TOPIC:

Hi there is a used mattress for sale on Craigslist and I have never heard of the foam manufacturer / company its a organic latex company called "Latex Green" ? The mattress is a queen 2.5 years old, has 3 layers individually wrapped in cotton. and is 9" total. Soft,firm,medium for adjustment.

Is this the link? www.latexgreen.com/home.html
The company seems to be in Sri Lanka

What things should you look for/inspect if your buying a used mattress?

Thanks!
D.

Hi passionate4nature,

Latex Green is a Dunlop latex manufacturer which is based in Sri Lanka as you mentioned. They make high quality 100% natural Dunlop latex which is used by many manufacturers in their latex mattresses including many of the "choose your own layer" Dunlop mattresses and many other high quality mattress manufacturers as well. I should also mention that there was no "organic" latex 2.5 years ago.

As far as what to look for ... I personally wouldn't buy a used mattress from someone I didn't know for aesthetic, hygienic, and health reasons but if I were in that hypothetical situation I suppose ... I would look for the overall condition of the mattress and any obvious signs of wear or mistreatment, rips, or other damage, the cover condition and any wear spots or thinning in the cover, any signs of staining or attempts at stain removal in the cover on both sides (slight water stains). I would open any zip cover and fold back each layer on both ends and check for the same things on both sides of each layer. I would also check for any signs of bedbugs (small dark blood stains on the mattress) or signs of mold or mildew.

I would also ask why they were selling it and see if their reason made sense to me and "fit the evidence" in my best judgement. I would ask if they had their original receipt and whether they were the original owner. I would check the law tag to see if the manufacturing date was close to when they said they purchased it. I would check the surroundings and their own cleanliness to see how clean they were in their living habits. I would ask if they had always used a mattress protector and what type (and hopefully have them show you).

Finally I would test the mattress for PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) as objectively and carefully as I could in the same way I would any new mattress to make sure it fit my needs and preferences (although if it didn't then re-arranging the layers or the purchase of a single layer may correct this if you are willing to take on the extra expense). I would also check for any soft spots or impressions (virtual or visible) ... especially if they seemed heavier and the latex was soft.

If all of this looked good and you were completely comfortable with the purchase, the quality of the materials, the lack of any warranty, and the price was right ... then I would consider it ... hypothetically

Phoenix

Phoenix thanks for the great reply,

I found out some more about the mattress. It is from the company "Live for Tomorrow" in Plain City Ohio. It says on it ZEN-F-5 and prototype 113101003. It also says Manufacturer date: of 12/2009. The guy says he is the second owner bought if from a little lady who wanted to go with a King. He is 6'5" so could not make it work for himself and is getting a Cal King now. He said its 100% Organic. On it it says 90% Latex, 5% Wool, 5% Cotton, It also has written Dangelo and on each layer firm, medium, and soft. All over the individual layers they are in a organic wool cover that has that embroidered all over them. Should I avoid it or use it as a base layer and get another comfort layer of dunlop natural latex and a different cover. IT's currently 9" (3" each). How do I tell the total density or should I just go to mattress stores and see what I like and try to replicate it with another layer if I get it.

Thanks,
Dan

Hi passionate4nature,

Livefortomorrow was one of the many names of a company that caused a lot of people a lot of grief over the years with their many bankruptcies (they are still operating today under a different name). See post #6 here . Of course that doesn't matter in this case since you aren't buying from the company itself who is no longer in Plain City.

The mattress itself uses organic wool and cotton but the latex isn't organic as I mentioned so it certainly isn't 100% organic. The latex is natural ... not organic.

Should I avoid it or use it as a base layer and get another comfort layer of dunlop natural latex and a different cover. IT's currently 9" (3" each).

This depends entirely on how the mattress works in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preference) and on whether you think you need another layer and why and of course how comfortable you are with buying it in the first place.

How do I tell the total density or should I just go to mattress stores and see what I like and try to replicate it with another layer if I get it.

I'm not sure what you mean by "total density". Density is a measurement of either kg/m3 or lbs/ft3 and doesn't have a "total". It's usually used for polyfoam, memory foam, and Dunlop latex. With Dunlop it's directly connected with the firmness of a layer. I'm not clear on what you are looking to do (or buy) or why you are thinking of adding another layer though.

Phoenix