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.

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

 
“ 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.

So does size matter?

Of course it does. First lets compare the queen size mattress to the full size mattress.
Queen measures 60 inches wide x 80 inches long
Full measures 54 inches wide x 75 inches long

The obvious difference of 5 extra inches in the length should not be easily shrugged off. For most average height sleepers it is the difference between your feet hanging off the bed or not hanging off the bed.

The extra 6 inches in width that comes with a queen size bed is a must have for any adult couple that sleeps together. Personally I love my king size bed, but if you don’t have room for a king then go for the queen you will never regret it. Over the years in the showroom working sales I have a routine of telling people that space is part of comfort and online there is no variance from that routine.

Should I choose a queen-size mattress over a full?

If you consider that the average crib mattresses usually measures 28″ x 52″ you’ll want to take notice that a full size bed in fact has less space to sleep in than a baby’s crib bed. I love my wife and enjoy sharing our bed but no thanks.  At least with a queen size I would have a fighting chance to get comfortable.

Stepping away from the obvious my wife Kathy pointed something out to me many people may not realize. The truth is that one of the biggest problems in full size mattresses can be  a limited selection in sheets, comforters and other linens. She brings up a very good point because queen size beds are the most popular mattress size in the world for adults. It stands to reason, this is where people will find the best selection of bedding for mattresses because mfg. will market to the masses.

Finally since we were just talking about selection I have to ask you a question. Have you been out shopping and tried to find a full size bed lately? I have been to some of the biggest furniture markets in the world and I can tell you this I couldn’t find many due to the large amount of furniture importing taking place. Headboards that are sold today are typically sold in a combination queen and full size taking up less cargo space in shipping containers. Combination headboards will attach to both size mattresses. They look great however if you are limited on space the headboard is 60 inches wide making it tough to fit into bedrooms that can only accommodate a 54 inch wide full.  

When it comes to full size headboards and footboards, forget about it, they’re even more rare these days. Queen sizes now commonly utilize full size conversion steel rails allowing the use of a full sized mattress sets for those who do not want to purchase new mattresses. The same problem still exists as mentioned before if the bedroom will not fit a 60 wide headboard and in this case footboard.

So why buy a full size mattress?

Great space savers.
Great for teenagers.
Cheaper than queens.
Bedding cost less for full size.

What many people refer to as a regular or standard king is called an Eastern King by the mattress industry and measures at 76” wide by 80” long. It is the size found in most furniture & mattress stores on display and in stock. The California king also referred to as the western king is 72” wide and 84” long. This is a special size that is normally not stocked by stores. In the past and still today the Cal. King is more commonly used for hard side waterbeds.

Do they make a special mattress to fit inside a waterbed?

Frequently people ask for foam or spring mattresses to drop into a hard side waterbed. The industry name for such a bed is a waterbed insert. This is a mattress undersized 2” in both length and width so you can get your hands between the mattress and frame to make the bed. The finished mattress measures only 70” X 82” a tad smaller than the traditional California King mattress and a great solution for people that own waterbeds.

A common problem when buying a California king mattress and box spring is that there are very few headboards available in the California king size width. When buying a headboard or a headboard and footboard nearly all are only available in Eastern King and then have a second attachment on them for Cal. Kings because of the small 4 inch difference leaving two inches of extra headboard on each side of the Cal. King mattress making it a one King size fits all bed. This is a method that has been used on combination Queen / Full headboards for years. If you place the mattress set on a metal frame make sure it can be adjusted to fit a California king 72 inch mattress width.

In those situations where people decide to transition from their wood frame waterbed but keep their California king insert they will then need to find a box spring to put underneath it. Be aware that if you go out and buy a California king box spring it will be 72” X 84” and your insert may only be 70” X 82”. You may need to order a custom size boxspring to fit your waterbed insert mattress.

Will my old sheets work on my new bed?

California king and eastern king sheets will not interchange. You may get by with flat sheets, but the fitted sheet definitely will not work. I should point out there are differences between California king sheets for a spring mattress and those made for a waterbed. California kings conventional sheets usually have a flat top sheet and the bottom sheet is fitted like a shower cap making it hard to get on a hard side waterbed. Waterbed sheets on the other hand usually have 4 corner pockets and some top sheets are sewn to the foot of the bottom sheet. We have found separated sheets to be more popular with the top sheet having pockets only on the foot end only and the bottom having a standard pocket in each of the four corners. We call this a 6-pocket sheet set.