HealthSmart bed wins kudos
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, October 24, 2004
High Point — Simmons got a rousing reception to a new removable mattress top that can be washed just like sheets.
The bedding major's Health-Smart bed will enable consumers to keep their mattresses clean and healthy, a growing concern in the marketplace, Simmons said.
The company worked with Procter & Gamble, the maker of Tide detergents and other consumer brands, on the development of the HealthSmart product, which is offered on high-end models in the company's new flagship Beautyrest line.
Simmons is co-branding HealthSmart with Tide and with Maytag, whose washers and dryers it used in testing the product. Tide with Bleach and Maytag logos will be on Health-Smart product labels. Cross-marketing will boost consumer awareness of HealthSmart bedding, Simmons officials believe.
Simmons said the new product promotes better health by giving consumers an easy way to clean the mattress top.
The Health-Smart mattress top is easily removed with a zipper and can be washed in hot water with bleach, which consumers told Simmons is one way they would like to be able to clean a mattress cover. The top can be dried in a regular drier and zipped back onto the bed.
Terrycloth covered-upholstery layers under the Health-Smart mattress top are completely encased in the mattress. Consumers can sleep comfortably on the bed with the mattress top removed, giving them plenty of time to clean the mattress cover or have it dry cleaned.
The HealthSmart mattress top is protected with Coolmax fibers in the ticking. Those fibers wick away sweat and moisture, helping consumers sleep more comfortably and also make the top easier to wash and dry, according to Simmons.
Underneath the Coolmax is a layer of Nano-Tex protection that creates a virtually impervious layer that traps fluids, Simmons said. The terrycloth on the top of the inside of the mattress is coated with Teflon to provide a third layer of spill protection.
Simmons is using pre-shrunk Coolmax and Nano-Tex fibers to reduce shrinking issues. Stretching the washed covers out and zipping them back on the bed counteracts the minimal shrinkage that occurs over time, according to Simmons.
HealthSmart capitalizes on growing consumer awareness of the importance of cleanliness to a healthy lifestyle. Research conducted for Simmons showed that consumers are extremely interested in the features and benefits of the HealthSmart Bed, the company said.
Simmons is positioning HealthSmart as "the bed that helps wash away stains, germs, bacteria, dust mites, odors and perspiration just like when you wash your sheets." It said HealthSmart is "the best mattress for a clean and healthy sleep environment."
Consumers say they will pay for such benefits, the research indicated.
"We live in an era where consumers want not only clean, but antibacterial, germ-fighting products that can protect their health," said Kurt Ling, vice president of product innovation, who led the team that developed HealthSmart bedding.
Ling, a former marketer at Maytag, said the co-branding with Tide and Maytag will give HealthSmart bedding a significant boost with consumers. "It's the first time we've seen this kind of partnership muscle in the bedding industry," Ling said.
Retailers who want to sell stain protection for Health-Smart bedding can do so, he said, and the mattress cover can still be easily cleaned in the wash.
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Toss this mattress top in wash
Oct 31, 2004 -
Toss this mattress top in wash
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