TOPIC:

Hello,

I recently purchased a 1 inch latex topper, and I'd like to get a zippered cover to protect it, per the recommendations on this site. However, I'm pretty set on having fabric that is breathable and somewhat eco-friendly (although I don't mind if it's not organic).

There are some covers for thin latex toppers on the web, but they seem to either be synthetic, polyester blends, or bamboo fabric blends. Bamboo fabric is something I'd like to avoid because of the toxic chemicals used to produce it (here's one interesting article about this subject: www.ecouterre.com/how-eco-friendly-is-bamboo-fabric-really/ )

Does anyone know of a zippered cover appropriate for 1 inch of latex that's all cotton, or perhaps a different natural material? One of the topper covers at Sleep like bear is 100% cotton, but it's more like a big pillowcase meant for a thicker topper, so I'm thinking it would bag and wrinkle up on thin one.
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Thanks for all the great posts, everyone.

Hi DahliaM,

Post #4 here has some of the better options I know of for components including covers and a few calls should help you find what you want

Phoenix

Great, thanks for those links, Phoenix. I will probably try calling some of these retailers to see if they offer custom sizes.

Since covers for 1" inch toppers are more rare, I thought I'd also post that the Organic Mattress Shop does have 2 kinds of 100% organic cotton covers for 1"-4" latex covers (( www.organicmattressshop.com/latex-toppers.html ).

They recommend the more heavy cotton knit for greater protection, but that would actually be more than I paid for the Dunlop topper, so I'm mulling it over... I'm thinking the more simple cotton muslin might be just fine, with the mattress pad and sheets over it as well, but not sure.

Hi DahliaM,

I'm guessing (although I could be wrong) that organicmattressshop gets their covers from here which is one of the sites on the list and supplies them with their natural sense mattresses. I believe they can make a cover to any thickness you want (again I would check to make sure).

One of the keys with a cover is that it is opaque to ultraviolet as much as possible because ultraviolet and ozone can prematurely oxidize and degrade the latex.

Phoenix

Hi again, Phoenix,

As you might remember from some of my other posts, I now have a 2" topper as well as the 1". I haven't quite decided yet how thick I want my top comfort layer, so I haven't actually bought a cover yet.

I know that in other posts you've explained that it's really quite important to have a separate topper cover in addition to the mattress pad, although I can't find them on the forum now. I believe the only reasons are to prevent ultraviolet light and ozone from degrading the latex, and that it is not a big concern that the topper(s) would rub against the top of mattress or against each other, but please do correct me if I'm wrong.

In that case, wouldn't it be just as "good" to use a thick mattress protector such as the Organic Cotton Matelasse Knit Mattress Protector from CozyPure in place of a dedicated topper cover? CozyPure says that their "cover is made from the same ticking material as our natural latex mattresses."

DahliaM

Hi DahliaM,

I know that in other posts you've explained that it's really quite important to have a separate topper cover in addition to the mattress pad, although I can't find them on the forum now. I believe the only reasons are to prevent ultraviolet light and ozone from degrading the latex, and that it is not a big concern that the topper(s) would rub against the top of mattress or against each other, but please do correct me if I'm wrong.

Yes this is correct ... you can also see a long list of things here that can also degrade latex here that a cover can help protect against but ozone and ultraviolet light are among the most important.
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In that case, wouldn't it be just as "good" to use a thick mattress protector such as the Organic Cotton Matelasse Knit Mattress Protector from CozyPure in place of a dedicated topper cover? CozyPure says that their "cover is made from the same ticking material as our natural latex mattresses."

If a mattress protector was the same quality as a mattress cover and completely surrounded the latex and protected it from exposure then it would probably be OK yes although I would still tend to use a cover just to make it easier to handle, keep the layers more snugly together as a single topper, and to help protect it when you were washing the mattress protector or it was off the bed.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Thanks for the advice; I did end up buying a dedicated topper cover from Foam Order. It's a good choice for those who want a 100% cotton cover with a zipper on three sides. The cover is much thinner than I expected, however (the fabric is thinner than my sheets).

The cover from Foam Order came wrapped in plastic, so I gently hand washed the cover after I received it to reduce the plastic smell, despite the warning from Foam Order to dry clean only (since cotton will shrink). My mistake. The cover still fits my topper, but just barely. It's pretty tight and I do think it makes the latex feel considerably firmer - I was surprised at how uncomfortable I felt with the tight cover.

Could you point me to any posts on how to trim my latex topper, so it fits less snugly in its cover?

Best,
DahliaM

Hi DahliaM

Could you point me to any posts on how to trim my latex topper, so it fits less snugly in its cover?

An electric knife with a straight edge as a guide works very well. Just go slowly.

You can see some pictures here of a home setup that was used to make some more complex cuts using an electric knife.

Phoenix

Here is my take. I have been using latex (both Dunlop and Talalay) for years and I love it for toppers.
I have made my own protector, bought many zippered protectors from various latex sellers, bamboo, and wool/bamboo encasements from sleep like a bear (their wool/bamboo encasement is awesome, but I am not sure if it comes in 1 inch, still a 2 inch would work, but it is expensive. And you cannot wash it. Encasements are the best protection, but of course, the shallowest I can find is 6 inches. (the kind with polyurethane in it, not vinyl)
Now here is the thing about latex toppers for me, I am very sensitive to smells, and the smell of the latex starts to bother me. No matter how much you air it out, it still has that "Vanilla" smell. That smell then transfers onto your mattress pad, and mattress. I do not like that. So I went looking for a enclosure that would help reduce the smell factor. I found a linen manufacturer that takes individual on line orders, It is London Bridge Linens in Arizona. www.londonbridgelinens.com
You have to order their custom encasement, and I usually order it 1 inch wider, and 1 inch longer, and 1 inch thicker than what I want, because it has to fit LOOSE so that the corners to not turn up on your topper. Otherwise it will not lay flat. They put the zipper on the long side and about 1/4 the way on the sides so you have a three sided opening. The top is terry and inside it is the polyurethane. If you then put a regular mattress pad on top you will have no problem with noise when you roll over.
It is expensive, but not as expensive as some. You can wash it (so you do need to order it larger than what you want, it does shrink just slight) Now you can just order it on line, but I find that I finally had to talk to someone directly about the measurements (after all you are going to pay for this, you should be able to make sure you get it perfect. I have about 4 of these, as I use them on my own, my husbands, guest bed, wherever I have latex toppers as part of the mattress make up) Anyway, if you just order it online and fill in the form (the smallest it has listed is 4 inch depth...so in the COMMENTS you have to type in the exact measurements you want (they can make them 1 inch or 2 inch, etc. I don't recommend the 1 inch, however, as I have tried it, and it was just too close..it is better to have it a little too big than too small, because then you cannot use it at all. IT IS NOT RETURNABLE because it is custom...so you got to get it right. Now if you just fill in the measurements, I have had mistakes with just filling in the measurements and sending it off, so I highly recommend that you TALK to a customer service person (I talk to "Emily" to get the measurements just right, explain how I am going to use it, and she will make sure it gets made with the exact measurements that you want. You do NOT want it to be a "SNUG" fit,
That curls the 1 inch topper (and the 2 inch too) because it is just too flexible). You will NOT notice any difference in performance if there are a few wrinkles in the cover because it is oversized, especially if you have a regular mattress pad on top of it. Just thought I would pass that information along. FYI

Hi Maryanimal,

Thanks for sharing your comments and feedback ... I appreciate it.

I should also add that using a topper encasement that includes a "semi breathable" polyurethane membrane may also reduce the airflow through the topper and could lead to some people sleeping warmer than they are comfortable with compared to a more traditional fabric cover for a topper such as cotton or rayon/viscose or even a polyester cover.

It's also somewhat unusual that a member uses their first post to resurrect a very old topic with a specific suggestion or recommendation that includes a link to a specific product so for the sake of transparency and clarity I would also appreciate it if you could confirm that you don't have any direct or indirect relationship to London Bridge Linens as well (see the forum rules here ).

Phoenix