Organic latex is harvested from the sap-like extract of a rubber tree. The process is much similar to that of extracting maple syrup from a maple tree. This can be a very time consuming and labor inclusive process. To simplify it’s complexity, the rubber tree is tapped and out oozes the sap to be collected and used in production. The liquid latex sap is then poured and processed through either one of two latex processes; talalay or dunlop. At this stage, you have an all natural, organic rubber latex material. The latex in an organic latex mattress will not go through any synthetic and/or chemical processing or mixtures. It does not contain any chemicals, synthetics, pesticides, herbicides, or other man-made products. Organic latex products may have a temporary distinctive smell when new, but this is NOT to be confused with off-gassing. Since organic latex is not a byproduct of a chemical process, you won’t be breathing in any toxins and/or chemicals being emmitted from the product. The smell is not foul, we’d put it on a chart ranging between “Vanilla” and “Rubbery,” organic latex having the least odor. Organic latex is a superior form of rubber to synthetic or blended latex. Our OrganicPedic natural latex mattresses by Organic Mattress, Inc. are 100% certified organic latex mattresses.

Just the way it sounds, synthetic latex is a man-made molecular replica of organic rubber latex. To form a synthetic latex, the sap-like latex extract is mixed with fillers, chemicals, and/or additives before being poured for processing. Sythetic latex is often produced with the use of SBR – a general purpose synthetic rubber to replace the naturally harvested latex rubber. SBR is produced using petrochemicals. Consumer satisfaction rates do tend to be significantly higher with all natural latex mattresses vs synthetic latex mattresses. Synthetic latex is much less supportive than organic latex, and has a reduced life-span. A mattress containing synthetic latex instead of naturally harvested organic rubber latex will be much less in price, but the two don’t offer the same benefits. So, be careful of green disguises, these two are generally categorized as a latex mattress. Los Angeles can be a very marketing savvy city. At Mattress Central, our ultimate goal is to offer just the right mattress to meet all your needs and expectations. We carry a variety of all different types of latex mattresses.

Blended latex is a combination of both synthetic and organic rubber latex. The ratio in the blend varies product to product, manufacturer to manufacturer.

Rubber trees are dominantly found in these different parts of the world: Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Sustainability is important and made possible because of the technique for tapping latex from a rubber tree. This eliminates the need to cut down and destroy the trees.
A rubber tree is never hurt in the process of tapping latex. The cuts in the bark of a rubber tree heal rapidly.
A rubber tree takes approximately 7 years to begin harvesting latex, but will then yield latex for as long as 30 years.
A rubber tree’s daily yield is 15 grams of latex. Just the core of a queen sized mattress would require 37,500 grams of rubber latex, that’s an output from 2,500 rubber trees!
Over a 1 year period, these 2,500 rubber trees will account for the removal of 143 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide from the environment.

a. The iquid latex is poured onto a long conveyor belt
b. The liquid latex is slowly heated to mold into a gel-like permanent solid state
c. The liquid latex is cooled and removed from the conveyor belt

a. The liquid latex is poured into a desired mold and sealed shut
b. Vacuum is created to evenly distribute the liquid latex throughout the sealed mold.
c. The liquid latex is then flash frozen
d. The frozen latex is heated to maintain its shape in a solid form
e. When cooled, the latex is removed from the mold

Notice there’s two additional steps associated with the Talalay process (Vacuum & Freeze). These two steps play a big role in the outcome of the finished product. The Talalay process takes four times longer than the Dunlop process, but ensures the consistency, quality, and comfort feel of the finished latex.
Vacuuming the liquid latex in a sealed mold distributes the latex evenly throughout. This enables manufacturers to configure precise firmness levels. Larger amounts of liquid latex poured in the mold will yield a rich, firmer latex. In the same sense, less will soften up the outcome. The dunlop process will result in the same, dense piece of latex all the time, unless fillers are being used. This isn’t as favorable given the fillers will cause the finished latex to become flaky and break down quicker.
When heating the latex into a solid form during the Dunlop method, the latex particles will sit towards the bottom of the latex making the finished product firmer at it’s core than surface. You’d have a variation of firmness from the top of the latex to the bottom. If being used in the core of a mattress, this won’t be too noticeable, but will definitely cause issues if being used as the top layers of a mattress or in accessories. The flash freezing step in the Talalay process prevents these latex particles from settling to the bottom of the latex. The resulting Talalay latex will have a very consistent feel from top to bottom, which is ideal for optimum support and durability in a mattress.