Foamex cites good response to Quiltflex by bedding producers
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, January 14, 2002
LINWOOD, Pa. — Foam supplier Foamex International says it is getting good response to a "revolutionary" new polyurethane foam that virtually eliminates body impressions.
The new product, called Quiltflex, has a lofty marketing goal: To replace polyester fiber in the top quilting layer of mattresses.
A number of bedding producers already are using it, according to Alvaro Vaselli, vice president of marketing and sales for the company's Foam Products business unit.
"We're experiencing a very enthusiastic reception to this product from bedding manufacturers," Vaselli said. "After eight months of successful test marketing on the West Coast, customers are excited at having, for the first time, a viable alternative to fiber."
Quiltflex is a specialty foam produced using Foamex's patented Variable Pressure Foaming process. The new foam "virtually eliminates body impressions, while providing comfort comparable to the highest grades of fiber," the company says. The product also provides "far greater durability than conventional fiber," according to Foamex.
Foamex is so confident that quilting panels made with Quiltflex will retain at least 90% of their original loft for the life of the mattress (up to 10 years) that it is offering a written guarantee.
Stress-O-Pedic, an independent bedding producer in California, has been using Quiltflex for months and now incorporates it in about half its beds, said Robert Mills, vice president of sales and marketing.
"I couldn't believe that we'd be able to get a product that would replace most fiber materials," Mills said. "We originally did our own testing, and we've been extremely successful in eliminating body impressions."
Denver Mattress is another producer doing well with Quiltflex. "The best selling point is that Quiltflex leaves no body impressions," said Robert Rensink, general manager.
Foamex officials say that Quiltflex doesn't migrate, which means it produces a fuller quilting panel with a more uniform finish. It also provides "far greater" permeability and moisture pick-up and dissipation than fiber. Those features enhance mattress comfort, according to Foamex.
Body impressions and loss of loft are among the main reasons consumers return mattresses, Foamex officials said. Quiltflex helps reduce returns and increase consumer satisfaction, according to the company.
