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Mattress report draws mixed reviews

By David Perry -- Furniture Today, May 15, 2005

Yonkers, N.Y. — Consumer Reports magazine takes an in-depth look at "How to buy a mattress without losing sleep" in its June issue. The report is drawing mixed reviews in the bedding industry.

Industry experts say it makes a number of good points about the mattress shopping process, but they also note some faults.

The report, in a magazine with 4 million subscribers, will make its presence felt in the industry, bedding officials predict.

"Whether we like it or not, it will have an impact on the business," said Gerry Borreggine, outgoing chairman of the industry's Better Sleep Council and president of Top 10 producer Therapedic. He said the report will have a long shelf life and will be an issue on some retail floors.

Dale Williams, chief financial officer of Tempur-Pedic, said the article presents "a lot of positives" for Tempur-Pedic, which was one of three brands singled out for detailed product examination. Four couples tried beds made by Tempur-Pedic, Select Comfort and Duxiana, and a summary of their comments is presented. In each case, the comments span the gamut from positive to negative.

Williams took issue with that approach, saying, "Eight people is not a representative sample."

But the magazine also said its informal online poll found that more than three-fourths of 154 Tempur-Pedic owners surveyed "were very or completely satisfied with their purchase." That, Williams noted, was the highest satisfaction level cited in the report.

Bo Gustafsson, president of Dux North America, said the prominent play his Swedish brand received in the report has already given sales a boost. "Overall," he said, "we are pleased."

The report said that, on the whole, the long-term testers of the Dux bed liked it "but thought it wasn't worth the price," which the magazine said was $4,150. "Buy it only if your budget allows," the story said.

In its weekly e-mail communication to the bedding industry, the International Sleep Products Assn. found some positives in the report.

"While the publication typically addresses product comparison based on price and quality," ISPA said, "this article emphasizes comfort and support as key factors in the buying decision. Other important Better Sleep Council messages included the fact that mattress quality has improved significantly over the years, and (that mattresses) should be re-evaluated every five to seven years as consumers age."

Borreggine noted the article "did pick up quite a few BSC action points," noting, for example, that consumers should think about buying a new mattress if:

"You wake up tired or achy."
"You tend to sleep better at hotels than at home."
"Your mattress looks saggy or lumpy."
"You're over 40 and your mattress is five to seven years old. Bodies tolerate less pressure as they age."

But the article also comments, "A mattress can last 10 years — if kids don't treat it like a trampoline." That is an overly simplistic view that does not consider factors like the quality of the mattress, the size and weight of those who are sleeping on it, and how the bed is maintained, Borreggine said.

And by citing two different views on how long a mattress can last — either five to seven years or 10 years — the article may sow confusion among consumers, he said.

Beds singled out by the magazine for detailed testing, including a month of home testing by four couples, were the Duxiana 1001 with Pascal System, the Select Comfort Sleep Number 5000 bed, and the Tempur-Pedic Classic Swedish Sleep System. Officials at Select Comfort had no immediate comment.

Borreggine questioned a number of points made in the article. He noted that one of the "11 mattress myths" singled out by the article is that "coil count is critical." Despite labeling that as a myth, the article goes on to say that "any number above 390 in a queen-size mattress should be plenty." In other words, he said, the article says that coil count is not critical, but then gives a critical number for the coil count.

He also said the article attributes a key point — "that no brand is less trouble-prone than another" — to a single retailer. "That certainly undercuts their credibility," he said.

On the positive side, he said the article concludes with a powerful statement of the quality of the products turned out by the bedding industry. It says: "We no longer do a physical test (of the bedding) because our previous tests show that all but the cheapest mattresses are well made. Now the measure of a mattress is comfort."

"That is a good endorsement for the bedding industry," Borreggine said.

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Consumer Reports on purchasing mattresses

May 11, 2005

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