Bedding Trends From the NBF Show 2022
Posted on: October 17th 2022
Creativity, comfort, and style continue to be the words to watch of the UK bedding industry, and this was clearly in evidence at the recent National Bed Federation (NBF) Bed Show. In the continued effort to stand out from the crowd, bed and mattress manufacturers are tinkering with both the internal construction of their products as well as the external aesthetics.
Our industry is working hard at manufacturing mattresses and beds with ever increasing ecologically friendly credentials. This is, of course, worthy and to be applauded. As is the National Bed Federation’s new green initiative, NBF Pledge for Our Planet, and the NBF’s target of 75% of new mattress sales being diverted from landfill by 2028, which we are proud to have committed to.
An ever-increasing amount of thought is now going into what will happen to the mattress at the end of its life. Critically, how easy will it be to break the mattress down into its component parts for the ease of recycling its component elements. This makes great sense and explains why we are starting to see internally tufted mattress cores and a move away from energy intensive hot melt gluing even when the mattress may have a removable cover or quilted panels top and bottom. The tufting elements themselves can even be recycled.
We are aware that non chemically treated FR fabrics and fillings are increasingly sought after, and we have seen a significant hike in demand for mattress tape edge with inherent FR properties rather than the post production chemically treated alternative. Sustainably sourced, FSC approved timber for both bed base construction and for bed legs is becoming de rigueur. These and other green initiatives often come at a cost, and it will be interesting to see how the end consumer balances their budget with their eco-conscience, particularly in these uncertain times.
Whilst comfort should ultimately drive any mattress or bed purchase (I continue to be amazed by the number of consumers that are happy to purchase the surface that they spend a third of their life lying on without first testing instore) our manufacturers know that the styling and appearance of their product on the shopfloor forms a key part of the consumers decision making process.
We are now supplying narrow woven fabrics that incorporate lurex thread and have recently sampled a tape edge incorporating the colours of the Ukrainian flag as well as being asked to produce a narrow-woven tape edge in the rainbow colours of the Gay Pride flag, to create a mattress that would appeal to the LGBTQ+ community. Likewise, our range of legs, castors, ventilators, and tufts grows ever wider as customers seek to differentiate price-points or themselves from competitors.
We continue to be invited on various customers journeys as they embark upon their next new product development. We love it and consider it a privilege. It is this particularly creative drive within the UK bed industry that sets us apart from our overseas competitors.
Nick Harland-Smith, Managing Director of Handy Ltd.
Our industry is working hard at manufacturing mattresses and beds with ever increasing ecologically friendly credentials. This is, of course, worthy and to be applauded. As is the National Bed Federation’s new green initiative, NBF Pledge for Our Planet, and the NBF’s target of 75% of new mattress sales being diverted from landfill by 2028, which we are proud to have committed to.
An ever-increasing amount of thought is now going into what will happen to the mattress at the end of its life. Critically, how easy will it be to break the mattress down into its component parts for the ease of recycling its component elements. This makes great sense and explains why we are starting to see internally tufted mattress cores and a move away from energy intensive hot melt gluing even when the mattress may have a removable cover or quilted panels top and bottom. The tufting elements themselves can even be recycled.
We are aware that non chemically treated FR fabrics and fillings are increasingly sought after, and we have seen a significant hike in demand for mattress tape edge with inherent FR properties rather than the post production chemically treated alternative. Sustainably sourced, FSC approved timber for both bed base construction and for bed legs is becoming de rigueur. These and other green initiatives often come at a cost, and it will be interesting to see how the end consumer balances their budget with their eco-conscience, particularly in these uncertain times.
Whilst comfort should ultimately drive any mattress or bed purchase (I continue to be amazed by the number of consumers that are happy to purchase the surface that they spend a third of their life lying on without first testing instore) our manufacturers know that the styling and appearance of their product on the shopfloor forms a key part of the consumers decision making process.
We are now supplying narrow woven fabrics that incorporate lurex thread and have recently sampled a tape edge incorporating the colours of the Ukrainian flag as well as being asked to produce a narrow-woven tape edge in the rainbow colours of the Gay Pride flag, to create a mattress that would appeal to the LGBTQ+ community. Likewise, our range of legs, castors, ventilators, and tufts grows ever wider as customers seek to differentiate price-points or themselves from competitors.
We continue to be invited on various customers journeys as they embark upon their next new product development. We love it and consider it a privilege. It is this particularly creative drive within the UK bed industry that sets us apart from our overseas competitors.
Nick Harland-Smith, Managing Director of Handy Ltd.
