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There are many properties of foam. The two most important are: Density and ILD. Density is nothing more than how much a piece of foam weighs. It is determined by taking a cubic foot of foam (12" x 12" x 12") and weighing it. If the foam cube weighs 5 pounds, the density is 5.0. If it weighs 2.5 pounds, the density is 2.5. The higher the density, the longer the foam should last. The best foams for extended use are ones with a density of 1.8 or higher. Foams with a density of less than 1.8 are adequate for temporary use. ILD stands for Indentation Load Deflection and refers to the firmness of a piece of foam. The lab puts a 4" x 15" x 15" piece of foam on a flat surface. Then a round metal plate, 8" in diameter, pushes down on that piece of foam. The amount of pounds of pressure it takes to squeeze the 4" piece of foam to 3 inches (25% compression) is referred to as the ILD. A low ILD, such as 10, doesn't offer much resistance and is an extremely soft piece of foam. A piece of foam that takes 46 pounds of pressure is an extra firm piece of foam. Generally speaking, ILD's of 10-22 are considered soft, 23-29 are medium, 30-37 are firm, and 38+ are considered extra firm. The comfort range for most people is 25-35. Foam does soften slightly with regular use.
Latex is derived from the rubber tree. It is a natural, biodegradable material that is inherently anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and dust mite free. Latex inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, fungus, and bacteria. This makes it the best option for health conscious consumers and those who suffer from allergies. We have not seen a foam product that comes close to the quality and resilience of Latex. We sell 100% Natural Latex made with the Talalay process. It starts as a milky white liquid composed of rubber, dispersed in water. This material is whipped with air to form a foam, which is frozen in place to make the Latex core. 
The Latex core has a pincore construction with hundreds of tiny air channels. Because of this natural ventilation, it provides more breathability, keeping you warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. The density of the Latex core is approximately 5.0 pounds per cubic foot. This is double the density of the best high resilient polyurethane foam. More weight means longer life. It comes with a 30 year warranty and is available in Soft, Medium, Firm, and Extra Firm. There is no resilience like Latex. If you have slept a night on it, you know.
Latex, sometimes referred to as Pincore, represents the best foam available for a mattress. Latex is inherently anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, dust mite free, and has hundreds of tiny air channels. Because of this natural ventilation, it provides more breathability, keeping you warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Our focus is selling high quality Latex mattresses. We sell only 100% Natural Latex. The real advantage is for customers who have a genuine health or environmental concern. We carry the Talalay 100% Natural Latex. Talalay refers to the manufacturing process used in making the Latex.
We use the MINI-STACK system to assemble our mattresses. Prior to 2002, we had been shipping mattresses with a solid 6" Latex core. More often than we wanted, people would use our liberal swap policy to exchange a 6" medium core for a firm one, a firm one for an extra firm one, etc. In addition to having swapped 6" foam cores accumulating in our warehouse, it was a major project for the customer to package a 6" King or Queen Latex core for shipment. With our MINI-STACK system, you will get either two, three or four 3" layers of Latex. The wool/cotton cover encases the Latex. Because of the friction of the foam and the snugness of the cover, these foam pieces will not move or slide once the mattress is placed on the bed. 
The Latex layers are available in Soft, Medium, Firm, and Extra Firm. The most common combination is med/firm/Xfirm, but soft/firm/Xfirm, firm/firm/Xfirm, or anything else you come up with, are available at no extra charge. Because we do not laminate the layers, you can rearrange the Latex to fit personal comfort needs. Most people prefer medium on top, firm in the middle, and xtra firm on the bottom. If this is not quite firm enough, you can unzip the cover and rearrange the top two pieces (see illustration above) so the firm is on top. The ability to make this change has eliminated more than 90% of returns and swaps. Most people are able to get the comfort they need through some arrangement of the layers.
Plush Quilted Wool Cover 
We refer to this cover as our wool cover. It should actually be called our cotton - wool - cotton cover. The top layer is a 100% cotton fabric. The bottom layer is a 100% cotton liner. Between these two layers is a 1/2" layer of joma wool. If you are like many people, you are not able to wear a wool sweater. The only way
Decision #1: Two, Three, or Four layers We assemble mattresses using the Mini-Stack System with either 2, 3, or 4 layers of 3" Latex. The Natural Plus contains 3 layers and the Natural Lite is the 2 layer mattress. The Natural Plus offers more options and provides an extra layer of comfort. When the owner of FSF went from a "Lite" to a "Plus", he noticed that he could no longer feel the flat support beneath the mattress. It was now extremely cushy and comfortable. We hear the same comment from people who visit our showroom. The Super Natural Plus has 4 layers. With the Super Natural Plus, you have even more options for comfort than the Natural Plus. It is a great mattress if you like that plush thick mattress look and is the best option for large people. Bottom Line: We recommend the Natural Plus (3 layer) or Super Natural Plus (4 layer) mattress. If $$ is an issue or you like it real firm, the "Lite" is a very good choice. If you want a nice plush thick mattress or are a large person, the Super Natural Plus is the best option. Decision #2: Soft, Medium, Firm, or Extra Firm When buying a Natural Plus (3 layer) mattress, most people buy the medium over firm over extra firm. This is the arrangement that fits most comfort ranges. If it is not quite firm enough, you have the ability to unzip the cover and re-arrange the layers to adjust the comfort level. Some people suffer from conditions that require at least the top layer being soft. For this situation, we recommend the top layer to be soft and the bottom two layers be firm/extra firm or med/firm. For people who are used to sleeping on futons or want a firm mattress, our suggestion is firm/firm/extra firm or firm/extra firm/extra firm. These layers can still be re-arranged. When buying a Natural Lite (2 layer) mattress, we recommend the medium on top and the firm on the bottom. Keep in mind it may feel firmer because there is not as much Latex to sink into. You will be 1 layer closer to the foundation. You can always make it firmer by flipping the mattress over, thus putting the firm on top. If you are a small person, the Natural Lite may work well for you. When buying a Super Natural Plus (4 layer) mattress, we recommend the med/med/firm/extrafirm if you are average size. If you are a large person, we recommend the med/firm/firm/extrafirm or med/firm/extra firm/extra firm. You still can make it firmer by re-arranging the layers, placing the firmer layers at the top Bottom Line: For most people we recommend med/firm/extra firm or similar. You can always make the mattress firmer by re-arranging the layers of latex. If you know you like either softer or firmer, feel free to order accordingly or give us a call @ 949.679.4800 for our opinion. If you do need to exchange a layer, there is always our liberal swap policy. Decision #3: Foundation or No Foundation Our mattresses do not need a foundation for support. If you need to put the mattress on something to achieve a desired height, it can be placed on your old box spring (if it doesn't sag), directly on slats (as long as they are less than 8 inches apart), or directly on plywood such as a Captain's Bed or Platform Bed. We offer a 9" wood foundation, but only want to sell it to you if you need one. Bottom Line: If you need to raise in height the mattress you purchase from us, you can use anything that will give you support as long as it doesn't sag. Decision #4: Mattress Pad - Yes or No YES. Whether you buy it from us or not, you NEED a Mattress Pad/Protector. You really want to protect this major purchase from animals, kids, spills, and yourself. We sell a very high end 100% cotton Mattress Pad/Protector. It is a little pricey, but is worth the extra cost. We keep hearing from customers, "After spending this amount of money to buy a mattress that is totally natural, why would I want to put a polyester Pad/Protector on my bed?" Good Point. Bottom Line: Whether you buy it from us or not, you need something to protect this mattress. |
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Foam Facts
you can see or touch the wool in this cover is to cut it open with a scissors. You will have no direct contact with the wool. The wool layer simply provides the loft for the comfort you need. This cover has a quilted layer on the top & bottom and comes with a zipper on 3 sides for easy removal. 
Latex - From Tree to Bedding|
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