HIGH POINT — Adjustable bases have come a long way, baby, as manufacturers and suppliers continue to build on emerging technologies to enhance sleep through tracking, snore reduction and relaxation functions.
No longer are power bases seen as an add-on sale; many companies are turning toward creating complete sleep systems giving retailers alternatives to upselling consumers an adjustable base over a flat foundation with mattress purchase.
The pitch: This motion base is designed to pair seamlessly with the mattress for an improved sleep experience.
Adjustable bed base providers continue to up the ante with more features, more benefits and a wealth of advances that go beyond the shake-and-bake massage function of old.
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Technology tells
Today’s complete sleep systems feature plenty of technology in the bases that sync with mattresses designed to help consumers better understand their sleep patterns, reduce disruption from snoring and programs that promote relaxation at bedtime. Several companies are incorporating AI technology into their systems.
Tempur-Sealy International’s Tempur-Ergo ProSmart Base, introduced in January, incorporates the company’s Automatic Snore Response through Sleeptracker-AI to detect snoring and automatically adjust to help reduce it.
To help consumers get to sleep, the base features an immersive relaxation experience that includes sound and wave massage through Bluetooth technology and the option to connect to a Tempur-Pedic playlist on Spotify. The Wind Down program is a preset on the power base that cycles through different base positions and massages to induce sleep.
Tempur’s sleep tracker technology incorporates sensors that monitor breathing, heart rate and sleep cycles and, over time, picks up patterns to help sleepers better understand strategies for improving sleep with sleep coaching strategies shared via an app.
“Consumers continue to prioritize sleep in their overall health and wellness, and we are committed to delivering the deep, undisturbed rest they deserve,” said Jill Johnson, vice president of Tempur-Pedic. “We are incredibly proud of these amazing new products and the world-class team behind them.”
This spring, vertical player Sleep Number unveiled its next generation smart beds armed with technology to monitor sleep patterns and adjust to a sleeper’s needs.
Designed with AI programmed to adjust automatically with changing needs, the mattress is designed to monitor health data like average heart rate, breathing rate and motion, as well as sleep trends. All are shared through the company’s app to give the user an understanding of their sleep patterns.
“The next gen Sleep Number smart bed is the only science-backed, fully adjustable and effortless smart bed that uses physical and digital experiences designed to improve sleep quality for each sleeper,” said Annie Bloomquist, executive vice president and chief innovation officer. “Our advanced sensing capabilities, which deliver highly accurate data nightly, help provide a more holistic picture of sleep and health.”
King Koil is also in the smart sleep system arena with its Smartlife Mattress. Introduced in 2020, the mattress incorporates “smart cells” and eight independently controlled zones, and offers multiple settings controlled via an app.
The company expanded the mattress’ capabilities when it introduced a full-feature companion adjustable base: iMotion. With its Bluetooth connected controls, underbed lighting, USB charging ports and other creature comforts, the base and mattress combination work in tandem.
New companies, new products
As the category continues to evolve and grow, it continues to attract new companies into the space.
In late 2020, Renaissance Elevated Sleep Technologies came into the mix as a source for imported adjustable bed bases. Purple Innovation recently announced its push into the adjustable base offering, and last month, a new company, Innovative Sleep Technologies came on the scene under the leadership of a former Glideaway product development executive.
Purple with two models designed to retail at $1,195 and $1,895 in queen that Jeff Hutchings, chief innovation officer for Purple, said are engineered as “a full sleep system of products that work together to optimize rest.” That system, he said, includes Purple’s pillows and linens, as well.
“The introduction of these two new smart bases is a step towards helping customers build their ultimate sleep system, unlocking the ability to customize their comfort with one-touch features all from an easy-to-use app or remote to unlock deeper, more restful sleep,” Hutchings said, adding that the company had offered adjustable bases in the past. However, this introduction is different.
“As we were developing our new Premium and Luxe mattress lines, we felt strongly that we needed to bring the same focus on innovation to bases,” he said. “This represents a quantum leap forward in our base offering.
“These two bases have been designed based on consumer needs and offer great value along with meaningful benefits,” Hutchings added. “Sleeping is a key component of overall well-being, and these bases provide improved body support for targeted regions and improved breathing and circulation.”
While Innovative Sleep Technologies is a new name in the adjustable sleep business, the founders behind the company are not industry newcomers.
John Schulte, president, spend 27 years with Glideaway leading its product development, sourcing and planning before the company merged with Rize. Schulte has partnered with engineer and international sales expert Sven Knabe to start IST. Knabe is the managing partner and the company, co-owned by Meise Mobel, a manufacturer in Europe and Asia, is sourcing adjustable bed bases from China and Bosnia. Products are warehoused in Missouri.
“Innovative Sleep Technologies is bringing to the residential market Symphony Sleep, a brand that offers some innovative designs, materials and functionality that we believe provides differentiated features and benefits,” Schulte said. “Retailers are looking for true technology to build a quality sleep story around, and IST has it.”
Schulte said the company’s focus on technology revolves around the engineering of the product to make it the best bed base it can be, taking into account features and functions that offer RSAs a well-thought out selling proposition with bases priced to retail from $299 to $1,499.
Optimistic on the timing of IST’s creation, Schulte said the category is still growing and he sees a long runway ahead for motion bases. The strategy, he said, is to partner with and develop close relationships with retailers.
