Both methods utilise natural latex and can produce latex mattresses in any of the three blends described above. The production process always begins with mixing liquid latex with water. Small amounts of other materials are necessary to process liquid latex into a solid form and are used in all latex manufacturing. These include natural soaps, sulphur, and gelling and vulcanisation agents. When the latex mixture is ready, compressed air is employed to create foam. The foam is then poured into a mould, after which the vulcanisation process starts. The latex foam is vulcanised at a temperature exceeding 110 degrees for approximately 50 minutes. The finished mattress core is then removed from the mould, washed, and dried.
The main difference between the Dunlop and Talalay methods lies in the two extra steps in the Talalay process: vacuum and freezing. When the mould is filled with the latex mixture and closed, the pressure inside is reduced to create a vacuum, which lowers the air pressure in the mould cavity while increasing it within the foam bubbles.

Consequently, the foam expands to fill the mould evenly, and the pressure within the bubbles equalises throughout the entire latex block, resulting in a very uniform density. The water in the latex foam is then frozen, and carbon dioxide is injected. The freezing prevents the latex particles from settling at the bottom and turning into a solid, ensuring that the finished Talalay latex mattress has a consistent density from top to bottom. Since there is no freezing stage in the Dunlop process, the rubber particles tend to settle at the bottom as the liquid latex gels into its solid form, which can cause slight differences in the feel and firmness between the two sides of a Dunlop latex mattress. Although the Talalay process takes four times longer and uses five times more energy than the Dunlop process, the two additional steps enhance the feel, quality, and uniformity of the finished latex, albeit at a higher cost and with a significantly larger carbon footprint.