Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
SSB to Develop 1st Antiviral Mattress in U.S.
July 20,
2020 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB) has announced that it is partnering with Switzerland-based HeiQ Group, a leader in textile innovation, to create the U.S. market's first antiviral mattress.
The agreement gives SSB exclusive access within the U.S. bedding category to HeiQ Viroblock technology, which has previously been approved by the European Medical Device Directive for antiviral use in medical personal protective equipment such as N95 equivalent masks, and registered as an antiviral active by the German EPA.
HeiQ Viroblock was recently independently tested as 99.99% effective in 30 minutes against SARS-CoV-2 by a leading Australian infection and immunity research institute. SSB plans to pursue any necessary approvals for its line of Serta and Beautyrest HeiQ Viroblock mattresses with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.
If approved, SSB plans to utilize HeiQ Viroblock across much of its industry-leading portfolio of brands, which includes Serta, Beautyrest and Tuft & Needle.
"We know that our partners in the hospitality and healthcare industries are doing everything they can to help provide the cleanest environment and reassure their guests," said David Swift, chairman and CEO of Serta Simmons Bedding. "Antiviral and antibacterial mattresses will be an enormous asset in that effort."