Latex or coir: which mattress suits you

The two mattresses we make most often are natural latex and coir with a latex top. They feel very different, and the right one depends on how you sleep.

Natural latex is springy and even. It pushes back gently wherever you press it, so it supports the lower back while letting the shoulder sink a little if you sleep on your side. It lasts twelve to fifteen years if kept dry. It is also the more expensive option, because good latex takes a lot of rubber.

Coir is the traditional Kerala mattress. Rubberised coir is firm, flat and very breathable, so it stays cool in the humid months. With a 5 cm latex layer on top, it loses the hardness older coir mattresses were known for. It suits back sleepers, people who like a firm bed and anyone who sleeps hot. It costs about half as much as full latex.

If you share a bed with someone who likes a different feel, we can make a latex mattress in two halves with different firmness, zipped into one cover. Come to the store and lie on both before deciding.