Recently there was a question asked in a forum I was visiting online and it said that some countries’ mattresses can be found as low as $10.00, and they wanted to know why mattresses cost so much here in the USA and in general this is a question we get asked frequently, so lets take a look.

The bulk of mattresses and boxsprings being sold right now are American Made, but that is changing quickly. A recent US Department of Commerce Industry Report breaks down the details for various categories of the furniture industry including mattresses.

So who’s to blame for expensive mattresses?

What the report didn’t say in simple laymen’s words is this. The higher cost of mattress and boxspring supports the raw materials suppliers of foams, fibers, fabrics, cotton, wood etc. It also supports the nearly 500 American mattress manufacturers that assemble the beds in which most of the process is done by hand making it very labor intensive. Higher mattress costs can also be attributed to retailers. Additionally we can add in the trucking industry who supports all these businesses from the gathering of the raw materials to the delivery and installation in the customers homes.

Each of the fore mentioned industries have their support staff from clerical work to advertising even mechanics and machinists. An lot of people have their hands in the mattress and furniture till including all of the businesses that support the mattress industry. What I think this person missed when they asked the question is how everything trickles down.

Let’s face it higher mattress costs support all the previously mentioned which are American salaries and benefits that go along with those jobs. The countries where a person may or may not be able to find $10.00 mattresses does not support the fair trade or fair wages that the large network of good paying American jobs do.

Lastly some people may argue this point but I believe comparing $10.00 mattresses and the like to American Mattresses is like comparing cars to bicycles. Foreign manufacturers of cheap mattress sets don’t offer the variation of the hundreds of mattress choices that quite frankly the USA consumer demands. American technologies put forth buy companies like Simmons, Sealy, Serta, Tempur Pedic, Leggett & Platt, Latex International and others continue to lead the world in mass produced mattresses which are designed to be comfortable and supportive for the human body.

So what can we do when offered the choice of a cheap import mattress?

The next time we see a mattress set priced for a few hundred dollars or a couple thousand dollars think about what goes into the production of that superior American engineered and manufactured mattress on an industrial scale that supports hundreds of thousands of family’s livelihoods and then think about the alternative and buy American made. Your friends, family, and neighbors will be glad you did.

Thank you everyone who visited the STL Beds store and browsed our online showroom allowing us an opportunity to earn your business. We hope that in the future you will again let us show you why we are the best and most unique place in STL and on the Web to purchase beds and bedrooms. We especially want to thank everyone who spent their hard earned money to purchase our sleep products and furniture. We feel privileged and honored that you chose to do your business with STL Beds and look forward to helping answer any and all questions, giving you the best service possible if ever needed, or just chatting if you feel like dropping us a line or stopping by the store. We know we have the greatest customers in the world and always look forward to talking with each of you anytime.

Please a have a safe holiday and take some time to enjoy your friends, family, and remember who Christmas celebrates.

Merry Christmas
Dave Belleville
Doug Belleville

The demand for green products is forcing retailers like STLBeds to ask tough questions not only for themselves but ultimately their consumers who will buy their organic mattresses, sheets, and pillows.

 
“ What is more earth friendly cotton or bamboo?”

 
When produced for non-organic fabrics both are produced in chemical intensive processes that are very polluting in nature. The extensive use of solvents, bleach, chemical dyes, fertilizers and pesticides are major contributing factors to poor health and environmental pollution.

Both cotton and bamboo can be certified organic during the growing stages by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). There is however major issues with certified organic bamboo as discussed by Coral Rose of “Sustainable Life Media”. She says the certifications only cover the textiles as a grown crop and not as a finished product. The confusion comes in unbeknown to most buyers when chemicals are added which are required making a finished product. The needed chemicals to make a finished product are not taken into consideration.

Bamboo is an example of this and is actually a Rayon material made from bamboo pulp, and therefore stops being organic in the eyes of environmentalist. It is at this point it ceases to no longer be a natural fiber like cotton. The bamboo fiber is broken down by a very chemical intensive process / mechanical process which is much more eco friendly but much more costly and is seldom used.
 
Many people believe the major advantage of bamboo is it can be grown in areas where no other crop can grow like mountains sides for example. Bamboo is hearty and can thrive with an abundance of water or very little water. Cotton on the other hand requires intensive irrigation , although organic cotton uses less water than non-organic cotton due to more organic materials in the soil.

 
Some interesting points about bamboo and cotton

• Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world.
• Both bamboo and cotton are considered a sustainable resource. It is claimed that bamboo is 3 to 4 times as absorbent as cotton.
• Cotton does not shrink as bad as bamboo.
Many believe bamboo to be softer that cotton and a better fabric next to the skin such as in under garments, diapers etc.
• Bamboo is in great demand as towels and bathrobes.
• Some people feel bamboo can be made to feel softer than silk and have a natural sheen not available in cotton.

 
Conclusion which is more organic Cotton or Bamboo?

Organic cotton is truly an organic product. It is harvested from organic land grown in an organic manner and in the application of say organic sheets they are manufactured with no bleaches, no chemical dyes, or finishing applications. Sometimes natural dyes are used which helps organic manufacturers stay true to the eco friendly process. Although the growth process can be easier on the environment when growing bamboo the chemicals required to convert organic bamboo into a yarn is not very eco friendly with a resulting fabric that is much more synthetic than organic.