On Bedding : Chilling with Gel in Vegas

February 1, 2013  by Howard Whitman in Bedding, Product   

Gel continues to be the buzz ingredient of choice among many leading bedding manufacturers, as more and more beds featuring gel (frequently infused with memory foam) were introduced.

One of the main appeals of gel—cooler sleep—was also a recurring theme in the new beds on display. Besides gel, this is also achieved through ventilation techniques as a result of retooled mattress construction.

And adjustable beds continue to be a hot trend among leading bedding manufacturers, as the technology continues to pull away from the hospital/Kraft-matic senior-citizen stereotype and emerge as an important add-on for younger consumers.

Here’s a round-up of the new bedding products shown at Las Vegas Market.
Sealy unveiled its updated Posturepedic line, which encompasses three series:

• Posturepedic Hybrid, a half-gel memory foam/half-springs line;
• Posturepedic Gel, which combines gel memory foam with titanium alloy coils; and
• Posturepedic Classic, which features Sealy’s redesigned Classic Coil.

The company will launch the new Posturepedic beds with an invigorated advertising campaign based on its acclaimed “Whatever you do in bed, Sealy supports it” campaign. New commercials coming to TV are geared to make an emotional connection with viewers by touching upon how key moments of life are spent in bed.

Serta announced it will build upon the success of its gel/memory foam-based iComfort line with iComfort Directions, which adds four new models to the collection.

The new beds feature EverCool Gfx, which adds grapheme for support and heat dissipation; Cool Action Dual Effects, which has new gels for support and coolness; Pods Gel-Active Support, which are macro-gel discs that add support; and ThermoCool Fabric Covers that have Tencel fibers for moisture transfer. The four new beds will range in price from $1,999 to $2,999. The company also showed its redesigned Perfect Sleeper mattress line, which includes a new Sleep To Go pillow that will retail for $39.
Simmons launched two new collections, Beautyrest Recharge and Beautyrest Recharge World Class, which will replace its Beautyrest Classic and Elite lines, respectively. Both lines combine pocketed coil springs with gel foam. The Recharge line, priced from $699 to $1,299, feature Aircool memory foam and GelTouch foam, while the Recharge World Class series (priced from $1,399 to $1,999) adds TruTemp gel, which is said to release warmth for a cooler sleep surface. The company also announced the addition of three new beds to its high-end Comforpedic from Beautyrest line, which will be priced from $2,999 to $3,999. All three beds feature the company’s proprietary Multi-Action Support Layer.

Memory foam giant Tempur-Pedic announced a new push into sleep personalization with the Tempur-Choice line. These beds have a new multi-zone adjustable support system in which a hand-held remote allows each sleeper to modify his or her side of the bed to achieve desired a level of firmness that feels just right from more than 120 different comfort settings. The line includes the 14-inch Tempur-Choice Luxe mattress ($3,999 in queen), and the 13-inch Tempur-Choice Supreme ($3,499).
Responding to customer requests for a plusher feel, Tempur-Pedic showed its new Tempur-Cloud Allura ($4,599 in queen), which combines soft Tempur-ES material with its cozy Tempur-Top pillow top. Another new model, the Tempur-Cloud Luxe Breeze ($4,999) has Tempur-Breeze technology to add an extra-cool feel to the company’s customary support and no-motion-transfer memory foam. Finally, the company showed its new Tempur-Ergo Premier adjustable base ($1,999), which can be run by a free app via wireless Apple or Android devices. These new Tempur-Pedic products will hit retail this spring.
Boyd Specialty Sleep introduced a new line of four Natural Flex latex beds priced from $699 to $1,499 in queen. The company also showed its new Cosmopolitan platform bed that will sell for $199 in queen, as well as four revamped air beds—the Operetta, Orion, Comet and Stardust—which have been updated with Boyd’s new TPU air core and will retail from $1,999 to $3,499 in queen. Finally, Boyd showed two new occasional-use beds, the $79 Siesta mattress and $129 Comfort Ease II fold-away guest bed.
Canadian mattress protection specialist Caber Sure Fit showed its new line of DreamSeren mattress and pillow protectors, made from a variety of fabrics including terry, bamboo and eucalyptus, and priced from $59 to $199.
Classic Brands announced the addition of a new mattress to its Dormia Memory Foam Collection, as well as three new gel memory foam mattresses to its E-Commerce Collection. New accessories from the company include the Cool Gel Memory Foam Topper.
Comfort Solutions showed its revamped five-model Perfect Contour collection, which combines a foam core with layers of latex, latex gel foam, and gel memory foam. This line is expected to retail from $799 to $1,299 in queen. Also redesigned was the company’s health-skewed Dr. Breus Bed line, which now consists of six new beds: Vitality, Longevity, Endurance, Synergy, Stability and Success, set to range at retail from $1,299 to $3,499 in queen.
Europe-based specialty provider Dormeo Octaspring, which made its U.S. debut in 2012, showed its proprietary memory foam honeycomb-structured springs that are the basis of its line of beds.
Englander Sleep Products debuted its LifeStyle line of specialty gel beds, along with new gel-based Tension Ease and Anniversary models, for a collection priced from $499 to $1,899 in queen.
FXI/Anatomic Global showed its Rejuvigel mattresses at Market. The line combines soft Visco foam with swirled waves of gel for better support and air/moisture movement. The beds are priced in queen at $1,199 (11-inch), $1,499 (12-inch) and $1,899 (13-inch). The company also showed its Bed Bug Defense Shield Mattress Protector, a disposable, flexible mat placed under a mattress to protect from bed bug infestation.
Glideaway Sleep Products premiered its Natural Awakenings by Sleepharmony latex and gel collection, which includes the eight-inch Nightshade, 10-inch Calypso and 12-inch Primrose. The beds, which have a temperature-regulating treatment and a top layer of latex to remove heat from the body for cooler sleep, will retail from $999 to $1,799 in queen.
The big news from Kingsdown at Market  was the unveiling of the company’s new Sleep Smart beds, which come with interactive technology that, according to the vendor, monitors a sleeper’s movements, pain, pressure and sleep patterns throughout the night, and can reconfigure the sleep setting on an ongoing basis to ensure maximum comfort and health benefits. The company demonstrated the Sleep Smart system in a closed-door theater in its Market space.
High-end bedding specialist E.S. Kluft & Co. showcased its Aireloom brand’s Adapt-and-React collection, which includes all-foam, hybrid foam and innerspring versions that utilize gel for temperature regulation. The beds have a heavyweight zippered cover and a non-quilted Scandinavian look, and will be priced from $1,799 to $3,499 in queen.
Italian bedmaker Magniflex debuted its eco-friendly Linen Natursoft Deluxe line, which has a linen cover and layers of mallow extract and soy-based foam, and will retail for $3,999 in queen. The company also showed its new GeoEthic group, which are made with non-toxic, renewable materials. The Magnigel collection, into which pre-polymer gel is swirled into the foam, was also shown.
The big reveal from green-skewing Organic Mattresses Inc. was of the company’s new Point-of-Purchase program, which includes branded upholstered organic chenille materials including a headboard; pillows with shams; and an upholstered mattress base.
Pure Latex BLISS rolled out its new Yulex collection, a line of mattresses, toppers and pillows made with eco-friendly biorubber from the Yulex Corp. According to the company, these beds will offer a lush feel not commonly associated with environmentally friendly beds. The line includes the eight-inch Eco, 10-inch Sustain and 12-inch Renew. 
The five-model Response Sleep System by Sharper Image collection was shown at Vegas Market, and, according to its manufacturer Southerland, can provide zero-gravity pressure relief, responsive support and contoured comfort. The beds have layers of open-cell Talalay latex and foam layers.
Adjustable base specialist Reverie showed its high-tech 7S (Supreme), which features “Made for Mobile” technology that enables control of lift, massage and other functions by tablets and smartphones via a remote app. The base will sell for $1,700 in queen.
Under-bed specialist Seahawk Designs unveiled a new upholstered 19-inch by 50-inch storage bench that complements the company’s Davenport storage foundation system. The company also introduced an adjustable bed base option, an extension to to its Casual Elegance collection.
Spring Air celebrated its Back Supporter collection by rolling out two new Special Edition Back Supporter models, available in firm and plush feels and priced at $599 in queen.
Therapedic International showcased its Agility collection, which combines gel foam and micro-pocket coils for coolness and support. Bio-based Preserve VG gel is swirled into the bed’s foam compound. Four models, Dash, Tango, Freestyle and Crossover comprise the line, which ranges in retail price from $1,299 to $2,499 in queen.