process
Mario~
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Thank you again!
I checked out the TMU members, and they seem great, but I’m determined to buy locally if possible: if only for delivery and installation (and removal of my old mattress). My mistake about Talalay: these mattresses were not specifically advertised as G.O.L.S.
I did find one other that appeals, and seems to conform more to what you’re suggesting. For $2400 Canadian:
- The cover consists of organic cotton quilted with natural wool.
- 2 layers each of 1 inch of natural Talalay latex. For each layer you can choose between 4 levels of firmness
- 1 inch of extra dense velva foam, choose between medium firm and firm
- The pillow top is closed with a zipper, so you can come back and change it to your comfort level
- The core has 4 inches of extra density foam with different firmness
- The same is on the reverse side. (Flippable)
Looking this up: Velva seems to be a trademark for an HR foam. Note: This would be 4” of Talalay: 2” on each side.
And they’ll supply a foundation and base for $200.
Well, I just went and tested the Lucerne Plus mattress at Matelas Personnel, and… I bought it. Felt exactly right. His approach to layering is interesting: firmer top inch over less firm second layer. The combination I ended up with:
Top layer: 1” Talalay 36
Second layer: 1” Talalay 28
Third layer: 1” VF 35
Center: 6” VF 35
Then 35/28/36 (same as top — it’s symmetrical/flippable)
This was on the firm side of semi-firm. And they’ll switch out layers for free in the first month or so if I’m not happy.
Oh, and the ingredients: the Talalay is from Global, and about 95%. The center is extra dense velva foam (HR).
The cover is very thin cotton/wool. The cotton is GOTS; the wool is not GOTS, but organic from New Zealand.
Congratulations on choosing your new sleep system! Hopefully it provides you with many years of comfort and restful nights.
As you start using your new mattress, we’d love to hear about your experience. Sharing your thoughts can be incredibly helpful to others who are considering a similar purchase. Let us know how it’s working for you and if you have any tips or insights to share!
Maverick
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Excellent post! Very informative.
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UPDATE! I’ve decided to pay a bit more to replace the 1" HR layers with 1" Talalay. This gives me three 1" Talalay layers on the top and three on the bottom, with 4" of HR in between. (Note: I made a mistake above: I said that the centre was 6" — but that included the HR layers on either side.)
Here I need a bit of advice. I think that I do prefer the firmer ILD 36 layer on top, but what should I choose for the medium layers beneath? Two 1" layers of ILD 28? Or perhaps 36/28/36 (which is close to the original formula). Beneath this would be the 4" HR core: ILD 35.
I suspect some of you think it’s nuts to have the firmest layer on top, but I really like how it makes the surface less spongy. It still feels like a medium-firm mattress on the whole; it’s just that I don’t sink as much into the top. Less of a Jell-o feel. And I can always reshuffle the layers to get 28/28/36, if I decide I want a softer top.
One thing I don’t know: will the medium layers on the bottom of the mattress have any effect? That is, if I have two inches of Talalay 28, as opposed to one, will I feel the difference?
I am not sure what Mario might suggest, but the beauty of your situation is you can swap layers around to create your perfect feel. Just keep tabs on each layer so you dont mix them up. There is no right or wrong here. There is only what is comfortable.
The key is to keep a benchmark to start the process. What ever your layer structure is now, only change one layer on each side if you are creating a flippable mattress and use it for at least several days. This may not be a fast project. You have to give yourself time to adjust to each change you make. This is not a 30minute test drive like when you are in a showroom trying a mattress to get a general feel for the system.
If you keep changing in haste, you may feel good not feel good the first few nights and then it all comes together on day 7 or 10 ect and you dont want to miss that opportunity.
Good luck with it, perhaps Mario will have a different approach as he fits customers every single day with these combinations.
Maverick.
Thanks! Okay, here’s what we’ve decided on, to start with. Again, he’s suggested a slightly unorthodox setup.
The top layer will be 1” of talalay ILD 28
Then 1” of talalay ILD 36
Then 1” of talalay ILD 28
Then the 4” HR core: ILD 35
Same order of talalay beneath: 28/36/28, so it’s flippable.
This sandwich of a firm between two medium layers is odd, I know. He says that if I find this too hard, I can move the firm layer down one level. If I find it too soft, I can move it to the top. And if I want things softer still, I can substitute the firm layer to end up with 28/28/28. Which of course is orthodox.
I’m going to try the first formula tonight, and let you know how it goes.
Good afternoon Montrealer,
This looks like a good mattress setup! The layers are loose so you can rearrange them to personalize the mattress to your liking. You can also remove some of the layers at the bottom and place them on top if ever you need more comfort.
If you get a chance, please share your experience with us after you sleep on it for a while,
All the best!
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Thanks, MFC! The layers aren’t all loose: just the three on the top and the three on the bottom. The central 4" support layer is covered and sewn into the sides of the mattress. Which still gives me a lot of leeway to experiment.
I’m interested: what are your thoughts about putting together a composite comfort layer like this: a 1" firm layer on top of two 1" medium layers? Or, perhaps even less common, between two layers of medium? Do you ever see this?
Good morning Montrealer,
As Maverick stated above, the only combination that counts is the one that works for you! Placing a firm over a medium will not damage the mattress, so feel free to experiment and try different combinations and hopefully you’ll find the one that’s right for you!
cheers!
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Thought I’d update this with a report. The mattress has been here for a few nights, and I finally set it up with the firmest layer on the top (which is a bit different from what I said above):
The top layer is 1” of talalay ILD 36
Then 1” of talalay ILD 28
Then 1” of talalay ILD 28
Then the 4” HR core: ILD 35
Then 1” of talalay ILD 28
Then 1” of talalay ILD 19
Then 1” of talalay ILD 36 (bottom layer, for when it’s flipped)
It’s fantastic. Couldn’t ask for better. I had them put that ILD 19 layer in the bottom stack so that I could experiment with flipping the mattress and checking out how a softer arrangement works for me. I suppose I’ll try this, but I suspect I’ll stick with the current arrangement, and have them substitute the 19 for a 28, so that the mattress is symmetrical and will be the same firmness on both sides when flipped.
I find that having the firmest layer on top sleeps cooler, and is less spongy; but the full effect is the firmest level of medium-firm — I assume, from reading about this, that it’s something like 7 or 8 out of 10. Maybe 8.5?
I’ll give it a few weeks — I have approximately a month to have the store replace layers for me — but I think this is going to be great. Most comfortable mattress I’ve ever owned.
Thanks again, everyone, for the advice!
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Good morning Montrealer,
Thank you for sharing your experience and I’m happy you found the mattress that’s right for you!
all the best
Mario~
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