Quick answer: Mr Mattress does not make a latex mattress; the closest match is the Revive Memory Foam, open-cell memory foam over a 50 kg/m³ high-density support core, from R4,899, with a 10-year written warranty.
Let's open with the disclosure most mattress companies would bury: Mr Mattress does not make a latex mattress. Not natural latex, not synthetic latex, not blended latex - and you will never catch us calling our foam "latex" to catch that search traffic, because foam and latex are different materials and pretending otherwise is how buyers get burned.
So why is a factory that doesn't make latex writing a latex guide? Because "latex" has become one of the most confused - and most abused - words in South African bedding, and someone with no latex to sell you is exactly the right person to explain what you're actually paying for.
What latex actually is (and isn't)
Genuine latex is rubber - originally sap tapped from rubber trees, processed into a springy, elastic sleep surface. It comes in three broad forms:
- Natural latex: made predominantly from real rubber-tree sap. The premium option - durable, responsive, naturally elastic, and priced accordingly.
- Synthetic latex: a petroleum-based imitation of rubber. Cheaper, and generally less durable than natural.
- Blended latex: a mix of the two - the most common "latex" sold, often with far more synthetic than the marketing implies.
What latex is not is polyurethane foam. "Latex feel," "latex-touch" and similar labels on ordinary foam beds are marketing, not material. If the word "latex" is on the label, ask what percentage is natural, what percentage is synthetic, and whether the latex is a full core or just a thin topper layer over ordinary foam - because a 2cm latex layer over cheap foam is a foam mattress with a latex accent, at a latex price.
See the Revive - Our Contouring Alternative →
Why latex costs what it costs - and when it's worth it
Genuine latex earns its reputation honestly: it's elastic rather than slow-sinking, it's durable, and it tends to sleep cooler than traditional closed-cell memory foam. The trade-offs are real too: it's heavy, it's expensive, and in South Africa the genuine article is mostly imported - which is exactly why so much of what's sold here as "latex" is blended, thin, or not latex at all.
If a certified, majority-natural latex core is specifically what you want, buy it from a specialist who can show you the certification and the natural-to-synthetic ratio in writing. We don't make one, and we'd rather tell you that plainly than blur a definition - the same policy we apply on our pocket spring referral page.
What most "latex" shoppers actually want - and what we honestly offer
After fifteen-plus years of talking to mattress buyers, I can tell you that most people searching "latex mattress" aren't after rubber-tree chemistry. They want one of two things, and we build honest, published-spec versions of both:
- Contouring pressure relief that doesn't sleep hot - the Revive Memory Foam: open-cell memory foam (the breathable kind) over a high-density support core, from R4,899, 10-year written warranty. It contours like buyers hope latex will, and the open-cell structure is our answer to the "memory foam sleeps hot" problem.
- A responsive, firm, durable surface - the Active Foam: our firmest mattress, with a 50 kg/m³ published-density core, from R3,399, 10-year written warranty. If "latex" to you means springy and supportive rather than sink-in soft, this is the honest match.
Neither is latex. We will never tell you they are. What they have that most "latex" beds in South Africa don't: a published spec, a 10-year written warranty, direct from Mr Mattress pricing, free delivery nationwide - and a 365-night home trial, because the only honest way to know a material suits you is to sleep on it in your own bed.
More honest guides
We keep a series of straight-answer guides for searches the industry usually fudges: the pocket spring mattress guide (we don't make those either, and we say so), the turnable mattress guide, and the full foam vs memory foam comparison for understanding what our materials actually are.
Frequently asked questions
Does Mr Mattress make a latex mattress?
No. We manufacture high-density foam, open-cell memory foam and Bonnell coil hybrid mattresses - and we never label any of them "latex," because they aren't. If you specifically want genuine latex, buy from a specialist who can certify the natural content in writing.
How do I know a "latex" mattress is genuine?
Ask three questions: what percentage is natural vs synthetic latex, is the latex a full core or a thin topper layer, and can the seller show certification. A thin latex layer over ordinary foam is a foam mattress at a latex price.
What's the closest alternative to latex that Mr Mattress makes?
For latex-style contouring without heat: the Revive, open-cell memory foam over a high-density core, from R4,899. For latex-style responsiveness and firm support: the Active Foam, 50 kg/m³ published density, from R3,399. Both carry 10-year written warranties and a 365-night home trial.
Written by Andries Taljaard, founder of Mr Mattress. 15+ years making mattresses in South Africa.