Learn About Latex
Latex Mattresses have been around for many years and is the mattress of choice for many Europeans. Over the last few years in Australian manufacturers and importers have turned to latex mattresses and offer a wide range of products. Unfortunately not all latex mattresses available in Australia are of the same standard, which is why it is important to research your latex mattress before you buy it.
Being a natural product, involving a significant amount of human interaction to produce, latex is more expensive than traditional foam mattresses. The comfort and quality of latex mattresses sets them apart from many other mattresses on the market and a good latex mattress will last 10+ years providing excellent support and minimal partner disturbance.
What is Latex?
Latex is a mixture of organic compounds produced by rubber trees in special cells called caticifers. Most natural rubber comes from a single species of tree, Hevea brasiliensis. Though native to South America, H. brasiliensis is planted in large plantations in Southeast Asia, notably Malaysia and Sri Lanka which is where Pure WhiteTM Latex is sourced from.
Rubber trees take around 5 years to grow from to maturity and have an economic life of 25 to 30 years and are planted in large plantations rarely using chemicals or fertilizers.
How is it made?
The rubber trees are tapped by removing thin strips of bark which disrupt the laticifersdu (a plant duct containing latex). The liquid latex then flows down grooves cut into the tree and drips into collection cups. Rubber estate workers (also known as tappers) then proceed to collect the latex from the cups before replacing the collection cup into its original position. This process does not harm the rubber tree.
After collection, the natural liquid latex is processed with the resulting product known commonly as latex or rubber. The product has excellent tensile strength, elongation, tear resistance and resilience properties. It has good abrasion resistance and excellent low temperature flexibility which is why the medical industry worldwide still uses it over synthetic alternatives.
More importantly for mattresses (and pillows), the latex is poured into block moulds along with a foaming agent. The moulds have spikes which allow for air perforations in the latex. Pure WhiteTM latex has air perforations of just 5mm set only 15mm apart which ensures consumers are sleeping on the maximum amount of latex possible in a mattress.
However, without special additives, it has poor resistance to ozone, oxygen, sunlight and heat, thus all quality rubber products will contain a small amount of additives.
Quality latex products use no ‘fillers’ or excessive chemicals which is why Pure WhiteTM Latex comprises only 1.3% of foaming and stabilizing agents thus making it the purest latex on the market today.
All of this results in Pure WhiteTM having a feel like no other latex on the market, which is why it is chosen by the most exacting mattress manufacturers as their latex of choice.
In Australia, Pure WhiteTM has been chosen by Regal Mattress Outlets and can be found in no other Australian retailers. We invite you to try Pure WhiteTM at a Regal Mattress Outlets store today and discover what true quality latex can feel like in a mattress.
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No one knows mattresses better than we do because mattresses are all we do. When you do one thing, you learn how to do it very well, so we are proud to say that we think we make Australia’s best-made mattresses.
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