ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
Want more Vegas? Us, too! We always leave the January Las Vegas Market with so many product debuts and updates that we can’t squeeze them all into the pages of our March issue. So below please find even more innovative ideas from the ever-inventive mattress industry. And be sure to check out our full Las Vegas Market Report.
Easing Tension
In honor of its 130-year anniversary, Englander updated the Tension Ease H2 collection, which was first introduced in 1957. The new hybrid mattress features Hybrid Energex technology, an innovation that blends memory foam with the resilience of latex. The mattress also incorporates the Englander Edge steel coil perimeter system with over 1,000 fabric-wrapped springs to help alleviate that rolling-off feeling. “We wanted to bring back a name that had lots of trust and innovation as part of our history and make it fresh and modern as we go into the 130th year,” said Mark Kinsley, former CEO.
Luxury in Two Boxes
Leesa introduced the handcrafted Reserve model at 16 inches tall, featuring seven layers of materials. The new hybrid bed is available in three comfort levels: plush, medium and firm. “It’s the most luxurious bed in the Leesa line with 4-pound and 5-pound foams in the top,” said Jen Pressley, head of the Leesa brand for Phoenix, Arizona-based 3Z Brands. “This mattress competes with beds that are $5,000 and $6,000 in that classic, luxe memory foam feel. We’re retailing the Reserve in queen for just under $3,000.” The mattress arrives compressed in two boxes: one for the core and one for the cartridge containing the comfort layers. Then consumers insert the cartridge into the cover and zip it up.
Hat Trick
Prato, Italy-based mattress manufacturer Magniflex scored with its good-better-best adjustable base program, which starts at $999 and tops out at $2,199. The highest-end base includes everything from quiet massage and lumbar support to zero gravity and three programmable settings. Magniflex also showcased its international spokesperson, Giorgio Chiellini, former captain of the Italian National soccer team. As an athlete, he understands long days and the restorative nature of rest, which fits well with the manufacturer’s health and wellness focus, according to Billy Curtright, national sales manager.
Cooling Is Still Hot
Logan, Utah-based Malouf debuted three new mattress collections, each one more cooling than the next. Ice Cloud ($2,599) is the top of the line, with three cooling technologies — OmniPhase phase change material, CoolSync memory foam and a HyperChill cover. Polaris, a step down, has all but the PCM layer, and Neve, the starting price point, features the CoolSync memory foam. In total, the collections include eight new options in a variety of feels. Malouf also introduced FlexFill, a pillow made from shredded memory foam and down alternative fiber.
Splitting Off in a New Direction
As part of its all-foam HealthRest collection, Restonic introduced split-head king and queen models. Retailers can also get an add-on package including a mattress protector and sheets specifically designed to fit the split-head versions. “Manufacturers are getting into split-head mattresses and importing them … bringing them in by container,” said Restonic President Laurie Tokarz. “We don’t have that type of limitation, so it’s easier for us to very quickly get them into the marketplace. That’s one of the big, exciting things for us this market.” Including the bases, the split-head king retails for $2,499, and the split-head queen retails for $1,999. Restonic also added two-sided models within its ComfortCare hybrid collection.
Good Vibes
A brand of Houston, Texas-based Sinomax USA, Vibe debuted an “instant bedroom” with an 8-inch memory foam mattress and a foundation in a box. The brand also has a new focus: bricks-and-mortar distribution. “Vibe has a really established platform … and our e-commerce business is great,” said Taylor Jones, vice president of e-commerce. Still, customers kept asking where they can try the mattress. “So we’ve partnered with Gigacloud to call upon a lot of the regional independent folks,” Jones said. “It’s a compelling program for that channel of business, and we have the opportunity to allow them to compete and hit the same pricing that we have on e-commerce, with a MAP line and a fun brand.”
Back to Nature
Women-owned sleep products company Williams Co. highlighted its Organic and Hybrid collections at the January market. Designed with sustainability in mind, all six models by the Boulder, Colorado-based company feature brass zipper covers and exchangeable layers to reduce landfill waste and returns for customers and retailers. Both lines contain natural unbleached wool, copper memory foam, GOLS-certified organic latex, GOTS-certified organic cotton and bamboo covers. Prices start at $2,999.
