Fibrelux is a Malaysian company founded in 1972. It did not begin in beds. Its track record was in filling and covering materials for the car and furniture industry, and rubberised coir mattresses came out of applying that material knowledge to a different product.
What rubberised coir actually is
Coir is fibre from coconut husk. On its own it is loose material, so something has to bind it. Fibrelux uses natural latex as the adhesive rather than a synthetic glue.
That choice is the whole point of the material. The cheap way to bind loose fibre or shredded foam is a large volume of synthetic adhesive, which is what makes rebond foam a problem rather than a bargain. Binding coir with latex avoids that, and the result ventilates well because the fibre structure is open rather than closed.
It is not one product
Fibrelux makes three different coir constructions, and they are not simply three price points. Straight coir is the firmest. Hybrid and resilient fibre have more give, which is why the resilient version tends to suit children who find plain coir too unyielding.
Worth knowing: none of them is built to be completely rigid. Coir is a firm material, but a mattress with no give at all is not the goal.
What the certifications cover
Fibrelux holds ISO 9001, which is a quality management certification, and its products meet the Japan Industrial Standard. Around 77% of its output is exported, to Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, the Maldives, Russia, France, Belgium, Brunei and Singapore.
Export share is not a quality measure in itself. It is worth knowing because selling into Japan means meeting a standard set by somebody other than the manufacturer, which is the same reason we put weight on outside testing of our own foam.
Who coir suits
Coir suits people who want a firm, well ventilated surface, and it holds its shape well. The trade-offs are real and worth saying out loud. It is heavy, which matters if you change your own sheets or need to flip the mattress alone, and it is a considerable adjustment if you are coming from a soft mattress.
If you are unsure whether it is for you, soft, medium or firm covers the trade-off, and a firm mattress can be softened later with a topper while a soft one cannot be firmed up.
Try it before you decide
Coir is difficult to judge from a description, because firmness is a body decision. You can lie on the Fibrelux range at our KITA Sleep Studio in JB.
