A latex mattress is a sustainable and natural alternative to a memory foam or pocket spring mattress. The best latex mattress will be supportive whilst also being more breathable than a foam mattress. They’re also good for people with allergies to dust mites.
So why aren’t all mattresses made from latex?
Well, latex is expensive to produce compared to a plastic-based foam mattress. You’ll find that solid latex mattresses are expensive whilst cheaper ones have a thin topper with other materials such as pocket springs or foam used underneath.
There are two types of latex – one called ‘Dunlop’ and another called ‘Talalay’.
According to Mattress Online, the main difference is that a dunlop latex mattress is firmer at the bottom than the top. A talalay latex mattress has a more consistent tension all over. Some say that dunlop latex is a bit cheaper to produce and is a bit firmer overall. Both are very good though, so I wouldn’t obsess over it too much.
Scientific support for latex as a healthy material for mattresses
Latex may be a good option if you are after a mattress made from natural materials. According to WebMD, mattresses ‘release minute amounts of gaseous chemicals called volatile organic compounds’. They say the main culprit is ‘the polyurethane used in the mattress’. That is another way of saying that it may be more of an issue with foam mattresses.
They note that ‘Mattresses containing cotton, wool and natural latex will all produce lower levels of gases’. However, they do also say that ‘The estimated doses of most VOCs remained well below the levels that could cause health effects’.
Latex is highly rated in an academic setting
There was also an academic study to see what ‘younger and middle-aged’ people thought of different mattress materials. They had a ‘high evaluation’ of latex mattresses compared to most other mattress materials.
It was published in 2020 after research in China by Hou and Zhang (‘The Influence of Mattress Material on Sleeping Comfort of Different Age‘). It concluded that the younger participants had ‘high evaluation on memory foam and latex mattress in supine and lateral position’. In other words, younger people that slept on their back and side got on well with memory foam and latex.
Meanwhile, older participants rated memory foam and other types of mattresses higher. You can read the abstract of the research here.
We’ve picked out five of the best latex mattresses by looking at reviews, awards and specifications. Prices are for doubles and are correct at the time of writing in 2024:
1. Dunlopillo Elite Mattresses – choice of soft/medium, medium or medium/firm – £1900 (approx)
If you’re looking for a latex mattress, you’d be mad not to consider something from the Dunlopillo range. That’s assuming you can afford the price tag.
Dunlopillo is the Coca Cola of the latex mattress market. They pioneered using the material in mattresses and remain the best known latex mattress brand. They’ve previously been named as the UK’s best mattress brand ahead of dozens of others. Their TrustPilot average score is a glowing 4.7/5, putting it right near the top of our league table of brands.
The three models we’ve picked out are all from the Dunlopillo Elite range. You can choose from:
- Dunlopillo Elite Comfort 1400 (soft/medium)
- Dunlopillo Elite Luxury 1750 (medium)
- Dunlopillo Elite Supreme 2200 (medium/firm)
They all cost about the same price and use a mix of latex and pocket springs.
According to the official blurb, it takes a rubber tree 500 days to produce enough material for a single latex mattress. That bumps the price up considerably.
A soft, medium or a firm mattress?
Lighter people would probably be best with the soft/medium firmness Dunlopillo Elite Comfort 1400 Mattress. Heavier people would be better with the medium/firm Dunlopillo Elite Supreme 2200 Mattress. The number refers to how many pocket springs have been used in the design.
In case you’re wondering, rubber trees aren’t harmed by the mattress making process. There’s a good argument that latex mattresses are more environmentally friendly than foam mattresses.
Dunlopillo offer a 15 guarantee, which is far better than you get with most pocket spring mattresses. Most pocket spring brands offer a 5-8 year guarantee. Exceptions include Posh pocket spring brand Vispring which offers 30 years whilst most foam mattresses come with 10 years. The Nectar Sleep and DreamCloud both come with a ‘forever warranty’ (check the Ts & Cs). Cheaper mattresses sometimes just have a year or two’s warranty.
The pros and cons – our expert opinion of the Dunlopillo Elite mattresses
“Dunlopillo are in their own league when it comes to latex mattresses. However, they’re also the most expensive.
“On the plus side, you’re getting the market leaders in latex mattresses.
“Dunlopillo is also a good choice for anyone who wants a firm latex mattress. Most of the other latex mattresses included in this list are soft or medium firmness.
“A few years ago, we were cautious about recommending buying a Dunlopillo mattress online, as we couldn’t find a seller with a trial period. However, you now get 60 nights with the option to swap it if you decide it is too soft or too firm. The warranty length has also improved greatly. When we first wrote this guide to latex mattresses, you only got an eight year warranty, which was low considering the price tag. However, that has now increased to 15 years – nearly double what it was. Of course, you need to check the smallprint”
2. Rest Assured Knowlton 2000 Pocket Latex Pillow Top Mattress (medium tension) – £625
This Rest Assured Knowlton mattress only has a latex topper (i.e. a 2.5cm layer at the top). But don’t write it off. It gets outstanding reviews of 4.6/5 from 200+ customers on Mattress Online and it’s less than half the price of a Dunlopillo mattress. The Rest Assured Knowlton also won an award from Good Housekeeping in 2018.
The Rest Assured brand sits somewhere in the middle of the mattress market alongside names like Silentnight and Sealy. They are a ‘traditional’ mattress brand which uses springs as the main support rather than several layers of foam. Modern brands which you’ve seen advertised extensively like Emma and Simba tend to make more use of foam in their mattresses.
How is it made?
The main support from the Rest Assured Knowlton comes from the 2000 pocket springs. This type of spring is much better than the old fashioned ‘open coil’ mattress which your grandmother had in her spare room. I could elucidate on the boring reasons for this in great detail or you could just take my word for it and move on.
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve been given about buying a pocket spring mattress is around the number of springs. A number below 1000 tends to feel a little insufficient, particularly if you are heavier than average. A number beyond 2000 means that there are multiple layers of springs. Mattresses boasting of 8000 springs are likely to have several layers of tiny springs.
The short summary from all this waffle is that 2000 pocket springs is excellent. It will support you very well, even if you are a little on the large side (no offence).
The springs are ‘zoned’ which is something you see on a lot of mattresses nowadays. This is a clever bit of engineering where the firmness level varies a bit across the mattress so that your hips and your feet get different levels of support.
The latex layer
You only get a 2.5cm layer of latex with this mattress but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
A notable piece of academic research looked at the optimum depth and firmness of a mattress topper or top layer for sleeping on your back. It concluded that ‘A soft topper with 30 mm thickness was suggested as the best combination’. This mattress has a 25mm top layer and is medium firmness, so it isn’t far off that recommendation. See Yu-Chi, Chih-Yun et al, 2020.
You can’t flip this mattress over because of the ‘topper’ design. That is pretty common nowadays but I’ve always liked double sided mattresses. My hunch is that you are less likely to get lumpy areas on a double sided mattress which is regularly flipped over. I’ve not found a proper study which has put this theory to the test though – it’s just a hunch.
Warranty, trial period and other bells and whistles
A few years ago it was almost unheard of to get a trial period with a pocket sprung mattress. If you were buying online you either needed to find a store with the same model or take a punt and hope for the best.
This has changed over the last few years, seemingly because of the huge number of new mattress brands which turned up with long risk-free trial periods.
The 60 night trial period offered with this mattress isn’t quite as generous as the likes of Nectar and Simba which give you several months (or even a whole year) to try them out. However, it’s certainly a plus point which will give you more confidence when buying online.
I would heartily recommend that you read the terms and conditions of the trial period, as there are important details such as the fact that it offers a swap rather than a refund.
You can’t turn this mattress over, as it’s got a topper. Personally, I like mattresses which be turned over as it can help reduce the risk of developing dips over time. However, it’s necessary when you use a topper.
This model comes with a 5 year guarantee. I consider that to be a little on the low side as some similar priced pocket spring mattresses come with 7 year or 10 year guarantees. The Dunlopillo mattresses mentioned earlier come with a 15 year warranty – triple what you get with this one.
The pros and cons – our expert summary of the Rest Assured Knowlton 2000 Pocket Latex Pillow Top Mattress
“This Rest Assured mattress is a whopper at 30cm deep. You may need to invest a new set of extra deep fitted sheets.
However, it actually contains a lot less latex than pricier models because it has layers of springs beneath.”
“The warranty length is a little on the short side and is the same as the Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 Latex Mattress. However, it’s in the ballpark of what you’d expect for the price.”
“It might suit someone who is more used to a sprung mattress and isn’t quite ready to make the leap to a whole new material for their mattress.”
3. Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 Latex Mattress (medium tension) – £567
This Silentnight mattress is a good choice in the mid-priced section of the latex mattress market.
It has a lower spring count than more expensive mattresses. However, it comes with a 4cm thick layer of latex.
It uses pocket springs, which are certainly preferable to open coil or ‘traditional’ springs. 1000 pocket springs should provide adequate support for someone who isn’t too heavy. If you’re on the large side then you would benefit from a higher number such as the Rest Assured Knowlton which has 2000 springs and a layer of latex (see above)
Silentnight is a big-name brand which makes pretty much everything sleep related, including pillows, toppers and duvets. Overall, the brand scores 4.2/5 on TrustPilot.
The pros and cons – our expert opinion of the Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 Latex Mattress. Is it the best latex mattress on the market?
“Latex mattresses tend to be expensive but this one has the definite plus point of being more affordable. It’s about a fifth of the cost of the Dormeo Octaspring 9500 Latex Mattress. Admittedly they are very different in how they’re designed and made.”
“The spring count is a little low, however, this Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 Latex Mattress will be suitable for you if you’re not particularly heavy”
“The five year guarantee is a little on the short side. I’d say it’s still a good price considering it uses more latex than the more expensive models”.
4. Dormeo Octaspring 9500 Latex Mattress (medium tension) – £2579
This rather-pricey Dormeo mattress makes our top 5 thanks to its clever design. Also, the Dormeo brand gets very positive reviews from customers on TrustPilot (average of 4.1/5).
Dormeo has got a few different mattresses that use latex. We’ve picked out the top of the range Dormeo Octaspring 9500 Latex Mattress. The specification is good and the handful of customer reviews that we’ve found have been good (although there are only about 10 at the time of writing).
The latex layer is 4cm deep and then underneath there are ‘Octasprings’. They are essentially pieces of foam which have been shaped to act like springs. The blurb says that this design is ‘eight times more breathable than memory foam’.
It’s also a very thick mattress at 30cm, which is a good sign of quality.
It comes with a 20 year guarantee. That’s right, 20 years! That is well above average for the mattress industry although it’s always worth checking the small print of what a warranty covers.
The pros and cons – our expert opinion of the Dormeo Octaspring 9500 Latex Mattress
“This mattress is the most expensive on this list but it’s also radically different from the others. This sort of innovation should be commended but is it worth the money?”
“It’s certainly a deep mattress but the amount of latex used is about the same as the Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 Latex Mattress. However, it’s the design of the springs which is unusual.”
“The warranty length is amongst the longest we’ve seen. It is four times that offered with the Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 Latex Mattress. However, have a read of the smallprint to get a full understanding of what’s covered”
5. Rymic Talatex Premium Natural Latex Mattress Topper (medium/firm tension) – £229
Finally, a latex mattress which isn’t actually a mattress. Sorry about that.
A Talatex mattress topper is worth considering if you are looking for a cheap way of turning your current pocket spring mattress into a latex mattress.
It is 5cm thick, which is pretty decent considering that the Rest Assured Knowlton has a 2.5cm layer of latex. There’s also a more expensive 7.5cm version.
Reviews for the various sizes and depths of the Talatex toppers are very good. I’ve bot been able to figure out the warranty length.
I can only find it in king size and super king size.
The pros and cons – the Sleep Guy’s expert opinion of the Talatex Premium Natural Latex Mattress Topper
“Comparisons on value for money are a bit tricky since this is just a topper. However, it is roughly half the price of the Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 Latex Mattress and has a generous layer of latex.
“A topper can make a mattress feel more comfortable but be wary of putting a topper onto a mattress which is past its best. It’s a bit like putting a good quality carpet over an uneven floor. It isn’t a substitute for a new mattress.”
“As with the other latex products featured, you don’t get a trial period.
Head to head: which is the best latex mattress for you?
Our head to head of the best latex mattresses reveals a shortage of risk-free trial periods. These have become quite common amongst memory foam mattresses. That leaves you with the option of taking a punt online or going for a non-latex mattress with a trial period. You will also find that trial periods are offered by some retailers from time to time so you might want to shop around a little.
| What’s it called? | How much is it? | Warranty and trial | How firm is it? | Depth | Sizes |
| Dunlopillo Elite Mattress | £1900 | 15 years, 60 nights trial period | Soft/Medium, Medium or Medium/Firm | 31cm | Single, Small Double, Double, King |
| Rest Assured Knowlton | £625 | 5 years, no trial period | Medium | 30cm | Single, Double, King, Super King |
| Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 Latex Mattress | £567 | 5 years, no trial period | Medium | 26cm | Double, King, Super King |
| Dormeo Octaspring 9500 Latex Mattress | £2579 | 20 years, no trial period | Medium | 30cm | Single, Double, King, Super King |
| Rymic Talatex 5cm Mattress Topper | £229 | No trial period | Medium/Firm | 5cm | King, Super King |
The science of sleep. What’s the advantage of a latex mattress over a foam mattress?
The most detailed research I’ve read on this topic so far was carried out by Low, Chua et al in 2016 in Singapore.
It was titled ‘Effects of Mattress Material on Body Pressure Profiles in Different Sleeping Postures’ and looked at latex and polyurethane mattresses.
How the study into latex mattresses was carried out
Rather than looking at people during sleep, participants lay down on their front, side and back for a few minutes. Measurements were taken on the pressure that was placed on different parts of their body. The models they tested aren’t sold in the UK but the principles are still of interest.
Researchers were looking for pressure being exerted on different parts of the body.
Positive results for latex mattresses compared to foam mattresses
They found that ‘the latex mattress was able to significantly reduce peak body contact pressure on the torso and buttocks by up to 35.1% for the various sleeping postures compared with the polyurethane foam mattress’.
They go on to add that the results ‘indicate the capability of the latex mattress to minimize high body contact pressure points’.
At the same time, the latex mattress maintained ‘a relatively low body contact pressure profile across the different body regions across different sleeping postures’. In other words, latex performed well regardless of what position people slept in.
As a result they said it could potentially offer ‘better comfort to the user’ than a foam mattress.
The conclusion is that ‘the latex mattress exerts lower peak pressure points to the user in the common sleeping postures’. The suggestion was that this may ‘translate into better sleep comfort and quality for the user’
How the weather and temperature affects latex mattresses
A much older study from the 1950s examined how polyurethane foam and latex behave at different temperatures (Properties of Flexible Urethane Foams, Saunders et al, 1958).
Low, Chua et al summarised their work as finding that the latex was much less changed by temperature.
They said that ‘The latex foam was relatively constant throughout the entire range, whereas the polyurethane foam varied considerably’.
This change in foam mattresses can create quite a different feeling for the sleeper during different seasons.
In other words, ‘High temperature sensitivity of the modulus polyurethane foam would result in uneven distribution of material stiffness throughout the mattress’.
Whilst this study looked at a big range of temperatures, the principle is a useful one. It shows that a foam mattress might feel quite different in summer to winter. This is one of the reasons why you might choose a foam mattress with a 200 night or 365 night trial period, so you can see if it is right for you in winter and summer.