Viscose Rayon
Pure Cellulose Fiber What Is Rayon? Rayon is one of the first man-made fibers, but it is not synthetic. Why? It is made by refining and purifying a natural material, cellulose extracted from woody plants (those with long cellulose fibers). The usual short definition...
Vytex® Natural Rubber Latex (NLR)
What is Vytex? Natural Rubber Latex As mentioned on their website, Vytex is a revolutionary plant-based raw material sustainably harvested from the Hevea brasiliensis tree. It is then treated with a non-toxic multi-patented process to virtually eliminate all of the...
What Is A Latex Mattress?
Latex from some plants, such as dandelions and members of the Hevea genus, contains isoprenes, which naturally polymerize as the latex congeals, forming a water-resistant material. Using heat to dry the latex increases the polymerization. In 1839, Charles Goodyear discovered that adding sulfur while curing latex made the final product more durable.
The Sheared Comfort of Wool
Along with linen and cotton, wool is one of the oldest textile fibers in the world, and the oldest animal textile fiber. Along with this, sheep, the major producers of wool, join goats and cattle as animals with the longest history of domestication. Wool has been around for millennia, and will remain a significant fiber for the foreseeable future, even with the widespread use of synthetic fibers, including its use in mattresses.
Varieties of Memory Foam
When a Swedish foam manufacturer, Fagerdala, introduced mattresses made with its Tempur Material to consumers over 25 years ago, it was the only memory foam on the market. Now when you shop for memory foam products, especially mattresses, different varieties of memory foam are featured in the offerings.
Cotton, An Ancient and Modern Fiber
Cotton, one of the oldest textile fibers, continues to be one of the most used, even with the wide use of synthetic fibers as well as other natural fibers, and it still is an important material in many mattresses.
More about Mattresses
History, Trends, Types, Marketing, Innovations, Etc. This blog section is about memory foam mattresses in particular (as is this site) and mattresses in general. The first two articles here are about (1) the 25th anniversary of the memory foam mattress, and (2)...
Sleep Issues
Sleep Issues Just as sure as night and day, sleep is a part of life – not just a part, but an integral part. It’s the way we are made. Machines can be made to run day-and-night weeks at a time, but not the human body. A few decades ago, a lot was written about how...
Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
Those of us who grew up in the 20th Century remember seeing the UL tags and labels with the legend, “Tested by Underwriters Laboratories” on almost all new electrical products. We knew the device should be safe if used as recommended.
Ecocert
EcoCert is a third party inspection and certification firm based in France. It was started in 1991 by agronomists interested in promoting organic and sustainable agricultural practices. Though it started in France, EcoCert is now active in most countries with several national subsidiaries, including in Canada (2000) and the United States (2008).
eco-INSTITUT
eco-INSTITUT, based in Cologne, Germany, started in 1988. It is an independent testing and verification firm which has gained a reputation for testing above and beyond standards set by governmental agencies in the European Union, Canada, and the United States. The focus of their testing is safety of materials in regards to content and emissions.
International Association of Natural Textile Industry (IVN)
IVN stands for Internationale Verband der Naturtextilwirtschaft. The English translation is International Association Natural Textile Industry. It is a standards setting and certifying organization for textiles. Based in Germany, its mark is used by companies in German speaking nations and neighboring countries.