What is Blended Latex?
Durable, Resilient and Affordable

Blended latex, which most often means latex foam that has been formulated using a blend of natural and synthetic materials, may be used as either the support layer or the comfort layer of a mattress—or both. The blend varies by manufacturer, but a typical mix is 70 percent synthetic materials and 30 percent natural rubber.

By blending the two materials, mattress manufacturers aim to deliver the best of both worlds. The key benefits of natural latex, which is derived from the milky sap of rubber trees, include elasticity and a springy, luxurious feel. Natural latex is also is known for its ability to conform to the the body, reducing stress on pressure points. It's also resistant to mold, mildew, and dust mites.

What are the Benefits of Blended Latex?

Synthetic latex has its own advantages. One is price: Synthetic latex foam tends to be much cheaper than all-natural latex, so combining the two materials helps lower a mattress’ price tag. In addition, because synthetic latex is very uniform at the molecular level, it offers greater durability than latex made solely with natural rubber, which has more inconsistencies in its makeup.

On its own, synthetic latex does not have the comfy feel of a product containing natural rubber and it may lose some resilience over time. By combining synthetic materials with natural foam, you get a mattress that is both resilient and durable, and also neutral in temperature.

As a support layer, blended latex offers good support for your spine and does a good job of isolating motion on other parts of the bed, so that when your partner turns or gets up in the night, you’re less likely to be disturbed. When used as the comfort layer in a mattress, blended latex offers good pressure relief, which is especially important for side sleepers.

Reading the Label: Blended Latex

While we're calling it 'blended' here, that's a term you'll almost never see on mattress descriptions. Since blended latex does contain some percentage of natural rubber, manufacturers are still allowed to call it "natural." To distinguish blended latex from latex that's made entirely of natural rubber, companies will use "all natural" or "pure natural" or "100% natural" in labeling. If sustainability and lack of chemicals is high on your priority list, you'll want to look for some assurance that latex is made entirely from rubber sap.

Here are some of the terms we've seen used commercially, and what they mean: