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Cool Beds Still Hot in Vegas
September 13,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on September 2012
Gel-infused bedsand other means of making foam beds sleep coolercontinued to be a primary focus of many bedding manufacturers exhibiting at the World Furniture Market held July 30 to Aug. 3 in Las Vegas.
While the Las Vegas event is, to many in the industry, THE bedding Market, the summer installment saw few new product announcements, as more bedding vendors are holding off on rolling out new lines until January.
Even so, some manufacturersincluding industry leaderssaw fit to premiere new beds and related items at the show. In addition to gel-based products, latex is also getting a push as a cooler bedding surface with a plush feel and a green appeal.
Also, adjustable beds continue to transition from the nursing-home image of the Craftmatic commercials of way back when into a trendy, upscale bedroom accessory.
Here is an inside look at some of the cool stuff we saw on and about bedding at Vegas.
Veteran bed maker Simmons announced an emboldened marketing push as well as new product. The company is betting big on its RECHARGE promotional campaign with national TV ads, a new Web site and ramped-up social media efforts. The campaign, which pushes the health/energy-enhancing benefits of Simmons beds, is built around the slogan Live Life Fully Charged. Under this banner, the company has a new hybrid line, the Recharge Sleep System, which combines AirCool memory foam with its Beautyrest Smart Response Pocketed Coils. The company displayed its accompanying Recharge Sleep Station in-store display, which utilizes video, three mattress models and an adjustable base.
Simmons also showed its expanded Beautyrest Black collection, which added new versions of the upscale lines Ansleigh, Georgianna and Ella models that incorporate the Recharge Sleep System. A new bed, Bray, was also added to the line, which is priced from $1,999 to $5,999.
A new Beautyrest TruEnergy model, Blaine, was rolled out with an SRP of $1,299, replacing the now-10-model-lines previous $1,599 entry point.
A new addition to Sealys popular Posturepedic Optimum gel memory foam line, a pillowtop model, was introduced at Market. The bed fuses Sealys proprietary OptiCool gel memory foam with heat-removing OUTLAST material to ensure a cooler sleep. The new Optimum pillowtop bed is set to retail for $3,799.
Sealy also added a new gel-infused model to its Comfort Series memory foam line. The noteworthy thing about this mattress is its $599 starting price point, making Sealy the first major bedding manufacturer to offer a gel bed in this price range, according to
the company.
Serta continued to build upon the success of its gel-infused iComfort line by expanding its second gel-based line, the iSeries, adding a $1,999 pillowtop and a $2,999 zippered-cover model. The iSeries line merges Sertas gel memory foam with the companys Duet innerspring coil.
Tempur-Pedic clearly didnt get the memo about being laid-back with intros at the summer Market, because the foam giant used the occasion to roll out an array of new products. The companys new TEMPUR-Breeze technology, designed to produce an extra-cool feel for those who feel they sleep warm, is featured in two new models. The TEMPUR-Cloud Supreme Breeze will offer an extra-soft feel and will retail for $3,499 (queen), while the TEMPUR-Rhapsody Breeze offers a medium-firm, deep feel and will retail for $3,999 (queen).
Tempur-Pedic also showed two new models in its new Weightless line: TEMPUR-Weightless Select and TEMPUR-Weightless Supreme. Both have the companys TEMPUR-Float support layer to add responsiveness and make it easier to get in and out of bed, and a TEMPUR-ES comfort layer to improve alignment and reduce pressure points. Both beds will be available beginning September 2012. The Select will retail for $2,199 and the Supreme for $2,699 (both in queen).
An addition to Tempur-Pedics Cloud collection, the TEMPUR-Cloud Select adds a stretch cover with an Ecru MicroSuede base trim, along with the companys upgraded TEMPUR Support System. Another model added to the line, the TEMPUR-Cloud Supreme Breeze, adds extra coolness through its redesigned mattress, TEMPUR-Breeze cover, and TEMPUR-ES Breeze Comfort Layer.
The company also premiered its new TEMPUR-Ergo Premier adjustable base, which offers:
¢ LCD readout providing user feedback
¢ Upgraded frame and structure
¢ Raised symbols on controls lift and massage buttons for no-look operation
¢ Upgraded massage technology optimized for use with Tempur-Pedic mattresses
¢ Free app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Specialty sleep manufacturer Anatomic Global announced an expansion of its Adjustable Ascent collection, adding two new models, the Adjustable Ascent 4 and 5. Both have bases designed to mimic the contour of an adjustable bed frame, eliminating gaps between mattress and base. The mattresses feature 10 and 12 inches of plant-based visco memory foam. Anatomic Global will also be making its adjustable base available as a stand-alone product, starting at $1,499 in queen.
Ontario-based bedding-protection provider Caliber Sure Fit announced a new push into the U.S. market, launching its DreamSerene consumer line along with its BedCare commercial products for the B2B market. The DreamSerene collection comes in value, good, better and best product categories, and is offered in fabrics made from terry, bamboo and eucalyptus.
Comfort Solutions showed new additions to a variety of its lines at Market, including:
¢ Six new latrix-centric models in its Natural Response line, expected to retail at luxury price points. These beds include a new Gel Response gel-latex component to maximize airflow, regulate temperatures and provide pressure relief, and come with latex toppers offering soft to medium comfort feels.
¢ Two new models in its iMattress line, retailing at $2,999 and $3,499 in queen, that add layers of the companys iFusion gel form, along with its new Gel Response latex
¢ A new Laura Ashley Value Collection priced for retail promotions targeting budget-minded shoppers drawn in by the lifestyle brand. The line will feature fabric patterns and colors drawn from Laura Ashley designs.
¢Two coil-based Posture Sense beds, including a three-piece version with a reversible top for extended wear, and a new pillowed Eurotop design. Both beds have the King Koil brands Cool Cell technology combining open-cell memory foam and gel cells.
Glideaway introduced its line of all-in-one bed frames for adults, the Designer Bed Series, designed to eliminate the need for a separate frame, headboard, footboard and foundation. The line will comprise three models, the Sonoma, Bellerive, and Crestwood, and no tools will be needed to build the frames, which will be priced from $299.99 to $449.99 in queen.
The company also debuted its first gel pillow, Blue Chill, which fuses a gel layer over memory foam and will retail for $79.99; along with its Intuition by Sleepharmony collection, which adds three new models to the lines Renew and Bliss beds. The collection will range in price from $1,199 to $1,699 in queen.
Kingsdown debuted three collections at Las Vegas:
¢ Traditiona high-end line with wrapped coils, layers of cotton, wool and silk, along with a tier of gel and visco foam, retailing for $2,999 to $12,999 in queen.
¢ Selecta luxury foam line with designer euro styling priced from $2,999 to $12,999 in queen.
¢ Passiona value-priced wrapped-coil line with gel-infused visco foam on some models, selling for $799 to $1,699.
Kingsdown also unveiled its revised MySide custom-comfort line of beds, enhanced with new styling options and lower price points. The line includes foam beds with gel features, along with innerspring models. New styling options include a conventional look, a euro look with a non-quilted smooth top, and a hybrid look blending both. New pricing for the line ranges from $999 to $3,999.
E.S. Kluft announced the expansion of its airegelle collection with the new Aireloom Devereaux Hybrid series, which pairs wrapped coils with gel-infused foam. The luxury line will feature smooth-top, non-quilted euro styling. Pricing for the series ranges from $3,700 to $4,200 in queen.
The company also announced it will now offer its Aireloom beds in a new King size, measuring 7-by-7 feet and offering 20 percent more surface area than standard king beds. Aireloom King will be sold in four varieties:
¢ The Emerald retailing for $5,000 to $5,500
¢ The Debut retailing for $7,500 to $8,500
¢ The Skyview retailing for $7,500 to $8,500
¢ The Charisma retailing for $12,500 to $14,000
Also, the customizable A3 bed will now be offered for $11,000 to $12,000 with an adjustable base, or for $6,500 to $7,500 with a modular foundation.
Leggett & Platt introduced a new branding and product development initiative in adjustable beds based on extensive research its conducted in this category. This effort includes the rollout of a new Web site, LPAdjustableBases.com
Italian bedmaker Magniflex introduced three redesigned lines. The Duoform XS, Duoform XM and the recently introduced Memoform Snooze all now have a softer-feel Memoform core, as preferred by U.S. consumers.
Magniflex also showed its Memoform Snooze beds, which feature temperature-regulating Outlast covers and the companys water-expanded memory foam. The beds Dual Core design enables couples to customize its feel by zipping off the cover and flipping either of the single cores to soft or firm.
Pure Latex Bliss premiered its new ActiveFUSION Talalay latex pillows, which the company says will cool a warm sleeper and warm a cool sleeper, all in one product, by adapting to a sleepers body temperature through its ActiveFUSION technology. Pricing for the collection, available in king and queen, ranges from $129 to $149.
The company also announced its incorporating ActiveFUSION Climate Control into all of its mattresses.
Seahawk Designs showed its new Casual Elegance line of storage bed bases, which includes two modelsManhattan and Newport. Both bases, priced at $599 - $799 in queen, include the companys interchangeable platform storage system and upholstered headboards.
Spring Air International presented two gel foam lines:
¢ Back Supporter Conforma Gelan eight-model collection featuring gel memory foam that uses a zoning pattern for pressure relief. The line is expected to retail from $799 to $2,499 in queen.
¢ Back Supporter Cool DotsA gel foam line in which the foam is poured into dimples in the foam layer to provide added coolness. The beds, which have a foam-encased, wrapped-coil core, will sell for $799 in queen.
Therapedic Internationals big news at Market was its new Agility collection, which combines gel foam with microcoils to provide coolness and support. The four models, all of which come in an attention-drawing orange-tangerine color, will be priced from $1,299 to $2,499 in queen. HFB