I lay comfortably on the plush bed in the Getha showroom at Tanglin Shopping Centre (Singapore), feeling like I was going to doze off at any moment. It felt strange to be lying on a mattress in a public showroom, but there were no one else in the shop anyway. And the latex mattress was simply just too comfortable. This is our review of Getha, a company that sells premium latex mattresses in Singapore.
What is Getha?
Getha is a Malaysian company that manufactures natural latex mattresses. Incorporated in 1969, the company has been in the industry for almost 50 years. The mattresses are made from 100% natural latex produced in Malaysia. Getha has a major international presence, with branches in countries such as Australia, Japan, Korea, Morocco, Taiwan, China, and many more.
What is a “Latex” Mattress?
Latex is a natural material extracted from rubber trees. It possesses elasticity, therefore it is able to conform easily to your body shape. It is also able to provide support as your body settles deeper into the bed. Therefore, latex has a good balance of plushness and support.
Types of Latex Mattresses
When we were shopping for latex mattresses, we learned that latex mattresses can be categorized in the following ways:
100% Natural Latex vs Synthetic Latex
100% natural latex mattresses are made from pure latex only.
On the other hand, synthetic latex has additional fillers such as polyurethane and other chemicals added. This helps to cut down on cost. However, this also means that it will be less durable. And the chemical fillers used may be toxic, which can be harmful to health and even carcinogenic. Therefore, we decided to buy our mattress from Getha because it uses 100% natural latex produced in Malaysia.
Dunlop Process vs Talalay Process
Latex foam is produced using either of two processes: Dunlop or Talalay.
For the Dunlop process, liquid latex is poured into a mold. The mold is then subjected to a high temperature which causes the liquid latex to become solid.
The Talalay process is similar to the Dunlop process. Likewise, liquid latex is poured into a mold. However, the mold is only partially filled. The mold is then sealed and air is extracted to create a vaccum. This causes the latex to expand and fill the mold. The mold is then heated to a high temperature which causes the latex to solidify.
Mattress producers using either of these two processes will usually claim that their process is better than the other. We have read that Dunlop latex is supposed to be harder and denser than Talalay latex. This is because Dunlop latex settles in the mold during the production process, while Talalay latex is subjected to vacuum which causes it to expand and fill the mold.
However, after trying various latex mattresses in Singapore, we did not find these claims to be very true. In Singapore, Getha mattresses are made using the Dunlop process, while Omazz (a luxury division of Lotus Bedding) mattresses are made with the Talalay process. After trying out many mattresses in both shops, we realized that the softness of the latex really depends on various factors such as model, price range and latex properties (ILD). In fact, we tried several Getha mattresses that were significantly softer than Omazz mattresses, and vice versa.
Benefits of Latex Mattress
After doing some research, we found that latex mattresses have many benefits over other types of mattresses.
- Balance of Softness with Support
- Latex foam is not a conducive environment for dust mites, mold, and bacteria
- Good breathability in the foam, resulting in lower temperature
- Does not transmit movement easily
- Latex is very durable and will not sag for a long time
- 100% pure latex does not consist of any toxic chemicals that may be harmful to health
- Eco-friendly
Latex Mattress vs Innerspring Mattress
Innerspring mattresses consist of a base of steel coils, with a thin padding on top to provide comfort. In Singapore, these are the lower-priced mattresses you can find in retail shops. In my opinion, I find these mattresses to be overpriced because they are made from mostly metal springs and a bit of upholstery. For the same price or slightly more, it is possible to get a decent latex mattress from Getha.
Latex Mattress vs Pillow-Top Mattress
In Singapore, most people will usually go for Pillow Top mattresses that are sold by the three “S” brands: Sealy, Simmons and Serta. These innerspring mattresses consist of an additional soft padding known as a “pillow top”, sewn on top of the steel coil base. Depending on the price, the pillow top can range from one inch to various inches. It usually consists of a variety of materials such as memory foam, latex, cotton, gel, wool, etc. We didn’t go for such mattresses due to the reasons below:
Pillow Top Mattresses are not as durable
Because of the nature of the synthetic materials used in the pillow top, it is more prone to sagging over time. On the other hand, Getha latex mattresses are extremely durable and will hold their shape for decades.
Pillow Top Mattresses produces Off-Gassing
Pillow-top mattresses usually consists of many synthetic chemical components, which is released into the air through a process known as “off-gassing”. This is why your new bed will have a strong odor at the beginning. Getha mattresses are made from 100% natural latex, so you do not have to worry about inhaling toxic chemicals.
Pillow Top Mattresses are Overpriced
In my opinion, pillow top mattresses are overpriced. A king size bed can cost up to 10k or more! This is despite the fact that the bed is just made up of mostly metal springs and a thin layer of padding. Most of the price you are paying is going to the thin pillow top (and the branding). Ironically, if the pillow top consists of “natural latex” (which is usually not 100% pure latex), it will cost even more. On the other hand, Getha mattresses consist of 100% pure latex from top to base, but are significantly more affordable.
Latex Mattress vs Memory Foam Mattress
In Singapore, Tempur is the most popular brand of memory foam beds. Memory Foam mattresses are made from polyurethane foam which can conform perfectly to the shape of your body.
Memory Foam Mattresses felt too “soft”
When I tried the memory foam beds, I found that the memory foam literally wrapped around my body as I lay down on it. There was a lack of support which made me feel quite uncomfortable. However, this is a matter of personal preference.
Memory Foam Mattresses can be Hot
Because the memory foam wraps around your body, there is little ventilation which results in heat being trapped. Therefore, the mattress may tend to get hot while you sleep at night.
Memory Foam Mattresses produces Off-Gassing
Memory foam consists of polyurethane which is a synthetic chemical. Therefore, it will release chemicals over time which can be harmful to your health and even carcinogenic.
Getha vs Omazz
After some research, we found that the two most popular natural latex mattress brands in Singapore are Getha and Omazz. After visiting the showrooms of both brands, we found that the mattresses were quite similar in comfort. However, when we compared the top-range Omazz bed (Grand Fairmont), with the similar-range Getha Bed (Togetha), we found that the Grand Fairmont was slightly more comfortable. Both beds were very plush but the Grand Fairmont had slightly better support. It was also slightly more cooling than the Getha Togetha bed. However, the Grand Fairmont king size bed costs about 15k, while the Togetha bed costs just slightly over 4k. Personally I did not feel it was worth paying this massive difference for the very slight increase in comfort.
Getha @ Tanglin Shopping Centre
We visited all three Getha showrooms in Singapore, and our favourite was the one at Tanglin Shopping Centre. We were served by Lyn, a very professional and courteous salesperson. She allowed us to lie on the beds for long periods of time, and was not pushy at all. In fact, we only bought the mattress during our second visit to the shop. We enjoyed going to the Tanglin showroom because it was very quiet. There was no one else in the showroom even though it was a weekend. This made it perfect for us to lie comfortably on the beds to see if we liked them. There was a wide variety of beds for us to try. It was honestly really hard not to fall asleep in the showroom!
Address: 19 Tanglin Road #01-20, Tanglin Shopping Centre Singapore 247909
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 7pm
Phone: +65 6262 6689
Getha @ The Furniture Mall
We also visited the showroom at The Furniture Mall. As compared to the Tanglin branch, there was less variety of beds here. The environment was also not as peaceful. However, the salesperson was very knowledgeable and friendly.
Address: 10 Toh Guan Road #01-10/11, The Furniture Mall Singapore 608838
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 12pm to 9pm | Sat, Sun & PH: 11am to 9pm |
Phone: +65 6396 3028
Getha @ Oxley BizHub
The Getha showroom at Oxley Bizhub was the biggest among all three showrooms. I believe it has the full range of Getha beds available, including even the Dream Kingdom range. This is the TOP-range Getha bed which costs a whooping SGD 20k. When I found out the price, I was so shocked that I had to lie down to rest. And what better place to rest than on a SGD20,000 mattress? 
It was indeed very comfortable, but definitely WAY out of our budget.
Address: 61 Ubi Road 1 #01-32/44/45, Oxley Bizhub Singapore 408727
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 8pm
Phone: +65 6386 6398
Getha “Togetha” Series Mattress – Our Final Choice!
Ultimately, we decided to buy our Getha mattress from the Tanglin showroom because of Lyn’s good service. And the bed that we chose was the Togetha series king size mattress! The moment we lay on the bed, we were sold. The mattress was wonderfully plush and felt so comfortable to lie on. In fact, both Raevian and I felt like dozing off immediately once we lay down. We must have lay on the bed for a good fifteen minutes; partially because we wanted to try the bed, but also because the bed was so comfortable that we didn’t feel like getting up.
The Togetha mattress is made from 100% natural latex. The top layer is covered with organic cotton/ bamboo charcoal fabric. Bamboo charcoal fabric is known to be thermal-regulating (cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather). Therefore, after lying on the bed for a while in the air-conditioned showroom, we felt that the bed became slightly warmer. Considering that we will switch on air-conditioning every night when we sleep, this should be quite a good feature for us.
After our first visit, we checked out various other brands of beds. However, none of the beds provided the same level of comfort and value as the Getha Togetha mattress. Ultimately, we purchased the mattress on our second visit. We paid slightly over 4k for the king size mattress.
Conclusion
After weeks of research and trying out dozens of beds, we were glad that we had finally gotten our Getha mattress. We were happy that we had bought a very comfortable 100% natural latex bed at a reasonable price. It was a tiring but fulfilling journey for us. Currently, we are still waiting for the bed to be delivered to our new house. We will update this article again once we’ve slept on the bed for a few months!