Latex vs memory foam padding

[watgate]

I am in a new place and the bed has a cheap thin mattress on a wooden board and my back is killing me. Back in the US I sleep on a bed made by a buddy with a wooden board. I have 2 memory foam pads, each about 1-1/2 inches thick on top of each other placed on the wooden board. I also have a couple of cheap eggcrate mattresses, one about 2 inches thick and the other one 1/2-1 inch thick both placed on top of the memory foam pads and with this setup it is very comfortable and no back issues. Normally, since I am also sleeping on a board here I would just go out and purchase a couple of memory foam pads and replicate the same setup here. My concern though is after doing some reading on Thai visa, one idividual said that buying latex or memory foam pads or mattresses are ill-advised because of the climate here in Thailand. Any knowledgeable posters with some sound advice would be most appreciated, both my myself and my aching back. I don't have a/c where I am currently residing here in Chiang Mai and thought I should mention that too. Lastly, I have had good luck,as stated previously, with memory foam pads but have no experience or useage with latex toppers. If by some chance latex toppers are not susceptible to the heat and humidity in Thailand, does anyone know if they are similar to memory foam pads. Any input would be GREATLY appreciated.

[TheAppletons]

I bought a latex mattress (10 cm thickness) from a TV sponsor when I moved here and have been very happy with it. (I have a memory foam mattress in my home country but couldn't find one that was reasonably priced here.)

A latex mattress does not trap heat like the memory foam does so it seems a bit cooler....but you also don't "sink down into" the latex mattress like on memory foam. More like floating on top of it.

There are several latex sleep furniture stores in Chiang Mai so you can try it out and see what you think before you buy. I did that and then purchased online from a TV sponsor - delivered to my door in a few days and it was about 20% less expensive than in the stores.

Whoever told you that you shouldn't buy a latex mattress in this climate gave you a bad recommendation, IMO. (I agree, however, that this climate probably isn't ideally suited for memory foam since it absorbs heat and moisture.) I'd say just the opposite - the material is very well suited for this climate and it's manufactured in this country.

[FolkGuitar]

We've used the Swedish "Tempur" brand memory foam mattress here in Thailand for the past 15 years. No complaints.

[Lite Beer]

Works for me.

http://latexinnovations.com/

[watgate]

Folk Guitar thanks for the reply. Have you used the Swedish Tempur brand memory foam mattress primarily in an a/c environment ?

[FolkGuitar]

Watgate, no... although we do use the a/c in the bedroom 2-3 months a year, the rest of the year we rely upon the fan instead. We don't find it particularly hot, but then, we've never used the Latex toppers so we have nothing to which to make comparison.

I will say, though, that our mattress is coming to the end of its lifespan. We were told it was good for 15-20 years, and ours is just about 20 now. Five years in no a/c but still tropical conditions, and 15 years here. I notice that the middle of the mattress between the two of us is a wee bit more firm than my side. My wife is very small, so her side isn't suffering as much. We DO rotate the mattress every 6 months or so, and this seems to prolong it's usefulness. I think we'll need to replace it sometime in the next five years, and we will most likely replace it with another memory foam mattress. I've never had a more comfortable night's sleep.

Edited September 7, 2015 by FolkGuitar

[circusman]

I bought a latex mattress (10 cm thickness) from a TV sponsor when I moved here and have been very happy with it. (I have a memory foam mattress in my home country but couldn't find one that was reasonably priced here.)

A latex mattress does not trap heat like the memory foam does so it seems a bit cooler....but you also don't "sink down into" the latex mattress like on memory foam. More like floating on top of it.

There are several latex sleep furniture stores in Chiang Mai so you can try it out and see what you think before you buy. I did that and then purchased online from a TV sponsor - delivered to my door in a few days and it was about 20% less expensive than in the stores.

Whoever told you that you shouldn't buy a latex mattress in this climate gave you a bad recommendation, IMO. (I agree, however, that this climate probably isn't ideally suited for memory foam since it absorbs heat and moisture.) I'd say just the opposite - the material is very well suited for this climate and it's manufactured in this country.

Yes, Mam at www.latexinnovations.com only sells online, so her overhead is low and thus can sell a very reasonable prices. The factory where she orders from has raised the prices 3 times on her but she has maintained her prices. She has had hundreds and hundreds of happy customers all over Thailand, as she has been selling them since 2007/ 2008. She also does a lot of custom cut sizes, and many yacht owners in Phuket order from her. Your description of "floating on top of it" is spot on by the way.

Disclaimer.....Mam is also my wife....

This is not a good business model, not raising prices as the factory has 3 times. Unless the retail price is very high to start with. good luck.

[PBR STREETGANG]

I bought a 6 foot latex mattress last year and it's been great. It took about a month for me to adjust, but well worth it. After finding the right one, it was delivered the same day and simply dropped it on top of the existing 'mattress', that's as hard as a rock. 6000 Baht including sheets/pillowcases/comforter. My best investment so far.

[Saan]

I bought a latex mattress about a year ago and regret it. My wife and I find it hotter than other mattresses and not as comfortable as a good innerspring. It is headed for the guest room soon.

[amexpat]

I bought a 6 foot latex mattress last year and it's been great. It took about a month for me to adjust, but well worth it. After finding the right one, it was delivered the same day and simply dropped it on top of the existing 'mattress', that's as hard as a rock. 6000 Baht including sheets/pillowcases/comforter. My best investment so far.

That's a very low price. How thick is it and where did you get it, please?

[robblok]

I bought a latex mattress about a year ago and regret it. My wife and I find it hotter than other mattresses and not as comfortable as a good innerspring. It is headed for the guest room soon.

I have bought a latex from latexinnovations and I had a 33k bt innerspring mattress before. I doubt its hotter (not that i notice) but I sleep 10x better on it. I guess a lot of this is personal.

I do sweat at night sometimes but I did the same on the innerspring its something i sometimes have.

Problem is you can't really test a mattress for a whole night so its really hard to say what you will like or dislike.

I am lucky I made the right personal choice.

[robblok]

I bought a latex mattress (10 cm thickness) from a TV sponsor when I moved here and have been very happy with it. (I have a memory foam mattress in my home country but couldn't find one that was reasonably priced here.)

A latex mattress does not trap heat like the memory foam does so it seems a bit cooler....but you also don't "sink down into" the latex mattress like on memory foam. More like floating on top of it.

There are several latex sleep furniture stores in Chiang Mai so you can try it out and see what you think before you buy. I did that and then purchased online from a TV sponsor - delivered to my door in a few days and it was about 20% less expensive than in the stores.

Whoever told you that you shouldn't buy a latex mattress in this climate gave you a bad recommendation, IMO. (I agree, however, that this climate probably isn't ideally suited for memory foam since it absorbs heat and moisture.) I'd say just the opposite - the material is very well suited for this climate and it's manufactured in this country.

Yes, Mam at www.latexinnovations.com only sells online, so her overhead is low and thus can sell a very reasonable prices. The factory where she orders from has raised the prices 3 times on her but she has maintained her prices. She has had hundreds and hundreds of happy customers all over Thailand, as she has been selling them since 2007/ 2008. She also does a lot of custom cut sizes, and many yacht owners in Phuket order from her. Your description of "floating on top of it" is spot on by the way.

Disclaimer.....Mam is also my wife....

This is not a good business model, not raising prices as the factory has 3 times. Unless the retail price is very high to start with. good luck.

Umm, her business runs fine, and has been for many years. There is a price point where someone will feel the mattresses are too expensive, so its better for her to make less profit then none at all. Thanks for your concern, but after 8 years of sales, she does not rely on "luck". But instead a great product and customer service....

Correct, sometimes its better to sell in more volume with less margin then more margin and less volume. My business works the same also with high volume your less vulnerable to loss of clients.

[pgrahmm]

Good information.....what seems to be the best application?....In the US I have one memory foam bed in the RV and had to custom cut for a short queen size.....It has 3 - 4 layers so can be matched to desired comfort level with each layer with a different resistance - and I love it....

Is there anyplace locally where someone can go to get an idea as to comfort - firmness ?

Edited September 8, 2015 by pgrahmm

[PBR STREETGANG]

@amexpat-it's about 10" thick and I bought in Sri Racha from a Mom and Pop store. They were asking for 8K but got it for 6K. I can check the brand when I get home, if you like.

[TheAppletons]

@amexpat-it's about 10" thick and I bought in Sri Racha from a Mom and Pop store. They were asking for 8K but got it for 6K. I can check the brand when I get home, if you like.

10 inches thick, latex mattress? For 6K? If you're talking about 6K thb and not dollar/pounds/euros/, that's difficult to believe and I say that not to be insulting but because I priced latex mattresses at a number of different places in CM. The fact that it's described as 10" thick is also curious.....unless it's custom produced, that's way, way more than is practicable.

I know a lot of guys say 10" when in reality it's 5" but.....

[PBR STREETGANG]

According to the trusty tape measure, with a pad and sheets-9 inches, so it's probably 8". When I was was negotiating price, I said I only had 6,000 Baht on me. The old woman asked to see it, I counted it out, she laughed, said OK, then I picked out some bedding. A thousand Baht per foot, I guess. A pretty good deal considering the prices I've seen elsewhere.

Now I've just got to find truck to haul it and my other stuff up to CM and I'll be in business.

[opalred]

i think its same stuff memory foam thai girls use in there bras

[cusanus]

Good info, but I am not seeing WHERE you can buy memory foam in CM or mail order in Thailand. A friend is in need of a softer pad on top of a very hard mattress as she will be needing to get under the blankets with the temp dropping. She thinks that she needs memory foam, but maybe latex from latexinnovations.com would be okay, too. 

[InMyShadow]

They all appear to be 2 inches thick and just as hard as a thai mattress.

[cusanus]

1 hour ago, InMyShadow said:

They all appear to be 2 inches thick and just as hard as a thai mattress.

You did or did not read all the comments?  How do you come by these appearances? Latexinnovations is supposed to sell 5.0 or 7.50 cm toppers that are much more comfortable, at least that's what I'm seeing. 

[Ulysses G.]

14 hours ago, cusanus said:

You did or did not read all the comments?  How do you come by these appearances? Latexinnovations is supposed to sell 5.0 or 7.50 cm toppers that are much more comfortable, at least that's what I'm seeing. 

That is correct. Very comfortable.

[amexpat]

Yep, I've had the 7.5 from Latexinnovations for years. Love it.

 

[kilt]

Memory foam contains all sorts of chemicals and petroleum byproducts. Who wants to sleep on that? All my bedrooms have Latexinnovations mattresses and couldn't be more comfortable - simple 100% natural latex.

 

[cusanus]

1 hour ago, kilt said:

Memory foam contains all sorts of chemicals and petroleum byproducts. Who wants to sleep on that? All my bedrooms have Latexinnovations mattresses and couldn't be more comfortable - simple 100% natural latex.

 

Thanks for the tip.

[Kiniyeow]

For those that have purchased a Latex mattress and not just the topper, how thick of a mattress did you get, 10cm or 15cm?  Is a 10cm mattress thick enough if you don't have any underlying support mattress?  I looked at the 15cm king size from (Latexinnovations) and it's almost 24,000 Baht, not cheap, but should make up for it in the long run I guess.  (20-30 years)  With cover and shipping, it would be over 27,000.  

 

Just curious if the 10cm is enough or just bite the bullet and get the 15cm one.

[geriatrickid]

On 10/31/2017 at 10:56 PM, kilt said:

Memory foam contains all sorts of chemicals and petroleum byproducts. Who wants to sleep on that? All my bedrooms have Latexinnovations mattresses and couldn't be more comfortable - simple 100% natural latex.

 

Seriously? Don't be so dismissive if you do not understand how natural latex is sourced or processed, because it involves some very  toxic and potent chemicals that are no better  and no worse than the chemicals used in other products.

 

First, the rubber trees are typically subject to a growth stimulant, specifically a chemical such as Ethephon aka 2-Chloroethyl phosphonic acid , with the Chemical fomula: CICH₂CH₂PO(CH)₂  The lethal dose in rates is 4,229 mg/kg, so you can probably tolerate  the  residue in your mattress, no worries, although some kids might develop a  cancer.  Then there are the multiple preservatives used in the latex itself once harvested. Ammonia is popular. You know the stuff that kills upon raw exposure because it literally cooks the lungs. There  are always carboxylates like the  popular LB219 from Struktol that work. Yummy. 

 

How do you think latex soup is coagulated?  Here's a hint, it involves an acid.  HCO2H or formic acid. The surfaces of the Latex particles are charged, which creates forces of repulsion between them that keep them from coagulating. In the coagulation process formic acid neutralizes these charges, thereby eliminating the forces of repulsion between the particles.

 

Don't assume that the  term "natural" renders a product any safer or less likely to contain chemicals. Natural latex does deteriorate and does give off  fumes as it does. Those fumes include chemical residues from the processing process.

 

[canthai55]

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

Don't assume that the  term "natural" renders a product any safer or less likely to contain chemicals.

^^^^^  like bullets made with 100% natural lead 555

[cusanus]

5 hours ago, Kiniyeow said:

For those that have purchased a Latex mattress and not just the topper, how thick of a mattress did you get, 10cm or 15cm?  Is a 10cm mattress thick enough if you don't have any underlying support mattress?  I looked at the 15cm king size from (Latexinnovations) and it's almost 24,000 Baht, not cheap, but should make up for it in the long run I guess.  (20-30 years)  With cover and shipping, it would be over 27,000.  

 

Just curious if the 10cm is enough or just bite the bullet and get the 15cm one.

My problem was finally solved, or say for my sister who is very fragile and needed soft foam. The Latex Innovations lady I did call and she quoted me roughly (been a few months so I don't remember for sure, but pang mach) about 20,000 baht + or so, very expensive for the 7.5 cm I think it was. But then I stopped at the Big C on the way to Hang Dong and at the door they were selling a very, very nice, similar looking 7.5 cm topper for only 10,000. Not convinced the Latex Innovations was any better, went the next day to buy it, but first stopped at Koncept closer to CM. Lo and behold they had a luxurious soft full King size mattress, surely at least 10 inches thick and it was on sale for 9,000 baht. Of course, we jumped on that. Just like floating on a cloud, billowy, soft, nice design.  

[Kiniyeow]

Was that the Koncept just South of Macro on Rt. 11 (1st ring road)?

[cusanus]

11 hours ago, VIBE said:

You can't remember but then state a price of 20,000 THB and say its expensive?  The largest 7.5cm topper Latex Innovations sells is a kingsize, and costs 13,199 THB.  Twin size is 9299 THB.?  Why don't you poke your head into all the shops around Chiangmai that are selling REAL natural latex products and check their prices and compare them to Latex Innovations?  They are way way more.  Mam has not raised her prices for over 5 years, even though the factory has.  She still sells extremely high quality natural latex for a great price.

 

http://latexinnovations.com/store/#!/Toppers/c/2137218/offset=0&sort=normal

 

Quality of latex ranges.  A cheaper topper is cheaper for a reason.  Nothing wrong with a cheaper topper that is not 100%, but it is NOT the same as sleeping on pure latex.  If you have never experienced it then yes, you would not know that it is better.

 

 

So you say, and maybe you're right, but what real difference does it make? I have to take your word for it that it's better quality than the one I see at Big C and wait until it arrives by mail to find out otherwise? In any case, the mattress at Koncept was listed for 19K+ and on sale for 9k for a full king size 10" thick mattress, a whole lot less than 13k for a measly 7.5 cm topper, pure latex is just a word.  Sure, you'll insist that Mam's is far higher quality, but that won't mean anything to this disabled woman who has been resting peacefully on this one for three months, is delighted with a great bargain and thinks nothing could possibly be more pleasantly comfortable. Ok, I could drag her around with her walker to several more shops than the three we checked out before stumbling onto the one at Koncept, but that would have surely landed her in the hospital. I could also have gambled that you weren't peddling hyperbole and ordered Mam's topper sight unseen, but I'm not that much of a fool. What it boils down to is that the woman who needed something badly found more than her heart's desire for a very modest price and has been happy with it for a few months now.  Sorry, but throwing around words like experiencing pure latex doesn't mean much. You have to have demonstrate the fact.