These days, consumers are turning more and more to online shopping. This is also the case when buying a mattress. A bold step, considering you may not have tested it before making the purchase. But with a mattress made of natural latex you are sure to rest comfortably, your body as well as your conscience.
Intrigued by the extraordinary possibilities of this sustainable resource, a small group of young Germans decided to create the start-up JONA SLEEP. Their focus is on developing sleeping products made of natural latex that are confortable for everyone. “Enjoy nature every night” is their slogan, and they mean it. Consequently, their mattresses are LGA and Ökotex 100 certified and consists of 100% natural latex covered with natural textiles like felt and cotton, which is washable and support the positive traits of the core. “We believe in our products and consider them as the sustainable and healthy alternative,” says CEO Stefan Geißinger. Jona Sleep is so convince about their “one natural latex mattresse for everyone” concept that they offer a cash refund after 100 days of test sleep. Buyers satisfaction is high, they haven`t had returns up to now.
But why is natural rubber so environmental friendly?
On plantations in Southeast Asia, South America and parts of Africa, the raw material is collected as juice from rubber trees. In order to gain the precious liquid, the trees are neither cleared nor harvested. In fact, they are milked. Plantation workers cut the bark of the trees just deep enough for the juice to leak. If they cut too deeply, the tree will be susceptible to disease.
The juice is then collected into little bowls hanging beneath the cut. The workers usually harvest the natural latex at night, when the output is at its best. Afterwards, it is transported to factories, which process the resource into multiple products, including mattresses.
In addition, the rubber trees on the plantations prevent erosion and can be used approximately 32 years for production before they stop providing natural latex. At the end of their lifecycle, they serve as a perfect alternative for tropical hardwood in furniture, hence preventing cutting of tropical rainforest trees.
Multiple benefits
Natural latex mattresses have various advantages – for man as well as for nature. As the material is extremely flexible, the mattress adapts perfectly to the individual body shape. Furthermore, natural latex is hygienic due to its antibacterial and antifungal properties, dust-free, and therefore suitable for people with allergies. They also tend to last longer than conventional mattresses.
Since the natural protein fibres are foamed, good ventilation is guaranteed. The natural latex mattress consists of millions of small bubbles and is equipped with an air chamber system. As the sleeper changes position, air is pressed out of the latex mattress and sucked in again, ensuring that a continuous exchange of air takes place and no unpleasant moisture or heat accumulation can occur.
The environment also benefits. The rubber trees on the plantations neutralise more than 90 tonnes of CO² per year. In contrast to other materials such as foams or synthetic latex, no mineral oil is needed for production. Only about 10% of the energy input for synthetic latex is required to produce the same amount of natural latex. This means that natural latex mattresses go significantly easier on the energy balance.
