Bedding products shine with best offerings yet

David Perry -- Furniture Today, March 4, 2013

LAS VEGAS - Consumers will be offered plenty of new gel-cushioned sleep sets in the coming months. They will also see several new hybrid bedding lines that combine springs and specialty foams. And they will find pillows and other sleep accessories in abundance on retail floors.
     Those were some of the key product directions at the bedding-rich market here, one of the strongest mattress markets ever held in Las Vegas, bedding observers said.
     New flagship bedding lines were introduced across the market. New gel beds bloomed in several showrooms. And new sleep accessories popped up everywhere.
     Bedding veterans said this was one of the most product rich markets they have seen here in years, and bedding producers across the market said they were pleased with the strong turnout of retailers.
     Flagship bedding lines were in the spotlight at bedding's Big Three - Serta, Sealy and Simmons.
     Serta introduced new gel technologies in its new iComfort Directions line of gel memory foam beds and added features in its flagship Perfect Sleeper line, while Sealy featured a line of hybrid beds at the top of its new flagship Posturepedic line. Sealy also added gel memory foam to a new high-end line in its Stearns & Foster brand.
     And Simmons introduced 32 new beds, including 28 Beautyrest models and four new high-end ComforPedic specialty sleep models.
     Tempur-Pedic focused on high-end beds this market. Among its introductions: Two adjustable comfort beds that use air technology. The producer doesn't like the term "airbeds."
     Comfort Solutions made a broad product offering and also introduced a new mattress design. Its Flare construction features a trapezoid design that uses flared sides to provide a larger sleeping surface. Company officials said it was a big hit with retailers.
     Therapedic formally launched its hybrid Agility bedding line, and made a strong product statement with a separate showroom filled with Therawrap models produced by two of its licensees. Among the models was a line featuring chocolate brown linen covers.
     Englander built on the momentum it has generated with its gel bedding lines. It introduced LifeStyle, a new national hybrid line of gel beds, and also brought out new gel-based Tension Ease and Anniversary models.
     New gel beds were introduced by Kingsdown, Spring Air, Restonic, Symbol, Carolina Mattress Guild, Emerald Sleep Systems, Technogel, Classic Brands, Five Star, Inner Space, A.C. Pacific and Magniflex, among many others.
     Among the bedding newcomers in Las Vegas were Southerland, which introduced its new Sharper Image line; Innova, which offered a new breathable memory foam line; Biosmart Sciences, with science-based beds and accessories; Bedding Inds. of America, which offers bedding under the Eclipse, Eastman House, Ernest Hemingway and Therapedic banners; and P3 Pillow, an Australian pillow producer making its U.S. debut.
     New display systems were offered in a number of showrooms. Enso Sleep Systems introduced its Solutions Studio, which includes display elements such as fabric headboards and is designed to stand out on retail floors. And Wright Global Graphic Solutions introduced an illuminated foot protector and new magnetic signs.
     New sleep accessories were prevalent, and adjustable beds were introduced by Ashley, Mantua, Reverie, Boyd Specialty Sleep and Leggett & Platt, among many others.
     New offerings of toppers, sheets, mattress protectors, and pillows were made by Comfort Revolution, FXI, Protect-A-Bed, GBS Enterprises, Bedgear, Caber Sure Fit, Emerald Sleep Systems, Blu Sleep, Fabrictech, Glideaway, Magniflex, Zedbed and Pure LatexBliss, among others.
     Natural bedding offerings were made by Vi-Spring, OMI, Naturepedic and Pure LatexBliss, among others.

	Steve Russo of Southerland holds a tablet computer that can be used during the mattress shopping process for the new Sharper Image line produced by Southerland.
The Sleep Doctor, Michael Breus, introduced his new Active Sleep Collection, produced by Comfort Solutions. The beds feature a variety of foams, including latex and visco gel.
	Therapedic introduced a number of new Therawrap lines, including these Elite models with gel memory foam. These beds, made by the company’s Idaho licensee, feature chocolate linen covers.
Kevin Toman of Englander sits on a new gel-cushioned LifeStyle bed. LifeStyle is a national hybrid line introduced by Englander.
	Jodi Allen of Sealy stands with a display of a new hybrid model in the Posturepedic line.
Symbol executives Mark Jannke, left, and Mike McQuiston sit on one of the company’s new Opportunity beds, an American-made line that offers value pricing.
	Arnold Hershbain, left, and Sean Bergman, both of Fabrictech, stand with a display for the PureCare Aromatherapy line introduced by the company.
Jackson, left and Jeffri Massie, and Witarsa Sugeng, all of Massindo International, meet with Gerry Borreggine of Therapedic, second from right, at the Therapedic party.
	Jay Thompson of Leggett & Platt displays a new adjustable bed offered by that company.
Denny Boyd of Boyd Specialty Sleep shows a new wood slat foundation that offers adjustable comfort.
	Las Vegas showgirls welcome buyers to the Dormeo Octaspring showroom. Dormeo’s Kym Bramm, second from left, visited with Christine Magee of Sleep Country Canada and Chris Henning of Dormeo, right.
Diane Adams of FXI stands with a display of toppers for a mattress and sleep accessories line introduced by the company.
	James Bell, left, of Protect-ABed chats with Steve Fendrich of Mattress Firm, Houston, during a reception in the Protect- A-Bed showroom.
David Jaffe of Mantua gets comfortable on a Nova adjustable bed, which comes with Bluetooth speaker sound technology.
	Earl Kluft stands with a new Aireloom headboard display offered by E.S. Kluft & Co.
Steve Eisler of Innova Sleep Systems sits on a breathable memory foam bed introduced by the company.
	David Farley relaxes on a new Shared Comfort sleep set in the WorldBed Studio line.
Michael Fux of Comfort Revolution displays a new gel pillow while surrounded by some of his showroom helpers.